Indie Beauty Brands You’ll Want to Try from This Year’s Indie Beauty Expo

Did you know that when it comes to beauty, indie brands are one of the fastest-growing categories? I personally love discovering new brands and was thrilled to be chosen by the IndieBeautyExpo (IBE) to curate my own personal clean beauty boutique called onTUWI.

onTUWI stands for Team Up With Indie and it is a platform where influencers are asked to style a digital boutique with their favorite brands from the IndieBeautyExpo (IBE), which was held in Los Angeles last month. From close to 200 beauty, wellness and lifestyle brands, I chose 11 of my favorites that were represented at IBE, and I will be selling them through my online boutique at a 20% discount when you use the promotion code Melissam20.

My boutique will only be open for a limited time, so check out my fave picks below to see which ones you may want to try for yourself, and to read a bit more about each individual brand’s mission.

Click the images or shop buttons to purchase directly until March 31st and remember to use special promo code Melissam20 to receive 20% off all purchases!

Hush & Hush MindYourMind Supplement

What do you get when you blend natural sleep aids like tryptophan, valerian root, holy basil leaf and magnesium together? A good night’s sleep with no sluggishness the next morning! 

Hush & Hush TimeCapsule Supplement

I’m all about looking and feeling 10 years younger, and with a little help from TimeCapsule I get a boost of energy and my skin and hair have never looked better. Hacking the aging process from the inside out!

Daily Concepts Daily Bio-Cotton Makeup Removers

Clean beauty and sustainability go hand in hand. These reusable, washable cotton pads check both of those boxes and remove make-up easily without the hassle of tiny fibers getting stuck in your eyelashes like with disposable cotton balls or pads. 

evanhealy The Daily Balancing Ritual Kit

(with Cleanser, Hydrosoul, and Oil Serum)

This product trio centers around rose geranium and its ability to harmonize any oil imbalance. Make this cleansing ritual part of your routine and leave your dry winter skin happy and harmonious. 

Mad Hippie Vitamin C Serum

Watch out sun-damaged and wrinkled skin! This serum helps with reducing both of these woes as it reduces the appearance of wrinkles and discoloration while plumping skin with moisture.

Winged Radiance Body Oil with CBD

Perfect for after shower or bath, this oil keeps skin super-hydrated from head to toe with 100mg of CBD. It is also great to calm irritated skin after shaving. 

berlin skin Sandalwood Facial Cream

Made using sustainable practices, this lightweight face cream is free of parabens, sulfates, mineral oil, and synthetic fragrances to soothe and restore skin texture. 

Root Pretty Hair Day Dry Shampoo

Packaged in a recyclable bottle, this clean beauty dry shampoo is a champion at soaking up excess oil using organic, natural ingredients. It comes untinted or in a brown tint.

Province Apothecary Rejuvenating + Hydrating Face Serum

There’s nothing like a good face serum and this one is a gem! It has an incredible fragrance and is full of plant oils absorbing easily into the skin to hydrate and firm.

Moon Boost Lash & Brow Enhancing Serum

Who wants long lashes, raise your hand! One hundred percent natural, vegan, organic and cruelty-free, this serum is made to leave your lashes and browns conditioned and growing…and the best part…it won’t break the bank like lash extensions!

PYT Upgrade Highlighter

Color: Front Row

A satiny, smooth, buildable powder highlighter that adds an instant sun-kissed glow to the skin. Gives a natural look and is enriched with jojoba seed oil and vitamin E. Vegan, hypoallergenic and of course, cruelty-free.

I hope you’ll discover a favorite or two from this list of hidden gems. I’m proud to help support these brands and the entrepreneurs behind them through the onTUWI platform. Make sure to follow me on Instagram where I will be storying these brands over the next few weeks so you can get to know them a bit better! 

xxMelissa

Sugar: Not So Sweet for Gut Health by Elissa Goodman

Cleanse expert Elissa Goodman, a certified Integrative Holistic Nutritionist based in Los Angeles, California, is my go-to gal for all things nutrition, health and wellness. I’m proud to call Elissa a good friend and happy to be able to share her knowledge with you as my first Guest Contributor for the new year!  

When Elissa was diagnosed with cancer at 32, she decided to explore holistic alternatives for healing. After combining them with select traditional treatments she was able to say F*** You to this disease! Needless to say, she is an inspiration and respected resource for many when it comes to all things health and wellness. 

Since this is the time of year when so many of us are focusing on fine-tuning how we eat and what we eat, I want to close out the month by sharing Elissa’s informative article on sugar as it pertains to gut health. This confusing carb can go by many aliases and is hidden in so many products, however, not all sugars or sweeteners are created equal. Read on to learn what to steer clear of and some great natural alternatives to feed your sweet tooth. 

xxMelissa

Sugar eaters: listen up! With all of the recent research on the gut coming to light over the last few years, you likely now know that the status of your gut microbiome is integral to overall health. With more than 500 species of bacteria living in or on the human body at all times, bacterial cells outnumber our own cells significantly. The bacteria that reside in the digestive system affect the body (and brain!) in seemingly countless ways. They enhance the effects of vitamins, help to regulate our immune system, and control our brain function, metabolism and levels of various neurotransmitters like serotonin, which significantly impacts mental health.

