JESSICA ROWE
THE BEAUTY SECRETS OF THE JOURNALIST, AUTHOR AND MOTHER
CONGRATULATIONS ON YOUR NEW ROLE WITH BIO-OIL
Oh, thank you, I am thrilled and I feel so blessed to be an ambassador for them and their wonderful new product. It’s their first new product in 17 years, and what I love about it is I’m 49 now and my skin does get drier and drier, especially on my legs and arms so I love this gel formula … and I’ve been finding I use it every morning now when I jump out of the shower, and you don’t need much. It’s now my go-to product for dry skin.
I SAW THE CAMPAIGN IMAGES OF YOUR SHOOT AT THE PINK LAKE IN WA, IT LOOKED INCREDIBLE. WAS THAT AN AMAZING PLACE TO VISIT?
Oh, my goodness, it was magical and I know the word magical gets over-used but this was a magical place. Depending on the time of day and the light the intensity of the colour became a deeper and deeper pink, it was just beautiful.
SO, YOU MENTIONED BEFORE THAT YOU’RE 49, CAN I ASK YOU HOW YOUR SKIN NEEDS HAVE CHANGED AFTER HAVING CHILDREN AND TURNING 40?
Well, my skin is definitely drier and I shave my legs and I find that also makes my skin drier. I definitely need more moisture and so I find you really need a product that not only provides a surface that you think, “Oh that looks good,” but you also need something that works with not keeping your skin looking scaly! [Laughs]
YOU PROMOTE TO A LOT OF WOMEN THAT THERE IS NO SUCH THING AS PERFECTION OR THE NOTION OF THE PERFECT HOUSEWIFE.
DO YOU THINK THAT’S SOMETHING YOU’RE TEACHING YOUR DAUGHTERS AS THEY GROW?
Oh, I hope so. I’m such a believer in being gentle on ourselves and realising that we are enough. I don’t know what we do as women, but we sometimes – and I don’t want to generalise – but often we are pretty tough on ourselves, and often we talk to ourselves in a way that you wouldn’t dream of talking to your partner or your kids or someone that you love, so why do we do that negative self-talk to ourselves? We need to stop doing that and actually say, “You know what? You are doing a great job.”
I think at certain times in your life, certain things take priority and you put your energy into that, but then as
you do that you also have to realise you have to let go of other things … I’m a huge believer in being honest...i don’t have to pretend to be perfect and and great at everything and again that has come to me over time, that’s come to me with getting older and realising that there is no such thing as the perfect life. And also making choices about what it is that brings you joy and realising that they will be different things for all of us. So, what works for my family won’t necessarily work for another family and we need to support one another’s choices and say there’s not just ‘one fit for all’ way of doing this.
YOUR HONESTY IS VERY REFRESHING. A LOT OF PEOPLE ADMIRE THAT ABOUT YOU.
Oh, thank you – well, I sort of can’t be any other way [Laughs]. But again, that’s something that’s come over time, but what you see is what you get! That’s also something that comes with realising that I’m not perfect and I’m OK with that. Also, I find when you talk honestly about all aspects of your life, it gives permission for other people to be honest about their fears or flaws or failings or worries and you realise it’s not
just you it’s all of us – we’re all struggling in one way or another, but there is a way through and for me part of that way through is being honest about it and open about it.
CAN I ASK YOU WHAT YOU LOVE ABOUT HAVING TWO DAUGHTERS?
Oh, everything! I feel … first of all, I love having girls. Even before I was a mum I always wanted girls. I have two sisters and I’m very close to them both and I am very close to my mum and I always thought, “Oh please, please let me have a girl,” and then to have two daughters is THE BEST! It’s a privilege to be their mum and at times it’s scary and daunting because you think, “Oh my God,” but it’s the best having girls, I feel very, very lucky.
CAN YOU TELL US ABOUT YOUR BEAUTY ROUTINE? WHEN DID YOU BECOME INTERESTED IN SKINCARE?
I used to have terrible acne when I was younger and
I really struggled with that and that continued into my 20s and 30s because it was hormonalbased, and so I never thought of myself as having good skin. So with my skincare, I’ve never had too many products that really irritate or inflame.
I’ll try and get a facial once every six weeks or so.
As I get older, I use serum more and that’s made a real difference to my skin. I think people should consult professionals and also don’t think you have to buy really expensive skincare to have great skin; it’s not about that. There are very inexpensive cleansers that are fantastic, you know, there’s certain things you don’t have to spend a lot of money on to have lovely skin.
Get some good expert advice on what is right for your skin. I do do botox and I’m open about that because I get weary of reading about people who say, “Oh I just use a cream” – I’d rather be open about it than just sort of say, “Oh, I just do green drinks!” [Laughs] That’s disingenuous because you look at people’s faces and go, “No, you’re lying! You get something injected in your face!” [Laughs]
It can feel impossible to cut back on sugar when there’s constant birthday cake at work or biscuits winking at you from the pantry. If you need an incentive to quit, you can join the Sugar Free Me challenge for 30 days in November while raising funds for the Starlight Children’s Foundation. “The health benefits of quitting sugar can include weight loss and reduced body fat levels, longer lasting energy during the day and a clearer mind,” says dietician and Sugar Free Me ambassador Chloe Mcleod.
STEP 1: EASE INTO THE CHANGE
Going ‘cold turkey’ on quitting sugar can lead to withdrawal symptoms including irritability, mood swings, low energy and a foggy head, says Chloe. If you have a serious sweet tooth, cut back slowly. “If soft drinks are your weakness, try cutting back to one a day, or cutting them out on one day a week if your consumption is really high. Then move to the next step, cutting back cake and biscuits. Sometimes it’s a lot easier when you do it one step at a time.”
STEP 2: READ FOOD LABELS
It’s not just the obvious forms of sugar that make you gain weight – and in particular, belly fat – sugar can be snuck into bread, pasta sauces, tomato sauce, packages of ramen soup, salad dressings, barbecue sauce and even some deli meats and sausages. Get in the habit of reading food labels and look out for the other names sugar goes by, including: dextrose, fructose, sucrose and maltodextrin.
STEP 3: PRIORITISE SLEEP AND REST
You’re much more likely to reach for sugary treats when you are tired and stressed, so it’s helpful to also work on ways to relax during your quit sugar month. “Too many people are in a cycle of using caffeine and sugar to amp themselves up, and then alcohol [which can also be sugar-laden] to wind down in the evening. Schedule in some downtime,” says Dr Libby Weaver, nutritional biochemist and author of The Energy Guide.
STEP 4: BOOST PROTEIN AND FIBRE INTAKE
Both of these can help you deal with the cravings and energy slumps that can happen when you’re cutting out sugar. “Include meat, fish, or plant-based proteins like legumes, tofu or eggs to make sure you’re having enough protein added to your main meals and snacks across the day. Low GI carbohydrates (such as wholegrain bread and brown rice) also make a big difference, as does fibre from plenty of vegies,” says Chloe.
STEP 5: FOCUS ON WHY
Write down a list of why you are quitting sugar, take a photo of it and use it as your phone screensaver to remind you of your goal. As well as raising money for a good cause, there are so many benefits: Do you want to improve your mental health? Are you worried about a medical condition you have that you can manage more effectively by cutting out sugar? Do you want your clothes to fit you better? Stay focused on your reasons for doing this. Visit sugarfreeme.org.au to register for the challenge.