EPP: Meet Heaven (Keep that skin looking and feeling great while rolling)

In the world of jiu-jitsu, where grit and strength are often celebrated, many women face a unique challenge: balancing their physical toughness with the desire to feel confident and beautiful. This is a vital conversation that Heaven Luna, owner of Luna Beauty and Wellness, sheds light on in our recent podcast discussion. Here, we explore how self-care, particularly in aesthetics, plays a crucial role for women in combat sports.

Transcript

SPEAKER_01 0:04

Hi everyone, welcome to Emily's Pajama Party. My name is Emily and I'm so glad you're here. If you're new to the podcast, welcome. This little podcast started off as something of just an idea. How do we find more interesting, exciting women to either train with or learn from? This became an international, I would say success, but that's reaching just a little bit, but a little bit of an international thing where I've gotten to meet amazing women, train with amazing women, and introduce amazing women to the sport. So we're going to hear a couple things about ways that we can get better, or at the very least, the ways I can get better, as well as hearing from an amazing guest. So sit back, relax, and get cozy, and let's jump into today's episode. So when I think about ways that I can be better, I remember at the beginning of learning jujitsu, I thought my greatest strengths would be my speed and endurance. It's something that I've carried with me from other sports. And I thought, gosh, what a perfect thing to lend itself to jujitsu. And the more I read, the more I research, they're not fantastic, which is kind of a kick in the teeth to say, like, yay, something I'm really good at isn't gonna help me. But the more I look and the more I learn and the more I watch, I realize I need to move slower. But part of that is just being so hard to move is going to be such an asset. I need to work on my base, posture, frames, and connection. And I want my goal to be annoyingly stable. I would love, isn't that like the misnomer, right? Like in the sports, someone's like, oh my gosh, you're so heavy. It's like, oh, thank you so much for saying that. When if someone were to tell me that, it would just make my day. So I need to remember that I want to be hard to move, slow down, and just be that rock. Well, movable rock, but only in the way I want to move. Does that make sense? Hope so. For today's episode, I reached out to my great friend Heaven. I think about what I know and my knowledge of the mat or what I bring to the table. I have an endurance background, I am a teacher, I can use those skills in order to perform my best, maybe share that knowledge with others. Heaven's expertise is quite different than mine. She's an aesthetician, so she does waxing and skincare. You're gonna hear her explain all about it. And it was really important for me to get her on the show. I think about those things to make me unique or feel special or feel pretty. And sometimes in jujitsu, we think that maybe not everybody thinks, but I I don't know, I don't want to sound like a caveman, but it's like I don't wear earrings, I have to take away everything that makes me feel girly. And for some people, that could be a big hindrance to joining the sport. And so when I met Heaven at an in-person seminar, I was really excited that she could shed yet another layer of the women that can enter jujitsu. Again, this is something I don't really know a lot about. And so it was super fun to go in as a learner, hear her talk about something that she knows so much about. And, you know, maybe this will be the push that's gonna get someone else on the mat. And I can't wait to share the interview with my friend Heaven. Heaven, welcome to the podcast. I'm so glad you're here. Thanks for having me. I'm excited to be here too. Yay! So, for listeners meeting you for the first time, who are you? Like little bits about you.

SPEAKER_00 3:33

What makes you you? My name is Heaven Luna. I'm a Luna Beauty and Wellness and Camarillo. I'm a waxer. I've been an esthetician for eight years now. I've been a massage therapist for 10. And yeah, California native. I've been training jujitsu for about two years now. I've been on a little bit of a break because I broke my hand earlier this year. So I need to get back into it. I'm also like kind of between gyms right now. So I was trying out a new gym and I just had a little accident during a roll and broke my fourth metacorpal. And being that I use my hands for work, I've been a little scared to get back out there. But I'm feeling pretty good now. And I feel like I'm like totally healed. So I'm ready to get back on the mats.

SPEAKER_01 4:24

It's so hard. Like until you have an injury, it's like everything's fine, it is great. And not that I was reckless, but I just didn't really think about it. And then just kind of something weird happens, and it's just it's a really big mind game, man. Because you're like, I do stuff all the time. I drive, I work, and I'm fine, but you never know.

SPEAKER_00 4:43

It's also harder to being in gyms where like my experiences, it's a lot of just like younger guys, and yeah, like I had one guy tell me when I was like, ooh, this cracked. I don't think that that's good. And he's like, Oh, I broke my metacarpal and I just learned how to like hold my wrist. And so I just came back super fast. And it's like, okay, well, I'm a grown-up person with like a job, so I would love to be able to be back too, but I gotta think about like my rant.

SPEAKER_01 5:17

I always say, like, I'm not a hero. I tap early, I tap often. I will eventually learn how to get through things or let myself sit in discomfort a little bit longer, but I'm not ready for that yet. I'm ready just to reset.

