Exciting News: Our New Name and Brand!

We are so excited to share that The Foundation for Living Beauty is now officially the Living Beauty Cancer Foundation! In recent months, the Living Beauty team and board have been working to implement a brand update that we feel better represents the organization that we have grown into for the past 19 years.

Inspired by Living Beauties

Our new brand and aesthetic were created with Living Beauties (the women we serve) in mind. As we have grown over recent years, the stories they have shared with us and the connections we have made with the women we serve have inspired us to bring new light and life to Living Beauty to represent the vital work that we do.

Elevating Our Brand

We have worked to elevate the brand and make sure that the light and energy that Living Beauties bring to every program shines through in our updated logo and new colors. With elements of the earth’s energy and the warmth that we have experienced with one another at retreats in mind, we chose four new beautiful colors.

Our new color palette. Four different sized circles, each a different color: lavender, cream, sage, and terracotta.

Updated Logo with Meaning

We have also updated our logo! The lotus flower is still the main focal point. It is a symbol of perseverance and beauty shining through the murky waters of life and represents the resilience of Living Beauties. The ribbon in the middle represents the cancer journey and resembles a woman sitting in the lotus yoga position. The thinner lines are used to improve connection and symmetry.Logo featuring a lotus flower at the top center. Below, the text 'Living Beauty Cancer Foundation' in a clean, modern font.

Celebrating Growth and Connection

Living Beauty Cancer Foundation has seen such amazing growth in recent years, and we are so excited to have had so many amazing Living Beauties, donors, supporters, and facilitators on this journey with us. Our new brand represents the connection between all of us and the beauty that all of you bring to this amazing organization.

Support Our Mission

If you would like to support the Living Beauty Cancer Foundation and help provide vital wellness and support services free of charge to women with cancer, you can become a monthly donor!

Interested in Learning More About Our Programs and Services?

Learn more about Living Beauty’s programs and services here.

Monthly Sadhana – April

By Jessica Baker RN, BSN, E-RYT 500, YTRX

Simply, yogic tradition defines Sadhana as a daily spiritual practice. Here, we will define it further as a practice to which we engage to enhance our well-being. This practice encourages us to devote time in the day directly to ourselves. There is no secret amount of time that is better than any other. You may choose to practice a 3-minute Sadhana one day and a 1-hour Sadhana the next. What is important, is that you are consistent in giving time to yourself each day. That is the real beauty here… it’s all in what you choose!

The practice focus will change with each month, providing nourishment for the mind, body and soul.

 

 

In celebration of Spring, this month’s practice will be Renewal.

Each of the following categories offer practices for Renewal. You can choose to practice one at a time or choose a favorite combination. There is no right or wrong. This is YOUR practice!

Movement:  Standing forward fold – Invite flow into your life

  • Stand with legs hip distance apart, feet supported by the ground beneath you, arms comfortably at your side, head and neck in line with the spine, eyes gazing forward.
  • Bring your hands to your hips. Inhale.
  • On the Exhale. Move from the hips to fold your torso over your legs. Keep the spine extending as you move toward the ground.
  • Once in your forward fold, take your gaze to your feet, release your hands toward the ground. Breathe gently, inhaling and exhaling.
  • When ready, bring your hands back to your hips. Keeping the spine straight, gently rise back to standing.
  • Repeat 3-5 times.

 

Meditation:  When I let go of what I am, I become what I might be

  • Sit in a comfortable chair with your back supported and both feet flat on the ground. Hands resting in your lap. Breathing gently, close your eyes.
  • As an alternative position: Lay flat on your back on a comfortable surface with your knees bent and your feet planted. Maintain the natural curvature of your spine as you connect with the surface below you. Rest your hands on your abdomen. Breathing gently, close your eyes.
  • Continue breathing gently. Silently repeating “When I let go of what I am, I become what I might be”

 

Breath: Lotus Breath – A gentle breath to energize the body and clear stagnation

  • Come to a comfortable seated position. Place a folded blanket under your seat to allow for greater ease as you elongate the spine.
  • Bring your hands together at heart center, then shift your hands into Lotus Mudra: Keep the heels of your palms touching, your pinky fingers touching and your thumbs touching as you peel the palms of your hands, index, middle and ring fingers away from one another. The three middle fingers of each hand blossom away from one another like a lotus flower in bloom.
  • As you inhale through your nose, open your fingers wider. Exhale with a clearing sigh through your lips to bring your fingers back together as if sealing the flower back into a bud.
  • Repeat this breath and hand movement 3-5 times.

