1. What is your role at Sophyto and how does your background help you in this?

My role at Sophyto is creative director of the forthcoming makeup range. Formulating colours and products with Karen Sinclair Drake and the incredibly talented chemists. I also work as a makeup artist for film and TV.

2. What do you enjoy most about being a makeup artist?

I love enhancing people’s natural beauty. Making really simple changes to create youthful, glowing, beautiful skin.

3. How and why did you navigate towards a natural and organic lifestyle? Is it difficult to extend this to your line of work, in terms of the makeup products currently available?

I think that the healthier we become in mind and body, the more apt we are to gravitate towards things that feed us, on all levels; physical, mental, spiritual and emotional. Nature provides for us and when we stray too far from it we see the consequences. I stay away from synthetics (additives, colorants and the like.) Living green and in harmony with nature makes us more peaceful and God knows we could all use a little more peace!

In terms of my work, there aren’t many natural makeup lines that are beautiful or effective. I have bought so many of them and have been disappointed. There are some companies who have made some strides, but I tend to find that the colors aren’t quite right.

4. Where is home for you? What is the environment like there and how does this affect your skin? What skin/hair type do you have and what challenges does that create?

I live in Venice, California, quite close to the beach. I love the humidity. It helps stop my skin from feeling so dry. The problem with living in a city like Los Angeles is the pollution so I’m really careful about keeping my skin clean. Sophyto skincare really addresses my skin issues. My primary concerns are aging and dryness.

5. What is your beauty regime? How rigidly do you stick to this?

At night I use Sophyto Ultra Mild Silken Cleanser followed by Purify and Energise Super Bioactive to remove my make up, then I layer on Polyphenol Skin drops and Multivitamin Skin Drops, followed by either Mega Omegas Day Face Moisturiser or Normalising Day Face Moisturiser. I use Deep Pore Foaming Cleanser in the morning to cleanse and then follow the same regime. I exfoliate a couple of times a week using Dual Action Exfoliant Treatment, which I love, love love.  And I use the Marine Peptide Brightening Treatment once a week, especially before going out, to really get that healthy glow. I never go to sleep with make up on, ever. I work with clients who sit in the chair with eyeliner and mascara still on from the day before and not only is it terrible for your skin but I must say I find it quite gross.

6. What 5 beauty/health products would you struggle to live without?

Well, I couldn’t live without Sophyto skincare; purified water; food-based magnesium supplements. These keep me sane and balanced. The body uses magnesium particularly when we’re stressed and I find if I don’t take them I get anxious and out of whack. Greens, any kind of greens. Wheatgrass, powdered greens, chard, parsley, kale, arugula, spinach, you name it. I blend greens with frozen fruit. A couple of handfuls of organic spinach with water and organic frozen mango. Delicious and beautiful to boot. And I’m adding dark chocolate to the mix.  I’m going to say it’s for the antioxidant power of the flavonoids and the ORAC value, but really it’s just because love it!

7. What are your top 3 tips for maintaining great skin?

Keep the skin clean; stay hydrated; eat well; and I’m adding a fourth - lessen your stress.

8. Does wearing makeup damage the health of our skin? Is it possible to avoid this?

Certain makeup can damage the skin by the absorption of the chemical components. Other makeup can act as a barrier and actually protect the skin. You want to watch out for lead and other heavy metals and artificial and synthetic colorants as well as all the toxic chemicals and preservatives in traditional makeup.

9. How much time do you spend doing your own makeup every day? Is it still fun for you to play around with different looks?

I don’t wear much makeup particularly when I’m working. I don’t have time to maintain it, and I tend to touch my eyes for some reason which would result in horrible raccoon eyes! I use concealer and a light wash of foundation usually mixed in with my Normalising Day Face Moisturiser, then a bit of powder to keep from looking shiny but I love dewy cheeks; then I curl my lashes to open up my eyes. At night, if I’m going out, I tend to put eye makeup on and I’ve been having fun playing around. I did a 1960’s look for a La Dolce Vita party that a friend threw for his 40th birthday and did the lashes and the liner and the whole bit and he didn’t recognise me. Pretty funny.

