Your Skincare Might Be Ruining Your Skin… A Doctor Explains Why (Ep 15)

Is your skincare routine actually helping your skin… or quietly damaging it?

In this episode of the Thriving Loudly Podcast, we sit down with Dr. Hope Ijaola, a board-certified physician, skincare expert, and botanical science educator, to break down the truth about skincare, wellness, and what most people are getting wrong.

We dive into how harsh ingredients can damage your skin barrier, how inflammation and stress show up through your skin, and why skincare should be viewed as part of your overall health — not just beauty.

This conversation goes beyond products and trends — it’s about understanding your skin on a deeper level and creating routines that support long-term health, resilience, and confidence.

✨ In this episode, we discuss:

•  The hidden damage many skincare products cause 
•  How skin health connects to overall wellness 
•  The science behind natural, botanical skincare 
•  Why mindfulness should be part of your skincare routine 
•  The shift toward holistic, longevity-focused beauty 
•  How to build a skincare routine that actually works 

If you’ve ever felt overwhelmed by skincare or questioned what’s actually good for your skin, this episode will change how you think about beauty and wellness.

🎙️ Don’t forget to like, comment, and subscribe to Thriving Loudly for more conversations on growth, wellness, and real-life transformation.

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Transcript

SPEAKER_00 0:06

Welcome back to Thrive and Lowly, the podcast where we help you break out of survival mode and step into alignment. Today we're talking about wellness, skincare, and self-care in a deeper way. And we're joined today by Dr. Hope, abort certified physician and skincare expert.

SPEAKER_04 0:23

Her work bridges clinical medicine and conscious beauty.

SPEAKER_00 0:27

Yes. So we are so excited to have you here today, Dr. Hope. Thank you for having me. Yay. Thank you.

SPEAKER_01 0:34

It's nice to be here. It's lovely to meet you, ladies.

SPEAKER_00 0:37

Yes, likewise. I'm so excited, I will say. Um I love skincare. Like that is just, oh my God. I'm like a skincare connoisseur. So I'm happy to dive into everything that you have to offer and your background and just tell us everything. So we can start with like what inspired you to start your brand?

SPEAKER_01 0:59

Um, what inspired me? Uh actually, the inspiration came from my patients. Because I had an I do have an aesthetics part of my primary care practice. And um I would prescribe prescription grade skincare products, you know, uh prescription grade retinol and vitamin C and niacinamide. And for some most people it works. But then there was this group of people where they couldn't tolerate it. You know, they'd come back and, you know, no matter how we try to get them to pace it or to follow with a moisturizer, they still had the like tightness, the dryness, the stinging, the peeling. So there was this gap of patients that I felt like, okay, I need to figure out something to do to help them. So the inspiration was okay, let me go look out something that will be gentler, but will still have the same visible uh effects that they want. And that was how I started.

SPEAKER_00 1:53

That's awesome.

SPEAKER_04 1:54

Yeah, no, I really love that. Um, to kind of piggyback off of how this all started, I kind of want to talk a little bit about your background. Um, what kind of brought you to Arizona? How did this all how did you get to where you are today? To from, you know, starting the skincare line to becoming who you are, you know, helping your patients. Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 2:15

Uh well, I um, well, I'm a Nigerian. I grew up in Nigeria and I was certified as a doctor in Nigeria. So I did my med school in Nigeria. And then after that, I did my residency in New York, which was cold and very snowy. Yeah. So coming from tropical Nigeria, I was like, get me out of here. So it's cancer, so I get it. I haven't even been, I've just heard about that. So when I finished my residency, I was looking for where I was gonna start working as an internist, and I got an interview in Arizona, and I came to Arizona in April. It was beautiful, it was nice, it was clean, it was sunny. I was like, we're moving. We moved July 2nd.

SPEAKER_00 2:58

Oh my goodness.

SPEAKER_01 3:00

Yes, in the heart of summer. I was like, what have we done? What is this place? But that was 2008, and we haven't moved anywhere since then. We've lived here since then. So we're every summer. Still a shock every summer. Oh, it is.

SPEAKER_04 3:13

I feel like it gets hotter and hotter every summer out here. Oh my goodness. And I'm an I'm a native, I'm from here, born and raised. Um, I always feel like there's a stigma with, you know, especially, you know, people of color moving out here. A lot of people are saying there isn't culture. What is your opinion on that? Do you feel I know since you've been out here since 2008, I'm sure you've seen a lot of the growth that's happened. What's your opinion on that?

SPEAKER_01 3:37

Uh yes, there's definitely been a lot more um people that are mixed in Arizona since I've been here, especially coming from New York. New York, there's a lot more diversity. So I think that was the first thing we noticed. Uh, however, when we started our practice, it didn't really stop us from. We have a practice in Gilbert's, and we started that in 2011. Uh, the goal was just to reach out to the community and to do what we do and to affect lives, you know, make a patient's life better. That was our goal.

SPEAKER_00 4:11

I love that. It's amazing. And so I'm sure you've seen a difference from you know Nigeria versus, or even Nigeria to New York to now in Arizona. And so tell me how how have you been able to, I guess, um like just maybe have you had like any challenges in terms of like culture or like have you had any culture shock coming from you know Nigeria to New York to now Arizona? And I'm sure when you got here, it was like, wow, this is not you know New York. Yeah, Arizona is very different from New York.

SPEAKER_01 4:43

From Nigeria, we lived in Trinidad and Tobago for about six, seven years. So that was a different culture, you know, the Caribbean. It's very different from Nigeria. Yeah, and then in New York, when I did my residency, you know, it's a small hospital in New York, and there's 17 residents per set. Each of those 17 residents from a different place. Wow. So there were five of us females in there. Uh, one was Indian, one was Nigerian, one was Romanian, one was Russian, and one was Ukrainian. Okay. We're all from different places, but we are still very close today. So I got to appreciate the fact that people are inherently the same, even though cultures are different. And I think that taught me the biggest lesson uh was during my residency that we all feel the same. We cry the same, we hurt the same, we laugh the same, you know. And it's just kind of getting to see people behind.

SPEAKER_04 5:39

I love that. Yeah, I I I 100% agree with that, and that's absolutely how I feel. It's you know, you can just learn some so much from just different people from different walks of life, from different cultures. And you know, I really appreciate that too. Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 5:56

I will say that too, because when I lived in um Houston, I lived in Houston, Texas for two years. And that that place is like really a melting pot. Um, it kind of reminds me like of a New York or Chicago.

SPEAKER_03 6:07

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 6:07

Um, I grew up going back and forth to Chicago as well, and then moving here to Arizona, it's like, wow, you know, this is different in terms of culture, but you know, you just learn like everybody we are at the same time, you know, we all bleed the same, like you had said. So I think that that's something important to definitely keep in mind. Okay, so we can dive a little bit more into like skin health and wellness. How how do you feel um harsh skincare products affect skin barrier? So, like from your experience.

SPEAKER_01 6:41

Um, I think uh a lot of times it's overusing the products or using too many products, layering too many products on that can really affect the barrier. Um sometimes people are, you know, they they feel like, oh, my skin is tight or it's dry, I need this. And oh, this is also good for this, I need this. Oh, this is also good for and they don't realize they're layering on too much, and the skin gets overwhelmed. Uh the barrier is the surface, you know, the outer surface of the skin, and that is really the part we want to protect. We want to keep it intact. And if we're overusing or even overcleansing or not using the appropriate cleanser for our skin type, we can actually distress the barrier.

SPEAKER_00 7:26

Yeah, I've noticed that. I used to have really sensitive skin growing up as a teenager, and I would use like Neutrogena. That was like the staple for me as a teenager. But I noticed that it would always irritate my skin. When I noticed that I wasn't using skincare products that was actually in alignment with my actual skin. So I have more of dry skin. When I was younger, I had more combination skin. And so I was using products for um like acne prone and um like oily skin, and it was just not doing what it was supposed to do for me. So as I experimented, I was like, oh, okay, this is why, you know, and I um changed different products. I saw like a difference in my skin, which kind of led me to create a skincare line myself just because of just because of um what I saw, you know, growing up with my skin and how my skin changed when I use, you know, different products. So your skin looks amazing, but thank you. This is makeup right now. But thank you. So I love to hear that.

SPEAKER_04 8:28

Yeah, um, I I I like what you said about, you know, people are just layering on products or maybe not understand understanding their skin type. And I feel like a lot of it has to do with maybe a little bit of overconsumption, you know, you're sold a lot on the internet with just influencers saying this is the new product that just came out. This, you need to get this, and you need to try this face mask. Um, what do you think a person can kind of do to kind of start the correct type of skincare journey? I think a lot of women nowadays, especially even teens now, are seeing influencers, you know, do all these like beauty routines and um they're just trying to layer on those products even though their skin isn't ready. What would you say for someone who's starting out and what they should be prioritizing in their skincare routine?