 

Journal: Spring – A season of renewal and growth

  • Tap into your senses. Describe the sights, sounds and smells of early spring.
  • How does your body feel with the change of the season? What does it need more or less of?
  • List 10 small things that bring you joy in spring.
  • Reflect on a recent experience that sparked creativity in you.

 

Please feel free to comment on a practice focus you would like to explore in the coming months.

 

And remember, this practice is not about perfection. You are enough.

 

If you liked this post check out this one about redefining anxiety!

If you would like to support The Foundation for Living Beauty and help provide vital wellness and support services free of charge to women with cancer you can become a monthly donor!

Learn more about Living Beauty’s programs and services here!

 

 

Simple Ways to Send Love to a Woman with Cancer this Valentine’s Day!

 

Happy Valentine’s Day from the Foundation for Living Beauty! Today we are filled with so much love and gratitude for our Living Beauties as they allow us to be a part of their cancer journey helping them to explore wellness and connect with one another!

 

This Valentine’s Day there are so many ways to support a woman with cancer in your life. Often having to ask and organize help for themselves can be a straining task when they are in treatment. When a loved one offers their help or takes it upon themselves to tell a woman with cancer what they will do for her it takes the pressure off!

 

To help with this, we have compiled a list of ways you can support a woman with cancer in your life, suggested to us by Living Beauties!

 

  • Request a free wellness kit be sent to a woman with cancer! These kits are filled with an array of specially curated goodies to help her feel comfortable while in treatment. Please contact [email protected] to request a kit to be sent out to a woman with cancer.
  • Offer to walk her dog or take care of her pet for a few hours!
  • Go grocery shopping for her or pick up some home essentials she may need to stock up on.
  • Pick up or drop off her children from school or offer to drive them to after school activities.
  • Provide your driving services for any of her doctor’s appointments, to pick up medications or any other errands that she may need to run.

 

Making a woman with cancer feel loved on Valentine’s Day and every day is so important and we know this list will help you bring love and light to their life!

 

If you would like to make a donation to support women with cancer and the programs we provide click here!

Read About our Beauty of Change Fashion Show and Cocktail Party!

On October 26th The Foundation for Living Beauty held our Beauty of Change Fashion Show and Cocktail Party fundraising event! The event was in partnership with two amazing women-owned fashion brands, Everviolet which makes lingerie designed for women with cancer, and StyleEsteem, which makes beautiful turbans and headpieces. The stunning pieces from both of these brands were modeled at the event by our Living Beauties, the women with cancer that we serve!

 

 

It was a truly inspiring evening as guests heard the stories of two of our Living Beauties Ali Spuck and Erin Gershik, who is also our board chair! Watching our models strut their stuff on the runway in front of 100 people was so exciting and moving as we had watched their confidence grow tremendously from the morning rehearsal to the evening show! It was so exciting and moving to see the sisterhood they share with each other on their cancer journey and their courage when modeling the beautiful lingerie and turbans.

 

 

We are so grateful to all those who supported the event as well as our amazing sponsors City of Hope, UCLA Health, Thrive Causemetics, Printspot, Nothing Bundt Cakes, Lemon Drop Cookie Shop, and Exnihilo Paris. And a very special thank you to Kiera Kotler from Everviolet and Sonya Keshwani from StyleEsteem for partnering with Living Beauty and allowing us to feature their amazing fashions!

 

 

To learn more how to support The Foundation for Living Beauty and our mission to educate, uplift and empower women with cancer visit www.livingbeauty.org/get-involved/donate!

 

 

Meet Living Beauty Executive Director Nancy Davidson!

Nancy Davidson is the Foundation for Living Beauty’s Executive Director! We are so grateful for her commitment to growing the organization and expanding our reach to serve even more women!