SPEAKER_00 5:30

Let's start again. It's okay. Yeah. And I feel like if that's how my injury happened, that would have made more sense to me. But it was just a really dumb accident. Like we were just moving and this finger got caught on the mat and we heard like this awful sound, and it was just such a freak accident that it does kind of it is kind of messing with my head a little bit. Like, oh no. But um, yeah. But like luckily it was a pretty easy heal, and I I think I'm totally like good now. I'm not feeling so much inflammation anymore.

SPEAKER_01 6:02

Ugh. Well, I'm glad to hear because it's good to let things take their time. Sometimes we're so busy to get in a rush, and I'm sure with work things, it really does compound things because your hands are important. And so I guess as we get into that, the aesthetics and jujitsu, how did you get, how did all that find your life? Because one, they're kind of different, but also both are so expansive. There's a lot to both parts of you.

SPEAKER_00 6:29

Yeah, totally. So I originally I got certified in makeup. I guess that was like 12 years ago. That was like my first delve into the beauty industry. And I have always been a makeup girly. And so I thought, okay, this is like the shortest course at the beauty school, the cheapest course. I can commit to 10 weeks. And if I don't love doing personal services, like I get to keep the kit for myself. So that's the way I looked at it. And I did really enjoy it. It was really like fun helping people like feel really good about themselves. And so I do kind of think that that's where like jujitsu and aesthetics meet because they are both like very empowering, especially for women. So I did that and like I don't do makeup really anymore, but I eventually like got into massage therapy and got my aesthetics license to kind of tie everything together. And so I've had my studio here in Camarillo for a little over five years now. And then I found jujitsu. I had a personal trainer for a while, and he trained jujitsu, and he had been telling me for a while, like, you should try it. I think you'd really like it. And I was like, I don't know. You know, like intimidating to be like in your 30s, like trying something new. And so he finally had like an opportunity to open up an academy with someone he trained with. And he's like, Look, if you come, like I'll give you a deal on your training. And it's like, okay, they felt way less intimidating to start with all beginners. So that's how I found it, and I love it.

SPEAKER_01 8:10

I'd love that you mentioned that they're both so empowering. And I think as females, like body autonomy and being allowed, not even allowed is such a funny word, but I feel like society is making us earn the right to be ourselves, whether that is a physicality piece, whether that's a self-expression piece, and how lovely as you connected the two together, because they are so different in so many ways, but just so similar as well.

SPEAKER_00 8:39

Yeah, absolutely. They totally are. And I think that it's easy for women like maybe to get in their heads of like, well, this is an all-dominated space, and I can't come in too girly, or no one's gonna take me seriously, and no one's gonna want to train with me. And we're all multifaceted individuals, and I think that there is definitely a way that you can still come in like filling and looking your best, and really to ultimately like bring your best to the mats and whatever you want to do. Like, that's another piece, too. That's like we shouldn't all be like so focused on certain beauty standards or whatever, like with waxing, like I tell people all the time, like I don't care if you have body hair or not. I'm here if you want to remove it, you know.

SPEAKER_01 9:25

Sure. Now, do you find that that can be a barrier for lots of women? Like, I want to be tough, but I want to be I don't want to say pretty, I want to be feminine. And I think you know what's funny? I don't I think it's scarier to be like feminine and beautiful, like and try to put myself out there as that in some ways, because that just seems like a foreign world to me. Like I grew up playing sports, so like I can be c tough and covered in dirt, but it's to put yourself out there in a way, say as you say it's like intimidating to join a sport in your 30s or to try something new, I could say the same about trying to wear like a face of makeup or like microplating my eyebrows sounds really intimidating. Like, how am I gonna get it right? Am I gonna go to the right people? And maybe that's the same with like choosing a gym. I'm like, do I trust the people's hands that are in working on me or working with me?

SPEAKER_00 10:20

Yeah, and that is all like something to think about too, because they are they are similar in those ways for sure.

SPEAKER_01 10:30

Okay, so why is self-care so important even in a rest spot sport like jujitsu?

SPEAKER_00 10:36

Uh, I think it can be argued maybe even like more important in jujitsu, because there's a lot of people that maybe always had like normal skin, and then now they're exposed to you know a dirty mat and then they're getting texture breakouts or stuff that they're not used to seeing on their face or their body. So that's one reason I think it is maybe important to maybe consult with a professional if you do need help like navigating that.

SPEAKER_01 11:07

Definitely that's really smart because sometimes I don't know, my mom would just say, like, put on some lubiderm or a vino or whatever. And sometimes it just doesn't cut it. And I would hate for something to flare up and someone say, like, oh, my acne gets so bad when I get on the mats, maybe that's just not the place for me. Or whatever the case is, because I don't know how to deal with it and it feels very one or the other. It feels like an ultimatum sometimes.

SPEAKER_00 11:35

Yeah, I could definitely see that because, like I said, like if I deal with people sometimes that during perimenopause, women can develop like adult acne where they've never experienced it before, and maybe skin was something that they never even thought about being an insecurity. So once it comes up, it's really challenging for them, and they're like, What's going on with me? Like, I'm not a teenager anymore, like I can't suffer with that this then, like, why now? So I think that that can get in people's heads for sure as an adult. So I know like the mats can totally bring that on. So that is a good reason to take care of yourself and the same way we want to take care of our bodies and and sharpen our minds and the discipline in that. It's like one more step, wash your face when you're done, you know.

