Natural Beauty: The Beauty Chef

After hearing only amazing things about The Beauty Chef, a range of fermented whole-food, probiotic powders and bio-active, organic topical skincare, I knew I had to try them for myself. Based upon the tried-and-true notion that outer beauty comes from inner health, the line was created by Carla Oates, aka “The Beauty Chef,” a Australian-based naturalist who has been researching, writing and teaching about organic beauty and health for the last fifteen years.

One of her most buzzed about products (and one that I’m loving since I started incorporating into my routine): the Glow Inner Beauty Powder. A blend of natural and organic ingredients rich in anti-oxidants, vitamins, minerals, essential fatty acids and amino acids, it is formulated to nourish and enhance the skin from the inside so that it truly glows on the outside. Carla was kind enough to share a bit about the brand and her belief in beauty from the inside out. I hope you enjoy. XXJKE

R+T: Tell us a bit about your journey in organic beauty and health, and how The Beauty Chef came to be…

I was working as a beauty editor about fifteen years ago and became concerned with the amount of toxic chemicals in skincare. I had always been interested in alternative/holistic health so I started researching the benefits of looking after your skin with clean ingredients, predominantly super active plant compounds that rejuvenate the skin from the inside, out.  I made the decision to write only about natural and organic health and beauty and delve into more researching and formulating organic products to offer women healthier options. I was offered a book deal with Penguin and wrote Feeding Your Skin and began formulating recipes and products. The Beauty Chef believes that good skin begins in your gut. Natural, active skincare follows. I have been researching and writing about the positive effects of natural and organic skincare on skin and health over the last decade and at the same time formulating products for myself and my research.

R+T: Can you tell us about Living skincare, and what it is to achieve beauty from the inside out…

Our unique bio-fermentation process, Flora Culture™ causes the foods to become much more digestible and tolerated.  The Flora Culture process unlocks nutrients and magnifies their benefits as well as creates probiotics. Our formulas are living foods, packed with natural pre- and probiotics, which aid digestion, boost immunity and help balance the digestive system for optimal internal and external health. At The Beauty Chef, we believe that beauty begins in the belly, and our powders are designed to help balance you on the inside so you glow on the outside.

Internal and external beauty starts with a healthy gut, aided through fermentation. I have been fermenting food for years and wanted to share the myriad skin benefits in fermented food, giving people a way to achieve a new level of beauty. The time-honored art of fermentation that can be found in the our Glow Inner Beauty Powder, Detox Inner Beauty Powder and Body Inner Beauty Powder works to naturally bio-activate nutrients in ingredients to make them more available for the body and skin to use. By increasing the biological value of already nutrient rich organic ingredients, we offer supernatural skincare to help keep your skin beautiful, radiant, revitalized inside and out. The fermentation process also produces good bacteria, which is vital for a healthy gut. The skin, hair and nails are the last places to get nutrients that go to more important organs first; therefore the skin is the first place where gut imbalances or signs of under nutrition will manifest. Beneficial bacteria in the gut is key to good health and beautiful looking skin.

R+T: Can you share a bit about the process of formulating your unique recipes? And the ingredients that go into them?

While we work closely with nature, The Beauty Chef’s products are supported by science. Many of our ingredients have been clinically tested. We use active and efficacious ingredients to ensure that your skin is cared for from the inside out. I believe that it is essential that we eat whole foods when possible as opposed to consuming synthetic forms of supplements. Recent nutritional studies show that the interactivity of nutrients in whole foods are more powerful than when these nutrients are extracted and used in an isolated form. Food combining is also important; for example, studies show that eating spinach with avocado will increase the absorption of anti-oxidants by up to 400%.

Most bacterial cells that live inside and on the body are harmless, and studies show that, in fact, they can be extremely beneficial to the body’s normal functioning. While the science of how probiotics can work to interfere with the development of acne and rosacea is very complex, researchers are studying how this type of healthy bacteria applied topically to the skin or taken orally can benefit these skin conditions. In patients with acne and rosacea, living microorg­anisms on the skin are recognized as foreign by the body’s immune system. The immune system springs into action to counter this potential threat resulting in the inflammation, redness, or bumps common in these skin conditions.

Fermentation is a key part of the formulation process. When foods and herbs such as those found in the Glow powder are fermented, their nutritional properties are magnified substantially. This is because the fermentation makes nutrients in food more bio-available to the body. Probiotics and Prebiotics are important as well. Probiotics are billions of good bacteria to keep the digestive system healthy and boost the immune system of the body and skin. Prebiotics are foods that encourage the growth of beneficial bacteria .Both work to balance the digestive tract and boost skin vitality.

R+T: If you had to, could you pick a favorite from your range of products?

It’s hard to pick just one! Glow is a hero product, and the first in the beauty powder line. It helps with all sorts of skin conditions such as dry and flaky skin, uneven skin tone and hormonal acne to name a few benefits. Glow also helps with digestion and tummy problems such as bloating and promotes a feeling of general wellbeing, as well of course a lovely glowing complexion.

R+T: What is the most rewarding part of your work?

I love mixing something that is creative with something that is very research and scientifically based. Art and science are my areas of interest– plus I am a big foodie, so it all works together very nicely. But the best part of being The Beauty Chef is helping people with their skin and health. It is very rewarding.