Skincare Isn’t Just Skin Deep: Rituals, Tools & Truth with Alexa McGrath The Skincare Tools

In this episode of Inside-Out Connections, I sit down with Alexa McGrath, founder of The Skincare Tools, to explore the deeper connection between skincare, ritual, and self-connection.

What began as a personal need to manage inflammation and skin stress while travelling has evolved into a thoughtfully curated range of tools designed to support lymphatic flow, skin health, and daily moments of reconnection.

We move beyond the surface of skincare to explore how tools can become part of a consistent, grounding ritual — not just something we do to our skin, but something that brings us back into our body.

Alexa shares the importance of simplicity, education, and consistency, and why understanding how to use tools properly is just as important as the tools themselves.

We also unpack the difference between quick fixes and long-term skin health, the overwhelm of modern skincare, and why doing less — with intention — can often be more powerful.

This is a conversation about skin, yes — but also about habits, self-trust, and the small daily practices that reconnect us from the inside out.

Please note, the audio is a little compromised on this episode.

What We Cover

• How Alexa’s journey from travel and inflammation led to creating The Skincare Tools
• Why skincare tools should be seen as rituals, not just accessories
• The benefits of lymphatic drainage and movement for skin health
• Metal vs traditional stone gua sha — hygiene, effectiveness, and results
• The importance of using the right glide product for sensitive skin
• Where to begin if you’re new to facial tools
• The most popular tools in Alexa’s range and what’s new
• Common mistakes people make when using facial tools at home
• Why consistency matters more than expensive products
• The connection between skin, nervous system, and daily rituals
• Teaching younger generations a more mindful approach to skincare
• Letting go of quick fixes and returning to long-term, inside-out care

Where to Find Alexa

Explore The Skincare Tools and connect with Alexa:

Instagram — https://www.instagram.com/theskincaretools

Website — https://theskincaretools.com

Transcript

SPEAKER_02 0:03

Welcome to Inside Out Connections, where we explore the link between your skin, your gut, emotional health, and your deeper sense of self. I'm your host, Tracy Ann, a wellness coach exploring what it really means to reconnect from the inside out. Today I'm joined by Alexa McGraw, founder of the Skincare Tools, a brand known for creating beautifully considered tools designed to support skin health, lymphatic flow, and daily self-connection. Alexa, welcome. Thank you for being here.

SPEAKER_01 0:38

Hi Tracy, thank you for having me.

SPEAKER_02 0:41

So, how did your love of skin and skincare begin?

SPEAKER_01 0:44

So, my love of skincare and especially skincare tools began from traveling a lot. There was a lot of inflammation when I was traveling. I used to um I used to be time poor and couldn't go to the clinics. So I was always trying to figure out a way of how I can help with my inflammation after post-traveling. I felt like I was always carrying these tools that I had found from different places in the world. And I wanted to create a brand that had all the tools in one.

SPEAKER_02 1:19

I love that. So what inspired you to create a brand after going from interior design space to then going on and designing tools?

SPEAKER_01 1:31

Look, I always loved beauty from traveling a lot. All my friends seemed to be plastic surgeons, facialists, makeup artists from all around the world. And felt like interior design was always holding me back. I felt like I could express myself creating a brand that filled a gap for people. The skincare industry and the beauty industry is a very oversaturated market. And skincare weren't really spoken about, and it was a new thing. And I was always going from brand to brand, choosing one from here, one from there. And I thought, let me start my own brand and bring them all together.

SPEAKER_02 2:13

So great. And they're just beautifully done as well. They're just lovely to hold in the hand. Many people, many people think of skincare tools as accessories. You speak about them as rituals, which I love. What does that personally mean to you?

SPEAKER_01 2:29

So consistency is key. You know, you can buy them ones and then they look beautiful and you just forget about them. But using them two to three times a week, because movement and constantly moving the skin and not over using formulations, skincare, and all of that, is when you see improvement.

SPEAKER_02 2:51

You need that movement in the skin. So how do you see skincare tools supporting emotional and energetic well-being? You know, often we just think of it as topical and its beauty, but if we look a little bit deeper from an inside out perspective, how do you feel that it supports emotional and energetic well-being?

SPEAKER_01 3:11

So I feel like having a routine. For me, I'm a bit of a night owl. And getting to bed at night is kind of difficult, winding down. So using LED night, LED face mask at night before I go to bed. Just having that consistent routine, 10 minutes a night, using the sculpting tools before that. It's just a routine that develops and it's part it becomes part of your daily routine.