SPEAKER_01 12:20

That which is perfect. It leads into like what products or routine help most with like matte acne, irritation, clogged pores, all of that. Because okay, so I guess when I started jujitsu, what an unexpected thing that I learned about is just how hygienic most people are. And I say most of it because every once in a while there might be a tumbleweed that comes in, and everybody really gets on each other, like showering, clean feet, things like that. So, what are those things that we can do to help keep us as clean or healthy or clear as possible?

SPEAKER_00 12:57

So, one thing I'm a big fan of is, and I'm gonna reach behind and grab it. Magic Molecule is the brand like I've been using, but it's hypochloric acid spray. I keep this in my purse and my gin bag everywhere. And so give yourself like a good spritz after. It's antimicrobial. So if you have anything like nasty on your skin, it's just gonna help keep that clean. Um, it can bring down like some irritation. It's good for if you get like matte burn or anything like that. But I really like that to give myself like a good spray until I can get like to the shower or wash my face or whatever. And I feel like that really helped me because I'm not someone who like struggles with acne, but sometimes if I am training a lot, I might notice like a little bit of texture, and that's really helped cut that down for me. And then besides that, it really just depends on like your skin type and what exactly you are dealing with. Because if you're dealing with a deep pustual underground acne versus a little skin texture, like that's a very different treatment. And sometimes, oftentimes, I find when I someone comes in for a facial and we go over their health history and their routine, everything that they're using at home, a lot of times they're just doing way too much or nothing. And sometimes it's just finding like the right cleanser and balancing the um your exfoliation and all that stuff. Because the biggest thing is we want healthy skin. Healthy skin's not always perfect skin, but just keeping that barrier nice and balanced is really key. And so that's something that can happen with, I think, especially like athletes, like going back to what you said, that is like a great thing about the jiu-jitsu community. Like so many people are like aware of themselves and like I want to be clean. But if you're using like a bar of dial antibacterial soap on your face, you can really be stripping your natural oils. And so that can cause your skin to freak out and like overproduce oil. And so then you have acne, even though you're drying the hell out of your skin, and all acne products for the most part are for super oily skin. And so you're just perpetuating this problem over and over and over. So that's where coming and maybe talking to a professional or doing a little consultation or something can go a long way.

SPEAKER_01 15:18

It kind of reminds me that when I get like a little bit of an overstretched muscle or a little bit of pain, I like aggressively massage it or I get out the therapy gun, or I'm like stretching it far beyond what I should. And then it just gets so much worse. And you're like, oh, this little thing that I could have left alone would have felt better probably after 12 hours, is now going to take me out for a week because I was so hyper focused on getting better that I took better to like beyond and I've now made it worse.

SPEAKER_00 15:48

Yeah. Yeah, that's something we do for sure.

SPEAKER_01 15:53

You had talked about like the natural oils in our skin. I've heard that if you do shower before a class, it should be like an hour before versus right before. Is there something will my skin do a natural job to protect itself? I want to let it do what it does. A skin is a protective layer, but is there anything about showering too close to class or what products to use on my skin during that time that's going to make it give it a better chance versus not?

SPEAKER_00 16:20

I don't think that there's like a time limit on when you should shower before as far as the skin goes. I always, when I shower before going to class, I am not doing like my heaviest moisturizer. And maybe I'm not even doing like all the steps in my routine, but I'm for sure gonna wash my face. I'm gonna, I almost well, I do every time, like morning and night, I use like a really thin layer of um hyalonic acid serum and then a light moisturizer and SPF, and you're good to go. And then just make sure like you're washing your face when you get back. But I kind of rotate moisturizers just because my skin can be like a little more dry. So I have like a thinner one and a thicker one, usually morning and night. And so before I train, I just go a little bit lighter, just so your skin can still breathe, but you still want to be protecting your skin from the sun like all the time.

SPEAKER_01 17:17

Especially in Southern California and like California in general, I feel like we're just um in the spotlight over here. Okay, so that was it, that was the first part, and then the second part is because again, we want to clean it but not be too aggressive, or we can't just like take a regular shower with dial soap and call it a day or a dove or whatever. We need to do this extra cares. So, what should our aftercare? You said you're you spritz yourself down after and then you get home, and what's the best use for your skin?

SPEAKER_00 17:48

So that goes back to like your skin type and conditions. The line, like I pretty much work with, it really boils down to how your skin processes oil. So if you are more dry, generally good rule of thumb, if you're more dry, you're gonna want to use a milky cleanser. If you are grease ball super oily, that's when you want to use a gel cleanser. And a lot of people love to just use a gel cleanser or a foaming cleanser because they're like, oh, it feels squeaky clean. And it's like, that's the worst thing that your face can fill because that means like you just strip the hell out of it. So that's like a good, just easy rule of thumb with anything. Like if you're going to the drugstore, you're more dry, get something that looks milky. If you're super oily, get something that's um gel.

