In this heart-centered conversation with Fernanda da Silva Tatley, scientist and skincare entrepreneur, we explored the deep connection between skin, health, and self-care 💖🧴🌿

💡 Key Takeaways:

• 🧠 Skincare impacts hormones, neurotransmitters & gut health
• 💆‍♀️ Mindful application = stress relief + endorphins
• 🧼 Minimalist routines with just 3 key products are often enough
• 👩‍🔬 Education empowers you to choose clean, effective ingredients
• 🌸 Aging is a gift—wrinkles = wisdom, not flaws

This episode is your reminder that beauty is about glow, not perfection ✨

🛍️ Here is your 25% discount code: Club_GM25% Website: https://azurlis.co.nz

Offers:

Introduction video about Girls Matter: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1R3-xqzJLZW14om1PhFClcU_oRSZ8zgip/view

Meet Your Unconscious Mind Workshop:

https://amplifyimpactacademy.com/trauma

4 – in – 1 Mind Body Practitioner Certification program https://amplifyimpactacademy.com/90-day-q3

FREE 7 Day Trial: NuCalm Products to recalibrate your nervous system / improve your sleep:: https://nucalm.com

Use my promo code at checkout: YGHJ to get 15% off your monthly subscription, every month.

Episode Summary:

Key Takeaways

• Skincare is deeply connected to overall wellness, impacting hormones, neurotransmitters, and gut health
• A minimalist approach to skincare (3 core products) is often sufficient; many marketed products are unnecessary
• Caring for skin mindfully can be a form of self-care and stress relief, with physiological and emotional benefits
• Education empowers consumers to make informed choices about skincare products and ingredients

Topics

Fernanda's Background and Business Philosophy

• Born in Portugal, lived in South Africa for 22 years before moving to New Zealand
• Has a PhD in Medical Molecular Microbiology from Cape Town University
• Developed skincare company focused on clean, effective ingredients after feeling conflicted about starting it in South Africa
• Aims to simplify skincare routines and educate consumers on ingredient safety/efficacy

Skin-Body-Mind Connection

• Skin is the body's largest organ, closely tied to overall health
• Stress impacts skin through cortisol production (both adrenal and skin-produced)
• Mindful skincare application can trigger positive neurological responses (e.g. endorphins, oxytocin)
• Gut health significantly impacts skin health through the gut-brain-skin axis

Minimalist Skincare Approach

• Recommends just 3 core products: cleanser, moisturizer, sunscreen
• Additional targeted treatments optional but not essential for most
• Cautions against marketing pushing unnecessary products
• Emphasizes patience - skin renewal cycle is ~4 weeks

Natural Aging and Self-Acceptance

• Aging is a privilege denied to many; reframe wrinkles as "earned wisdom"
• Focus on overall health/glow rather than chasing youthful appearance
• Be wary of unproven anti-aging technologies or ingredients

Next Steps

• Listeners encouraged to email Fernanda with skincare ingredient questions
• Melissa to include 25% discount code for Fernanda's products in show notes
• Both emphasize importance of education in making informed skincare choices

About the Guest:

I was born in Lisbon, Portugal but after finishing school in 1975, I moved to South Africa with my parents where I lived for 22 years prior to moving to NZ in 1999. 

I have also travelled extensively to Europe, Africa, North America and Asia Pacific and whilst I am a New Zealand citizen, I consider myself a citizen of the world, though my language proficiency (English, Portuguese, Italian, Spanish & French) and my love of culture, literature and art inevitably reflect my European heritage.

While in South Africa, I went to Cape Town University, where I became as scientist. I was awarded a Master of Science in Zoology (Distinction) in 1985 and a Doctorate - PhD in Medical Molecular Microbiology in 1992. 

After completing my PhD on mechanisms of transmission of antibiotic resistance in bacteria I became involved in a global molecular research program on virulence factors in tuberculosis, Glaxo-Welcome Action TB. It was this work that led to my invitation to join the Cancer Genetics Laboratory in the Biochemistry Department at Otago University, as a Marsden Post-Doctoral Fellow on a investigation of Listeria monocytogenes receptors in gastric cancer cells. 

But, by 2001 the chief scientists in the Cancer Genetics Laboratory decided to set up a biotechnology company, Pacific Edge Biotechnology Ltd (PEBL), and I was asked to join them as a senior scientist. My research focused on microarray technology to identify key genes in endometrial and bladder cancers that could be used as diagnostic tools.

During this period, I became more interested in the importance of marketing scientific applications to the public, so I left PEBL in 2004 and joined a scientific equipment distributor as a territory manager, from Wellington to Invercargill. This was my first sales and marketing exposure, achieving the sale of the first Roche Diagnostic GS20 Sequencing instrument in NZ ($1M). A few years later this combined science and market expertise paved the way for me to rejoin the University of Otago, in a unique role as an Enterprise Manager to facilitate the links between Otago researchers and the bio-pharma industry in NZ. While exposed to working in marketplace, in my spare time, I enrolled in a Master of Entrepreneurship at the University Otago. This was obtained with Distinction in 2008. 

