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First up, briefly tell us a bit about yourself and what you do!

Hi, I’m Lisa, founder of KIND-LY. We’re a natural deodorant brand that is vegan, cruelty-free, Aussie made and uses only natural and organic ingredients. Our award-winning range of natural deodorants are enriched with probiotics and magnesium and we also have a fabulous product called The Armpit Detox, which is similar to a mud mask for your face, but goes on your pits! It’s a great companion to assist in the transition to natural deodorant.

What’s your morning routine to set you up for a great day?

Business start up life means on a typical morning I’m awake at 6:00am. Over breakfast I usually start responding to emails, checking overnight orders through the website and plan out some social media posts for the week. I find it’s easiest to get through quite a bit of work early in the day before the official workday starts which allows for a less stressful day.

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Tell us about your daily beauty routine! What are your non-negotiables for looking and feeling your best?

The major non-negotiable when it comes to my daily beauty routine, is of course natural deodorant! My KIND-LY 100% Natural Deodorant is the first thing applied every morning after a shower. I keep the rest of my routine quite simple with natural skincare products for my face and body. It can be overwhelming (and expensive) trying to switch every product you use to an all-natural option, however, I’ve found it easiest to begin with the products you use the most on the daily or applied to your body and then work outwards.

Do you have an evening wind-down ritual?

A good cup of tea and an Epsom salts bath is a great way to wind-down of an evening.

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What are your top 3 wellness non-negotiables?

♥ Natural/organic food and products for body and home;
♥ A positive mindset;
♥ Relaxation and disconnecting from the digital world for some regular down time.

What’s your fitness routine & favourite way to get sweaty and where’s your go-to?

I don’t have a fixed fitness routine as such and it really does vary depending on my schedule, mood and weather! Yoga and a simple walk around my neighbourhood will do just fine for me most of the time! Any activity that I can incorporate into my normal day is much more appealing to me, rather than a fixed routine or having to go to the gym.

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Are you into any woo-woo wellness trends? (think crystals, sageing, tarot cards etc)

I’ve recently started my crystal collection and have been enjoying gradually adding new pieces to my home and learning about the benefits of each stone. Not only do crystals look beautiful as a décor item, but they also bring a lovely positivity and energy into your space.

And lastly… do you have any top secret tips you use to keep looking / feeling great?

Looking and feeling great really does start from within and a positive mindset and inner belief in yourself can have an impact on all areas of your life. When you’re feeling confident and happy within yourself you will also be more inclined to want to make positive changes in other aspects of your life as well.

Thank you so much, Lisa, for taking part in our wellbeing routine series! If you have any questions for Lisa, please leave them below and make sure you check them out on Instagram here: @kind_ly

♥ Check out that PUMP!

I don’t think I’ve ever been excited about a pump before. A pumpkin spice latte, sure, but a pump on a beauty product? No.

Biossance 100% Squalane Oil is the owner of this much-heralded – by me – pump, and the product itself is a triple threat as it’s an insanely nourishing oil that’s suitable for body, face AND hair, plus is shark-friendly and 100% vegan.

The pump is the perfect size for your finger to press, and delicate enough to allow precise distribution of this nourishing oil. Seriously, this bad boy is ergonomic. I honestly feel like thousands of hours have gone into the creation of this DREAM PUMP. I’m going to stop ranting about it now, because it’s honestly getting a little weird, but suffice to say once this bottle runs out I Will Most Definitely Be using it for any other oils that I have that happen to be housed in inferior packaging.

Pumps aside, the other thing I love about this oil is that there are no preservatives, it’s 100% squalane, and at 100ml it’s extremely generously sized so you can go bananas and not scrimp on slathering your face and body with it.

Many forms of squalane are derived from shark livers, yes really, and as someone who tries to live a cruelty free life to the best of my ability I have absolutely NO interest in that, and hopefully you feel the same way. Biossance claims to save over 2 million sharks per year via their sugarcane-derived method of squalane extraction and frankly I’m here for it.