SPEAKER_01 18:36

So that's like the basic hygiene of it all. And then you also have talked about like spray tans and waxing and all of that part. We want to look our best, and we really when I put the extra effort in, whether it's at my job teaching, whether it's on the mat, like when I match, I feel just like that much better. Like when my braids are when I take the time to do them well, I present myself better, that's more confident. So, can we do those things like spray tan, waxing? I know there's like a waiting period. After how can I incorporate those into my routine without also worried about whether getting it on my own gi, but also getting on somebody else's? I want to be a good partner. I don't know quite how that would look.

SPEAKER_00 19:21

So, with a spray tan, how a spray tan works is you initially have you ever had a spray tan before? I haven't.

SPEAKER_01 19:28

But also in Southern California, I don't want to lay out because no, we can't do that anymore.

SPEAKER_00 19:32

Yeah, yeah. I know it terrifies me that the tanning beds are coming back. Like I literally had to call a client back. They I had a voicemail and they're like, Do you have tanning beds? I'm like, absolutely not. But so a spray tan, you come in, we spray you. It's I'm essentially like painting you with an air compressor. And what we initially see is cosmetic bronzer, so it's basically just makeup. DHA is the active ingredient that adheres to dead skin cells. It's like a little chemical reaction, and you that's what like turns you a little darker. You there's some variety in solutions. You can do like a classic solution, which usually means you need to leave it on like eight to 10 to 12 hours, something like that, and rinse off. Now there's rapid solutions. So depending on how dark you want to be and like how your skin holds it, you can rinse between like one and four hours, which is really nice. So you rinse that cosmetic bronzer off. And after that, it takes about 24 hours to totally see your tan. And that's how dark you're gonna be for that spray tan. You don't want to do anything while you're developing before that first rinse. You don't want to get splashed. I tell people, use a straw, be careful with your water bottle, because I have people walk out the door all the time and they run back in and they're like, What happened? And they're just like dripping with water, and it's like, okay, well, let it out, it'll be fine. So you absolutely would not train at that time. Ideally, you would want to give it, like, best case scenario, at least 24 hours to let yourself fully develop and then get like a full shower in. So you've rinsed twice, you probably have all the bronzer off for the most part. After that, I probably wouldn't wear like a white ghee for at least the first couple times. Um, because you probably still have a little bronzer on your skin. And then after that, if you see any transfer on your clothing or your ghee or whatever, that's not the bronzer anymore. That's literally like dead skin cell shedding that have like the tan on it. So that's not gonna stain anything, but it it's just looks gross. So with a spray tan, like being totally honest, I don't know if that's something you want to like be tan or think it's. Realistic to be tan with a spray tan all the time while you're training. But you know, most of the time it is something that's a little more of a special occasion kind of thing. So what I tell people, most events are like Saturday, like say you have a wedding or an event or whatever on Saturday, come in Thursday and maybe you skip a class or two, but you're gonna look good for the event and then you know, take it with at your own discretion. Like when I get a spray tan, I'm not precious with it. I'm going to still live. Like there's some people that go on vacation and like they don't get in the pool because it helps it come off quicker. And it's like I'm not gonna not enjoy my vacation because I have a spray tan. So everyone's kind of different in that regard. And really how like people's skin holds it is different too. Like I have um I have tanning memberships, and so like I have one girl in particular, she comes every week and gets tanned. I could never do that. It holds onto my skin. Like I would look like a mess because it would just be piling on top of each other. But so it's just kind of different, like person to person, and like how well you take care of it and all that stuff. But like there is definitely a world where like you want to get tan a couple times a month for events over the summer or whatever. I don't think that because you train, you absolutely can't do that.

SPEAKER_01 23:15

Well, I think like it goes anything in moderation. Like when I was training for high endurance races, you know, you're supposed to get to bed early so you have enough sleep. Well, sometimes it's a friend's birthday, and that's really important to me to be able to go out and spend a late night. I know I'm gonna feel it the next day. It might not be my best training, or like if something comes up, I'm gonna make choices in life of what really matters. It's not going to dictate the my entire existence, but knowing I'm not gonna be a professional fighter one day, I might do something here and there, but knowing that it's not gonna take me out for like a week or something. And I want to be realistic on my expectations of what that looks like and also being that good training partner to those around me.