10. What are your favourite foods? Is it easy for you to eat well or do you have a weakness for unhealthy treats?!

I love to cook and I love the local farmer’s markets in my area. So eating well for me is easy when I’m at home. Out in the world it’s a bit more challenging as I’m a vegetarian who leans towards eating like a vegan as dairy and eggs don’t do well with my system. And I tend to stay away from gluten and I have an allergy to garlic. So it can be challenging. I love vegetables and fruits and quinoa and brown rice and beans and any greens and I can make tofu taste incredibly delicious. They key before seasoning it is to press the liquid out of it. I make lots of gluten-free, alternatively sweetened treats. And people have no idea that they’re healthy or that I snuck Salba seeds or powdered greens into their brownies. I make gluten-free, vegan chocolate chip cookies with coconut oil that are really yummy.  I am not however without my weaknesses. The problem is that when I indulge in things that have gluten, or dairy or refined sugar I tend to feel lousy the next day.  I’m not as strict as people tend to think I am.

11. Do you take any supplements? If so what and why?

I use food-based supplements.  We no longer have the mineral content in the soil that we did when I was younger.  So I think it’s important to supplement. Also, it’s rare to be able to consume enough fruits and vegetables to get your daily requirement of vitamins. I take a food based multi and a food based B complex with a separate dose of B12 (which vegans don’t get from food) and as mentioned above food-based magnesium.  I also take enzymes and hydrochloric acid to aid in digestion and I take pro and prebiotics.  I do liquid minerals. I go through phases, sometimes I’m really on top of taking my supplements, sometimes I’m lazy, but the magnesium and the pro and prebiotics I do daily. I use herbs as well, mainly formulas to keep my adrenals balanced.

12. What do you enjoy doing in your spare time to relax?

I like to read and research and I also will watch mindless televsion. It’s true - I wish it wasn’t but sometimes it’s just nice to check out. I walk to the beach and take my shoes off and walk along the shore in the water.  It profoundly affects my mood. The negative ions  and the magnesium in the ocean water make me quite happy.

13. What are your top 5 tips for avoiding/dealing with stress in order to keep your skin and body healthy?

I’d like to recommend that people meditate even though I’m not consistent in my own practice.  Walking meditation is more my style.  Women in particular tend to be over-doers and I think that we need to find a way to just be and allow. Taking supplements and herbs like ashwaghandha, (which is a great adaptogen) really help in maintaining stress levels. Just walking away from a stressful situation and breathing to bring oneself back to peace is a powerful practice. We tend to be reactors as opposed to soothing ourselves with empathy. And again, I think that a healthy diet is our most powerful tool for wellness. And getting negativity out of one’s life. This is tricky as it’s all around us. But surrounding oneself with positive people has a tremendous effect on happiness.

14. Have you ever done anything exotic to improve the quality of your skin?

Oh, I will try just about any kind of treatment as long as it’s not dangerous. I’ve used ozone, I have a far-infrared sauna. And I’ve done all manner of liver cleanses to rid myself of toxins which tend to come out of our largest organ, the skin.

15. Are there any ingredients/products you would never use?

Toxic chemicals.

16. What is the best beauty advice anyone has ever given you?

Be joyful.

17. If you could change one thing about the world, what would it be?

I would love for people to raise their consciousness and realize that we are all one and when we disregard human life we are disrespecting ourselves and our connection to the source. This is a tall order. But we can do it daily by honoring ourselves and others around us. This can be as simple as not being triggered by someone in traffic, by recognizing that they are in reaction and it’s not personal as they don’t even know us.  So be kind and watch how it changes you. Sometimes it even changes the other person.

Ingredient of the week: Watermelon (Citrullus Lanatus)

• High in antioxidants, such as vitamins A and C, as well as phytonutrients, watermelon is loaded with lycopene, the best free radical scavenger among carotenes. Watermelon contains 40% more lycopene than tomatoes. And lycopene is at least twice as effective an antioxidant as beta-carotene to block UV light (lycopene has an SPF of about 3), is an excellent anti-ageing agent and may give your skin a bit of a tint.

