Carla Oates // The Beauty Chef
The Beauty Chef, founded by Carla Oates, is a beautiful line of bio-fermented, wholefood nutrition with prebiotics & probiotics for a healthy gut and glowing skin. Carla learned first hand that beauty begins in the belly when she was a teenager with troubled skin.
“My inner beauty journey began with my own skin and health issues,” explains Carla. “I have seen that what I put into my mouth has a profound effect on my health.” Carla spent the first 10 years of her working life as a writer and fashion stylist before turning her attention to beauty writing. But the allure quickly wore off and she became alarmed by the questionable synthetic substances found in many commercial beauty products.
Concerned about the beauty industry’s lack of transparency, Carla began writing about healthier alternatives. She also began making her own natural skincare from plants and organic foods and wrote her first best-selling book, Feeding Your Skin.
Carla began lacto-fermenting foods in her Bondi kitchen and this eventually led to the creation of GLOW, The Beauty Chef’s first inner beauty product which contains 24 bio-fermented, skin-loving superfoods. GLOW, which launched in 2009, was the world’s first living, bio-fermented, probiotic inner beauty product and created a whole new category of ingestible beauty products. The Beauty Chef was the first beauty brand to focus on cultivating good gut health for healthy skin - pioneering the philosophy of ‘Beauty From The Inside Out’ and ‘Beauty Begins in the Belly.’
The Beauty Chef range now includes eight inner beauty products and two outer beauty skincare products. Every product in the range is a blend of Certified Organic, nutrient-dense wholefood ingredients, prebiotics and probiotics, all scientifically-formulated to fortify skin on the inside and outside.
What we love most about Carla is that she firmly believes that wellness is an inside-out process. Much like her, we believe that health and beauty are inextricably linked and that, when we are healthy on the inside, your skin radiates a natural glow that no amount of cosmetics can replicate. The first step to healthy, radiant skin is balancing your digestive health.
If you are not eating well, or more importantly, not digesting your food well, then your skin will not be receiving the nutrition it needs to keep it healthy and glowing.
The Beauty Chef // www.thebeautychef.com
how they glow
questionnaire
CARLA OATES
NAME:
Carla Oates
NICKNAME:
Coco
PROFESSION:
Founder & CEO of The Beauty Chef
WHERE DID YOU GROW UP?
Bondi Beach
WHERE DO YOU LIVE?
I am super blessed to live in Bondi Beach
WHEN YOU’RE EATING HEALTHY, WHAT IS A TYPICAL…
Morning: I usually start my day with GLOW Inner Beauty Essential and COLLAGEN Inner Beauty Boost in a big glass of water. I always say GLOW is like your inner beauty moisturiser, while our Boosts are like an inner beauty serum - I love the taste together and there’s nothing like a bit of multi-tasking to get them ticked off at the same time! While sipping, I’ll prepare breakfast for myself and the family - it’s always healthy and nutrient balanced like poached eggs with spinach, tomatoes and avocado or some sort of porridge. At the moment, my go-to is the Herbed and Spiced Turmeric Eggs from my new book, The Beauty Chef Gut Guide.
Lunch: If I don’t have any meetings, I’ll make myself a healthy lunch - usually salads and vegetables with some form of protein. Most days that means salmon, only wild caught.
Dinner: An ideal dinner would look like organic, free-range protein (making up 25% of my plate), with a colourful salads or vegetables (making up 60% of the plate), drizzled with organic olive oil and lemon juice; healthy, low GI carbs (making up 15%).
A family favourite at the moment is my Spiced Middle Eastern Lamb Koftas from The Gut Guide. Middle Eastern cuisine is one of my favourites; I really enjoy cooking with an array of aromatic herbs and spices. This recipe uses cumin and coriander which contain compounds that aid in digestion, and mint, which acts as an anti-inflammatory. Using grass-fed lamb is really important as it contains anti-inflammatory fats, where as grain fed meats contain inflammatory fats. I pair the koftas with my Broccoli & Asparagus Tabouleh - they work so well together!
WHAT ARE YOUR FAVORITE SPOTS/RESTAURANTS TO EAT HEALTHY?
New York - The Butcher’s Daughter & Nobu
LA - Botanica Restaurant and Market
Sydney - Sean’s Panaroma, Cornersmith, Lox Stock and Barrel
WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE INDULGENCE?
I enjoy the occasional glass of red wine and a really good quality dark chocolate. Oh and a Netflix series!