But, my real dream since the 1980’s was to start my own natural holistic skin care company. The goal was to make great natural, botanical based products for the skin, with ingredients that are equally as good for the skin as they are for the rest of the body, and mind. Also, the products had to be free of animal derived ingredients, and a sustainable approach to everything in the manufacturing pipeline was core to the philosophy.

This was something I had not followed up while in Cape Town, because it really seemed so frivolous to focus on natural beauty when there were so many social-political problems. So, I pursued my research because at least this was focused on a disease that was a real issue in South Africa.

However, the desire to start my company edged on, so I founded Azurlis® Skin Care in 2008, but continued working at the University of Otago to help financing the venture. However, I left the University in June 2010 to prepare for the company launch on the 25 November 2010.

Since then, the original skin care concept evolved into Azurlis™ natural botanical skin care – balancing science & soul. This enabled the use of my skills both as a scientist and a Reiki Master and Reconnective Healing Practitioner to make products with a holistic and ethical focus. Our products are PETA Approved as vegan compliant confirming our adherence to cruelty-free beauty. 

Azurlis™ natural botanical skin care – balancing science & soul is based in the unspoilt Southern reaches of New Zealand, as a small operation with a huge heart.

While continuing to develop Azurlis™, in 2015 I returned to Otago as a Business Development Manager in Research & Enterprise to develop funding application strategies and supporting researchers in their proposals to the NZ Ministry of Business Innovation & Employment. This resulted in the attraction of more than $128M between 2016 – 2022. I was also a Business Advisor with the Prime Strategies Group for 2 years, though I’m currently an independent business advisor.

However, my real passion is to educate the public on simple and effective skin care routines that lead to health skin and support a healthy body and mind, enabling special moments to look after ourselves and our families, without harming others, other species as well as the environment. Sustainability, circular beauty, transparency and community support are core to my world. As I often say, at “Azurlis™, we don’t sell you skincare… we care for your skin.”

Contact:

Website: https://azurlis.co.nz

Email: fernanda@azurlis.co.nz

https://www.facebook.com/azurlisskincare

https://www.instagram.com/azurlisskincare

https://www.linkedin.com/company/1947922/admin/dashboard/

https://www.linkedin.com/in/fernanda-da-silva-tatley-phd-mentr-08a09b4/

https://www.facebook.com/fernanda.dasilvatatley

About the Host:

Melissa is an Integrative Health Practitioner and a Board Designated Trainer of NLP, Time Line Therapy®, Hypnotherarpy, and NLP Results Coaching, helping people get to the root cause of their health issues and then get lasting results. Melissa neither diagnoses nor cures but helps bring your body back into balance by helping discover your “toxic load” and then removing the toxins. Melissa offers functional medicine lab testing that helps you “see inside” to know exactly what is going on, and then provides a personalized wellness protocol using natural herbs and supplements.  Melissa’s business is 100% virtual – the lab tests are mailed directly to your home and she specializes in holding your hand and guiding the way to healing so that you don’t have to figure it all out on your own.

Melissa has launched Amplify Impact Academy, with business partner, Billie Aadmi and together they train other coaches, practitioners and counsellors in the 4 mind-body healing modalities mentioned above, giving them powerful tools to use with clients to get results with greater ease, speed and grace. These courses teach life skills and anyone can take them, if you wanto be a better leader, parent, partner, be empowered in your own life, these courses are for you!

Melissa’s passion project is her non-profit, Girls Matter (www.girlsmatter.ca), breaking the poverty cycle 1 girl, 1 family, 1 village at a time.  The mission is to keep girls in school and stop teenage marriages, because school isn’t free in over 50 countries around the world and when parents have to make the difficult choices of feeding their kids or paying for school, food wins. And when the girls hit their teen years, they will often be married off so that someone else becomes responsible to feed them. Keeping girls in school instead creates a generational ripple effect, because an educated girl is more than twice as likely to ensure her own children are educated. Educating girls also grows the GDP of countries, when they get into the workforce. This is how together, we can change the world. Guests on this podcast are invited to donate to this important cause. Learn more here in this short video: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1R3-xqzJLZW14om1PhFClcU_oRSZ8zgip/view?usp=share_link

Melissa is the winner of the 2024 Women in Podcasting Awards in the “inspiration & motivation” category and the 2021 & 2022 Quality Care Award by Business From The Heart and is also the recipient of the Alignable “Local Business Person of the Year “Award 2022, 2023 & 2024 for Whistler.

Melissa has been featured at a number of Health & Wellness Summits, such as the Health, Wealth & Wisdom Summit, The Power To Profit Summit, The Feel Fan-freaking-tas-tic Summit, the Aim Higher Summit and many more!  She has also guested on over 90 different podcasts teaching people about the importance of prioritizing our health and how to get started.

Linktree: https://linktr.ee/yourguidedhealthjourney

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