SPEAKER_02 3:37

And I agree with you. I think we're always putting serums on and we do face massage, but adding in those elements and the tools and just spending that little bit more extra time on our skin, you do notice it the next day. I feel my skin is a bit more dewy from a lymphatic perspective. It just sits better. My skin sits better on my face when I've paid attention to it in that way.

SPEAKER_01 4:00

Exactly. And figuring out what works for you, whether you need the cryo tools, which is the ice tools, whether you need the alting tools, the dermoplan, the LED. And we have some new technologies that we're working on as well. So it's all about finding what's right for you and how you can incorporate that into your routine as well.

SPEAKER_02 4:23

So traditional guachas are made from stone, I know, because I've broken so many over the years. What made you choose metal over traditional materials?

SPEAKER_01 4:34

So the metal is non-porous. The jade actually has the porous, which carries the bacteria if it's not properly sanitized, stainless steel, it holds the cold. So you keep it in the freezer or the fridge, and then you pop it out and you just use it, and it helps, it gives you that extra kind of cryo lifting effect to it, too. Takes sort of takes away the puffiness as well. Exactly.

SPEAKER_02 5:01

It retains the cold temperature in the metal to depuff. And from a glide perspective, because you can't just put the tool on your face and drag it, right? That's like a skincare sin, isn't it? You can't pull your face too tight. So what would be the most non-reactive product to use for a glide?

SPEAKER_01 5:23

Would it be like oils or serums? Something simple, something organic, hydrolonic, give you that extra glide so you're not tugging at the skin when you're using the sculpting tools. I have a very special one on the way. I'm I'm a bit of a clean freak. So, you know, the hands and putting it on the face. So I've developed something that you can have in your bag, and whenever you want to use your serums, you can just apply it with another another tool in the skincare tools.

SPEAKER_02 5:55

I love that. So for someone who's never used facial tools before, where do you recommend they begin? You know, because they might look at the range and go, my gosh, where do I start? Which one's the best one to use for a beginner?

SPEAKER_01 6:09

So the beginner's favorite is the kind of sculptor, which has the two polar heads on one end and then the guacha on the other end. We have great how-to videos. The thing about tools is I felt like there wasn't a lot of education about how to use the tool, how hard, for how long. So that was a bit of a gap in the market that I thought I needed to fill because some people were using it too hard or too long, which can also damage and affect the skin. So if not used properly, um, it can actually cause you more harm.

SPEAKER_02 6:46

That's really good to know because I'd imagine and sometimes you see it on social media when people are actually going quite hard. And and mostly it's the 20 somethings of say, no, what are you doing?

SPEAKER_01 6:59

Don't stretch pulling it and pulling it. Yes. Like that's not how it's meant to be done. So they felt that there was a gap in the market. We want to be the go-to of how to use the tools moving forward. There's a lot of being done on that. So it's very important because you know, ever it's a very trending topic, skincare tools. But if they're not used correctly, they can cause more damage than benefits.

SPEAKER_02 7:27

I love having that educational side of things as well, because often you have to be looking for information on how to use, but that's that's a wonderful addition to your branding.

SPEAKER_01 7:37

And that's where I'm bringing the key industry leaders, like the makeup artists, the facialists, the lymphatic drainage specialists. That place of authority speaking into the brand is very important. And somewhere where people can come to that's showing you how to actually use the tool instead of it just being a trending tool.

SPEAKER_02 7:58

Can you share a moment where using your tools yourself felt like connection or felt like self-connection rather than skincare alone?

SPEAKER_01 8:08

Well, every night, through three to four times a week, using face mask. I just, it's like 10 minutes on. The kids don't look at me, they're used to it now. They're like, okay, mom's wearing the mask. It's just that 10 minutes that you feel you don't need to read anything, even though they are saying that LED now, you can look at it directly into the LED for two to three minutes a day. It's beneficial for the eyes. But I just close my eyes. Ten minutes, it's my only time. And I know that I'm getting the benefits of the LED as well.

SPEAKER_02 8:45

I often put the LED on and listen to a podcast or a meditation at night just to have that window time, and I think it's so important just being present for a short amount of time. You have a beautifully curated range. Can you talk us through all of your beautiful tools and what makes them unique?