With so much on the line with gut health, it is no wonder that people are getting serious about maintaining it. Probiotic supplement sales are constantly rising, with global sales expected to reach $17.4 billion by 2027. And westerners are more obsessed with fermented (aka high good bacteria) foods than ever before, now that we know what incredible benefits they provide for the gut microbiota. But what many people do not yet realize is that preventative measures must also be taken to ensure that our gut is in optimal health. One of the effective measures to implement as soon as possible is limiting sugar intake.

Ultra processed sugar wreaks havoc on the digestive system. It feeds the growth of damaging organisms like yeast, candida and bad bacteria, which can seriously harm the gut. Bad bacteria produce toxins, called exotoxins, that damage healthy cells and can physically bore a hole into your intestinal wall. This can lead to leaky gut, which is when toxins, partially digested food and dangerous bacteria slip through the intestinal wall and penetrate the tissue and bloodstream beneath it. This can cause a slew of issues like widespread inflammation, obesity, skin problems and more. An overgrowth of bad bacteria can also lead to disorders like Irritable Bowel Syndrome, SIBO, depression, chronic inflammation, and even cancer.

It is important to make the distinction between naturally occurring sugar in foods like fruit and added sugar. Naturally occurring sugar in its whole form (aka beets, bananas, and apples, etc.) are fine. When I say be mindful of how much sugar you are consuming, I am talking about added sugar. However, I am not only referring to the white sugar that you may be adding to your morning cup of coffee (which I recommend nixing!). There is added sugar hidden in many of the food items we eat on a daily basis, and we do not even realize it! That is because many companies are aware of the negative effects of sugar, so they use other forms of it in order to prevent us from recognizing the ingredient names when we see them. A good rule of thumb for keeping track of your sugar intake is to always read the ingredients on the back of any food or beverage label that you are considering buying. Any ingredient that ends is “ose” can be assumed to be a sugar. 

Below is a list of other names for added sugar:

• Anhydrous dextrose

• Brown sugar

• Confectioner’s powdered sugar

• Corn syrup

• Corn syrup solids

• Dextrose

• Fructose

• High-fructose corn syrup (HFCS)

• Invert sugar

• Lactose

• Malt syrup

• Maltose

• Molasses

• Nectars (for example, peach or pear nectar)

• Pancake syrup

• Raw sugar

• Sucrose

• Sugar

• White granulated sugar

It is ideal to limit your intake of added sugar to no more than 25 grams per day. To put that into perspective, the average added sugar intake per person in the US is currently around 77 grams per day. If you do want to add a hint of sweetness to your afternoon tea or need a healthy sugar alternative for something you are baking, I recommend going with a natural sweetener that does not spike blood glucose levels or provide an easy source of food for bad intestinal bacteria to feed on. The healthiest sweeteners are pure stevia leaf extract, monk fruit (sometimes called luo han guo), and lucuma. While sugar may feed the damaging bacteria in the intestinal tract, these three natural sweeteners possess antimicrobial compounds that may actually help to inhibit bad bacteria like candida and maintain bacterial balance.

Be sure that you are only buying pure stevia – if it says anything different or just ‘stevia,’ there may be unnecessary additives or it may be highly processed, which negates all of its benefits. In terms of monk fruit sweetener, I absolutely love the brand Lakanto – I use it in my own cooking constantly and in my cleanses regularly. 

Elissa Goodman is a Holistic Nutritionist and Lifestyle Cleanse Expert. After getting diagnosed with cancer in her 30s and then losing her husband to his own fight with cancer, she quit her job at Vogue to study holistic nutrition. Fast forward a number of years, and she has helped thousands of clients manage their own health issues. Elissa has created several successful cleanses, including her own delivered SOUP cleanse here in Los Angeles, which sells out every week, and her 7-Day RESET cleanse, which recently launched. Her Super Seed Bars from the SOUP Cleanse are now being sold online nationwide and they have received immense positive praise. Elissa collaborates with leading health and wellness partners including Café Gratitude and M Café, has signature juice blends at Erewhon Markets and a food program at Earth Bar in LAX. Elissa is regularly asked to contribute to outlets such as Huffington Post, abc7, NBC LA, E! News, Well & Good, Mind Body Green, The Daily Mail and more. Elissa is also regularly asked to be a guest on podcasts such as goop and Better Together with Maria Menounos. She published a best-selling book called Cancer Hacks and she’s currently working on her second book called Autoimmune Hacks.