SPEAKER_00 23:55

Yeah, for sure. And like, I don't think that that's an issue as long as you wait till after that initial rinse at all, you know, because it the same, kind of the same thing with hair dye. Like most hair dyes, those first sometimes of up to a week, like it can transfer. But I don't think a lot of women are saying, like, oh, I'm never gonna dye my hair again because I train. It's like, okay, we're just gonna rinse it out and like I'm not gonna wear my white E because I don't want my collar to be whatever color, you know, for the next couple days. But it's just being like mindful, I guess, and like aware. And if it this is a service you really want to do, like you have to think about aftercare and all that stuff, like going back to waxing, like you can for sure wax and train. The rule of thumb for waxing, at least 24 hours. Some people, 48 hours is kind of the better role, just if their skin's a little more sensitive or a little more reactive to the wax. After waxing, the biggest thing is you just don't want to do anything to invite bacteria to the area. So if you get waxed, you absolutely do not want to train, go to the gym, sit in a sauna, swimming, jacuzzi, anything like that, super hot shower for at least 24 hours. You want to be like really mindful of that. Um, but after that, it's like it's super easy.

SPEAKER_01 25:17

The idea of going into like the ocean or a jacuzzi after getting something like ripped out of like such a sensitive and just leaving yourself open is kind of horrifying. But also, like I could understand yes, things get in, but also like sweat and all the things like you're gonna be rolling around on a mat, it's something to take into consideration for sure.

SPEAKER_02 25:37

Yes.

SPEAKER_01 25:39

There is, I I like at the end of the day, like the conversation leads to balance. There's going to be those things like I have a friend Daisy, and she her hair is purple, like she has big chunks of purple in her hair. Beautiful, but she also did a lot of research to find the dyes that would work best that are gonna stay in better. But there's also things that take into considerate consideration, like water temperature in which you rinse your hair, how often you're doing so, and the commitment to having certain colors. Like my kids have my son has like purpley blue hair, and so the amount that an 18-year-old washes his hair is a lot different. Maybe he should be doing it more, but you know, all you does friction okay, so it talks about we talked about the dyes and the waxing and spray tans, and it talks about so gis themselves are just kind of I don't want to say problematic, but they're very they're very much different than most clothes I wear because you could like hang me up by just how thick my ghee is, and that can lead to ghee burns, hyperpigmentation. Does it cause, I guess, a lot of friction. And how do we work? It's usually I'll come back home with like stripes on my neck or like in my armpit areas, or it's always I get a lot of ghe burn on my face, and I'm like, how did or Mat Burn? How did I it's like my am I just bassing with my face a lot, or is someone like crossfacing me? I don't know what's going on, but are like how do we I don't want to say if that's even the possibility of reducing that, or are there certain areas that are more susceptible to that? Do you see a lot of hyperpigmentation from that?

SPEAKER_00 27:19

So hyperpigmentation is super tricky because there's so many factors. Friction for sure is a factor. There's also heat, hormones play a huge factor. Like I do some specific like hyperpigmentation like work on people. And when they fill out my intake form, and every time they come in, I'm like, are you pregnant? Are you nursing? Are you on any hormone replacement therapy? Are you, do you know you're going through menopause right now? Because all of that plays such a huge role. Like if they're pregnant or nursing, it's just a no. Like, I'm not gonna take your money. Like, we might do a facial and I'll throw some brightening ingredients in there. But if we're doing specifically a brightening treatment on like the inner thighs or the underarms or something, it's just not, we're not beating those hormones. Do it when like we're done with that season of life kind of thing. So I could see a ghee absolutely could add to that. And if you are training in a ghee, that's something to think about with like a spray tan too. Like that's even more reason to like maybe chill on training until your event is over that you really want to look tan for. Because I am more of a no-gi girly myself. So I don't train in the ghee very often at all. But yeah, it is definitely more of a it's almost like a little exfoliating fabric, you know? Like there's some places where it's like, ooh, that was a little rough, you know, and definitely depending on like the ghe you have too.

SPEAKER_01 28:43

And so just because I'm not in the aesthetic world, when you talk about hyperpigmentation, it's just not a flesh or redness. It would be like something caused.

SPEAKER_00 28:54

So hyperpigmentation is actually not irritation. It sometimes it can be a result of irritation. Hyperpigmentation is anywhere where the skin is darker. So, like, really common areas that I see in my practice is like sometimes people have like sunspots that we work on or like underarms, inner thighs, that kind of stuff. So that can definitely like it can come from irritation, just depending on your skin, your genetics, just kind of what you're more likely to lean to, how your body likes to protect itself. Because that's ultimately like what it is.

SPEAKER_01 29:31

That makes so much more sense now. Because there is a lot of like folding of the skin in different places and thinking if that repeated use and jujitsu is kind of funny. It might be an odd position that we find ourselves in fairly often, but if we're doing it enough, you start wondering what's going to make this better and kind of what am I okay with and kind of where are my lines in the sand? There's certain I used to it's not related, but sort of. Like I used to say I'm not gonna go in mosh pits because I don't want to lose a tooth because it's like a mandatory eight dental appointments to get. I don't want to, I don't want to go in, I will like never roll without a mouth guard because I refuse to lose a tooth. Like it's it's not gonna save them perfectly, but there's certain things I I really do care about. And having all my teeth is a very important one to me.

