I am beyond excited and honored to share my very first interview here on my humble little blog. I wanted my first interview to be with someone who has not only inspired me to live a much healthier life, but who also has helped and inspired others through nutritional coaching, as well as skincare. So, I couldn't think of anyone better than the beautiful Jill Bickford, founder and creator of
elaa skincare, a living, raw organic skincare unlike any other.
Jill is one of the warmest, most genuine people I've ever had the privilege of connecting with, and it was her story of how she struggled with and triumphed over a multitude of debilitating diseases that put me back on my own path of natural healing. It was through her that I first heard of the raw vegan lifestyle and after reading how she completely healed herself by eating an organic, raw plant based diet and using organic, raw, living plant based skincare, I knew I needed to change how I lived and how I looked at skincare.
When I found out that she had created her own skincare line, I couldn't wait to find out more (and I can't wait to try it out!!), so I reached out to Jill and asked her a few questions about it. Read on to find out more..:-)
1) What inspired you to create your own skincare line?
Skincare has always been an important part of my life. From a few months old and throughout my life, I suffered with various skin conditions, like psoriasis, acne, and more. Over all, I have very sensitive skin. To this day I still get rashes on my body in reaction to various things. For over 20 years, I tried almost every line of skincare out there, in hopes of improving my skin. But, nothing I tried helped, and in many cases actually caused more harm. I began to study nutrition and skincare and discovered that I just needed to hit the “reset” button and restore my body to a more natural and healthy state of being. I detoxed myself from chemical skincare and began using healthy skincare and eating natural, living foods. Most of my chronic health conditions and skin conditions not only improved, but healed completely. Nutrient-dense foods, wild foods, and superfoods took things to the next level for me. I started experimenting with skincare and found that the exact same principles applied - Feed your skin like you feed your body. I achieved the best results with nutrient-dense wild, organic, and superfoods, living, enzymatically alive, active ingredients on my skin. The results have been quite remarkable. There is nothing else out there that had the types of ingredients that I wanted to use. I wanted the best, I wanted to use only the most alive, nutrient-dense ingredients, so I chose to create my own. When I experienced how passionate and alive I felt when I created these products and how much I could help others transform their lives, like I had transformed my own, I knew this was something that I needed to do.
Once I began been formulating, crafting, and using my own skincare, I received so many compliments on my skin . This has been quite astounding to me, because I was someone who lived with “bad” skin much of my life. It’s amazing how feeding your skin with living, active superfoods and plants truly affects not only the quality of your skin, but the quality of your life. Everything that you put on your skin gets absorbed into your body. Chemicals, preservatives, and fragrances have a profound affect on your health. They can cause reproductive and nervous system diseases, cancer, any other serious bodily disturbances. So, healthy skincare means more than just healthy skin, it means a healthy body and a better quality of life.
My body is sacred, so I treat myself that way. I love and honor myself with these products and my desire is to share that with you. Your body is sacred and that is the core inspiration behind creating this skincare line.
While I have insecurities, self-punishment, and self-doubt like a lot of people, at the core I love myself. My love expresses in many different ways in how I live my life and take care of myself. While taking care of my body is not the most important thing that there is in life, it still matters. It’s a daily way I love myself and show myself that I matter. When I’m feeling stressed, am moving too quickly, or am not feeling myself, something as small as taking the space and time to apply something truly nurturing and beautiful to my skin, to touch my body, feel and just be. . . . centers, grounds, and enlivens me. It brings me back to me. This skincare line is created to honor you and inspire you.
2) How is “elaa” different from other natural skincare lines out there?
elaa is not just a skincare line, it’s an expression and creation of love, care, and passion. Everything you experience with elaa, from the products, to the design, to the packaging, to the service comes from me and is personal and caring. It’s about honoring You. elaa really is more than just products, it’s a place to connect - about skincare, health, and more. It’s a resource and a place to come where You are celebrated. elaa is for complete wellness. I also offer Health Coaching and/or Beauty Coaching. elaa is also a place where I share wonderful, informative articles, tips, and recipes.
I realize that like diets, there is no one size fits all. We are all one-of-a-kind and what works for one person may not work for another. So, I do my best to cater to as many different people, skin types, scent preferences, and desired results as possible. And, if someone has needs that are special, I formulate and create custom products to suit exactly who they are.
As far as the actual products, they are truly one-of-a-kind as well. Each product is lovingly formulated, created, and handcrafted by me. My formulas are unique and quite special. I deeply care. I don’t do anything half-heartedly, so when I do something, I go for it. elaa really is about going for it all the way. elaa is about soaring. . . using the most nutrient-dense, active, alive ingredients possible for the ultimate results, the reach your highest heights of aliveness, health, and beauty. Reaching your skin and body’s highest potential.
elaa products are:
- Living! Yes, they are fully alive, raw, and active.
- 100% natural - only Real, nature-derived ingredients and nothing else ever.
- Made from certified organic or wildcrafted ingredients
- They are fresh! Made to order, or in very small batches.