Click here for more information on Elissa Goodman and follow her on Instagram! And shop the carousel below for some great sugar alternatives, as well as a look at Elissa’s book Cancer Hacks: A Holistic Guide to Overcoming your Fears and Healing Cancer!

Make SHIFT Happen: A Transformative Experience of the Mind, Body and Soul

What if I told you there was a place in paradise where you could go to physically and mentally reset? Say hello to Shift Mind Body Soul —a week-long holistic retreat with a small group of like-minded women that has the potential to positively impact your physical, mental and spiritual well-being. With guidance from some of the most renowned industry healers, culture changers and educators in the health and wellness sector, this luxe program aims to educate and rejuvenate.

Set against the stunning backdrop of the Four Seasons Wailea on the enchanting island of Maui, this unique immersive experience in the world of luxury travel can help you make a transformative shift and allow you to integrate what you learn back into your own daily life.

Founded by Nicole Fogel and inspired by her own self-care journey after a particularly challenging time in her life, Shift Mind Body Soul Retreat offers each participant an individual experience; a chance to break old habits and thought patterns over five days. This experience of a lifetime is not a week-long escape. It is a week-long transformation.

The SHIFT retreat is a luxury wellness experience with highly curated programming that focuses on overall emotional and physical wellbeing, transformation and the chance to become more self-aware. A mix of mindfulness training, fitness, spiritual connection, and holistic nutritional guidance complement each other to create the perfect environment for personal development and self-discovery. I was lucky to be able to share the magic of this experience with my blogging bestie Janet Gunn, The Grateful Gardenia. Together we laughed, cried, paddled, hiked and connected with so many inspiring women.

The first day entailed an excursion to watch the sunrise at Haleakala Summit followed by a full-day of off-site activities. We did these excursions the first few days of the trip followed by programs at the hotel for the rest of the week. The combination of wellness and fitness activities, healing techniques, and workshops along with eating health-conscious (and delicious) foods, worked together to assist in an overall personal reset.

Experiencing the Haleakala sunrise, participating in a walking meditation within a labyrinth, hiking some of the best trails in Maui, SUP, and doing yoga on the beach were some of my fave activities during the program! It felt good to get the endorphins flowing, and the collective group energy was exhilarating.

Since I am a tried and true foodie, I would be remiss if I didn’t mention the magical Bamboo Grove picnic held at a private estate. They served the most delicious, organic food including a vegan passionfruit cake for dessert that was to die for!

Pictured: SHIFT Founder, Nicole Fogel, Erin Lotz, Elissa Goodman, Peter Crone, Lauren Roxburgh and Janet Gunn.

The workshops were educational and enlightening. It was wonderful getting to know and learning from some of the most inspiring and renowned industry thought-leaders, and educators in the world of health and wellness. Erin Lotz, Elissa Goodman, Peter Crone & Lauren Roxburgh shared their wisdom and offered some big takeaways for our lucky group of Shifters.

Erin Lotz, LCSW of Westside DBT, educated us on the importance of mindful awareness. Holistic Nutritionist Elissa Goodman spoke about her experience of beating cancer through nutrition and how we can improve our own gut health. Mind Architect Peter Crone showed us how to identify mental constructs that hold us back and how to change the dialogue within ourselves to improve life for the better. “Body Whisperer” Lauren Roxburgh taught her famous foam rolling class and educated us on the importance of alignment and pelvic floor fitness.

Hitting the pause button and having the opportunity to participate in this immersive program was life-changing for me. It helped me to peel away some emotional layers so that I could truly work on being the best version of myself. It was a chance to gain perspective on my life regarding what is working well and what is not. It also gave me the tools to take action and execute these changes upon my return back to LA.

This past year, I’ve been trying to figure out how to better manage my time and to create more balance in my life. After the type of mental and physical detox that Shift provided, I have been able to organize my days more mindfully and learned how to say no more often. I’ve been able to let go of old habits and patterns that do not serve me and adopted new ones that allow me to live a more enhanced life. We are always a work in progress. As my mother used to say, “Rome wasn’t built in a day.” Because of the combination of experiences and self-discovery that I took away from every workshop and activity, I now feel a stronger connection to her energy since my return.

Shift’s program gave me the tools to live a healthier, more balanced, fulfilled life. I will always treasure this game-changing experience in Maui filled with breathtaking scenery, power spots, history and culture. It was the perfect venue to help me enhance my physical, emotional, mental and spiritual well-being. I feel so blessed to have had the opportunity to make SHIFT happen!

xxMelissa

Want to learn more about the Shift Retreat? Check out the video testimonial and other articles from the event below! *All photos are courtesy of Kelly Fogel. Video by Andrew Gallery.

Chalkboard Magazine: "I Went on a Holistic Wellness Retreat + Here’s What Happened” by Ruthie Ackerman. Forbes Women: "This Entrepreneur Turned Her Fight With Lupus Into A Wellness Movement” by Yola Robert

Click directly on the carousel items below to shop some retreat essentials: