Tag Archive for: Expert

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Real Clinical, Radiant Results with Heather Lilleston

Name: Heather Lilleston
Location: Venice, California
Age: 38

Tell us a little about yourself…
Spent half my life in New York City and half my life in California. I have been teaching yoga since 2003, run a travel yoga company called YOGA FOR BAD PEOPLE (www.yogaforbadpeople.com) leading yoga retreats and trainings around the world, and am in my second year pursuing a Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology. To learn more: heatherlilleston.com.

What are your bodycare goals?  
My body care goals are to feel good in my skin – this means staying hydrated and moisturized, spending time exercising in nature (circulation is so key to happiness, health and being able to think clearly and feel good in your body), to have a good balance of fun and discipline, and to be able to spend a lot of time in the sun without totally destroying my skin. I want to make sure that the products I use on my body are made with – and sold in – environmentally considerate products and packaging, and don’t contribute to the burden of chemicals and toxins eating away at the harmony of our planet. I also want to spend the least amount of time possible on skincare and what I “look like”; it’s so important for me to have an efficient and realistic daily routine.

Do you have any specific body skin concerns? I have very dry skin and have to monitor my beauty marks with all the time I spend in the sun, but other than that, my skin situation is pretty simple. I take daily showers and moisturize at least twice daily, but really don’t encounter much difficulty besides sun damage.

What do you look for when creating a bodycare routine? Something environmentally conscious, smells good (not too perfumey) and fast and easy. I don’t like to worry about too many steps. I like products that smell good and are healing and made from natural ingredients – I can’t stand products that have such a strong scent they take over the room.

First thoughts when trying the Bodycare Regimen
1st week …I love the products so far. They are essentially unscented and feel gentle on the body. I love how small the scrubs are and nothing is too thick or oily, even though it is moisturizing. So far, so good!
2nd week… I am enjoying getting into the routine of scrubbing. Especially during the California fires where the air has been so thick and intense, it’s been key to come home and scrub and then moisturize and firm.
3rd week… My skin feels really soft after the scrub and the firming lotion has gotten me into a routine of making sure to rub lotion into the skin using an upwards motion. I never considered that before, but I think it’s making a difference. I am happy I have chosen to collaborate with Goldfadden and really respect this trial period with the product. I definitely would recommend it to friends. I have never really committed to scrubs before but I look forward to using the lightness of the Goldfadden scrubs.

Is clean beauty something that you feel passionate about? Absolutely! The beauty industry needs much improvement in terms of environmental standards and accessibility to all people regardless of economic status. Making organic, non toxic products available and standard, removing chemicals and toxins lotions, sunscreens, and makeup and anything that isn’t of medical-grade – everyday products – should be environmentally sound and affordable. FDA regulations can set the standards for that, but also individual companies can change their ingredients – as well as evolve packaging from plastics – this is vital and necessary. I love how proud I can be when products are 100% environmentally sound.

What else do you feel passionate about?
Social justice, a radical shift in America away from corporate-run governments and back to a truer democracy, environmental issues, revamping the entire education system in our country, the importance of taking many of the funds used for policing and reverting them to other programs that better reflect the actual help that is needed for the majority of police calls, and ending homelessness. It is time for massive change in the United States – our entire country needs healing. COVID made all our issues obvious. Now we have to deal with them. I think our generation got apathetic about justice issues and politics and now we are realizing politics aren’t just for politicians. We have a massive amount of catch up to do – especially white people regarding facing and being honest about the reality of racism in America – and I feel a sense of urgency in our catch up. Especially with the election not that far away. I am passionate about being fearless about this. The time is now.

Best advice you’ve ever received in regards to caring for your body? Rest is just as important as effort in working out and doing a lot. Chewing your food and drinking more water than you think you need. Getting yourself into nature and spending time alone too. Your body is a reflection of your emotional and psychological states, so this comes into play as well. You have to take care of your heart, and sometimes this means solo time and sometimes this means making more effort to connect to your community and support systems, playing and dancing, and leaving some space to be spontaneous – all of these are so key.

How do you stay focused and motivated throughout the day? I make sure that anything I am involved in I believe in – reflects my values and passions – and is never just for money. Also, balance. Taking a moment to walk around the block or lay down with your legs up the wall, standing up and listening to a song and walking into the other room – all of this is important to go back to the drawing board and meet the task at hand. Oh, and odd elixirs – like homemade hibiscus iced tea mixed with sparkling water and a dash of apple cider vinegar  – with ice – this gets me going.

What are some of your favorite foods that keep your skin healthy?
Spirulina, Avocado, Passion Fruit, Apple Cider vinegar mixed with sparkling water and an iced tea or fruit juice, dandelion greens, chlorella tablets, lemon water, and let’s not forget the most important – STRAIGHT UP WATER!