• Watermelon has astringent properties and contains a key compound called citrulline (an amino acid) credited with stimulating the skin’s healing and regenerative processes. Watermelon revitalizes dull, atonic and tired looking skin.

Recipe of the week: Revitalizing Watermelon Mask (suitable for all skin types)

Ingredients:

• 1 tsp. mashed Watermelon
• 10 drops Sophyto Multivitamin Skin Drops
  
• 2-3 pumps Sophyto Marine Peptide Brightening Treatment
• Sophyto Super Bioactive, Polyphenol Skin Drops and Day Face Moisturiser if you have them.
  

Directions:

• Blend the watermelon with the Multivitamin Skin Drops and Marine Peptide Brightening Treatment.
• On cleansed skin, apply mask on face, neck and décolleté using gentle upward strokes. Leave on for 10 minutes.
• Dampen a soft towel/flannel with warm water and wipe the skin clean.
• Finish with Super Bioactive, Polyphenol Skin Drops and the Day Face Moisturiser of your choice.
• Admire your revitalised skin and accept all compliments with grace and natural modesty…

Ishtar Magally Mobarak

Next up on the expert profile list is Ishtar Magally Mobarak…

1. What is your role at Sophyto and how does your background help you in this?

I am Sophyto’s master trainer and bio-medical esthetician - i.e. a medical esthetician that only uses and recommends truly natural/organic skin care to restore skin homeostasis. I coined the term several years ago as I felt that the titles commonly used in esthetics did not properly explained the services I offered. My role consists in providing skin assessments/consultancy and education on toxic ingredients/processes to our retail customers. I tailor training programs for our professional stockists based on their specific needs and design signature facials for their spas/clinics using fresh ingredients. I recently joined the research and development team and I am also one of Sophyto’s official guinea pigs!

Eleven years of toxicity research and my love for natural ingredients have provided me with an insight into authentic healthy skincare. All this knowledge has been an important tool in understanding an individual’s skin needs, guiding a customer throughout the healing process and to bring awareness about chemicals and processes that can not only pose a threat to our health but to the environmental as well.

2. How and why did you navigate towards a natural and organic skin regime?

I have always been deeply connected to nature. I whipped up my first fresh ingredient facial in the beauty kitchen when I was a very young child. It was, however, chronic facial dermatitis that made me navigate towards a more natural skincare routine. My face first broke out in a rash when I was 16, coinciding with the introduction of more ’sophisticated’ skincare formulas. The rash was extremely itchy and inflamed; it would come and go but when I turned 18 my face started to break out more frequently which severely affected my emotional health. Over the next three years I consulted with all kinds of doctors - dermatologists, naturopaths, homeopaths, etc. - but no one gave me an answer. They said that I suffered from neurodermatitis and unless I controlled my nerves I would continue breaking out.

My sixth sense told me the rash was not related to my emotions and I was determined to find the root of the problem. A few weeks later, I came across a website offering natural beauty tips. That same website had a very comprehensive section about toxic ingredients. I printed the list of ingredients and read the labels of my skincare products. I felt appalled when I realized that my ‘hypoallergenic’ products contained not one but six or seven toxic ingredients. I threw everything away and immediately embarked on a skin detox routine using toxic-free formulas. Within a month my skin was healthy again and has remained healthy ever since. That was 11 years ago. After my ordeal I felt compelled to share everything I learned with people around the world. I have to say that although I am a licensed medical esthetician and I constantly update and upgrade my knowledge, my real life experience has been the best schooling.

3. Where is home for you? What is the environment like there and how does this affect your skin? What skin/hair types do you have and what challenges does that create?

I live in Mexico City. Generally speaking, we have mild winters, windy autumns and very hot springs/summers. However, the pollution wreaks havoc on my skin and scalp health. I have pretty sensitive/dry skin and scalp so it is almost an impossible task to ward off free radicals and keep my skin moisturized.