WHAT ARE YOUR FAVORITE SPOTS/RESTAURANTS TO INDULGE?
For something really decadent, Huebert’s in Sydney’s CBD is a really delicious French restaurant.
WHAT WOULD BE YOUR LAST MEAL ON EARTH?
Crab curry
WHAT IS THE BEST DISH YOU COOK/ YOUR FAVORITE RECIPE?
Buckwheat noodles with miso-roasted pumpkin, caramelised onion and umeboshi plum salad.
From my first book, The Beauty Chef.
WHERE DO YOU GROCERY SHOP?
Health Emporium my local in Bondi.
TOP 3 ITEMS YOU ALWAYS HAVE IN YOUR KITCHEN?
A kettle, because I’m obsessed with tea.
A Vitamix for making smoothies.
A wooden spoon for making nourishing soups!
WHAT IS YOUR FITNESS REGIMEN? (how often & what you do)
I walk three mornings a week along Bondi Beach or at Centennial Park. I find it meditative. Moving my body, provides mental clarity and really helps to set me up for the day. I also go to pilates twice a week.
WHAT IS YOUR SKINCARE ROUTINE? (products, facials, etc)
Cleanser // I make my own oil-based cleanser with a mix of essential oils and butters & remove using a muslin cloth to wash away the day’s grease and grime. Where possible I choose certified organic products - so I have confidence in the integrity of the ingredients as well as the purity.
Exfoliant // The Beauty Chef Probiotic Skin Refiner
https://thebeautychef.com/products/probiotic-skin-refiner-100ml
This is such an effective product as it gently exfoliates and hydrates at the same time while helping to balance the skin’s natural flora and stimulate collagen production (thanks to the natural lactic acid). What makes this product so unique is that it’s actually a bio-active whole food extract made from the lacto-fermentation of The Beauty Chef powders; from grasses, greens, algaes, fruits, vegetables, spices, seeds and herbs.
When we ferment our ingredients, we add our unique mother culture made up of a variety of lactic acid producing bacteria (which is part of our exclusive Flora Culture™ fermentation process). We also add purified water to create a mixture and then it is fermented for 6 weeks. After this process has finished, we separate and dry and mill the solid matter (which becomes our powders) and the liquid which we drain from the solids- this becomes the Probiotic Skin Refiner.
Serum // Tata Harper Rejuvenating Serum
https://www.sephora.com.au/products/tata-harper-rejuvenating-serum
I find this serum really helps to minimize the appearance of fine lines as it contains natural neuropeptides + hyaluronic acid to hydrate the skin, leaving it feeling plumped and smooth.
Day Cream // MVOrganic Skincare Rose Soothing & Protective Moisturiser
https://www.cultbeauty.co.uk/mv-organic-skincare-rose-soothing-protecting-moisturiser.html
This moisturiser is super nourishing & would be a great topical solution for people who have dry, sensitive skins. It’s also infused with Bulgarian Rose Oil and smells amazing!
Face Oil // Marie Veronique Protective Day Oil
https://ondabeauty.com.au/products/protective-day-oil
All of her products are divine! I layer this oil under suncreen for additional anti-ageing protection. I love that the formula includes essential fatty acids (EFAs) which are crucial to building and maintaining healthy skin & helps prevent inflmmation.
Sunscreen // COOLA Classic Face Organic Sunscreen Lotion SPF 50 https://coola.com/collections/moisturizer/products/classic-face-organic-sunscreen-lotion-spf-50
It can be hard to find an organic facial sunscreen that doesn’t give off an unflattering white cast but this COOLA one really works for me. Applied under makeup, it feels feather-light and helps to nourish my skin with natural antioxidant-rich ingredients such as Red Raspberry Seed Oil & Prickly Pear Extract.
Night Cream // Sodashi Rejuvenating Serum
https://www.sodashi.com.au/product/rejuvenating-serum/
Sodashi’s Rejuvenating Serum is so divine. I use this maybe 3-4 times a week & feel like it really gives my skin an energised, youthful radiance while helping to protect against free radicals.
WHAT ARE YOUR FAVORITE MAKEUP/NATURAL BEAUTY PRODUCTS?
Foundation // SAPPHO NEW PARADIGM Essential Foundation
https://cleanbeautymarket.com.au/product/essential-foundation/
This brand is one of my new favourites! I love the Essential Foundation as it’s so lightweight and leaves my skin still looking like skin but better. With a base of certified organic aloe juice and certified organic jojoba oil it keeps my complexion feeling hydrated throughout the day.