I like to use this product in the evening post-cleansing and exfoliating. I spend some time slowly massaging it into my face after a warm shower, then massage my breasts, hands, elbows, feet (pop on some socks after for extra benefit) and any other dry spots. Due to how lightweight this oil is a little goes a long way, which makes it even better value for money. And did I mention the glow? How could I not. You’ll wake up in the morning with perfectly plump, hydrated skin – and knowing it’s from a product that’s 100% natural will only make you even happier about it.

For me, this oil is now a must-have in my nightly routine. Find it online at sephora.com.au for $50 AUD.

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First up, briefly tell us a bit about yourself and what you do!

I am a two time Olympian. My sport is distance running- 5,000m and 10,000m on the track. I am Co-Founder of the Love Mercy Foundation which I started with fellow Olympic runner Julius Achon from Uganda. We seek to empower the poor in Northern Uganda through sustainable projects, allowing families and communities to create their own livelihood through farming, education and access to health care. I am a wife to Jonathan and a mum to 6 year old India with another baby on the way – due in November!

What time do you wake up most days and how many hours of sleep do you aim for?

When I’m in full training and racing mode, I wake up at around 6am and I aim for at least 8 hours sleep a night. I always try and have a nap between hard workouts when I’m training up to three times a day, I find just 20 mins of just putting my feet up even if I can’t sleep, helps a lot with energy levels for my evening training session. Now that I’m heavily pregnant and not training hard I’m still aiming for a similar amount of sleep but this can be tricky when it gets uncomfortable towards the end of pregnancy. To compensate for this, I try and not make my days so full so that if I don’t sleep much the night before, I can at least try and get some rest during the day.

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Describe a typical day of eating for you.

♥ Breakfast – porridge with honey and a banana, or if I’m about to go for a run I have two boiled eggs on sourdough with a cup of tea

♥ Morning tea – a handful of raw almonds and another piece of fruit and a plain Greek yoghurt

♥ Lunch – A sandwich with chicken and salad or a salad with rice, chicken and veggies

♥ Afternoon tea – A piece of toast with peanut butter or avocado or another banana cut up and dipped in cashew nut butter

♥ Dinner – Lean meat (steak or fish) with veggies and rice or potatoes. Or lately in this last trimester I’ve really been craving pasta and my husband makes a really good pesto pappadelle!

♥ Dessert – if I can fit it in is another plain Greek yogurt or some dark chocolate with a peppermint tea.

Lately I’ll wake up in the middle of the night and not be able to go back to sleep unless I have something to eat (common in the third trimester of pregnancy) so I’ll have a banana which usually does the trick.

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Do you take any supplements, vitamins or special wellness elixirs? If so, we’d love to know!

When I’m not pregnant and I’m in full training I will supplement my diet on a daily basis with energy booster Ubiquinol – it’s the active form of co-enzyme Q10, a powerful antioxidant, vital for healthy cells and responsible for the energy production of cells in our body. It helps my recovery and fights feelings of fatigue. Magnesium is also a great option for inflammation and achy muscles when you start getting back into exercise.

Another favourite supplement is Revvies energy strips for a fast, convenient and effective energy hit before hard workouts and races. Always trial new caffeine or nutritional products in training before using them in a race.

Do you have an evening wind-down ritual?

For relaxation at the end of the day my husband and I will binge on an easy watching Netflix series or read a good book. Right now on Netflix we’re watching The Letdown and Money Heist, and I’m reading ‘The Moment of Lift’ by Melinda Gates – an inspiring book about her journey of empowering women out of poverty in developing countries through her foundation. 

What are your top 3 wellness non-negotiables

♥ Eat mostly unprocessed foods

♥ Supplement diet with things I know will help my energy levels – Ubiquinol and magnesium. 

♥ Spend lots of time with people I love ? 