SPEAKER_00 30:20

Yeah, I I feel that. Like I have been very bad about mouth guard, and it's like I'm on a mission to find like a good one because I have one and it's like just putting it in my mouth hurts. And it's like this actually feels more dangerous than just like praying nothing happens to my teeth because it's just like so painful. I don't know if I have like a small mouth or what, but I for sure like a need to get a mouth guard because I think about that all the time too. And I'm like looking at the little chips on the bottom of my teeth, like, when is that just gonna crumble off, you know? So that's I think, especially for us like hobbyists that have like missed the window of ever being able to like think about doing this like professionally, there are more things that like we can think and should honestly like think about, like, okay, is this that important to you to risk ABC, like whatever it is, you know? But I think, yeah, for me right now, it's more like okay, how do we do this responsibly? Because it's fun and I hope I can do it for the rest of my life, but I gotta pay rent too.

SPEAKER_01 31:28

So yeah, well, and my silly one, I've been an endurance runner for a couple of decades, and so I use my feet a lot. And to my I I think it's genetics, like I don't get blister very easily. My toes look fine. I have all my toenails, like my feet look good. But when I got an injury in December, and because of how the tendons tore, I now have a pretty good-sized bunion on one of my feet. And like the vanity in me, like my one, my right foot looks fine, and the left foot is okay. It's not terrible, but I'm now self-conscious of some it's funny, like where that piece comes from. And looking my best best, feeling my best. The doctor told me, like, it's in a functional position. There's a really good chance I don't need surgery at this point if I just make sure I rehab it correctly, because blah blah blah. But also part of me is just really frustrated because it goes back to that tooth thing. Like I I want it at first appearance, I want it to look okay. And so trying to balance yes, I'm learning, yes, I'm growing and making friends and building community, but at the same time, I don't want I don't want like major lasting impacts that are gonna come from it, or even sizable things that a black guy here and there is one thing, I'm not thrilled with those either. But also, you know, everybody has a line.

SPEAKER_00 32:56

Yeah, I agree. And I think it's like I know with my injury, I like later that day. Well, I was not convinced it was broken. I'm like, it just needs to crack. I'm doing all this crazy stuff to it. I'm like, how dumb. Like, I'm so lucky it didn't move. And I went to I worked that whole day and then I went to urgent care like the next day, and they didn't uh x-ray. And she's like, it's broken, like you need to quit using it. I'm like, oh oops. But it is weird to look down and be like, damn it, I did this to myself. Like I knew this was a a risk, and it happened. And I was literally like just telling someone not that long before, oh yeah, I don't have to take my fingers, like my hands are fine, and then that happened. So I'm like, am I a real grappler now? Like I've had a broken, you know. So like then that's part of like my psychosis too. Of like, oh, is this cool now? Like, I've done it enough.

SPEAKER_01 33:50

So you're very cool because you were like, Oh, that feels weird, but I'm just gonna keep cracking it to make it feel better. Like that's I just love that because we're like it hurts, but I'll maybe if I make it hurt more, it will stop hurting altogether.

SPEAKER_00 34:03

It really surprised me because I've never broken a bone before. And so just the way people talk about it, I was like, Oh, it must be excruciating pain. I'm like, it really doesn't hurt that bad. And my adrenaline was so high when it first happened, I didn't feel it at all. I just heard it. And my partner was like, Oh, are you okay? I'm like, I think so. It's fine. Like, not fine. I love it.

SPEAKER_01 34:26

I love when we're in class and we're like doing something and someone moves my shoulder or back or neck and it cracks, and the other person jumps. Like, that felt so much better. You just pull my rib back into place or whatever it is.

SPEAKER_00 34:39

Some like the neck, sometimes that's like the best adjustment that you don't have to pay for.

SPEAKER_01 34:44

Oh my gosh. Oh, what what funny things that come from jujitsu. I'm like, oh, it was like an unexpected back pop. Hmm. That was really bugging me.

unknown 34:56

Okay.

SPEAKER_01 34:56

What would be like, because I feel like life is a series of, but wait, there's more. Like I got into jujitsu and I'm like, but I really want to improve my strength. So I started doing like I strength training to build up skills that are gonna support me on the mat. And then I'm like, but now my energy level is dipping. I need to work with a nutritionist in order to improve my caloric intake to support my training. And then I'm like, but now my hormones are plain involved into it. And I need to look into that, but also as I get older, I want my skin to be able to be as it at the very least, it's like the first barrier of keeping me healthy, well. And what is the bare minimum? Like the buy-in, it can be a lot. There's like different levels, right? There's like the basic to get in, a little bit extra cream of the crop, like what we could do for ourselves. What would you recommend for a grappler? And for like someone that's going to be enough for the long haul because we want to look nice.