SPEAKER_01 9:19

Um, I would say they should start out being gentle to their skin. You know, get a gentle cleanser, cleanse gently, don't overexfoliate, don't, you know, don't be rushing with scrubs all the time. No, start out gently and then just focus on moisturizing and SPF. Yeah. That's it.

SPEAKER_04 9:37

Yeah. I feel like we forget that even, you know, especially out here, you know, you gotta you gotta be wearing sunblock and it it doesn't matter, you know, any type of skin color. Like even for our skin, you know, I think a lot of times we neglect it, you know, um, because we feel like, well, we don't need it, you know, we can just be out in the sun, but no, I mean, it can still damage your skin. Um, and um, with your products, do you have any products that we could see that have SPF, or do you have any recommendations, you know, for SPF products for you know women of color?

SPEAKER_01 10:10

I use L to MD.

SPEAKER_00 10:12

I love L to MD. Yeah, you do.

SPEAKER_01 10:14

Yeah, I do. L to MD Claire, that's the one I use. It's so good. Yeah. So that's the one I recommend.

SPEAKER_04 10:19

Yeah. It's so good. Um, I love it too. And they also have a tinted one too, which is great. And it actually blends pretty fairly well. Yeah. And um, I really like it. And again, you know, there's no white cast, yeah, perfect for us. So important. Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 10:35

Yes. So it's good. I really love that product. That's actually why I had stopped wearing sunscreen because I could never find the right sunscreen for me. It always just left like that film. So it's just like this is not for me. Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 10:49

A lot of us uh don't use it because they feel like, oh, it's not made for us. Yeah. The LTMD Claire works for me, it doesn't leave a film.

SPEAKER_00 10:56

It's gonna have to definitely check that out. How would you say skin is connected to our overall health? I know it's our largest organ on our body, and I think a lot of people don't realize that. So, what how would you say it affects us?

SPEAKER_01 11:10

Um, yes, it's overall is the largest organ on our body. The other thing is their skin is actually connected to our stress response pathway. So, you know how we talk a lot about you know how stress can affect our health. Stress can affect our skin as well. So what we're realizing, oh, now the the the conversation is shifting to actually paying attention to stress regulation, even as it relates to skincare, not just for you know, taking care of your blood pressure, not just for taking care of your memory as well. Now we're paying attention to skincare being uh a way of regulating stress to improve your skincare.

SPEAKER_00 11:55

Yeah, it's really interesting. Yeah, I can see the correlation, um, especially when you think of some people or that are like really stressed and they start breaking out. So I can yeah, I can definitely see that.

SPEAKER_04 12:06

Yeah, and I think that's a good point to bring up too, because I think it it it really all does connect because when you even think about when you have a lack of sleep, you know, that affects your skin. You know, I think you can do all the creams, all the treatments, and all the procedures in the world, but if you're not working on like the foundation, which is like good sleep, what you're putting in into your body, yeah, none of that's gonna help. You know, it's gonna show eventually. And so I think that's really important that you know, kind of regulating your nervous system is important if you want to have overall great health and really glowy, dewy skin. Cause I think it all it all really connects.

SPEAKER_00 12:43

I agree to piggyback off of that as well. Cause I know, like with inflammation, too. Yeah, whenever yeah, I'm stressed, I may have like breakouts, and I can I even notice that I start to get inflamed. Yeah, so I can definitely see that as well.

SPEAKER_04 12:55

Also, hydration is important. Yes, yes. Yeah, and we need it out here. Oh my goodness.

SPEAKER_00 13:03

In March.

SPEAKER_04 13:04

It's March.

SPEAKER_00 13:05

March, you guys. This is crazy. What are we gonna do in June and July? What has been one of your like biggest shockers since living out here?

SPEAKER_01 13:16

The heat. Sure. The heat, no, every summer. I'm still shocked every summer. It's still a rude awakening.

SPEAKER_04 13:25

And you know you're a native. And I'm a native. And I feel like it's gotten hotter and hotter. I feel like when I was a kid, springtime, it was not, it wasn't as hot at all. It wasn't like this. I feel like I feel like it's just, I don't know if it's just we're it we're just growing and it's just like the heat, it just keeps rising. I have no clue. Global warming. I don't know what's going on, but it's it's getting scary. It's getting scary for March.

SPEAKER_00 13:49

It is. And so I guess like as a woman of color, you know, outside of skin um sunscreen, what else should we be using for our skin to keep ourselves, you know, moisturized? Because I've noticed like my hands get really, really dry. Anytime I would say it gets over maybe 90 degrees, like I'll notice that I'll start to get like really dry. And I use shea butter, I use coconut oil, everything. But it's like I have to constantly keep applying it. So, what would you recommend?

SPEAKER_01 14:20

Um, the thing with things that we use right now is how they're formulated. So a lot of things are formulated with uh oil and water emulsion. And so when you use an oil and water and water emulsion, it tends to evaporate quickly. And because we live in Arizona and it's so dry, we you know, we lose that faster than somebody who lives in Hawaii, for example. Uh, so we would want to use something that's formulated a little a little differently. Okay. Uh so water and oil emulsion will tend to hold the water on the skin longer than the oil and water emulsion. Uh, it's hard to know which is which, um, because it won't really tell you that on the label. Um, but uh usually you know how hand creams are, they feel a little differently. Yeah. Yeah, and and like foot creams. So those are usually made with those water and oil emulsifiers, and that's why they are good for the hand and the feet because they will last longer. Um plug in, shimless plug here. My superior refining serum is formulated as a water and oil emulsion. Okay, but it's a different type, so you can use it on your face, and it just gives you that silky glide, but still you retain the water longer.

SPEAKER_00 15:38

Sure. Which one is it? Yeah, yeah, we'd love to dive into it. Actively looking for something. All right, so this is superior referring to the thank you. Oh yeah. I love the thickness of it. Ooh, yeah. Oh, yeah, this is gonna last for sure. Wow. Nice.

SPEAKER_01 16:05

Yeah, and so this because it's a water and oil emulsion, it's formulated to go on after the oil. So that's why with my routine, the oil is first, and then this goes on after the oil. So so it layers beautifully after the oil, and then that traps the water in between those two layers, and that lasts longer.

SPEAKER_00 16:26

Wow, yeah, I see a difference. I had put some lotion on, um, and now just putting this on, I see a huge difference.

SPEAKER_04 16:33

Yeah, no, it's really nice. It's really nice. Okay, thank you. I love that. So, what makes your formulas unique from other brands in your category?

SPEAKER_00 16:45

Well, just like I can't give away my secrets.

SPEAKER_01 16:50

Yeah, well, I think I think personally, I think I researched the ingredients and I set out to find ingredients that I would put in for specific reasons. So, not putting things that we didn't need, not putting things that were unnecessary, uh, everything in there is intentional. So, I I you know, I had the patience and I was like, okay, I gotta help them with this and that. So I had to go research the gentle uh ones that they could use, which I found a whole slew of botanicals that have actually been studied and been shown to have effects that will actually um support the tone of the skin, support the appearance of firm lines, support the um nutrition uh nourishment of the skin and hydration. And I had to mix the oil and the water in such a way that you have the the water phase being almost like a gel that's trapped in the oil. And so it just it's so you you're not just holding water in the skin, you're letting it stay longer, even in contact with the skin. So it was a lot of research, and then um figured out that okay, we're going to uh make it two products so that that way you cut down the complexities of the eight steps that some people just don't want to do, uh and make it easier for them to be consistent with using it. Because at the end of the day, you want you want the person to be able to stay doing it's kind of like exercise, you know. Yeah, you want to do something that you you'll be able to do consistently so you see the results as a routine. So I say make it to that's easier for people to do, and then we can see the results.

SPEAKER_00 18:35

I like that. So walk us through like the system just so I can better understand the way.

SPEAKER_01 18:40

So so the first the first step is uh brilliance oil. And I can put a drop on your hand if you'd like to.

SPEAKER_00 18:48

Sure, yeah.

SPEAKER_02 18:50

Stick with that same hand.

SPEAKER_00 19:00

I love it, and it's light.

SPEAKER_01 19:02

Yeah, so the the oil is formulated with antioxidants like pomegranate extract, and it also has some um fireweed or willow herb, which is good to help calm the skin. I like that.

SPEAKER_00 19:17

I love that.

