Michele Periquet of Reset Yourself is one girl boss in the wellness world that we love. As co-founder of a company that analyses your hair to see what your unique mineral levels are, she is an avid believer that not one dietary lifestyle or wellness regimen should be a one-size-fits-all approach.
Not only is Michele explaining this concept to us, she dishes on her 5 top self-care rituals, what her “non-negotiables” are for staying balanced, and some key entrepreneurship tips to staying in the zone when starting a new venture. Read on to get some major inspiration.
Balanced Babe Influencers: Michelle of Reset Yourself
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BB: How can we learn about our health through the hair analysis?
In a perfect world, our bodies are designed to take in the nutrients we need from the food we eat and flush out toxins to create optimal health and energy, maintain an ideal weight and regenerate our cells every day.
But we don’t live in a perfect world. We’re bombarded by pollutants and pesticides every day. We eat junk food on the go. Even those of use who try to eat “healthy” fall victim to the nutrient-deficient crops produced by mass modern farming. And then stress can raise our need for certain vitamins and minerals through the roof!
So it’s no surprise that many of use feel tired or depleted. It’s not just about “getting old”, it’s about balance. When your body chemistry is unbalanced, it can lead to fatigue, hair loss, weight gain, bad skin, sugar cravings, anxiety, etc. And no amount of “discipline” can make it better.
The Reset Yourself program is based on a comprehensive system of analyzing body chemistry. This system utilizes a unique hair mineral analysis to find and correct imbalances and deficiencies in the complex mineral makeup of the human body. It is the result of over 45 years of research correlating hair mineral analysis results to conditions in the body and their relation to minerals, vitamins, diet, and more. This scientific research resulted in astounding advancements in decoding the complex ways in which minerals interrelate, whereby a change in one mineral level in the body inevitably creates changes in numerous other mineral levels.
Minerals are involved in almost all enzyme reactions within the body, and without enzyme activity, life ceases to exist! What most people don’t know is that the body deposits minerals into the hair in different amounts depending on what is occurring with their metabolism. With a properly interpreted hair mineral analysis, a wealth of information becomes available about how your body is functioning.
Reset Hair Analysis provides a clear picture of your unique biochemical individuality – how your body metabolizes the minerals required for optimal health and well-being. As a result, we are able to provide nutritional and lifestyle recommendations that are unique to YOU.
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BB: Aside from your hair analysis kit, you also have a product line. What was the process for creating your own beauty line? Did you have to do a lot of research into the formulas before you created them?
Reset [beauty] was born out of frustration actually. My first Reset Hair Analysis years ago revealed elevated levels of aluminum in my body. I realized that a major reason for that might have been my long term use of antiperspirants. After trying just about every brand of natural deodorant in the market and not finding any that kept me smelling fresh all day long, I experimented with homemade recipes and came up with my own. I finally discovered a lovely combination of paraben-free, phthalate-free, aluminum-free ingredients that actually worked better for me than my old commercial products. In the process of creating it, I discovered that many of our clients were also in search for an aluminum-free product that actually worked. And so Pure Deodorant became the first product in our Reset [beauty] line.
After this, clients started asking us for other skincare products – products that were not only effective in providing protective, anti-aging benefits, but were also free of toxins. (Once they go through the RHA, clients tend to become more mindful of not only what they put IN their body, but also of what they put ON it.) We then started developing the other key products, like the Pure Firming Essence and Peach Silk moisturizer (my favorites!), in the Reset [beauty] line together with a team of chemists and skincare experts. A lot of research goes into each formula to ensure product effectiveness and safety. We are currently working on several exciting new products we will be launching this year.
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BB: What is your advice for entrepreneurs who are looking to fund-raise for their company?
Keep your financials in order. Have a very clear goal. Be passionate. Investors invest because they believe in YOU.
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BB: What would you say is the hardest part of this business you created?
Staying focused on our core concept. Exciting new ideas and opportunities keep coming up for the business that it’s easy to get sidetracked.
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BB: What is a typical day like for you?
Our schedule varies from day to day depending on which part of the business we need to attend to and, working with a true Sag, there’s always an element of surprise. So not only is each day different, it’s also never dull!
I meditate twice a day (TM) and do some form of mindful movement that I love (eg. pilates, barre, dance, hooping, jogging) for at least an hour daily. These are “non-negotiables” that I fit into each day which help me cope with the hustle and bustle.
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BB: How do you maintain the Balanced Babe lifestyle?
By being present, being grateful and living my passion.
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BB: What are your quick tips for being fit?
Move! Oftentimes when you have deadlines to meet, it’s easy to stay seated for hours on end working on your computer. It’s also terribly unhealthy. If possible, use a timer or an app that reminds you to get up and stretch every couple of hours. (I use a mini-trampoline or a hula hoop in between long sitting sessions. Hooping is great for the waistline to boot.)
Whenever possible, a nice walk after dinner is great for digestion.
Meditation is a great way to keep your mind fit.
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BB: Do you have any particular eating habits?
I don’t really follow diets. At RY we have general nutritional recommendations and more specific, tailored ones depending on each person’s unique hair mineral analysis results, but it’s not rigid. We don’t insist on perfection, but strive for improvement. I’ve discovered that as you become more in-tune with your body and learn to listen to it, you eventually gravitate toward better food and lifestyle choices naturally.
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BB: What are your favorite natural beauty/health remedies?
Icing my face – when I need a little pick-me-up, I do this after cleansing and before applying my skincare. Not only does this leave me feeling refreshed and awake, it helps reduce puffiness and inflammation, and acts as an excellent primer for my skincare and make up.
Rebounding – in between long laptop sessions, I make it a point to get on my trampoline and start jumping. It’s a fun way to boost oxygen flow and lymphatic drainage. I can’t help but smile whenever I’m on my trampoline. That in itself is already a wonderful benefit!
Near infrared saunas – I’m not good with intense heat and can never stay too long in traditional saunas for this reason. Near infrared saunas are different in that the infrared penetrates the skin and heats from the inside and gets you sweating profusely with less heat and discomfort. Near infrared sauna use is great for detoxification and for skin rejuvenation among other things. It’s also an effective way to relax the body and de-stress.
DIY Moroccan Hammam – when you don’t have access to a hammam, let the hammam come to you. 🙂 This ritual is, for me, the best in-home natural body treatment that gets rid of dry, dead skin cells and impurities, and deeply moisturizes skin. I start with the savon noir (black soap), exfoliate with the kessa glove, and then apply the Rhassoul clay mask, and then finish off slathering argan oil (make sure it’s pure argan oil!) or (in winter, I love this even more although it’s not really part of the traditional hammam experience) virgin coconut oil all over my body. I do this once a week. It leaves your skin buttery soft! I buy loads of this stuff to take home whenever I’m in Marrakech, but I’ve recently discovered it is all readily available (online) here in the US as well. (If you’re in a rush, you can skip the Rhassoul clay body mask.)
Getting plenty of sleep – there’s nothing revolutionary about this, but I think it’s the best beauty treatment out there. I feel a remarkable difference in the way I feel, think and look when I get a good night’s rest. I also eat better.
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BB: What’s next for your business?
We are expanding Reset Beauty, Reset Supplements and Reset Mindset. (Together with Reset Lifestyle, each of these are represented by the four colors of our logo.) We believe that to truly reset yourself and experience vitality and happiness, you must nourish the body, mind and soul. Working on only one part alone just does not provide the profound, lasting results we all desire.