SPEAKER_00 35:56

Yeah. So when it comes to skincare, you know, different aestheticians do it differently. When I have someone come in, I have you like fill out a long intake form. And it's like, what are your goals? What bothers you about your skin? What are your concerns long-term, short-term? What do you want to see from the session? And then we talk about like your full routine. And we sit down and like we break that down. And it really depends on the person. If someone's like, honestly, I'm not doing anything. Whatever's in the shower, I'll wash my face with it sometimes. Then it's like, okay, I'm gonna show you the bare minimum. The bare minimum, we need a cleanser, we need a moisturizer, and we need SPF. We really need to exfoliate too, but we'll work on that next time. If someone comes in, because I generally, my clientele, I have one extreme or the other. Then I have other people that are like, I have 25 products, and I don't know. Or they sometimes people think they're very educated. Social media is great, TikTok's awesome. It's hard because some people are very into it where they're like, Well, I bought this because I saw this person use it, and I bought this because this person and this person, this person. And it it's awesome because it's caused people that maybe thought this was like out of touch for them. They've educated themselves and like they see the value in it now. The downside to that is they're listening to a lot of information from someone who may or may not even be telling the truth. But secondly, it's like, okay, you are 42 years old and you're taking advice from a 21-year-old in an entirely different climate, entirely different genetic backgrounds, all that stuff. So those people sometimes we sit down and I'm like, hey, this product, this product, this product is actually not good for you. Take them out. And then there's people that are just in the middle that are like, I use this cleanser, I use this moisturizer and sunscreen, but I'm ready to like step it up a little bit. And those are the people that it's like, okay, you're missing an exfoliant. Let's put that in. You're using a moisturizer, but you're a little dehydrated, so let's do a hyalonic acid serum. Because that's probably one of the biggest things I introduce to people. A moisturizer balances the oil levels in your skin. Hyalonic acid serum will help you stay hydrated. So balancing water, if you do those both together, your skin's gonna be like happier, your barrier's gonna be a little more supported. So there's definitely like phases to do it. I would say, like, to the people that are only using whatever soaps in the shower, like, start with either getting a milky cleanser if you're drier. One way to know, if you're not sure if you're dryer or not, look at your pores. If right around here between like your nose and your eye, if you can't see pores really, you're drier. If you can see like bigger pores, a good amount in that area, they say like bigger than a thumbprint, then you want to go more gel. So that's like a great place to start. Start with that, wear your sunscreen. And I have people tell me all the time, I work inside, I just go to the car and drive to work, or I work from home and I make them look around at all my beautiful plants, and I say, These plants never go outside and they're thriving. So put on your damn sunscreen. Because if you care about your skin, that's like the number one UV is the number one aging factor. So and find one you like. There's all kinds now. People say they don't like how it feels. It's like there's not really an excuse for that anymore. Because we have sprays, we have where they're combo with your moisturizer, so it's one step. We have like uh there's a light, like clear gel, like there's so many options you can find something that works at like a decent price point to know.

SPEAKER_01 40:09

What I hear over and over again is it's not one size fits all. And so what the person next to you may be great for them, but and yours may be similar or completely different, but it's always good to check in with a professional, whether that's supplements or lifting or whatever. And also what you get pays off tenfold. Like I'm sure the work that gets done in your 20s, 30s, if you start like a good routine that might change over time, you're gonna save yourself zillions of dollars in time and effort and having to correct something versus like laying the foundation, whether that's investing or weightlifting or skincare. Like what a difference it would be. Like I remember like my mom laying outside with baby oil in the backyard. It's just a different world these days.

SPEAKER_00 40:57

Yeah, totally, totally. But they say like per prevention is so much easier and cheaper than correction. So if you are just like a little mindful now and like these little compounding steps, like especially for women, that's something like we talked about a lot in aesthetic school. But you know, people always say, like, oh, men age so well and women don't. And it's like part of that is like society, you know. But women are like fighting against like the big hormone shift and perimenopause and menopause. And so a lot of times that's when people women feel like, oh, I just aged overnight. And it's like, well, yeah, our bodies are just fine against just always. But um, so yeah, just being a little preventative with like the sunscreen, and it doesn't have to be crazy, it's totally up to you. Like, there's some people that really love the ritual of self-care and of um doing their evening routine, and they're fine having they want as many products as possible. And then there's other people where it's like, this is overwhelming. And even if they do initially buy it and think they want to do it, once it gets home, it's so overwhelming that it gets like put under the sink and like, oh, I can't look at it. And like, so it doesn't have to be like big or crazy or scary. It's like, let's cover the basics, and then if you decide like later, like, hey, I'm interested in maybe adding one thing, or you know, my skin barrier feels balanced and my oil isn't out of control anymore. But maybe now the fine lines and wrinkles are starting to bother me. So, like, how do we fix that or whatever, you know? So it's always it always always like changing and it's always like a work in progress with very much like you know, training. Like every season of life, you're not gonna be able to make all the classes you like to take in the week, you know? And like for a while you're gonna have with an injury, you're gonna have to like sit out for a while. And and it's hard, it's hard, like being okay, being patient for me anyway. I think like a lot of us, it feels like that. But yeah, stuff changes and there's ebbs and flows and in the whole journey.

