We learn a lot about ourselves when we learn about beauty. It’s why the time felt so right to explore the intimate and intricate relationship between beauty and well-being. And we thought the most appropriate place to do so was through a new podcast, Clean Beauty School. So why Clean Beauty School? Sure, “clean” is occasionally used in a way to scare you into buying products. It’s a word that sometimes even elicits eye rolls. But that’s not how I’ve come to understand the word, and that’s not the way it will be used here. Clean is a blank slate, one in which we can etch our own parameters of what aligns with our own values and standards of personal and environmental safety. Clean is not just identifying what’s missing (“no lists,” if you will); it’s also the assurance that what is present is in its rightful place. Clean is about editing out what you don’t need in your life—ingredients, products, needless routines, bad advice, social media peer pressure—so you can create space for what serves you. That’s clean to us. See, when you look at beauty through the lens of well-being, you’ll see your skin and body for their purposes that are far greater than what they look like. (Although, looking and feeling your best isn’t so bad either.) Your skin is a living, dynamic shield—protecting you daily. It’s one of your body’s greatest communicators, giving you real-time indicators of your internal health. It’s an organ that works to make you the healthiest version of yourself. Separating beauty from its foundation in well-being divorces it from its most vital context. As for your host (hi!), I’m thrilled to be starting this new adventure with you. We’re evolving mindbodygreen beauty in a way that I hope speaks to the times we’re in, as well as the importance of cultivating a modern beauty conversation that betters us, personally and as a whole. And this podcast should reflect that: What we chat about on here should feel real and relevant to you. So always reach out to me at alexandra@mindbodygreen.com for any thoughts on the topics we cover or how we can better speak to you. I care deeply about beauty. It’s my hope that you, too, will come to appreciate the ways that it can nurture you.
