In episode 243, Kestrel welcomes Julia Perez, the creator of Jae and Leona, to the show. Through her company — Jae and Leona — Julia offers small batch, plant + botanical skin care products, as well as in-person facial treatments. She is also an intuitive esthetician, energy healer, and model.
"Self care should be an everyday thing, and it almost should be an every moment thing — like every thing that you’re doing is with intention to support yourself, to preserve yourself, so that you can then continue to go on to live your life’s purpose, whatever that may be." -Julia
Have you felt like you’re hearing a lot more about *self care* over the last year or so?
I mean, let’s be real - the last year+ has been intense on so many levels - from COVID-19 to the resurgence of the Black Lives Matter movement after the murder of George Floyd to job insecurity to economic difficulties … it’s been a lot. And with all of that, there has been a heightened need to find ways to care for ourselves, in order to keep going.
But one of the things I notice is how much the *growth* of self care has been directly aligned with capitalism - you know, it’s companies marketing products to us, as these things we have to have to take a break, or something we need to help us rest or do something for ourselves.
When, there are so many ways we can slow down without buying anything new.
This week’s guest reminds us that self care doesn’t mean retail therapy — and that self care can be little things that we do for ourselves on a daily basis. She shares more on her work as an intuitive esthetician, how she released her own skincare line during the pandemic, some of the ways her own heritage has been built into her products, and what skincare as liberation means to her.
Quotes & links from the conversation:
Julia’s favorite ingredients?
“There are 2 ingredients — one is tamanu, which is a nut that comes from the South Pacific that has incredible healing properties, and the other one is tulsi which is sweet basil. But both of those ingredients actually have links in history to my own heritage — my Dad is from Guam, so from the South Pacific, a lot of Natives actually used those two ingredients or those plants to do their own healing. In my research, I wanted to create a link to my own heritage and healing and really investigate and be connected to that.”
“I hope that many businesses can really step away from the scarcity model — of like ‘you need to buy this right now or it’s no longer going to be available for you’. You know, not only is that mind frame and that model toxic, but it also doesn’t support others that may not be able to make that investment at that moment, and is kind of exclusionary in a lot of senses.” -Julia
Jae and Leona's Awakening Hydrosol
Jae and Leona's Bare Face Cleansing Oil
Follow Julia on Instagram >
for all things sustainable fashion for larger bodies
Follow Jae and Leona on Instagram >
for all things skincare + self care
S05 Episode 222 | SELINA SANDERS ON UPCYCLING, HOW FASHION CREATES CULTURE + HOW HER PHILIPPINE HERITAGE INFLUENCES THE BRAND'S AESTHETIC
S05 Episode 221 | ROOPA PEMMARAJU ON HONORING ARTISANS + THE CRAFTSMANSHIP OF INDIA
S05 Episode 220 | CHANELLE HARRIS OF NELLO VINTAGE ON STYLE (SELF) OVER FASHION (CONFORMITY)
S05 Episode 219 | DR. KIMBERLY MCGLONN OF GRANT BLVD ON SHIFTING FRAMEWORKS, DISRUPTION, PLEASURE + PROTECTING YOUR OPTIMISM
S05 Episode 218 | MAYA PENN, THE POWER OF HOPE + WHAT THE MAINSTREAM IS MISSING WHEN IT COMES TO LISTENING TO YOUNG ACTIVISTS
S05 Episode 217 | ETHICAL STYLE JOURNAL, DEEPENING OUR UNDERSTANDING OF CULTURAL SUSTAINABILITY + INFORMATION VS KNOWLEDGE
S05 Episode 216 | KIDS WORLDWIDE, THE POWER OF GIVING BACK TO EACH OTHER + WHAT KIDS SAY ABOUT THE PLANET AND OUR FUTURE
S05 Episode 215 | NYLAH'S NATURALS, PLANT-BASED TECH + THE IMPACT OF CONVENTIONAL HAIRCARE PRODUCTS ON BLACK WOMEN
S05 Episode 214 | ENVIRONMENTAL EDUCATOR ISAIAS HERNANDEZ OF QUEER BROWN VEGAN ON THE IMPORTANCE OF FINDING YOUR NICHE + CREATING BOUNDARIES
S05 Episode 213 | REZA CRISTIÁN OF SUSTAIN THE MAG ON THE FUTURE OF MEDIA, RESOURCEFULNESS + SHIFTING THE SUSTAINABILITY NARRATIVE
S05 Episode 212 | COMET CHUKURA, GLOW + THE WHITE GAZE IN SUSTAINABLE FASHION
S05 Episode 211 | DIANDRA MARIZET, INTERSECTIONAL ENVIRONMENTALIST + THE IMPORTANCE OF PERSPECTIVE EVOLUTION
S04 Episode 210 | THE ROOT | Episode 6 | The New Standard
S04 Episode 209 | THE ROOT | Episode 5 | Where Do We Go From Here?
S04 Episode 208 | THE ROOT | Episode 4 | The Future Of Fashion
S04 Episode 207 | THE ROOT | Episode 3 | Racism In The Fashion Industry
S04 Episode 206 | THE ROOT | Episode 2 | The Power Of Privilege
S04 Episode 205 | THE ROOT | Episode 1 | Racism As A System
S04 Episode 204 | KAMEA CHAYNE OF GREEN DREAMER PODCAST ON THE NEED TO DECOLONIZE "ENVIRONMENTAL CONSERVATION" + BUILD REGENERATIVE ACTIONS INTO OUR COLLECTIVE SUSTAINABILITY GOALS
S04 Episode 203 | MANPREET KAUR KALRA, THE WHITE-WASHING OF SOCIAL IMPACT + BUILDING INCLUSIVE BRAND NARRATIVES
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