SPEAKER_01 43:10

Absolutely. And just as we look, there's someone that can always point us in the right direction. And I really love talking to someone that has a background in jujitsu because I feel like, yes, it is a finger quote sport, but there's so much to it. And so as it becomes community, people feel like the longer I sit out, or if this thing keeps reoccurring, it's affecting like my social interactions because that's where I hang out with people. And so if I keep having this problem, I can't be around my friends. And so having like you that knows so much about it, but also understands the training side and knowing people will push through regardless of whether that's good for them or not. So you're gonna like give them the best advice because you know that mindset of I really want to be on the mat. Um, how can people reach to you, heaven? And you've been such a helpful voice, and because Because of internet and social media things these days, people all over can reach you. So what's a good blurb? How can people work with you, consult with you, things like that?

SPEAKER_00 44:11

So probably the easiest place is Instagram. My Instagram handle is my full name, HeavenlyAntLuna. My website is lunabeautyandwellness.com. That really focuses a little bit more on like my in studio services, but that's also you can find my phone number, my email. That's another good place to reach me if you have any questions. I can always do like a Zoom consultation if someone's like not close. And yeah, yeah, I would love to connect with more jujitsu girlies. I have never been in a gym where I've got to train with a lot of women. And I mentioned like I'm kind of in between gyms where you mentioned like that being your social connect. I feel like that's one thing that has kept me, besides like just trying to make sure I'm totally healthy, kind of is like scarier for me to tiptoe back in because it's like, okay, I gotta meet all new people. But yeah, so I would love to connect with more ladies.

SPEAKER_01 45:08

Yeah, it's tricky. I had to do a gym move a couple months ago, and there is just so many levels I had moved, and so my old gym was now 15 minutes farther, and I was already taking upwards of 40 minutes to get there. And so then you add on 15. I'm like, it's gonna take an hour each way, and how far can I go? And so there was a place closer, but it's always like that little miniature world. I'm like, are they already in cliques? Are there more girls here? Like, are they gonna be nice to me? Am I gonna be weird? Am I gonna talk too much? Am I gonna whatever? A lot of things to think about. But they have um for a while there they were doing Sunday classes. It was like a women's only class, and so that was really fun. So I'd go during the week and try my best to keep up because the classes were pretty big, and then on the weekends it would be like three or four of us. I'm like, okay, I can like work on things and then also go forward. So it was kind of a nice balance.

SPEAKER_00 46:09

Yeah, yeah, that does sound like a great balance.

SPEAKER_01 46:12

But since I've been out for almost two months, I feel like I have it's not like the walk of shame to get back in, but I'm a little verp nervous and be like, Do you guys remember me? I used to cover it.

SPEAKER_00 46:23

I think, like, am I gonna get in a position that I used to like feel pretty confident in, and like my body's gonna be like, I don't know how to do this anymore, you know? So it is a little intimidating, but I'm excited to get back out. I'm starting to have like dreams about training, and it's like okay, it's like my subconscious is telling me like it's time, like quit being scared. You got this.

SPEAKER_01 46:47

Well, I hope that you keep in touch and just let me know. I want to wanna hear how it goes. You're gonna jump in and I'm crossing my fingers, I am too. So here we are.

SPEAKER_00 46:57

All right, perfect. All right, yeah, we'll let you know.

SPEAKER_01 47:00

Yay, thank you so much, Heaven, for being on the show. It was really helpful today. Well, thank you. Listeners at the show. No, I always add a shout-out. This week's shout-out goes to vinegar. I don't know what super magic it has in it, but when I started jujitsu, I started throwing in like a cup of vinegar into the load when I do my giz, rash cards, athletic wear, sports press, whatever. It takes the funk out of everything. I don't know how I made it this far in life without knowing this magic trick. My running clothes used to always have that. Like I maybe it's a microfiber, not microfiber. The tech material would kind of get old after a while, and I couldn't ever get it as clean as I wanted to, which I know is so gross. But in jujitsu, since you're so close, you really, really don't want to be a stinky one, and sometimes we think it is in our head. Anyway, I could digress about smelling good in jujitsu, but throwing some vinegar in with my clothing has been a game changer. So if you haven't so far, try it out. Well, thank you for listening to the show. A huge, huge shout out again goes to my friend Heaven. It was so nice hearing her talk about skincare and kind of those extra things, but truly, most of what we talked about are essentials. These are the things that are going to help perform our best over time, whether how we look, and also just the upkeep so that we're not maybe getting infections by opening our skin up anymore in jujitsu. We know things happen, but we can do our best to be preventative instead of reactive. There are so many things that I'm an expert at. I am a teacher. I can talk to you all day about teaching and behavior in early childhood. She knew so much, and it was really nice to be able to outsource the ideas because I don't know everything. I think that's a beauty of this podcast. Each one of my guests comes on to tell me how they are an expert in their field. It's so cool to have so many resources. So I hope this is encourages you maybe to step up your skincare game, to get on the mats, and maybe listen to another episode or share an episode. You never know who wants to hear Emily's pajama party. So until next time, stay cozy and don't forget, throw an extra hair rubber band in your bag. Because if one breaks and you don't have any more, that is a rough day.