Tag Archive for: wellness

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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

Name: Nikia Rodriguez

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.

 

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ALL YOUR SKIN: What you need to know

Thankfully and at all, consumers are growing more aware of and curious about the effects of certain ingredients going onto and into our bodies. Sure, you likely press fresh OJ to boost your immunity during flu season. And yes, we do want certain ingredients—such as retinol, hyaluronic acid, and our other favorite actives—to penetrate the skin, or else we wouldn’t use them.

However, the unfortunate fact is that many unwanted aggressors find their way into our bodies via the skin. This journey can take place through environmental pollutants, a variety of lifestyle factors, and often through the products adorning our bathroom shelves.

Fast Facts on Skin and Body Care

The skin is your body’s largest organ, and special care must be taken to adequately protect it. Since different studies show that your skin can absorb up to 60% of the products you apply, it’s important to know which formulas promote both skin health and overall wellness. Even further, it’s essential to be fully aware of which ingredients you should avoid to prevent disturbances and adverse reactions.

According to a survey by the Environmental Working Group, people use an average of nine topical products daily containing 126 unique ingredients. A quarter of women use upward of 15 products, thus significantly increasing the chemical tally. Next, a 2003 study shows that risky substances can seep into your skin barrier and potentially lead to irritation, inflammation, sensitivities, and greater health risks such as hormonal disruptions and chronic illness. Simply put, even a basic skin and body care routine harness the potential to impact your health.

 

Skin and Absorption

It’s challenging to definitively pin down exactly how much of specific products—and which products at that—can absorb into your bloodstream and thus pose potential risks.

First, each body is different. Absorption levels will vary based on the health and integrity of your skin, which body parts (and their surface area) are exposed to application, and the length of time (daily and long-term) you used certain products.

Next, regarding products and ingredients, different factors come into play. In terms of formulation, the chemical size will be a key determinant. It’s more challenging for larger molecules to penetrate your skin’s protective layers, while smaller molecules have an easier time seeping through. Additionally, absorption will depend on the strength and amount of chemicals in a given product. You’ll know that a certain substance will be more potent if it’s high on the ingredient list (typically within the first five listings), or if the concentration percentage is above average.

How to Protect the Health of Your Skin and Body

The best way to prevent potentially (and proven) toxic ingredients from absorbing into your system is to be an active, educated consumer. To start, do research on the best and worst ingredients for skincare. However, you can’t take everything at face value; be sure to look to the sources and studies behind certain information. It’ll take time and effort, but your health and skin are well worth it.

Looking at the standards set by the EU is a great starting point. They’re much more stringent than the limits in place in the US; over 1,300 chemicals are banned across the pond, while the US has outlawed 11 and restricted not a great deal more.

In addition to avoiding disruptive culprits, swap them for clean skincare products backed by science and research. You can go beyond marketing claims by looking into a given brand’s story as well as its products’ ingredient list. The best skincare and bodycare brands will take care to educate their consumers not only on their offerings but healthy living at large.

At the end of the day, your strongest line of defense will be a healthy skin barrier, which you can maintain by using clean products that reduce inflammation, boost collagen, and replenish hydration and moisture levels.

Author Bio:
Michele Ross is a beauty and lifestyle writer based in Los Angeles. She’s passionate about clean skincare and hiking in the California sunshine (with adequate SPF, of course).

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EWG on Skin Deep + stats

Cosmetic ingredients do not remain on the surface of the skin. They are designed to penetrate, and they do. Scientists have found many common cosmetic ingredients in human tissues, including phthalates in urine, preservatives called parabens in breast tumor tissue and persistent fragrance components in human fat. Do the concentrations at which they are typically found pose risks? For the most part, those studies have not been done. But a small but growing number of studies serve as scientific red flags (Swan 2005, Sathyanarayana 2008, Swan 2010).

 

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Summer Sips: Margarita Recipe by, Seedlip

About Seedlip:

In 2013, Ben discovered ‘The Art of Distillation’, a book written in 1651 outlining distilled herbal remedies–both alcoholic and not. Ever the tinkerer, Ben was inspired to purchase a small copper still and experiment with distilling herbs grown in his garden at home.

After a few months’ time, while dining at an upscale London restaurant, Ben ordered a non-alcoholic cocktail. To his dismay, he was served a pink, sugary drink that neither paired with the meal, nor the atmosphere.

And so began two meticulous years of perfecting the world’s first distilled non-alcoholic spirit. Ben launched Seedlip Spice 94 in London’s Selfridges on November 4th, 2015. His first handmade 1,000 bottles sold out within three weeks, the second thousand in three days, and the third batch in 30 minutes online.

The pioneering movement of offering those not drinking alcohol a sophisticated, adult option has since become a segment all its own: the ever-growing no & low alcohol category.

Seedlip now has three expressions: aromatic Seedlip Spice 94; herbal Seedlip Garden 108; and citrus-forward Seedlip Grove 42–all without alcohol, calories or sugar. Seedlip is available in 28 markets worldwide in over 10,000 bars, restaurants, hotels, and retailers, including 300 Michelin Star restaurants and the majority of the 50 Best Cocktail Bars in the world–and direct-to-consumer online at www.seedlipdrinks.com/us.

Ben Branson, Founder of Seedlip

Seedlip is the product of Ben Branson’s upbringing. His mother’s side has been farming in England for nine generations–over 300 years. Ben’s father, on the other hand, has been in the branding and design industry for over 40 years. Ultimately, that’s where Ben got his start–establishing a branding agency of his, working with the likes of Nike, Unilever and Absolut Vodka, as well as smaller startups. He is truly a product of both his parents, with an obsession and love for the natural world, and an eye for design.

The Liquid:

Seedlip can be used to replace any traditional spirit in a simple serve: 2oz. topped with a splash of Ginger Ale, Tonic or Club Soda, or as the base for more complex cocktails–many outlined within our Cocktail Book.

Seedlip is produced by way of a bespoke 6-week maceration, distillation, filtration, and blending process. Each expression is a combination of 6 individually distilled natural botanicals that have been meticulously processed to create a uniquely flavorful, clear, shelf-stable spirit. The liquid itself contains no alcohol, sugar or calories.

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