SPEAKER_01 9:08

So we've broken the tools down into a system. So from prep to sculpt to calm to regenerate to grow. So it's kind of starting with the prep tools. That's a steamer or a derma planning tool, which is the steamer opens up the pores, the derma gliding tool removes the top layer of debris, which everyone loves. It's actually a great before doing your makeup, just removing that first layer, and it gives you that beautiful glow. Makeup artists love using that onset as well. Whereas other kind of tool companies are either focusing on LEDs or they're focusing on the gua sha or they're focusing on just like the cryo tools. We've looked at the system as a whole and broken it down and said, okay, you need this for five minutes to prep your skin, this for five minutes to cleanse your skin, regenerate. Then we also have um a new LED cap that's for the scalp. There's a lot of conversation with scalp health at the moment, which helps for the hair growth. And after medication, people are seeing that they're losing their hair. So, you know, a lot of the customer feedback we take into consideration and kind of create a tool that's helpful for their needs. It's like a one-stop shop. Exactly. That's what I want to do because I do like um the skincare routine is a system. You're gonna start with one tool, which is say you start with the contour sculptor that the makeup artists are loving. So they'll introduce their clients to that, and then they'll be like, oh, I need a steamer, and then my hair's falling out after this antibiotics. Do you have anything for the hair and the scalp health? Everyone's using a lot of serums, a lot of active ingredients. People are taking antibiotics, this ozone peak that everyone's on, they're seeing a lot of hair, the loss. So yeah, we try and find the gap in that market where there's a need for a tool. And a big one has been kids in year 11 and 12, especially boys, needing the LED face mask, the blue light, which helps with antibacterial. So for their breakouts and hormonal pimples and all of that, these active ingredients are sometimes too harsh. You see the skin breaking out even more after you use these pimple creams and serums. So going back to basics.

SPEAKER_02 11:38

Yeah, which is important. And it just made me think about just having tools in life as a general, like, you know, tools inside of us that we needed's coming up at that particular time. And I guess it's the same with skincare. You may not need the same tool every day, but it's nice to have that same tools in your tool belt to support you through different stages, right? So I think it's a great name.

SPEAKER_01 12:03

It's from your husband taking your LED face mask or or your son using the LED for a different kind of stage that they're in in their life. You know, it's it's about aging well and slow aging instead of instead of all these short fixes, it's about taking care of your skin from the start. From my experience, I started visiting injectors and all of this from a very young age. And I regret everything. You don't even know what you're putting into your body. So to start from start from the outer layer at least, and see if you can fix that from there and see the benefits you can get from doing that. You know, in the morning, if you feel puffy and you have a a meeting or something on during the day, go and grab your cryogloss cube from the freezer, rub it over your face, and you'll feel like you feel different.

SPEAKER_02 13:00

I've got the two metal tools and I've got them in the freezer as well. It's so lovely when you're feeling a little bit puffy, or if I've had a glass of wine the night before, it impacts me straight away. So I find, yes, anything cold and just massaging doing that lymphatic movement is really helpful. I mean, and you don't forget the neck.

SPEAKER_01 13:23

Yes, no. You need to start at the neck. The most important thing is to drain everything from the face.

SPEAKER_00 13:30

Mm-hmm.

SPEAKER_01 13:32

Let it out from the neck too.

SPEAKER_02 13:34

Yes, I've I've realized now at my age I probably neglected my neck for quite a few years, and now my neck is getting a lot of focus. You look great. No. So which tool has become which tool is like has a cult following in your in your range?

SPEAKER_01 13:52

Yeah, so the five-in-one face Pilates wand, which has the spinning head. I think you have it. Yeah, I do have that. I love that one. It's amazing. Like the cleansing brush, it's got everything. So that's entered the market in the electronic section. It's that in the LED face mask because the Pilates wand you can cleanse. I keep it in the shower. Because no matter how much you cleanse, I do after I get home at night, take off the makeup, then you do another cleanse step. Go in the shower. If you use that, the cleansing head on the Pilates wand, you'll see there's still, no matter how much you cleanse, um, there's still that leftover that people aren't realizing that they're leaving on the skin overnight, causing blockage in the pores. If you attend to what you're actually doing to your skin with these tools, you're going to see a difference. Even from these people are spending thousands and thousands of dollars on serum. But without, we have a another tool, the serum infusing wand. Without using something to infuse the serum into the skin, you could be number one not cleansing right. So the serum's not sinking in properly, or you know, the the serum's just not going that deep a layer. So using these tools is helping serum.

SPEAKER_02 15:16

And just pure massage and and rather than just slapping, slapping on a serum. Um, yeah, like you said, just massaging it in or having the tools to help um for it to penetr penetrate through the layers of the skin.