SPEAKER_01 19:18

Yeah, so that actually helps to start stabilizing the skin and preparing the skin for the serum. So we just did it backwards. So the oil is usually first, and then the serum is next. But the goal is to kind of it's lightweight, so it glides easily. You just put one drop on each cheekbone. If you have really dry skin, like I do, you put one more on your forehead and you just use your fingertips, you know. Most times if we rub on our hand, we lose all the product in our hand. Yeah, and this is a concentrate, so you don't want to lose it in your hand. So you want to use your fingertips and use it all over your face, over your decollater and your neck. And usually that's all I do that and it extends all the way to my neck. And then I put just that one pump, like I did on your hand, and then I do the same thing of the serum and just gently glide it around. Now, the serum is the one that has that water face. The water face has snow mushroom extract, which is similar to hyaluronic acid. Uh, it's a plant alternative to that, and that actually has like a gel-like film. Okay. So I have that and I have aloe vera. I you know, aloe vera juice. Yeah. And then I have inulin, which is a prebiotic. Okay. And so those three create what we call like a hydration scaffold in the serum. And then it's cushioned with the lipids that are in it. Uh, so I looked for lipids that would have fatty acids that are similar to what we have on the skin. So on the skin, on a barrier, we have like um ceramides, we have the sterols, we have the lipids. So I looked for oils that would have similar lipids like that that will help cushion and nourish the skin. So the goal, the intention is to support the skin and uh kind of keep that barrier intact.

SPEAKER_00 21:06

I love that. Yeah. And so is this just a moisturizer, serum and moisturizer, or is it like a little bit of a little bit of a little bit of a little bit of a little bit of serum is your moisturizer, basically.

SPEAKER_01 21:14

Okay, that's all that's all you need. That's all you need. You just need the oil first and then the serum and then your sunscreen.

SPEAKER_04 21:20

I love that.

SPEAKER_01 21:21

That's amazing.

SPEAKER_04 21:22

So, what challenges did you face getting a brand off the ground, especially in beauty and skincare? I mean, it's a very competitive market and industry. And uh, it seems like everybody's trying to get their piece of the pie, even celebrities are, you know, launching skincare brands. Yeah. So, what challenges, you know, if there's someone out there that's maybe interested in starting a brand, you know, or it in a space like this, um, what challenges did you face and what advice would you give somebody?

SPEAKER_01 21:50

I think the first challenge the biggest challenge is really uh believing in yourself. Yes. Mm-hmm. You know, and and just not quitting. Because, like you said, there's It's a saturated market. And you know, there's so many out there. And the first time I got the impression to do this, I was at a vision board retreat for the first time in my life. And I was making a poster board, uh, a vision board. And I was thinking of my aesthetics practice. And I was thinking of, okay, what will I put on a poster to kind of you know, I denote what I'm going to put into practice. And I was looking at different pictures from magazines and I was like, well, what if something happens to this one? And what if this one they find something wrong with that one? And what if? And I was just thinking, well, which one will I put on? And I just got the thought, well, why don't you make yours? And I was like, oh, that's why I'm here. But as soon as that thought came, it was like, no, you know, you can't, you know, it's super saturated, nobody knows. You're not a plastic surgeon, you're not a dermatologist. 101 reasons why you shouldn't and can't, you know, will flood your mind immediately. And that was when I realized, oh, this is bigger than me, and this is gonna have to take God, and I'm just gonna have to believe that God is gonna come through. And so lots of prayer and lots of um just staying, staying the course, and then doing your part, finding out okay, what do I need to do and how is this going to work, and who do I need to talk to? Because I hadn't done this before. So it's finding the right people and the right connections and just staying consistent, like even when you feel like giving up, because I had to go study, I did like a three-year program in um an entrepreneurship programming, um, organic cosmetic science. And so it would be going to work and then going to the library. And my kids would be like, Mom, what are you doing? I'm like, I'm going to school. You know, and and then formulating in my kitchen and doing the projects and the quizzes. And sometimes late at night you mix things, it doesn't come together, and you're frustrated, and you know, you like throw it all away. And you know, so it just it was just staying through then, just constantly saying, okay, just keep going, just keep going. Yeah. And I think that's the the the biggest challenge is just believing in yourself and not quitting. Yes. No matter what everybody else is doing, just believe in yourself and and and just keep going.

SPEAKER_00 24:18

I can definitely identify with that, um, especially with having my skincare line. Because I kind of felt the same way as well. Um, it was a vision that came to me too, just going back to, you know, being a teenager and not finding the right products that really work for my skin. Um, and then you just making like putting together um, you know, face masks and things like that, mashing up bananas with honey, like just trying out different recipes to really work for me because nothing on the market actually worked um for my skin that I really felt like was really good for it. Um, so I can definitely identify with that. But then also I was lucky to have my ex who had a background in chemistry, had a doctorate in um engineering, but you know, he had a science background. And so he was able to sit with me and like really help me to develop some recipes that actually worked that I could sell, you know, for skincare products. But it was kind of the same journey for me too, where I'm like, oh my God, you know, I don't have a background in this, you know, this is just a passion. Are people gonna buy from me? You know, like I had to really believe in myself and overcome a lot of things. Um, and once I did, I was able to really get it out there and I got it into like local retailers in Wisconsin, um, which I was just so proud of myself. I was only 25, 26, you know, doing all of this. Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 25:41

That's not easy.

