Whole Living Daily

Name: Shel Pink
Occupation: Founder, SpaRitual
Location: Los Angeles, CA

Who is your beauty inspiration? My mother inspired my perspective on beauty.  As a child she taught me that what we put on our body and what we put in our body affects our overall health.  I look at beauty in terms of health and wellness. People with good energy also inspire me.  These are people who radiate beauty from the inside out.

What product/treatment/beauty indulgence do you spend the most on? Massage and seasonal cleanses.  My mother introduced me to spa treatments at a very young age to highlight the importance of taking care of our body, mind and spirit. Our bodies harbor our emotions and stresses that need to be released.  Massage treatments strengthen the immune system, improve skin texture, promote deep sleep, improve nerve function, and decrease chronic pain. I’ve been doing Ayurvedic cleanses, known as Panchakarma, twice a year for the last five years. Recently I tried Alejandro Junger’s 21 day CLEAN program. Our body is working non-stop and cleansing allows our internal system to rest and reset. The benefits of cleansing include increased energy, deeper sleep, a calm and alert mind, looking and feeling younger.

What do you spend the least on? Makeup. I do not experiment with color cosmetics for my face.  I like a natural look that gives my face a “healthy glow.”

What does age mean to you? Aging should never make you feel old.  I don’t buy into this “anti-aging” concept.  The war is over.  I believe in slow aging, slow beauty and embarking on a slower path to beauty.  I practice what I call the 7 outposts of slow beauty:  Honoring the Spa Tradition, Meditation, Renewal, Lifelong Learning, Self-Expression, Rediscovered Rituals, and Mindful Consumption.

What’s the most interesting thing you’ve learned about skin/hair/nails/beauty this year? Nail care is now the fastest growing category in beauty.  People are using color and texture on their nails as a form of self-expression and communication of their personal style. Manicures, whether at the spa or at home are an affordable luxury that is both fun and relaxing. Color can elevate your mood and we need some mood elevation these days.

What’s the one thing you do (not product-based) that you think affects your appearance more than anything else? Meditation.  I learned the TM technique years ago.  I meditate twice a day for 20 minutes.  There are approximately 60 muscles in our face.  I like to relax them 40 minutes each day.  Meditation wipes the stress from your face. I believe that mediation is the most effective ingredient to help reduce the signs of aging.

Why naturals? As inhabitants of our beautiful planet, we have a duty to protect and preserve our home.  “Naturals” is a part of what Paul Hawken calls “the largest social movement in history.”  One way to be part of the movement is to choose to live and consume naturally. Natural is healthier for the planet, healthier for our selves, and our loved ones.  Initiatives like Fair Trade, Certified Organic, Eco-Cert, Windpower, FSC Certified, and Vegan, are promoting better work conditions, better soil conditions, better practices … bettering society as a whole. Natural in its true sense means living sustainably, at the right tempo, honoring the natural life cycles. Humans were once very connected to this process, in awe, in respect, in reverence of it … but we somehow lost that connection and lost our minds, we lost our mindfulness.  There is hope.  We have the capacity to be mindful again.  The only way to do this is to slow down and jump off the fast lane, even if just for a little while, to reconnect with our nature.