Your absolute favourite healthy cafe in NSW is?

I love Buck Hamblin cafe in Thirroul, a coastal town about 30 mins drive from where I live. Bucks have the best coffee on the south coast of Sydney and the most amazing menu – my favourite in the winter is the porridge with poached fruit and cinnamon and then in the summer-time I love the poached chicken salad with nuts, greens and grains for a healthy lunch.

Best place to get a green juice or smoothie in your city?

So Fresh Cronulla make the best fresh juices in Sydney. They also do antioxidant shots with turmeric and ginger to help reduce inflammation in the body.

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What’s your fitness routine & favourite way to get sweaty and where’s your go-to?

Obviously running! It’s so energising for me. I feel free when I run. I love running with a group of running mates and I love an occasional run on my own just to clear my head. The best thing I love about running is that you can run literally anywhere and it’s so time efficient for getting fit and feeling healthy in your body and your mind.

If you could only wear one brand of activewear for the rest of your life it would be…

Adidas is my go-to brand for active wear. I’ve worn a lot of different brands Over the last 20 years of my running career and Adidas’ quality is second to none. I still have my fave Adidas kits that I was wearing 10 years ago! I love the street wear vibes in their originals range too and for running and workout shoes the boost technology makes you feel like you are running on clouds!

What’s the one beauty or wellness treatment you can’t live without? And your favourite place to have it done?

I love a facial from my friends at our local skin care spa called Beauty and Balance in Cronulla. I feel like a new woman when I leave and my skin looks and feels super refreshed and revitalised.

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What’s your dream wellness vacay?

I love Fiji for a revitalising holiday. There’s just something about the people, the culture and the slower pace of life that makes you feel immediately relaxed, even from the moment you land at the airport. No one ever seems hurried in Fiji and it’s so refreshing. We love to spend a week just in Denarau, I run on the golf course every morning and then come home for fresh coconuts and we’ll hit the pool or take a chartered boat out to cloudbreak where my husband likes to surf. Indi and I swim around jumping off the boat and have a picnic lunch whilst we watch ‘Daddy surf’. We’ll get back in time for a mid afternoon nap and then head to one of the amazing resort restaurants for dinner. There’s also the mud baths at the foot of one of the mountains that we like to frequent each time we go, you rub the volcanic mud all over your skin and then wash it off in the bath and it has an incredible cleansing affect, then you’ll be treated to a massage under the mango tree by the local massage therapists. Fiji is my all time most relaxing holiday!

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Medik8 is a brand I’ve known about for some time now, having first come across them at Mi:skn Clinic, where their products are used post-Omnilux (you can read more about my experience with that here!). Having always been a high-end, cosmeceutical brand since inception, I assumed that Medik8 being 100% vegan was probably out of the question, however they have always been cruelty free which is hugely important to me.

Recently, Medik8 made the transition to becoming fully vegan – and I wanted to dig in and find out more behind the decision & what exactly was involved, so we spoke to Director of Research at Medik8, Daniel Isaacs. Read on to discover more about the brand’s fascinating journey!

Can you share a little bit about how Medik8 started and the story behind the decision to create the business?

Medik8 was born out of a passion to deliver the benefits of serious skincare science without needing to compromise on the demand for ethics, transparency, sustainability and beautiful textures and fragrances found in natural brands. Elliot Isaac’s mission (founder of Medik8) was, and still is, to demystify the anti-ageing skincare industry with his trademark CSA Philosophy of ‘vitamin C plus sunscreen by day, and vitamin A by night’. This simplicity plus the end of choosing between results or experience is the secret to Medik8’s success.

What was behind your decision to transition to a 100% vegan skincare company?