Mascara // SAPPHO NEW PARADIGM Vegan Mascara
https://www.thedetoxmarket.com/collections/sappho-new-paradigm/products/paradigm-vegan-mascara
Again, where possible I opt for products that are formulated with quality organic & natural ingredients like this Vegan Mascara by Sappho New Paradigm. I really like this mascara as it doesn’t smudge when I’m traveling for work.
Lips // BITE AGAVE LIP MASK
https://www.bitebeauty.com/agave-lip-mask/BB10002.html?dwvar_BB10002_color=BB1135
Such a unique product! You can wear it during the day or sleep in it overnight as a recovery mask. It really helps to replenish & hydrate the lips. I sometimes apply a little before or after lipstick for added moisture.
IF YOU WERE STRANDED ON A DESERT ISLAND, WHAT 3 PRODUCTS WOULD YOU TAKE WITH YOU?
FLORA FIX BALM
GLOW INNER BEAUTY POWDER
COLLAGEN INNER BEAUTY BOOST
WHAT PROFESSIONAL BEAUTY/HEALTH/FITNESS/SPIRITUAL GURUS DO YOU SWEAR BY?
Doctor Mark Hyman. My local naturopath and kinesiologist. Nicole Manning, my facialist from ONDA Paddington.
TOP 3 FAVORITE SONGS?
1. All You Need Is Love - Beatles
2. Say a Little Pray - Aritha Franklin
3. Sexual Healing - Marvin Gay
MOST-WATCHED MOVIE?
Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind
Lost in Translation
Bridesmaids
Annie Hall
Storm Boy
MOST LIFE-CHANGING BOOK?
Healing with Wholefoods by Paul Pitchford
Nourishing Traditions by Sally Fallon
To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee
Le Petit Prince Antoine de Saint-Exupery
Educated by Tara Westover
FAVORITE SHOPS/BOUTIQUES?
Australia - Lee Mathews, Jac & Jack and Lucy Folk.
US - When I’m in the states I love going to thrift shops. I also love Catbird in Brooklyn.
FAVORITE HOTELS?
ONE Hotel in LA
Sixty Soho in NY
WHAT IS THE BEST GIFT YOU’VE EVER RECEIVED?
Plants, home-made jams, ceramics - anything botanical or hand made.
MOST PROFOUND HEALING EXPERIENCE YOU’VE EVER HAD?
My monthly healing facials with Nicole Manning at Onda Beauty in Sydney.
WHAT IS THE BIGGEST LEARNING EXPERIENCE YOU’VE HAD TO FACE AND WHAT DID YOU TAKE AWAY FROM IT?
That all you need is love - success in your career is rewarding, but at the end of the day nurturing good relationships and a healthy, supportive community is very important for the heart and the soul and the planet. Also, the importance of following your gut instinct.
DESCRIBE YOUR PERFECT DAY.
My perfect day involves making delicious, nutritious food, a walk along the beach or around the park, a swim in the ocean, a book, a game of scrabble and a pot of tea, and listening to music with friends and family.
WHAT IS YOUR MOST VALUABLE GLOW TIP/SECRET?
Gut health - looking after your gut is the most profound glow tip. That involves eating wholefoods (and eating lacto-fermented, probiotic foods), avoiding junk foods and trying to find lifestyle balance too (did you know that stress can disrupt your microbiome and the lining of the gut). Your gut is where 70% of your immune system lies, where you make and digest nutrients, where you regulate hormones, detoxifying enzymes, make neurotransmitters, neutralise pathogens - so the state of your gut can profoundly affect your skin and health and the way you look and feel.
GLOW Inner Beauty Powder - nurtures my gut and gets my glow on every day.
Walking is also my glow tip! Walking is my meditation - it is great for your body and skin, but also wonderful for your mind - it fosters balance and creativity.
Fresh food masks - they are rich in living nutrients and enzymes. Fresh papaya mask mixed with some yoghurt slathered on my face makes a wonderful instant glowing mask.
FAVORITE QUOTE?
The cure for everything is salt water - sweat, tears and the sea.
WHAT ARE YOU GRATEFUL FOR?
Everything in my world. I am also very grateful for the opportunity to be able to do what I do and what I love.
WHAT MAKES YOU GLOW?
Feeling healthy, balanced, creatively stimulated, and connected time with my friends and family. Glow Inner Beauty Powder and fresh papaya mask.