The W.E.L.L. Team

Jess Edelstein, co-founder of PiperWai Natural Deodorant, says people tend to think she and her business partner, Sarah Ribner, are really fancy and cool for starting our own company. In reality, she says, “I’m a hyper, green-haired nerd whose default operating system is questioning the status quo, so entrepreneurship was an inevitable career path for me.” Jess and Sarah were on Shark Tank in 2015 and made the 2018 Forbes Under 30 list, which makes them pretty cool to us. So we got Jess to share her un-fancy morning routine with us, including that she lives by the philosophy “everything is possible.” Here’s her #MyCleanBeautyShelf.

My beauty philosophy is…

I think “everything is possible” applies here too. Consumers tend to assume the products that are popular and easily accessible are the best options, even if those products aren’t what we necessarily want or need to feel our best. Once you realize that the majority of mainstream branding consists of the pretty packaging of often questionable ingredients and marketing of unrealistic claims, there’s a lot more you can do to tailor your beauty regimen to your own unique needs.

I started making my own deodorant because I was frustrated by all the existing deodorants on the market that either didn’t work well enough or irritated my sensitive skin, so I went rogue and made the deodorant I wished I could buy. Sarah and I launched PiperWai as educated consumers in our own target market, so we care about the same things our customers do and we strive to walk the walk of wellness and clean living as much as possible.

First thing in the morning, I…

Eat breakfast! Usually something involving eggs or an avocado. I recently discovered my body requires protein and fat in the morning, because if I eat sugar or simple carbs first I’ll be in a hangry cycle the rest of the day and have difficulty focusing. 

A couple months ago, I started meditating every day, which is a habit I used to think was impossible for me to get into. Meditation has honestly changed my life. Now, that the habit is formed, I can’t not do it! Like I said, everything is possible. 

I prefer waking up two hours before I need to be anywhere, which is a habit I developed in high school. Rushing or running late stresses me out, so as long as I give myself plenty of time to eat, get ready for the day, and meditate, I’ll get to enjoy a more productive day. 

My morning skincare routine

I have very sensitive skin. It doesn’t take a lot for my skin to get inflamed or break out in eczema, so it definitely took some of trial and error to find a skincare routine that works for me. I developed my own toner recipe about five years ago that I use every morning and night along with True Moringa plain moringa oil as moisturizer, which I sometimes swap for pure rose hip seed oil to moisturize and provide antioxidants. I can’t wash my face with harsh cleansers, but this routine actually keeps my skin remarkably clear from blemishes, as counterintuitive as that sounds.

I have a lot of freckles from not protecting my skin enough when I was younger, so I always apply a light sunscreen in the morning now—Andalou Naturals makes one I really like. I also moisturize my body regularly with natural butters and oils (I love The Daily Stone by Kate McLeod at night and the Zesty Morning Organic Body Butter from Organic Bath Co. during the day! <3 )

My morning haircare routine

I’m a night showerer, but since I have a lot of very fine, frizzy hair and limited patience to blow dry it before bed, I tend to wake up with a frizzy mess on my head that I usually flat iron a bit and tie up in a pony tail or bun.

I’m currently washing my hair with Nature Queen Herbal Shampoo and Conditioner. I don’t love the strong patchouli smell, but it performs so much better at taming my frizz without weighing it down than any other clean hair products I’ve tried (including an unsuccessful stint trying no-poo). My hair has green highlights right now (with Arctic Fox hair color, a really vibrant, cruelty-free brand) so I use Overtone deep conditioner in Extreme Teal once a week between touch ups.

My morning makeup routine

As you can probably tell by now, I’m not a polished or especially image-conscious person. I’m always impressed by the ladies who look flawlessly put together and rock bold lipstick and eyeliner without getting it all over the place, but it’s a skill that’s never been priority for me to develop. I only started wearing makeup regularly within the last couple years. I actually like my face without any (shocker…), but it definitely looks nicer (and less tired) enhanced with something, especially as I approach my 30s. That said, I don’t have the patience to spend more than five minutes in the morning applying makeup so my routine is minimal. Most of my makeup is from 100% Pure and Tarte. Tarte Shape Tape concealer is the only concealer that can handle my dark circles (totally genetic, no amount of sleep or water will reduce them, but this concealer will!) and I really like the palates from 100% Pure. I also use the eyeshadow primer from Erin’s Faces and it’s awesome.

My favorite beauty tip

I think it’s important to keep in mind that when you feel good, you look good, so the best kind of #selfcare doesn’t come in a bottle—it’s being true to yourself and your individual needs and desires. The trick is trying your best not to let FOMO or other people’s opinions sway your intuition and steal your confidence.

Want more beauty tips? Follow all things beauty and get more tricks from our #MyCleanBeautyShelf.