Keep reading to hear from her about her time at Living Beauty!

 

Nancy (second from the left) with Living Beauties at our golf tournament!

Hi, I’m Nancy, the Executive Director of The Foundation for Living Beauty. I have spent more than 35 years in non-profit management, and I love what I do with Living Beauty! Once I met Amie Satchu and learned more about Living Beauty, I knew this was where I wanted to be. I have been with the organization since 2016, and we have grown and changed so much in that time! From around 300 women then to more than 1,400 women now, our programs and services have evolved to meet a growing and more geographically diverse sisterhood.

I love our Living Beauties. I love the fact that they are willing to share their journeys with us. I love the connection we have with them, and the changes I see in their lives as they experience wellness retreats, workshops, movement classes and sisterhood events. I’m proud that we are making a difference in their lives during such a challenging time, and that we are there to experience both the highs and lows with them and walk beside them.

Speaking of our Living Beauties, I am so excited about our upcoming Beauty of Change fashion show on October 26th! Our lovely beauties will model lingerie created for women with cancer by everviolet. Not only is it a beautiful event, but it is a self-affirming, confidence-building, amazing experience for women who are embracing their new normal after cancer. There’s never a dry eye in the house, and I love bringing this experience to our women and to our supporters!

I’m so grateful to be with Living Beauty, and with the amazing team of women who make everything possible. Indyra, Ariana, Mariella and Jade are the best, and together, we are creating magic!

Living Beauty Celebrates International Day of Yoga!

June 21st is International Day of Yoga and it also happens to be the Summer Solstice! The Summer Solstice happens every year when one of the Earth’s poles has its maximum tilt towards the sun and it marks the start of summer.  It is the longest day of the year and in many cultures throughout history, it is seen as a day of celebration often marked with festivals and rituals. It is known to represent the transition from action to nourishment and the journey from darkness to light. Because of the extra sunlight, the solstice is associated with nourishment, fertility, and sensuality. This time of year, we are more connected with nature and each other! It is a great time to come together with others, enjoy the local fresh foods that are in season and connect with your body.

 

Considering the International Day of Yoga falls on the Summer Solstice, a yoga practice is the perfect way to celebrate the change in season and get more in tune with your body! The International Day of Yoga was officially recognized by The United Nations in 2014 and was created to raise awareness of the many benefits of practicing yoga. Yoga can increase strength, flexibility and balance which helps reduce pain and inflammation in the body. It reduces stress, improves sleep and increases your energy overall improving your mental resilience. When the proposal to create a day celebrating Yoga was introduced to the United Nations by the Prime Minister of India, Narendra Modi, he stated, “Yoga is an invaluable gift from our ancient tradition. Yoga embodies unity of mind and body, thought and action … a holistic approach [that] is valuable to our health and our well-being. Yoga is not just about exercise; it is a way to discover the sense of oneness with yourself, the world and the nature.”

 

 

The Foundation for Living Beauty brings yoga to the women we serve all year round because of its amazing physical and mental health benefits. This year we are celebrating International Yoga Day together with a day retreat! Led by the wonderful Yoga Therapist and Living Beauty Sharon Holly, our International Day of Yoga Day Retreat is bringing together Living Beauties in Santa Monica to spend the day practicing yoga, mindfulness and meditation to help them on their cancer journey. Sharon Holly is certified in yoga4cancer, a yoga practice specifically designed to address the physical and mental side effects of cancer and its treatment on our bodies. This day of yoga will allow Living Beauties to practice self-care, learn tools to heal their bodies and minds, and connect with one another.

 

 

We are so grateful to be able to spend the International Day of Yoga and the Summer Solstice with our Living Beauties! Don’t forget to spend time this summer nourishing your body, enjoying nature and connecting with others!

 

If you are a woman with cancer and would like to participate in programs like our International Day of Yoga Day Retreat click here to become a Living Beauty!

 

Read more about yoga4cancer on our here!

 

 

 

 

Living Beauty Debuts a Brand-New Overnight Retreat!