Over the last 5 years, veganism has become a growing movement. This lifestyle extends way beyond just a diet. It involves what cosmetics you use, what household products you buy or the clothes you wear, to name but a few. In the UK alone, the number of vegans has quadrupled over the last four years. The reasons why are clear; according to The Vegan Society if the world went vegan, it could save 8 million human lives by 2050, reduce greenhouse gas emissions by two thirds, and avoid climate damages of $1.5 trillion.[1]

With consumers becoming increasingly conscious of whether a product has been derived from an animal byproduct or not, vegan beauty products make it simple and provide a guilt-free moment of indulgence. You can also rest assured that Medik8 do not test on animals nor ask others to test for us. This includes finished products and products within development or production, as well as ingredients used within our products. We are animal lovers and look forward to the day when animal testing is banned worldwide forever.

Vegan beauty is a no-brainer. Better for the planet, 100% cruelty free and often of higher quality, vegan products are exceptionally easy to swap to and you don’t lose any efficacy with the product.

Were you driven by your customers / social media to make the change?

We have always had a huge Vegan following and always listen to our fans, but ultimately this is something close to our hearts and at Medik8 we wanted to take full responsibility for our actions. We understand that having a beauty regime filled with vegan skincare is beneficial for the planet and your skin.

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What is the process involved for Medik8 in transitioning to being a fully vegan brand?

We conducted a full audit of all our products in 2018 and discovered that only 5 of our products were not vegan. This was due to some legacy formulas containing ingredients like yoghurt. We then set ourselves the goal of making every single Medik8 product completely vegan by the end of 2019, which we have achieved.

Our Ultimate Recovery Intense is a rich, restorative cream for dry, compromised and post-treatment skin. It used to contain silk serica (derived from the silkworm), which we replaced for allantoin. Allantoin is a natural component in comfrey root, which helps to support natural wound healing, speeding up skin renewal and softening the skin.

Advanced Night Restore is a deeply hydrating cream that works while you sleep, featuring an intelligent moisturisation complex of ceramide, fatty acids and (non-vegan) cholesterol. We now use a combination of synthetic cholesterol and a plant-derived form of cholesterol called phytosterol. Phytosterol gives structure to the plant’s cell membrane the same way cholesterol does for our skin. They both function similarly in enhancing the skin’s natural lipid barrier to lock in hydration.

Balance Moisturiser uses a high-performance blend of prebiotics and probiotics to rebalance the skin’s natural microbiome, promoting a healthy-looking, radiant complexion. While the probiotics were previously based on fermented milk-derived lactobacillus, they are now obtained from the fermentation of plant-based lactobacillus extracts – 100% vegan!

We also removed beeswax from our White Balance Overnight Repair and replacing it with vegan emulsifiers, plus removing non-vegan yoghurt extract from our Surface Radiance Cleanse.

What would you say to other businesses considering making the switch?

As a brand we have a responsibility to our planet and our customers, we believe everyone should be taking the steps to better themselves and be transparent with their consumers.

Thanks to Daniel for taking part in this interview with us! If you’d like to find out more about Medik8, hop on over to their website, Facebook or Instagram.

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First up, briefly tell us a bit about yourself and what you do!

I’m Maha Corbett and I am the Co-Founder and Director of SWIISH, the number one destination for women to supercharge both their wellness and style. On top of that, I am a published author, wellness coach and a huge supporter of several charities, in particular the Humpty Dumpty Foundation.

What time do you wake up most days and how many hours of sleep do you aim for?

I do my very best to go to bed at a reasonable hour and am usually up around 6.15am. I am a big believer in beauty sleep. Quality sleep is so critical for our ongoing health and general well-being. Our bodies need rest and repair so that we can function at our best, and obviously a good night’s sleep also makes us feel better. Deep down at a cellular level, sleeping helps regulate hormones and therefore ensures the body is functioning healthily. I aim for about 7 hours, as I find that works well for me.

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What’s your morning routine to set you up for a great day?