SPEAKER_00 25:42

It's not easy. And then when COVID happened, that's why I no longer have it. When COVID happened, I was working with the manufacturer, um, prices on raw materials, the packaging, all of that, like skyrocketed, things shut down. And I was just like, oh my God, how am I gonna keep doing this? My customers are calling me for orders, I'm freaking out. I'm like, what are we gonna do? And so I had to close it. So when you say keeping the faith, I'm like, I understand that. Like you have to, and when I and the competition as well, you know, because I felt that way too. Like, there's so many people that's doing this. And like you said, there's so many, you know, celebrities that are pushing these products. I mean, some of them don't even believe in it, they just have their face slapped on these products. And here it is, this girl from Wisconsin that's making this stuff in her kitchen, you know, and it's like, are they gonna, you know, want to buy my products? You know, so I definitely understand that.

SPEAKER_04 26:38

Yeah, it's really just breaking through that imposter syndrome. I think that is, you know, so important. And it's never gonna be easy. You know, I think when you're starting a business or you want to be an entrepreneur, I think there's a lot of stuff online to be like, get rich quick, you know, you can make 10,000 doing this. And it's just like, no, it's gonna be a grind. It's not gonna be instant and easy for everybody, but you have to continue to keep going and keep going. Um, just even even with what I'm doing and you know, getting into content creation and making this a full-time thing. It took me, you know, seven, eight years to before it became like a full-time job. You know what I'm saying? And and that's not, you know, everybody's story, right? But you just keep doing it. If you love it and it's a passion of yours and you believe in what you're building, it can happen. And you know, you gotta keep the faith. And I I just love that. I love that about you. And I love that you just you you you got educated, you kept going, you kept mixing, you just kept doing it, you know, even with having your practice, right? And sometimes it's you gotta, you know, after you get off your nine to five, it's doing your five to nine, it's your side hustle, and that it may be like that for a little bit until it gets off the ground.

SPEAKER_00 27:46

The grind. Yeah. You have this calm and presence about you. Yeah, I love that. I love that. Um, tell us about why incorporated meditation into skincare. Like how does that work?

SPEAKER_01 28:03

So that goes again to my practice.

unknown 28:06

Okay.

SPEAKER_01 28:06

So in my practice, I um focus a lot on prevention and being more proactive with your health. And one of the things that um I realized with um a lot of us, myself included, is that we don't take time out to actually just breathe. Yeah, you know. Sometimes meditation gets a bad rap because you know, there's so many forms of it. But at the end of the day, the bottom line is the physiology that happens in our body when we breathe. It actually changes things physiologically, it helps reduce our blood pressure, reduce our heart rate, it helps our memory center actually get a break from being hit with all those neurotransmitters so we can actually store a short-term memory. So it's actually good for memory. And then it actually helps to pull, you know, just mediate that call to sort of the stress response pathways. It helps to pull pull those back a bit, and that helps with our skin. So after realizing that, oh, this actually is something that will help with our skin. Well then, while we're putting the right skincare, if we do the meditation, we're getting also more help with our skin. So at the end of the day, the skin is even looking better as a result of the combination of both. And I said, Well, since you're not doing eight steps anymore, we're just doing two steps now. We've shortened the time. Now we can just take those two minutes and breathe while we're applying the product. So so that that was the practice presence um logo, so to speak. That's our tagline, you know, the practice presence part. That's our take on mindfulness. It's like if you can spare a minute for yourself while you're putting on your skincare and just stop and pause and breathe. Because I see that every day.

SPEAKER_04 29:50

Yeah, slow down. I think it's very hard. I know I I can relate to that because I feel like I'm very much go, go, go, go, go. I'm like, oh, how much can I do in one day? And so I really appreciate that, you know, you're really intentional about your products on just learning to slow down, being in the present moment. And I think a lot of us tend to kind of stray away from that, especially with our phones. And, you know, it's so easy to be just stimulated all the time and you know, be accessible all the time, you know, with emails and texts and DMs. And, you know, I love that, you know, you're you're you're very much pushing. Like it's okay to take a moment for yourself and and practice being in the moment, practice being present. I love that.

SPEAKER_00 30:35

Yeah, it is really important. I even find myself today, like I feel like I was just like, go, go, go. And I did meditate in the morning, but I still feel like I'm just like, what time is it? You know, and so as you were saying that, I'm like, yeah, let me relax, you know, because it's it's so important. It is. I love that. Um, what shifts are you seeing in the beauty industry?