- They are made with the only the finest quality ingredients possible.
- Packaged in Miron Violet Glass. Miron violet glass is nothing only beautiful, and eco-friendly, it preserves and adds vitality and energy to the contents inside.
- Cruelty-free, Vegan, Beegan, and Gluten-free
3) What would be the best product(s) for someone new to your line to try?
We are all beautifully one-of-a-kind, so I like to recommend products based on the individual. Contact me, let me know what you’re looking, and I’ll make a personalized recommendation.
You really can’t go wrong with anything, everything smells glorious, feels wonderful, and is ultra-nutritious. Bee Beauty was my first ever skincare creation, so it’s a “classic” that you can never go wrong with and it can serve many purposes.
I suggest going to the site, spending some time, and feeling what you are naturally drawn to, Or, if you are looking for help with a skin issue, look for a product made for that purpose, there are several options. And, please contact me for suggestions or with questions, I really look forward to connecting with you and helping you fulfill your skincare and health needs, desires, and dreams!
I also share a lot of suggestions, tips, and special offers through my newsletter, so sign up to stay connected.
4) What is your personal skincare regimen like?
I like a lot of variety for my skin to get maximum nutrition, so I tend to rotate among all of my products.
My basic regimen includes:
I also exfoliate 1 - 3 times per week, depending on what I am using and how my skin is feeling. Some people need to exfoliate daily. Here’s my favorite facial scrub: Cacao Goji Berry Antioxidant Facial Scrub. It’s chocolatey, nutty, and fruity deliciousness and gives a great polish for a wonderful glow.
I also use a Mask 1 - 2 times per week to deliver extra nutrients and deep clean my skin. I exfoliate with the Cacao Goji Scrub first, then apply a mask, my favorite mask right now is Rhassoul Matcha Skin Clearing Detox Mask
I like to feel what I need or want that day and go from there, so I like to have options available both for myself and for you on my site. Everyday is different and I like to be with that. Maybe one day, my skin feels like it just needs a serum and not an additional moisturizer. Maybe one morning I feel like I don’t need to cleanse, but instead I need to exfoliate and then use two different serums and twice as much moisturizer as usual. So, there are general steps and types of products that are good to follow and have for ideal skincare, but I also believe in “living” skincare usage that flows with the needs and desires of each day. I recommend having at hand the full range of products that you need, plus a few more for delight, and enjoy and use as you feel inspired to each day.
5) How important are ingredients in skincare? Is there such a thing as “too much of a good thing” in regards to certain ingredients?
Ingredients are everything. You want skincare that is nutrient-dense; skincare that feeds your skin with all the nutrition it needs, just like food. You don’t want food that is all fillers, processed, or devoid of any real nutrition. As your body’s largest organ, your skin needs nutrition too. You can’t get all of your nutrients from just two or three foods, you need a wide variety to get the full spectrum of vitamins, minerals, amino acids, omega fatty acids, etc, that the body needs. The same applies to skincare. You want a variety of ingredients to fulfill the full spectrum of nutrients that the skin needs.
It’s about proper balance - of course there is no need to have ten ingredients that all deliver Vitamin C to the skin, but rather you want ingredients that each deliver their own unique nutrients, working together to provide complete nutrition for the skin. These ingredients should work synergistically together. So, it’s not about adding the kitchen sink of ingredients to one product, but rather targeted ingredients that work together to achieve the desired result.
7) What does “beauty” mean to you?
Beauty is an external expression of Love. Nature is infinite Beauty, it’s Love expressed in so many forms. The same is true for us. At essence, every body is beautiful on the outside and every person is beautiful on the inside because we are made of Love. Every curve of our body and every inch of our skin is miraculously beautiful. The people who are healthy, vital, and are able to be fully who they truly are, are the most beautiful. People who are Real are the most beautiful, because the Love inside of them is coming out and expressing through them. And I don’t mean “happiness” expressing when I say this, pain and anger is Love just as much as joy is, as long as it’s expressed truthfully and from the heart. So, Love expressing in every form is beautiful.
elaa is about promoting and enhancing who you are at your core, your natural beauty. When you are healthy and lovingly caring for yourself with the most transformational products and ways possible, you are the most alive and healthy you can be, and thus you are your most beautiful you.
8) If you had one piece of advice for women looking to choose more natural products, what would it be?
Empower yourself to choose what’s right for you. First do some learning - learn to recognize ingredients so you know which ones are unsafe and which ones are safe. Read labels and steer clear of chemicals, synthetics, preservatives, and fragrance. Find out how to recognize these ingredients when you see them on a label. Once you have that understanding, use and trust your senses. You can tell by smell and feel if a product is truly natural and how it’s made. And above all, use your intuition, you can feel what’s right for you. Trust that.
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A big thank you to Jill for letting me interview her! I hope you're inspired to try her amazing products..I know I am! Also, if you let Jill know I sent you, you'll get a discount coupon on your order! :-) http://elaaskincare.com/contact/
