Face your BODY: Nikia Rodriguez

We have partnered with 5 beautiful, kind, and strong women in our community and asked them questions about self-care, wellness, and of course BODY. Sharing our new Bodycare Collection we collaborated with them to create imagery that showcased their bodies through their lense. We’ll be sharing their imagery and stories throughout the next few weeks so that you can all get to know and love them as much as we do. ⁠

Meet Nikia Rodriguez.

#faceyourBODY

Location: Los Angeles, CA

Age: 30

Who are you, and what do you stand for?

I’m a half Dominican-half Ashkenazi Jew who grew up in the Hudson Valley. I’ve lived in Los Angeles for 12 years, and now share a home in Echo Park with my husband, Jeff, and our rescue dog, Poppy. Jeff and I run a production company called Picture Ridge Productions, which specializes in travel, culinary, and lifestyle content. When we’re home (for short bursts of time) we spend most of our time chasing the sun, from our yard, to hikes in the hills of Elysian Park, and (if we have it in us) a drive to the ocean.

As a daughter, sister, wife and friend, I stand for equality, in every form. I stand for empathy, kindness, nature and her protection.

On those days when you’re not feeling 100 percent, what do you do to give yourself a confidence boost?

As I’ve gotten older, I’ve become less and less interested in spending hours in front of the mirror applying makeup, or blow-drying my naturally wavy hair. But on days when I’m feeling less than 100%, I put some music on and pamper myself with a full skincare routine and makeup application.

What activities would you say are part of your self-care routine? And how do you make time for self-care?

To me, self-care is 60% mental and 40% physical. Mentally, I practice self-care by meditating, reading, spending time with friends, and painting. Physically, self-care comes in the form of healthy eating, low-impact exercise (I love Melissa Wood Health and MadFit) and walking my dog. I’m not someone who necessarily adheres to daily schedules (when I’m not traveling for work,) so I really just take every day as it comes, and listen to my body for cues on what it needs. Depending on how I’m feeling each morning, and what my workload is like, I’ll choose one physical activity and one mental activity to stay balanced throughout my day.

What are three words that come to mind when you think of your body?

Natural, Feminine, Resilient

What are some of your favorite foods that keep your skin healthy?

It’s not a food, but WATER, first and foremost. I keep a glass next to me at all times! For healthy fats and Vitamin E, I love avocados and salmon. Spinach and broccoli are great sources of Zinc, and my Vitamin C facilitators are citrus fruit and sweet potato.

What does your current skincare routine look-like, specifically for your body?

Again, I’m a pretty low maintenance gal. I like a few tried-and-true, go-to products for my face, hair and body. Specifically for my body, Goldfaden’s new Firm Believer and Doctor’s Body Scrub are the perfect product duo to use throughout the week to keep my skin feeling hydrated, smooth and ready for Summer.

What are some of your favorite body treatments?

Admittedly, I’m a sucker for an overpriced, full body massage.

If you could get the world to change its collective mind about one issue or adopt one way of being, what would it be and why?

I’m very concerned about the Earth’s rising climate and the planet we are leaving to future generations. We have done so much damage, that I worry it’s nearly impossible to undo without the collective force of each and every human adapting to an eco-conscious way of life.

Fill in the blank: ______ is underrated.

Cereal is underrated.