SPEAKER_01 15:29

Yeah, like I never started this business to compete with the serum industry. You can choose from millions and millions of serums, you get lost. Do I choose the most expensive on the way?

SPEAKER_02 15:40

It's so expensive, some of them. You know, I just feel like the prices keep going up and up. And it's like, why is the serum two to three hundred dollars now? It is exactly insane, you know. And are they really working?

SPEAKER_01 15:54

Is it the right ingredient? You you read these ingredients, you don't even know what they are. Some people are just putting anything on their skin. So this is why I first started, because you go through buying the best, then you're like, maybe I should try this one. But the tools, you know what you're doing.

SPEAKER_02 16:12

So you spoke about some new and exciting things happening in your range. Yes. What's one thing that you can't live without? We spoke about the Pilates wand. Is there something that you can't live without in your range?

SPEAKER_01 16:25

Well, the LED face mask. There's a new technology. But the other thing about um the LEDs and the lasers and the microcurrents, a lot of people are buying these tools without FDA, UKCA, and TGA approvals. So this is a regulated certificate that says, yes, these are the correct wavelengths for this tool. Yes, this is the correct amount of LEDs. Cars are all registered, they all have the certificates, which is why, you know, you really need to do your research to make sure a lot of these LEDs and microcurrents, especially the electronic tools on the market, as well as the stainless tools, they're saying it's made from this and actually it's made from something else. So you need to figure out what claims are approved and what claims are just fluffy marketing strategy. Why we're having these conversations with some of the big retailers in Australia, because we do have these certifications behind the products. And that's why you're not seeing these tools in all of the retailers, because they don't. So it's very important to do your research to find out whether the tools you're using are really doing what they're seeing.

SPEAKER_02 17:41

That's really good advice. Because when you flick through Instagram and then you've got sponsored ads coming at you with all the latest whatever, but we don't know where they're coming from or if they're from an accredited company, or like you said, if it's all approved. So that's that's really good advice because using it on your face.

SPEAKER_01 18:02

Exactly. Australia's the the highest regulated, which is the TGA, but it needs to have the TGA, the FDA, and the UKCA. It's very important. We're we're working to educate as well is how to use the tool, the importance of these regulatory certifications behind the tools as well.

SPEAKER_02 18:22

Very important. So, what are the most common mistakes people make when using facial tools at home? We spoke about dragging, not having the right gliding serum. What else? We've spoken about, you know, having the approval. What other mistakes do people make at home when using these tools?

SPEAKER_01 18:40

Consistency. By using it once or twice, you're not going to see a result. Consistency is really key. Using the tools two to three times a week minimum to see a result. Um, after one to two months of using it three to three times a week, you will really see the results. Because it all it becomes part of your routine. You'll see the benefits. Also adding that extra layer to your routine. Um it it it's very important.

SPEAKER_02 19:10

It's like habit stacking, right? You don't just floss your teeth. You may do some tongue scraping as well as flossing, and right, there's all these hearts to make your teeth better. Exactly. It's the same with your skin.

SPEAKER_01 19:23

Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. I mean, you can have, you know, bad breath, and it's like, I brush my teeth every day, but are you doing more? Consistency is is a hundred percent key to seeing results.

SPEAKER_02 19:35

Yeah, one hundred percent. So do you have a a meaningful story or feedback from a client or s somebody in your community that's used your products and made a huge difference?

SPEAKER_01 19:48

To be honest, I love well, I've got two kids. So I love hearing that kids are using the face mask and they feel so much more confident about their acne just from using it for two or three months. So just st and starting there because they're they're kind of building the foundation for learning how to take care of themselves. The kids from 10 to 15, they can't put active ingredients on their skin. The access these kids have to going into a store and buying anything they want. It's not meant for them.

SPEAKER_02 20:22

It's just Well you can go into any skincare mainstream shop and the kids have access to all of it, right? And often 12 year olds are going in there and buying really active ingredients to put on their skin, but it's also they have more advertising than what we did when we were younger.

SPEAKER_01 20:40

When when we were kids, dolls and Barbies were what we wanted in our bedrooms. Now the kids are watching influencers that are they have their whole bathroom full of colorful products. This is all a marketing. So it's very important to teach our kids from a young age. It's not it's not wrong that you're breaking out, and this can be fixed. A lot of parents are rushing their kids to facialists. The facialists aren't wrong, but then taking your child and developing that routine, the top layers of the skin, let's see what the problem is. Let's see, antibacterial, they're touching their faces all day, not washing their hands, the blue setting on the face mask.