4. What is your beauty regime? How rigidly do you stick to this?

I stick to my beauty regime very rigidly because I have vowed not to resort to plastic surgery or any other invasive procedure to preserve a youthful appearance. I want to age gracefully the natural way. I follow the same routine day and night:

• Cleanse with Sophyto Deep Pore Foaming Cleanser;
• Wipe skin clean with Tone & Balance Super Bioactive (every 3 months I switch Super Bioactives);
• Apply Polyphenol Skin Drops and then layer over Multivitamin Skin Drops;
• Finish with Normalising Day Face moisturizer followed by Hyaluronic Acid and Tocotrienol Skin Booster. The last two products have not been launched yet but I have used them for a year and 6 months, respectively - this is one of the perks of being one of Sophyto’s official guinea pigs!

In the morning I apply pure mineral makeup to shield my skin from harmful radiation. During Autumn/Winter my skin needs a bit more moisturisation so I use the Mega Omegas moisturizer instead.

I know the above might seem like a lot of products but when you live in one of the most, if not the most, polluted cities in the world you need to take extreme measures to keep your skin functioning at an optimum level. And now that I’m 32 I’m very conscious of keeping my skin fresh and youthful.

5. What 5 beauty/health products could you not live without?

Can I list my top 5 hair, skin, body, makeup and products? Just kidding! What a difficult question. I don’t think I could live without all the beauty/health products I use but I’ll do my best:

1. Apple Cider Vinegar - diluted it works as an all-in-one hair/skin rinse, toner and hand sanitizer.
2. Sophyto Multivitamin Skin Drops: it deeply moisturizes the skin, firms it up, smooths fine lines/wrinkles and it even keeps bacteria at bay!
3. Manantial de las Flores lip balm: simply the best, kiss chapped lips goodbye!
4. Champ HP3 blender: it is noisy but it has different programs to prepare smoothies, nut/grain milks, nut butters, soups, etc.
5. Jentshura Bath Brush: this takes the dry brushing experience to a whole new level.

6. What are your top 3 tips for maintaining great skin?

1. Use pH-balanced/toxic free skincare formulas; this is crucial to support our skin’s natural functions.
2. Eat a predominantly alkaline forming diet; acid forming foods put too much stress on our bodies and create free radicals thus promote premature aging.
3. Exercise: to oxygenate the cells, stimulate circulation and tone our muscles (among many other benefits). When I say exercise that also includes facial exercise, we can’t expect to maintain toned facial muscles without working up a facial sweat!

7. What are your favourite foods? Is it easy for you to eat well or do you have a weakness for unhealthy treats?!

I love all healthy wholefoods/calorie-dense foods but I would say Medjool dates, Turkish figs (dried or fresh) and Baba Ghanoush are my downfall (typical of a Middle Eastern gal!). It is pretty easy for me to stick to a healthy diet because I truly enjoy eating whole foods. It is a bit of an ordeal, though, to eat out because gluten is hidden everywhere and I suffer from Celiac Disease. I have to stay away from all dressings/sauces because you never know what might be in them.

8. Do you take any supplements? If so what and why?

I am currently taking a vegetable protein powder, an intestinal permeability formula and a powerful probiotic to restore normal absorption of nutrients in my small intestine. I also take stabilized liquid oxygen to counteract the effects of the environmental aggressors. Maca, Moringa and Chia seeds are superfoods that I take on a daily basis as they are packed with nutrients and antioxidants.

9. What do you enjoy doing in your spare time to relax?

• I love Belly Dancing : it is great for shaking stress from my body, it boosts my self-esteem and plus it is a way of latching onto my roots.
• I meditate using Holosync technology to achieve a deep level of meditation and relaxation
• I watch footie matches! Believe it or not this helps me relax because it helps release tension (and it is so much fun!). June 11 to July 11 will be the happiest, most relaxing time of the year!
• I practice Pilates. I am a Pilates “junkie”. I leave all my frustrations in the reformer

10. What are your top 5 tips for avoiding/dealing with stress in order to keep your skin and body healthy?

1. Whipping up live food facials - there is no better way to pamper the skin and connect with nature at the same time.
2. Energy Medicine/EFT: these are simple but powerful exercises that you can do at home and have a positive impact on your emotional health. I have always believed that the skin is a mirror that reflects our emotions. If we manage to balance our emotions then normal functions of the skin will be restored.
3. Visualization: picture a healthy skin and body and one day it will become a reality.
4. Smiling: it brings immediate joy to all our organs, including our skin.
5. Listening to music: I can’t think of a better way to release emotions and fine-tune your body.