I start my day with a simple routine so I kick off my day with energy. I mix together a SWIISH WELLNESS dynamic duo – it’s our GLOW Marine Collagen with our SUPERGREEN Superfood Powder. I do this every single morning because I know I’m going to be under the pump all day, so I nurture the inside in a very fast and simple way. Our SUPERGREENS has over 40 ingredients including veggies, superfoods, prebiotics and probiotics. As well as the additional benefit of helping to improve digestion and de-bloating, it also helps increase energy levels – which let’s face it, we all need!!

Describe a typical day of eating for you.

After my dynamic duo blend, I have an egg and tomato wrap (I have a tomato addiction!), followed by a long black. Lunch is usually a big leafy salad with tomato, capsicum, cucumber and chilli tuna. To curb my 3.00pm cravings I have GLOW Hot Chocolate Hydrolysed Collagen Ppwder with coconut milk. At the moment my husband and I are loving either Salmon or Chicken with the Three Cheers Mexican Corn Salad from Super Easy. We called this our Three Cheers Mexican Corn Salad because every time we make it, it gets devoured and then we all say ‘Three cheers to the cook!’ Hence the name – it’s so yummy!

Tell us about your daily beauty routine! What are your non-negotiables for looking and feeling your best?

For me it’s all about minimal effort for maximum results, and it all starts with my skin. I have my GLOW Collagen every day, to look after my skin from the inside out. I also always moisturise with both a face oil and a cream – I love how hydrating the combo is. I switch up my face creams as I love to try different ones, but the face oil I am using is the Superfood Face Oil by Juice Beauty. It has 21 ingredients and I love applying it at night time and letting it all absorb into my skin while I sleep.

What are your top 3 wellness non-negotiables?

Our SLEEP Superfood Powder, GLOW Marine Collagen Hydrolysed Powder and SUPERGREEN Superfood Powder are my 3 wellness non negotiables – it’s wellness made easy to ensure my body functions at its best. At SWIISH we have created these products because we firmly believe that feeling and looking amazing really does start on the inside.

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Do you have an evening wind-down ritual?

I can’t go a night without our SLEEP Superfood Powder! As with all SWIISH Wellness products, we’ve used only natural ingredients in creating it. What’s important though is getting the right combination of ingredients. We included tart cherry, banana and cacao. Each of these ingredients contain melatonin or assist the body in creating melatonin, which is the vital hormone that regulates sleep patterns. Sally and I created our brand/business as a way to share our belief that small actions can make a big difference – it’s literally just a scoop in warm milk – ALMO unsweetened almond milk is my favourite. A simple self-care action like this can help enormously with wellbeing and health.

Favourite farmers market or healthy place to shop?

Sally recently moved back to Bondi and it’s a little ritual for us both to head down to the Bondi Markets each Saturday morning with Annabelle and Elyssa (Sally’s daughters). I always come home with fresh flowers, and the organic produce available (at such a low cost) is just phenomenal. They have a stall down there that makes this delicious falafel and egg wrap – I literally cannot get enough of them! It really is so good that Sally and I both live in Bondi and can do things like this together.

What’s your fitness routine and favourite way to get sweaty, and where’s your go-to?

I’m loving pilates at the moment, I find it’s the best way to start my day – it makes me feel fresh mentally and physically. A few times a week, Sally and I go for a walk ahead of going into SWIISH HQ. It’s again one of the many bonuses of us both living in Bondi!

What’s the one beauty or wellness treatment you can’t live without? And your favourite place to have it done?

VAIA Beauty in Darlinghurst – it’s an absolute Zen like experience and the epitome of self-care to me. Vaia is super lovely and provides the most luxurious and relaxing treatments. I get the Brightening Mask and it features high strength BHA’s and AHA’s to rapidly exfoliate surface congestion whilst diminishing the appearance of dark spots, pigmentation and blotchiness to reveal a bright and clear complexion. My skin feels so fresh and glowing!

Thanks for taking the time to complete our interview, Maha! If you have any questions for her, please leave them below 🙂

Be well,

xoxo