DORÉ

“Way before green juices became an acceptable beverage choice Carla Oates was in her kitchen fermenting foods and creating probiotics to try and find a solution to her daughter’s skin allergies. That solution was The Beauty Chef’s Glow Powder, the cult ingestible beauty product with 24 lacto-fermented superfoods – a product that graces the beauty shelves of every single beauty editor in Australia, and is their not-so-secret secret to clear, glowing skin. A former beauty journalist for an Aussie national newspaper, Carla combines her thirst for research and passion for natural beauty solutions to create innovative products that don’t just disrupt the market – they create it. If I sound like a crazed fangirl, you’re mistaken – I basically run the Glow cult. Not only did it change my digestion – and skin – forever, it’s the number one product I recommend to everyone I meet. Just ask Veronica, and her newfound addiction to the stuff. Read on to hear about the wellness life of this Aussie dream girl.” – Sarah Tarca

Every day… 
I wake around 6am and start the day with a glass of warm water with apple cider vinegar or lemon juice. Then I do some exercise. Depending on the day it will be a walk down at Bondi Beach (I’m very lucky and live about two minutes away from the beautiful sea air) or Centennial Parklands. I try and walk for about 60 minutes and never wear headphones. It took a little adjusting to – going for walks with no distractions – however when you get used to it, it is very grounding. You allow yourself to get a little closer to nature, listen to the ocean or the rustle of the leaves and it becomes a form of meditation. When I walk, I come up with my best ideas and solve any problems I have.

Breakfast is usually eggs in some form, with mushrooms, tomatoes and spinach or a protein-based porridge of some variety – a favourite being buckwheat, quinoa, miso, apple, almond and maple porridge. I have a glass of Glow Inner Beauty Powder with a splash of Collagen Inner Beauty Boost – together they make up my inner beauty routine. Glow is like my internal moisturizer and collagen is like my internal skin serum.

I’m in the office by 9:30am, and from there I’m engaged in variety of meetings all day – no day is the same. From product development to branding to photo shoots, or managing the budget. It is eclectic, challenging and rewarding. The most important way to maintain my energy throughout my day is to eat well and look after my gut health (lots of Beauty Chef products). This includes drinking plenty of filtered water. For lunch, I usually make a big salad with nuts, sprouts, avocado and some form of protein, whether chicken or salmon or tempeh.

I get home around 6:30pm and have dinner with my family. Dinner means all kinds of culinary surprises, depending on what is in season. I’m a big fan of curries and I love slow cooked soups and stews with lots of veggies, herbs and spices with bone broth. These foods are super nutrient-dense, hydrating and easy to digest – and great for gut health.

I try to have at least five cups of vegetables per day – to get a good dose of antioxidants, which help to fight oxidative damage and inflammation in the body – and to feed my microbes – green leafy veggies and fibre rich foods make great prebiotics. And I generally have a shot or two of bone broth which is rich in collagen and amino acids that help to repair the gut lining. It is excellent for skin health and overall health. Making sure I am getting my omega 3s either from sardines, salmon, walnuts, chia seeds or flaxseeds is important. Omega 3s are anti-inflammatory, protective and moisturize the skin from the inside out.

My night-time beauty routine is important because this is when all the good stuff happens and the skin can truly rejuvenate without the interruption of environmental assault you are exposed to during the day. First of all, I gently cleanse my face using coconut oil and a muslin cloth to wash away the day’s grease and grime. Oil is very effective for lifting dirt from the skin and coconut oil boasts both antibacterial and anti-fungal properties, making it the perfect cleanser. I then dab a little Probiotic Skin Refiner onto a cotton wool pad and swipe it over my face to gently refine my skin, balance the skin’s natural flora and stimulate collagen production (thanks to the natural lactic acid).

Then I apply a little Beauty Fix Balm under my eyes, on my lips and any dry patches. Before heading off to bed, I sip on my Sleep Inner Beauty Powder in warm coconut milk. I am very addicted to this ritual – it is delicious and rich in calming and soothing herbs as well as bio-fermented turmeric and spices and rich in beneficial bacteria. It’s anti-inflammatory, anti-oxidant, relaxing and gut-loving!

Every week..
I play scrabble, do some gardening, play a game of tennis and have a date night with my husband. We love watching Netflix series on a Friday night together while eating delicious homemade food, or go to our local Italian restaurant and sit at the bar, listen to music, eat fresh fish with salad and a glass of pinot noir – my favourite wine. No matter what else is going on in our lives – with work or the kids, we make sure we have Friday nights together. It’s really important to have that time.

Every month…
I get out of the city. We are so lucky in Australia that we are surrounded by some of the most incredible landscapes in the world. It makes getting away and into nature easily achieved. We usually head to one of the coasts – northern New South Wales like Byron Bay, or for something a little closer to home we go to the South Coast, which is beautiful and unspoiled. The combination of the fresh air, nature and the slower pace completely recharges me.

Every year…
I learn more and more. Every year that goes by, the more content and comfortable I am in my skin. I really embrace getting older – learning more, understanding more, being more grateful and becoming more than I was the year before. As I mature, I am developing wisdom and that is empowering.