SPEAKER_02 21:22

It's like re-educating them that it's not just putting things on topically as well. It's looking at your diet, it's the self-care element, it's hormonal element. Um, but it that's what I like is that you don't have to drag them off to a beautician where they might feel embarrassed or out of their depth, especially for a young teenage boy. Yeah. So it's good just having some devices at home that are effective, unless it's severe, of course, then you see the right people and you see dermatologists. But I think there are things that we can do at home without jumping the gun and saying, Let's fix this problem. Yeah. I think it's turning inwards and doing that reconnection, having those tools to be able to support their changes.

SPEAKER_01 22:09

Yeah. And and even the LED salon, the strength is obviously much stronger. And I love salons, I love going to my facialist, but you need to continue the LED. A lot of my friends that own the salons carry the LED face mask because you can make the salon visit once or twice a month, but you need to keep that consistency of the LED as well to see the results of your in-salon treatment.

SPEAKER_02 22:36

You speak often about lymphatic drainage and energy flow. How do these influence the way our skin looks and feels?

SPEAKER_01 22:45

So movement is very important for the lymphatic system to open. So without moving the skin, you're you're going to feel that extra bit of puffiness and the lymphatic system needs to be drained consistently. And obviously it does its work as much as it can without us helping it. But that extra bit of help using tools and even using your f fingers, if you're not sure about tools, first start using your fingers with the lymphatic drainage and then see if it works for you, if you feel better, then you introduce the tools, taking it to that next level.

SPEAKER_02 23:21

And I find even just stretching, like opening my mouth up really wide and stretching. I mean, I'm a jaw clincher at night. But when uh I wake in the morning, my I feel tight in my jaws. So often just doing some stretching exercises and releasing your neck and doing those and then starting with your tools. Like you said, it's that ritual and routine of consistency that makes all the difference, just to help loosen everything up.

SPEAKER_01 23:48

Exactly. When people aren't sure, they're like, oh, what tool to use? I tell them, start opening your mouth and massaging your jaw in the mo morning, even your temples.

SPEAKER_02 23:59

Like maybe we need some kind of facial uh what's it called? What are those theraguns, you know, for the face? Maybe a mild version of that.

SPEAKER_01 24:07

Have you tried the Pilates wand? Yes, yes. The Pilates wand here, I just keep it there because I've got a really strong muscle.

SPEAKER_00 24:16

Yeah.

unknown 24:16

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 24:17

And five years ago, they were talking about Botoxing your massacres. I had that done. So did I. And and this is where like my my love for tools began. I had it done and my whole face kind of dropped. I had changed. I know. Same oval face. And also I then started seeing lagging on my skin here.

SPEAKER_02 24:40

Yes, I agree. So while it helped and also I couldn't drink out of a straw properly. Like I remember it was almost too much. And I I just, what am I doing? This is crazy. I probably need to meditate rather than band-aid the problem.

SPEAKER_01 24:55

And the talk putting that amount of Botox, then I started like massaging here. Then I was introduced to a tool in Paris. It was like the contour sculptor. And I kept massaging. I was like, this is all I need. People are thinking they're fixing the problem. Instead, they're causing more problems. Um instant fixes. That's right. I have massacred problems. Let me Botox my jaw. Then the skin starts lagging. It's like, then you need a facelift.

SPEAKER_02 25:24

For me, my physio helps release all of that and it works wonders. But yeah, I agree with you. I think it's so easy to go get a quick fix. But that's costly as well. That's a lot of Botox in your jaw. And I know that for severe issues, obviously it helps. But I always believe in getting to the root core of what's going on. Like, why am I clenching so much? I'm obviously really stressed out. So what do I do when I'm stressed? I need to meditate or take the edge off somehow just to feel better. And then having those tools and self-massage and all those things help because it just takes you back into your body.

SPEAKER_01 26:01

Yeah, and and visiting the physio, that's very important. But then the consistency of the afterclinic of what they have done for you and how good you feel after you visit that clinic, you need to because you are going home that night and you are clenching your jaw. So to be able to wake up and release that tension again in the morning is just benefiting you for that next visit.

SPEAKER_02 26:27

100%. So what daily or weekly rituals do you personally swear by? And we don't have to talk skin here for a moment. What are some rituals that you that are part of your life?

SPEAKER_01 26:40

Exercise.

SPEAKER_00 26:42

Mm-hmm.

