Today I had the pleasure of interviewing my beautiful friend Rebecca, more well known as @bybecjayne on IG. I personally felt Bec would be the perfect first example of one of the many "good influencers" we have lined up for you all. Funny story... we actually met in the ladies bathroom of a rooftop bar at a day drinking event! We instantly clicked and then later realised how aligned we both are and the rest is history.... 

Not only is she an inspiration to her two daughters, raising them educated on how to live clean "low tox lifestyle," by caring for themselves and the environment but also inspires her thousands of followers online. Naturally she shares her lifestyle and shows how manageable it can be, whilst juggling two under 5. Anyway, that's enough from me, I know you will all love her as much as I do - so let's jump into the questions.

Question 1:  Your followers already know you follow a "low tox lifestyle" but for our new readers tuning in can you please explain what a low tox lifestyle looks like and why it's so important!

For me keeping our toxin exposure to a minimum is so important, especially for the girls! 

We only use natural (or as natural as possible) products in our home. This is everything from laundry powder to toilet spray! Body products, toothpaste, skincare, it all must be natural. We have so many everyday toxins in our life already, we don’t want to be overloading our bodies with more! It is also so important from an environmental view. Imagine how many people are out there washing toxic chemicals down the drain every time they shower or do the laundry. It’s a lot for Mother Nature to deal with too!

Food wise, as a busy family I definitely won’t say we are perfect! But we do choose organic and we drink quality water from a filter which is so important. 

 

Ariana: Has eco living been something that you have always practiced or was it something you discovered and had to make lifestyle changes for?

Definitely not something I always practiced!

The amount of toxic skincare, make up, cleaning products I used to use horrifies me now and I know my body is still trying to rid itself of this. I’ve been on a low tox journey for probably around 12 years. There are so many brilliant Eco and sustainable products out there now there’s really no excuse to buying from chemical laden brands.

Some things are a little more expensive but health is number one always and the price difference really is never that much. Things like deodorants (we use a crystal deodorant and it’s brilliant), laundry powder, air fresheners etc are all good starts. Skincare you can slowly change to and there are so many options out there now!

Baby and kids products are definitely non negotiable though. Organic and natural is a must. 

 

Ariana:  You have two beautiful girls and we often get to see them across your socials! You are just as inspiring with motherhood as you are with your followers. Please share some tips on how to communicate and build strong connections with your daughters and how you teach them about your lifestyle. 

I always try to help them become independent and problem solve. Taking time out to have conversations and ask them questions. It’s very hard to keep them away from all the junk food out there though, but I do explain why certain things are good for our body and why some are not. Often they will choose not to eat something because of this, sometimes they do. It’s just keeping balance.

Teaching them about their bodies and nutrition is very important to me as is teaching them the difference with what they put on their skin or why we choose natural over pharma (unless it’s needed of course). I teach them about their immune systems in relation to food and things that can lessen this. 

They are only 2 and 5 so I don’t know how much is really being understood but I’ll continue to educate and it will hopefully just become their way of life also.

 

Ariana: Sometimes, even super mum needs a break... share your favourite rituals to help you unwind, and anything you practice for self-love/care. 

At night I always go and wash my face and 3-4 times a week do a face mask or scrub. My family knows this is my me time and to let me just have this time after dinner to wind down.

I drink a lot of tea and have a type for every part of the day. It’s good to just sit down and take that 10 minutes throughout the day. 

I do love to let my hair down and try to attend events whenever possible. I love a good daytime outing with a few champagnes, I’m not too good at the night time adventures anymore!

 

Ariana: If you could give any advice to our beautiful readers, what would it be?

When you can, put yourself first. As a mum it’s not always the easiest thing to do but it’s so important. Do things that make you happy. Try to smile and laugh every day and be kind to everyone. 

Advice on being low tox specifically; research before buying, check labels, Google ingredients and support small especially whenever possible. Start with small swaps and you will get there!

 

See, I knew you'd love her too!

If you want to hear more from Bec be sure to follow her @bybecjayne.