SPEAKER_01 31:01

Um, I'm seeing from where I am, I'm seeing shifts where people are actually now wanting things that are gentler. You know, they're kind of pulling away from the aggressiveness and because they're realizing, and again, a lot of it is not necessarily that those things are bad, it's just the way we've used them or we've overused them. And so they're wanting things to be gentler, they're wanting um a simplified approach. Uh, they're trying to find things that will give them uh just a consistent, you know, result as opposed to oh, it works, and then oh it was working at first and now it's peeling my skin. And now, you know, yeah. So I think people are starting to take the route of I'll just go gentle and let's see what happens over time.

SPEAKER_04 31:53

Yeah, I like that because, you know, I mean, uh, you know, there's just so much, you know, studies, you know, going on with you know, different products and chemicals being used in our skin and it absorbing into our bloodstream. And I think that's causing cancer and diseases. Absolutely. Um to bounce off of that, what are what are your thoughts on Korean skincare? That's a huge fad right now. That's a huge, you know, wave on social media. Um, you know, I know I've personally, you know, have loved Korean skincare. What are what's your take on that? Because I know there's like a 10, 12-step routine, there's all these different serums and things that they're doing. And then, you know, I know there's people saying they're like 15 years ahead, you know, with what they're what they're doing with skincare. What how uh what do you how do you feel about that? Or what are your thoughts?

SPEAKER_00 32:40

Uh I think that's a lot of steps. That's first of all, 15 steps?

SPEAKER_04 32:45

Yeah. Wow.

SPEAKER_01 32:46

It's crazy. It's a lot. The truth is there are some people who love that, who just live for that, and they want to do all those steps, and and they they tolerate it fine, but then there are some people that can't tolerate that. It's too much, it's too much for them. So, for my take is what does your skin want? Yes, you know, pay attention to what your skin wants and and then just do what your skin wants. Your skin will tell you.

SPEAKER_00 33:16

Awesome. What are some of the trends that you're seeing um in the beauty industry? Especially for like women of color.

SPEAKER_01 33:24

I think the general trend is you know, trying to um get pigments, you know, hyperpigmentation corrected, trying to correct fine lines. You know, everybody wants the wrinkles go away so we can have this most look. Uh and a lot of changes happen depending on our seasons. So uh it used to be said that you know, black don't crack, you know, because we felt like and and it's true, it takes longer for our skin to show changes, but we're realizing now that we have to pay attention to the skin before the time when it starts to crack, so that it doesn't have to go through all those changes at that time. Uh, so people are now paying more attention to okay, well, I don't want to wait till I'm this age and then see this. I want to start now, which I that's where I sit as in be more proactive, start from sooner, so you can start to condition your skin and start to nourish your skin and hydrate in anticipation for the seasons that are going to change so you have better support for when those seasons come.

SPEAKER_00 34:34

I definitely agree with that. Yeah. I'm I mean, I'm just seeing with my age, I'm 34 now, but I'm not 25 anymore. You know, so I'm like, I have to make sure that I am keeping myself moisturized and like really doing my um morning, you know, time routine and then also my nighttime routine. It was a point in time where I could only do one, you know, and then I can get away with it where I didn't necessarily have to, you know, do a real thorough morning routine. You know, it could just be like just wash my face, put some moisturizer on and get out the door. But now that I've gotten older, I'm like, okay, I really need to be more intentional with the steps. So I can definitely see that.

SPEAKER_04 35:15

Yeah, no, yeah, I definitely agree. I think, you know, you know, when you get into your 30s, you definitely need to start, you know, paying more attention to your skin, you know, what you're putting into your body, you know, your your workout routines. I think that's always super, you know, super important. So you're maintaining that. Cause I mean, it's easy to bounce back in your 20s, you know, it's easy from the being out late, partying, sleeping in your makeup, you know. I'm sure I I I had an era like that where I'm like, oh, you know, just go to bed. Whatever.

SPEAKER_00 35:46

I was like, I can't do that anymore. But I could get away with that when I was like 30, and I'm like, something about this 34 and like, you know, when you get into the 30s, you know, that anymore. If I sleep in my makeup, the next day it's like, oh my gosh. My face is dry. It's so dramatic. I cannot do that anymore. And I'm not one really, I just I don't really like Botox or anything like that. So I'm like trying to stay away from it. I've never had anything done and like knock on wood, I don't want to. So that's why I'm just like so big on skincare and using the right products that actually work for your skin and that are natural and good for you so that you don't have to, you know, if you don't need to.