SPEAKER_01 26:43

And this is where if you're going to the gym once a month, you don't see the results. Going to the gym three to four times a week consistently is where you feel good about yourself. The whole body's moving. Um, you know, and that comes back into the routine. It's like people say, I haven't seen results after the first two times. Well, going to the gym, you don't see results after the first two times, but going to the gym after three months consistently. Well, I love Pilates, going to the gym, lifting weights is important. I was never into lifting weights in my twenties, but now getting into the late 30s, I feel like weights is really important. Pilates.

SPEAKER_02 27:25

Yeah, and you notice a difference, you're not just physically, but mentally as well. Like I just feel more alive when I lift heavy weights.

SPEAKER_01 27:34

Yeah. And just building that foundation around the bone, you know, as you're getting older, you need that extra support. And I never, I never used to listen to my mum when she was telling me when I was younger, you need to lift away. Not being a b bodybuilder. I was always wanting to be very, very skinny.

SPEAKER_02 27:52

I think having the muscle around your bones is very important. Especially heading into that perimenopause and menopause stage, it is so important for us women. It's not about skinny, it's about strong. We need to be able to support our bones for another 50 years, right?

SPEAKER_01 28:12

And so from from the body to the face, and even thinking about the under the layers underneath your skin, this is where it starts. If you start seeing lagging on the skin, even for the face, you've got to build the muscle. Having that is so important.

SPEAKER_02 28:28

So for someone feeling disconnected from their body or their skin, where is a good place for them to start?

SPEAKER_01 28:34

I I think the drainage is important. So I'm starting with the lymphatic drainage and also to the supporting collagen, LED. LED, the moral science behind that, it's just incredible on the benefits, the collagen production, even how you feel, um, it just makes you feel so relaxed, and that equals oxygen into the skin as well. The lymphatic drainage is creating the blood to move, which is oxygenating the deeper layers of the skin, which then gives you that glow. You know, you've got to drink water, you've got to move the skin, you've got to move the body, and you'll feel great.

SPEAKER_02 29:15

And you have to feel it as well, right? It's what what we put in on the inside reflects on the outside always. Exactly.

SPEAKER_01 29:22

And you what feels good for you and educate yourself before buying the tool. See the issue that you're facing, because what you're facing is not what your friend's facing.

SPEAKER_02 29:32

So true. I love that. Alexa, I love to finish with reflection and reconnection questions. So we've discussed some of the things that you do to reconnect with yourself each day. You've spoken about in the evening how you do your beautiful routine of winding down. You've spoken about your weights in the morning. Is there any other ways that you reconnect with yourself each day?

SPEAKER_01 29:58

Look, I am a bit of a workaholic. Um, coming home to my kids. I love my babies, which encouraged me. They're they're actually the reason I created the skincare tools. Because during COVID, my elders kept being like, Mum, you keep trying to do this and this and this while you're doing interior design. And once I started the skincare tools, people were like, What why are you trying to develop a tool range? I was like, No one's onto tools yet, I want to do it. And my children are what makes me feel good at the end of the day. Totally. And they sound like they're your biggest supporters as well. They are, they are. Having two girls, it's kind of a good industry to be into. Interior design was like, you're kind of in a relationship with your client for three to four years. So it's very intense. I love hearing feedback from people who buy the tools. I love hearing how they incorporate it into their routine, seeing it on Instagram. It's a community that's growing that I didn't think I'd enjoy. But, you know, it's it's fun being in everyone's life and seeing how they use the tool. And we've launched into Air One in America and opening their 11th store in West Hollywood tomorrow, actually, and being part of that, Travis Scott, Kim Kardashian, they all make the shakes in the organic store and adding that extra layer of being able to be the only skincare tool brand in the store. You we're living in Australia, but being able to sell it to America and being part of that whole culture, and um, it's exciting. I love it.

SPEAKER_02 31:33

And you're contributing to the wellness space, right? And it's it's a legacy as well. And so, what is your skin or your body taught you about yourself?

SPEAKER_01 31:44

My skin and my body, what has it taught me? That aging happens very quickly. It sure does. Next thing I mean, I still think I'm 21. We all do. You're like, I'm 39 now, and I'm like, I don't know where the years have gone. My mum, like seven days a week, and being from a Greek background, half Greek, half Italian, um, they always had very good skin, you know, lying in the satelliting olive oil on their bodies. I remember growing up on a boat. I wish I knew to take care of my skin earlier. Me too. Yeah, that information wasn't out there, but we had fun.

