The founder of Pretty Well Beauty, a clean beauty shopping site, shares her wellness essentials, skincare secrets and the words she lives by.
A New Yorker by way of California, Jazmin Alvarez is the founder of Pretty Well Beauty, a curated collection of clean beauty products from skincare to makeup. She's participated in panels at THE WELL and provided expert advice in our editorial content. Alvarez is also a classically trained ballet dancer, dog mom, vegan and lover of travel and the color yellow.
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What brought you to wellness?
I was on a personal quest to live a more holistic life in order to self-heal. I suffer from uterine fibroids and wanted to approach my healing in the most natural way. I started my journey with my skin and personal care products. It’s then bled over into every area of my life including my vegan diet, the products I clean my apt with and my spiritual practices.
What does wellness mean to you?
To me wellness is about doing what feels good in order to support overall wellbeing. It’s about listening to my body and making decisions based on my intuition while at the same time not depriving myself of what I enjoy. It’s all about balance.
One lesson you’ll take away from the COVID-19 pandemic?
I think the biggest lesson for me has been resiliency. This pandemic really taught me how my ability to adapt in my personal life can apply to my professional life too. I taught myself digital marketing which is completely out of my wheelhouse and I surprised myself by how much I learned and so quickly.
Name three non-negotiables in your life.
Travel, dance and great food!
Favorite quote?
The service we render others is the rent we pay for our place here on Earth.
Snack you pack when you’re on the go?
Nuts/seeds, fruit like apples or mandarin oranges and dark chocolate.
Instagram accounts that get the most likes from you?
@fridamom. This probably seems super odd but I’m manifesting a child so it’s really inspiring but also educational.
Best beauty secret?
Facial steaming and massage for circulation. It helps keep my skin clear and toned. Also sleeping on silk/satin to protect my hair. And finally, daily mediation — keeps the stress levels down.
Morning and/or bedtime rituals?
I always meditate first thing upon waking and before bed. Aside from that, I always shower at night before bed no matter what. I just can’t sleep as well otherwise. I wash, tone and moisturize morning and night. Twice weekly, I’ll do a mini facial at night.
Wellness travel essentials?
Facial mists, sheet masks, warm socks, scarf, vitamins and healthy snacks.
The key to a good night's sleep?
Having a routine and bedtime schedule is key for me. I turn off all electronics by 11pm, take my shower and then take some magnesium. I’m not always sleepy when it's time to sleep so reading a book until my eyes get tired usually does the trick. I’m currently readingCelery Juice by the Medical Medium.
When you really need to chill out, you…
Depends on what I’m going through but usually deep breathing exercises work, or doing something to distract myself from whatever I’m obsessing over, like immersing myself in a movie or binging a Netflix series. If it's nice out, then I’ll go on a walk with my pup or call a friend to hash out whatever is freaking me out.
Instant mood lifter?
Music, call from someone I love and gifts!
How do you take your coffee or tea?
I like coffee but only for the taste. It does nothing for me in terms of energy boosting. So if I do drink it (which is rare), I like it decaf with steamed plant-based milk. For tea, if it's herbal, then I drink it neat (maybe a squeeze of lemon if I’m feeling that). If it’s black, I have it the same way I have my coffee.
Hydration strategy?
I once set my alarm to go off every 20 minutes as a reminder to drink water but that got annoying really fast. So I just drink water throughout the day and try not to let myself get thirsty. I drink celery juice daily which is more hydrating than water so that gives me a strong boost first thing in the day.
Simple smoothie recipe?
Frozen banana, frozen mango and cashew milk — perfect, creamy and delicious.
Go-to wellness gift?
A non-toxic candle or some soothing bath salts.
Words to live by?
Never chase anything. What’s for you, will never escape you.
When you feel a cold coming on you…
Load up on the zinc, up my hydration game and drink lots of teas with lemon and honey. I also make sure I’m getting useful rest.
Weirdest wellness trend you've ever tried?
I don’t know if this is weird or even a trend, but I’ve had a colonic a few times. It was such a weird sensation but I absolutely loved it! My skin glowed for weeks after!
What's sacred to you?
My mother and my future child
Last time you laughed — and at what?
Last night watching an old episode of Girlfriends. I never watched it when it was on and popular so I’m way behind yet enjoying the binge