11. Have you ever done anything exotic to improve the quality of your skin?

Oh yes! I ‘fess up to using my own urine as a toner some years ago. I know most people find this gross but the truth is that urine contains minerals, enzymes another nutrients that help to heal/renew/nourish the skin. It also has antiviral, antifungal, antibacterial and anti-inflammatory properties. Our saliva contains a zillion times more bacteria than our urine - hard to believe but it’s true!

12. Is there an exotic fresh ingredient you would never use?

I use pretty exotic stuff to whip up live food facials but I would say nightingale droppings, or any droppings for that matter, is in my “black list” of ingredients. I know it is super popular in Japan right now and it is said to have a zillion properties but NO THANK YOU!

13. What is the best beauty advice someone has ever given to you?

My mother always told me that true beauty resides within our hearts. People should be deemed beautiful by their actions and not their looks. She said if I truly wanted to become beautiful then I would have to nurture positive and constructive feelings and give love to people without expecting anything in return.

14. If you could change one thing about the world, what would it be?

I would change the way people see the world. If we saw the world through our souls instead of our eyes we would understand that there is no place for anger and bigotry in the universe and we would all behave humanely.

Talk to Ishtar every week day from 11am-3pm EST at www.sophytoorganics.com/live_chat.php

Apologies for the delay - we have been beset by technical difficulties but all good now…

Anyway, Happy New Year one and all… 2010 will be a year of (hopefully great) change for us here at SOPHYTO HQ and we hope you will come along for the ride.

More on all that later, but in the meantime we can introduce the new-look airtight packaging for our hottest organic skin products - Multivitamin Skin Drops (formerly Skin Energising High Potency Concentrate) and Marine Peptide Brightening Treatment (formerly Purifying Active Mask). Gone are the single-use sachets and plastic mono-doses and now we bring you easy-to-use airtight pump dispensers that keep their contents fresh, right down to the very last drop.

The new products will be available from January 8, so if you have already ordered some, fear not, your booty should arrive haste post haste this week!

We love, love love getting your feedback - good and bad. Over the past 12 months since we launched SOPHYTO Organics skin care we have gathered all your comments on packaging, formulas and anything else you want to share with us.

First, we redesigned the packaging for our beloved Polyphenol Skin Drops to make application easier and now we’re doing the same to Skin Energising High Potency Concentrate and Purifying Active Mask.
Both new containers allow ease of application and we’ve also re-named the formulas
from your suggestions so the product clearly reflects what it does.

So, the Skin Energising High Potency Concentrate will hence forth be known as Multivitamin Skin Drops. Why? Well, because it is packed with organic vitamins and prebiotics which deliver potent anti-ageing benefits with high precision and accuracy, right where you need them most.

The lightweight formula helps stimulate and maintain cellular activity to “energise” the skin and target dull, ageing skin conditions revealing a glowing, plumped and smoother complexion and eye area.

Key ingredients used in the Multivitamin Skin Drops include high-grade Japanese yeast-fermented CoQ10, bio-fermented hyaluronic acid and Vitamins B1, B6 and C-Ester to help protect the skin and delicate eye area from pollution and changes in the environment; and organic dandelion and burdock, which acts as an anti-inflammatory.

SOPHYTO’s Multivitamin Skin Drops work in perfect unison with the Polyphenol Skin Drops to provide antioxidant and vitamin-enriched skin protection against the ravages of modern life.

The Purifying Active Mask will now be known as Marine Peptide Brightening Treatment… because, yep you guessed it, it’s packed with lovely things found below sea level. This luxurious pearl-coloured whitening serum is formulated with organic Japanese micro algae which instantly lightens the complexion.

The Marine Peptide Brightening Treatment contains specially developed chelating minerals to brighten, oxygenate and re-mineralise aged and UV-damaged skin, to reveal a fresher, more radiant-looking complexion; the marine elements provide high concentrations of peptides, lipids, amino acids, vitamins A, C, B1, B12, E, PP, K, D and trace elements.

So, in a nutshell. Your opinions really do count! Keep ‘em coming, now…