SPEAKER_02 32:21

My mum would always say, look after the skin on your face. That always stayed with me. I remember as a child to just do some zinc across my nose and go, off you go. And then my shoulders would be peeling. I know I grew up in Queensland, but I just I've always looked after my skin. I've always had facials, I've always used good products, I've always, yeah, I've it's been important to me, but then I've realized the rest of my body has not had the same attention. It's like, wow, if I just looked after my arms the way I looked after my face. Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 32:50

So or my chest or my neck, right? It's that education, even we've had a call out from a school to come and educate kids about not overusing serums and starting with basics. So it's that education that, you know, it needs to start from young.

SPEAKER_02 33:09

I think the culture's still there when they hit a certain age. Like I've just noticed that 14, 15 age, they're still, even though they know it's like the dangers of vaping and smoking, and yeah, so many teenagers are doing it, right? There's more information out there than ever, but there's still so many that are doing it. It's the same with some baking. It's like this culture when you sit hit a certain age. So yeah, I think that's a great idea going into schools and doing more education.

SPEAKER_01 33:37

Yeah, their skin is so young. So, like anything, even burnt skin, it doesn't look as bad.

SPEAKER_02 33:43

But I keep saying to my daughter, just um you'll you're s you're gonna get a crocodile neck if you keep that up.

SPEAKER_01 33:50

But they don't realize because there's so much collagen there. They still they have everything going for them at that age. Whereas older skin looks terrible immediately when it gets fur. But they still the old skin, it's like burnt old.

SPEAKER_02 34:05

They look good. They look good with a like a bit of flush cheeks. We look old.

SPEAKER_01 34:10

Like they're brown, and I I don't care. I I look good. So it's that education again behind everything.

SPEAKER_02 34:18

They're on their journey. So what season of life are you in right now, would you say, Alexa?

SPEAKER_01 34:24

Um, I think I'm in a bit of a growth season, um, which I'm loving. There's a lot of traveling. I I have a lot of help from my family, and my kids are happy. I see with homeschooling and all these kind of different avenues of life um that are coming up in the future. There's so many opportunities. The world's opened up again after COVID, traveling everywhere. I just feel like there's so many things going on. But you also have to remember to pull back, which is another phase I'm in because I'm not 21 anymore. I want to be here, do this, say yes to that. And you've got to sometimes pull yourself back and be like, is this really important? Should I be here? I've started prioritizing things that I didn't used to prioritize more than I ever did. Which is a nice stage to be in because you realize what's important to you.

SPEAKER_02 35:22

And I think talking about seasons, it's definitely like that, isn't it? You're coming out of your 30s into your forties, and I think it changes. And I turned 50 last year, so again, for me, it it's it like a shift. Exactly. Yeah. So it becomes a different season in your life.

SPEAKER_01 35:40

Yeah. And it's fun. I I'm enjoying aging, even though like I wouldn't be young again. We've got great opportunities in our hands, and just to action them because life's too short if you don't do what's in front of you now. You've got to prioritize what is important to you. You trickle them into life as well. You can't leave parties, this, that, out of it completely. I think balance is everything. Well life, balance, family. It's important. What does living from the inside out mean to you? Feeling good. When when you're treating your insides well, your outside looks good and you feel good. Um, I'm a bit of a chocolate. So for me, when I eat chocolate, I have these outbursts that I just love chocolate and I understand. Yeah. Not so much, you know, I'm not like a fried food kind of person or that kind of stuff. No. I can wake up, eat chocolate, but taking care of yourself, understanding your limits. You you can do limit yourself to do it.

SPEAKER_02 36:44

I was quite out of control with the chocolate eating, I have to say. Like out of control, like half a block every day. And sometimes it was going into like a whole block, and I've gone cold turkey, and I it's been the best thing for me. Like I do feel better, like I love chocolate so much. But I I'm an all or nothing.

SPEAKER_01 37:05

Me too. I'm all or nothing. And do you know what I I did a few months ago, I was very consistent with everything. Have a little bit of chocolate, a little bit of this, a little bit of that. And you can do it, but sometimes you've got to do what's right for you at that stage.

SPEAKER_02 37:20

I don't think eating like a whole block of chocolate every day was right for me, but so if you could give if you could give one message to every woman out there about self-care and reconnection, what would it be?

SPEAKER_01 37:33

Okay.

SPEAKER_02 37:34

As in the tools or just in life?