SPEAKER_04 36:36

Yeah, I definitely agree with that. Um, how does you know skincare connect to longevity? Um, I know there is, you know, obviously longevity, there's a big wave now with, you know, preventative care. You know, we kind of talked about that. Um, what are your thoughts on the longevity piece for skincare?

SPEAKER_00 36:54

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 36:55

So the thing, the barrier, that's where the barrier comes in. Uh when the barrier is compromised, then that's when we run into trouble with our skin. That's when we can get the skin, can we be what we call reactive?

SPEAKER_00 37:08

Okay.

SPEAKER_01 37:08

Now, if we are nourishing that barrier and keeping it intact, the barrier really is to keep things out of the skin. So if you're nourishing the barrier and keeping it intact, then that helps with the longevity of our skin uh as a whole. So that's why for uh I think the emphasis, a lot of emphasis is on you know, making that barrier something that we pay attention to, uh, as opposed to striping it away with different things. Uh, you want to just keep it conditioned and hydrated. Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 37:40

What would be some advice that you would give us um being in our 30s to keep our you know skin intact?

SPEAKER_01 37:46

I think uh so it there's two ways to look at it. Like what like what um Aisha had talked about from the inside, in terms of what we put in our skin, and then from the outside, uh, skincare, what we put on top of our skin. So if we follow the same uh connotations, hydration, drinking lots of water, making sure that what we're putting on our skin has hydration in it. Um, in terms of we're exposed to the environment, you know, we want to eat your vegetables, those are your natural antioxidants, you know, eat your greens or eat your collars, right? Same way in skincare, you want to make sure you have antioxidants in your skincare. Shameless plug again. You have antioxidants like green tea extract and pomegranate extract in in Dr. Hopiola. So you want to pay attention to that, and then also you want to eat healthy oils, you know, not a bunch of saturated fats. You want to eat unsaturated fat. That's your health because we need fats, we need oils. Yeah, also in your skincare, you want to make sure you're putting healthy oils in your skincare. And there are lots of oils that have um those fatty acids that are good for your skin. And then you also want to put sunscreen on. That's your defense. Uh, most important is like the first line against premature aging is sunscreen. So we can't skip that no matter our skin color.

SPEAKER_00 39:15

Even if we we feel like we're getting it from shea butter.

unknown 39:18

No.

SPEAKER_00 39:22

It's not enough.

SPEAKER_01 39:22

It's not and some makeups will have SPF in it, but the SPF is not enough for our skin color either. So we still need SPF.

SPEAKER_00 39:31

I think that's a great tip. Um, any other tips that you have for us or for our listeners to help with their skin, especially again being out here in Arizona, it's so dry out here, and yeah, um, just trying to stay hydrated, stay hydrate, breathing, taxes, presence, mindfulness, I need that, I need someone.

SPEAKER_01 39:53

Inhale and a slow exhale. Yeah, that's so so important for a scheme as well. Stress regulation, stress management. I love that.

SPEAKER_04 40:04

Well, thank you so much. We want to know where can our listeners find your products? So you can find my products at drhoyola.com.

SPEAKER_03 40:15

All right.

SPEAKER_04 40:17

And then uh, I was gonna shout out your local practice here for our local Arizona listeners if they want to see you.

SPEAKER_01 40:23

If they want to see me, I am at 1720 East Boston Street in Gilbert. You can call at 480-745-3705. And tell us what you offer. I am a service. Uh, so I have a primary care practice. Okay.

SPEAKER_00 40:41

So some key takeaways. Um, skincare is a part of your overall wellness. You know, it's not just you apply things externally, it really starts from the inside and out. Um, consistency and mindfulness really does matter. In order to maintain, you know, a good skincare routine and to have good skincare, you have to be consistent with it and you have to be, you know, mindful about what you're putting on your body. Healthy skin reflects internal balance.

SPEAKER_04 41:10

Oh, yes. Love that. And we are going to close with an affirmation: my body deserves care, intention, and nourishment inside and out. Thank you, Dr. Homit. Thank you for joining us. Um, yeah, this was such a great conversation. Um, and yeah, we're definitely going to be linking everything in our show notes and um on our socials. And if you guys like this episode, make sure to subscribe at Thriving Loudly on Instagram, TikTok, YouTube, and you can find us on all Spotify can find us on all the streaming platforms. We are out there. And share this with a friend or somebody you know who is trying to level up their skincare game. Yes. Thank you again. And this is so fun. And we will see you guys next time.

SPEAKER_02 42:04

Bye.