What’s on your WFH playlist?
The albums I can listen to and still get work done are:
The Ethiopiques, vol. 21 and vol. 4 collection
All Melody by Nils Frahm
Sous la direction de Traore Keletigui, vol. 1 by Orchestre Paillote
Angel’s Rest by East Forest
Devi Prayer by Craig Pruess
Talking Timbuktu by Al Farka Toure with Ry Cooder
The Best of Caetano Veloso
Horizon Unlimited by Lijadu Sisters

Fill in the blank:     Spending time alone     is underrated.
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Meet Alyssa Wasko, Founder and CEO of Donni

What do you think about, creatively, when you’re designing your Fall Collection?

It’s never the same. I can’t control when I get an idea or am feeling creative. I just wait for those moments, whenever they are, and work off of them.

Where do you find inspiration?

All over. A lot of old books and movies, vintage clothing and art. Interiors.

What cities are on your travel bucket list?

Kenya is at the top of my list! Also, Lake Louise in Alberta.

Did you always want to be a clothing/jewelry designer?

Not at all. I always knew I would work in fashion, but truly never thought as a designer.

Background on your phone?

Favorite photo of me and my dad.

What are your go-to daily beauty products, and why?

Always start with the Pure Start cleanser, I love the gentle consistency and gets my skin ready for the day. Then I mix Vital Boost with Mara Universal Oil for my moisturizer and top with Saie Glowy Super Gel. Perfect combo for a natural glow.

Why is clean beauty important for you?

Not only are clean product better for you, but I have also found they work better for me/my skin as well.

How do you de-stress?

Walks with my dog and laying by the fire.

Favorite mood-boosting meal?

Sushi!  

What is your daily mantra? 

Do your best and make your loved ones proud.

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Meet Jack Scott: Co-Founder of Dash Water

“Alex my business partner and I started Dash three years ago now, firstly to give a fresh perspective on soft drinks industry by making a great tasting drink without any sugar, sweetener or calories. And secondly, both us are from farming backgrounds and we wanted to do our bit to fight against food waste, so we use wonky fruit that would otherwise go to waste to infuse our waters.” – Jack Scott, Co-Founder of Dash Water.

Dash is currently stocked in around 6,000 stores mainly in Europe however has just launched in the US. You can buy directly from their website and use code ‘DAILYSCRUB’ for 20% off your order. Thanks, Dash!

How did the idea for Dash Water come about?

We both worked at a larger soft drinks company in the UK, and it was there we saw there was a massive gap in the market for a great tasting drink without any of the Sugar or Sweetener. We then went about infusing fruit in water and carbonating it with a soda stream in our kitchen and taste it out with people in London parks. When we went to source our fruit we realized there was a lot of fruit going to waste due to the way it looked, so all our drinks are made from fruit that would otherwise go to waste. 

What do you think about, creatively, when you’re creating a new flavor?

We now have x5 flavors, every time we want to make the best seller. We do a lot of research into flavors through various data channels. Then we get tasting, it normally around x6 others including people who have lots of experience in making drinks and have very good taste/pallets. Once we honed in on a flavor we will then make a larger batch to try on a bigger audience and tweak until we are happy. 
Where do you find inspiration?
 
I find my inspiration from other brands and our customers. Ultimately we need to create something that people like, its very important to never forget that.

How do you practice sustainability?

We’re very proud to be B-corp certified, where we balance purpose and profit. One way in which we do this at Dash is we go the extra mile to use fruit that would otherwise go to waste. See a short video here which talks more about how we source our blackcurrants. 

What cities are on your travel bucket list?

I would love to spend more time in Brazil. I’ve been to Rio, but would like to venture north to Salvador it looks like a beautiful city with fantastic beaches and Caribbean waters. 

How do you de-stress?

I am very lucky I live next to Hyde Park in London, so to de-stress I like to go for a jog/stroll and listen to my favorite podcast! Hyde Park is a must-visit to anyone visiting London, its stunning in the summer and has of hidden area’s makes you feel like you have escaped London for a short while. 

Favorite mood-boosting meal?

We have a Vietnamese noodle place opposite our office in Soho that is so comforting! I get the Mytho noodles, broth and noodles always very mood-boosting! The restaurant is called Keu if anyone is in Soho looking for a quick lunch.

What is your daily mantra?

I try and be very mindful of how I treat people, important to treat everyone with the same amount of respect. However this can be very challenging as we still have our phone numbers on the site, so I’m not very patient with people selling me the next trade show, I’m working on though! 

Any advice for people wanting to make the switch towards a more mindful existence but are not sure where to start?

Being around people that make you feel good would be my main piece of advice! Positive energy. When I’m commuting into work, I try and take 10 mins to concentrate on things around me — trees, sky, birds, I suppose a sort of meditation. 

The best piece of advice you’ve received?

I got told by a previous boss when leaving to start Dash to pack your small tent with the best quality people and magic will happen. It’s so important to work with the best possible people, it lifts the energy when your around talented people who care about what they do. We have a fantastic team of people that really care and are determined to inspire millions of dash drinkers.
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