SPEAKER_01 37:36

No, just in life. Okay. One do what you love. Like just do it. Follow your instinct. When you get an opportunity, take it. I feel like a lot of my friends doubt what they can do. And if I do this, is it gonna be successful? Or if I change career paths, if I fail at that one, I'm so successful at this one. How can I? A lot of people are stuck in places and even jobs that they're scared to move on from because that's their kind of security blanket. They feel they feel at the top of what they're doing. Why should they change? Um, I think that even my career move from interior design to doing what I'm doing now, it's like you can do I can still do interiors. There's no stopping you. But do what you feel can take the opportunity when it comes to you and run with it. And if it fails, if it succeeds, that's even better.

SPEAKER_02 38:34

Yeah. I love that. And I think, and it's for an example, I've started this podcast at 50 and I was like, I had that imposter syndrome as well. Like, what the hell am I doing? Who the hell am I to think that I can start a podcast? But you know what? I leaned into the energy and I went with it. You can do anything at any age. The problem can be when we have our identity wrapped up in one particular thing, that's you identify yourself through your role in life, and that can be a tricky one.

SPEAKER_01 39:06

Yeah, surrounding yourself with good people. You know, even everyone in the industry has been so supportive of me, from plastic surgeons to facialists to even how we met through double base. Yes, horses as well.

unknown 39:23

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 39:24

You know, surrounding yourself the in communities, there can be good and bad people in every community. Don't let one bad person give you doubt. You can do it, you've got one chance, life's too short. There's going to be good and bad people, people that are gonna judge you. They're only judging you because they're scared to do it themselves. Yeah, I think I love your podcast.

SPEAKER_02 39:46

Thank you. Thank you for coming on it.

SPEAKER_01 39:48

I'm proud of you for doing it.

SPEAKER_02 39:50

Thank you. And you know, my daughter said to me, I think she just turned 14 at the time, and she said, Mom, you only have one life. You don't get to do this again. You need to be doing everything that you love to do. And that was like, whoa, like, you know, yeah, it blew my mind.

SPEAKER_01 40:12

And then like you she's now looking at you and my mom's done it, you know? And you reach out to people that you don't think will return your email. Reach out to people from a community that you don't belong to. If they don't return your email, who cares? You know, reach out.

SPEAKER_02 40:30

Oh, I mean yeah, I've been sending. I've got a guest coming on. I think she was on the Mel Robbins podcast, but my angle was, you know, I'm not sure how I can compete because you'll be about my 14th or 15th guest. But and she said, sure, I'd love to. I would be honored to come on your show. I'll say, Yes. But you've just got to give it a go. And I just think often fear holds us back and that imposter syndrome, but you've just got to push through, you've got to push through the challenging stuff because it's magic out the other side.

SPEAKER_01 41:03

And surround yourself with good people. I even tell my children at school, you get put in an environment, you're there for 12 years, you've got to learn. You can't help losing your class, but you've got to figure it out yourself and you've got to have faith in yourself. At the end of the day, you're you're the one that's doing it, and you need to get through it. It actually makes me upset because I've got some very, very clever friends that are scared to be entrepreneurs and leave that very high job that they're in to start what they really are passionate about. And I'm always like, just do it, just do it.

SPEAKER_02 41:42

And I think you get to an age where you realize you're sort of facing your own mortality, especially when your children start to leave school and you hit a certain age and your your role almost becomes redundant. You know, your children don't want to hang out with you anymore, which is rightly so. I know it's so sad. But and they're meant to, they're meant to leave the nest, but then we come back to ourselves. And it's in those moments when we come back to ourselves where it's like, hang on a minute. Oh my gosh, hello, Tracy Ann. Who are you? What lights you up? Oh my, let's go do this together.

SPEAKER_01 42:17

Well, I hope to see you. I hope you invite me back on your podcast.

SPEAKER_02 42:21

Yes. What a wonderful way to finish. Alexa, thank you so much for being here. Your work reminds us that skincare can be a moment of presence, not performance. For those listening who want to explore your tools, where can we find your products and connect with you online?

SPEAKER_01 42:38

Well, currently we're in a few retailers, including the Double B store, Health Food Store, in conversations with some larger retailers in Australia. So keep watching. In the next few months, we should have some news. The skincare tools. Yes.

SPEAKER_02 42:56

I think we've got to like get some kind of tool belt to wrap around that those makeup artists wear. There's this. Yeah, yeah, the plaiding ones for the horses. We need a tool belt for all the tools. Yeah, yeah. I agree. Thank you so much for coming on. Thank you, Tracy. See you soon. Thank you for joining me on Inside Out Connections. I hope today's conversation reminds you to tune in and find small ways to self reconnect. If this episode resonated, please share it with a friend or leave a quick review. Come join me on Instagram at insideout skin gutcoach.