Last week, twenty-two Living Beauties gathered at the beautiful UCLA Lake Arrowhead retreat center for our first-ever Elemental Overnight Retreat led by the amazing Kristin Dwan! The retreat was specially designed by Kristin and Indyra, Living Beauty’s program director, to take Living Beauties on a journey through the five elements exploring their healing powers. What is even more special about this collaboration is that Kristin is a Living Beauty herself and while attending a retreat at Lake Arrowhead in 2022, her and Indyra were inspired to create the Elemental Retreat. Six months later the seed of an idea that they planted at that retreat came to fruition and the rest is history!

 

Kristin leading Living Beauties in a workshop about our inner child and how our conscious mind is formed as a child.

 

The retreat was created around the 5 elements: Earth, Air, Fire, Water and Spirit. Each element has specific qualities that can be harnessed to help anyone on their journey through life and more specifically for our Living Beauties their healing journey after cancer. At the retreat, we used Earth to ground our intentions, Water to cleanse and feel them, Air to dream and clear your mind, Fire to activate and Spirit to connect and level up your healing intentions.

 

Each of these candles represents an element. Kristin used them to call in the elements during our practice. The candles surrounding the elements represent a Living Beauty and her intention for the retreat.

 

Everyone Living Beauty created a seed (or intention) for the retreat that they spent the 3 days focusing on bringing into existence. Kristin helped guide them through this process by leading Living Beauties in hypnotic journeys, breath work, reiki, healing time in nature, a bonfire to cut cords with worries and create a clean slate, and deep connection and sharing time with each other.

 

After the retreat one Living Beauty stated, “I have a new sense of self. I feel lighter than I did when I first got here. I am extremely overwhelmed with love and acceptance. This is exactly what my heart needed.”

 

We are so grateful to Kristin for bringing her expertise in Hypnotherapy, Reiki and navigating the elements to The Foundation for Living Beauty! You can learn more about her practice and get in contact with her by visiting www.thehealingwoods.com. As always Indyra created and executed an amazing retreat and we can’t wait for the next one!

 

 

If you are a woman with cancer, click here to learn more about how to become a Living Beauty and participate in retreats like this one! To donate to The Foundation for Living Beauty and help provide more programs like these to women with cancer please visit www.livingbeauty.org/get-involved/donate/.

 

 

 

Meet Living Beauty Program Director Indyra Flores!

Indyra Flores is the Foundation for Living Beauty’s Program Director! Her role at the foundation is to create and execute all of the amazing holistic wellness programs we offer to women with cancer. We are so grateful for her dedication and the incredible work she does!

Keep reading to hear from her about her job as Program Director for Living Beauty!

Hello Living Beauty Community!

I am the program director here at this amazing organization that supports women with cancer through holistic programming. I am so fortunate to be a part of creating the experiences that make up what Living Beauty is about. My background in psychology, energy work and body work helps me see the healing process as a holistic experience; one that addresses the body, mind and spirit. I also use a trauma-informed approach when creating programs for Living Beauty; keeping in mind the taxing experience of cancer treatment. I believe that ultimately, the healing journey is the path where we remember the connection we have to our Selves. There are so many ways to find that, and I am so grateful for the knowledgeable facilitators that join our Living Beauty family to help guide you there.

I enjoy what I do so much! I love helping people find the tools they need to heal, find the connection with each other and themselves.

I am entering my 10th year here at this wonderful organization. I look forward to serving you for many more!

~Indyra

Board Spotlight: Beauty Expert Holly Moore!

 

We are so excited to highlight Holly Moore who has been a member of The Foundation for Living Beauty Board of Directors since 2018!

Holly Moore is currently the Vice Chair of The Foundation for Living Beauty Board. Her public health background, specifically in relation to women with cancer, and her expertise in the beauty and skincare industry have been an extremely valuable addition to Living Beauty!

As an organization for women with cancer, we know the side effects that certain cancer treatments, like radiation, can have on the skin, including sensitivity, redness and even burns. We also know the potential negative impact that certain chemicals and ingredients can have on our bodies whether we are ingesting them in food or absorbing them through skincare. Holly’s background helps the foundation connect with different skincare and beauty brands that share our understanding of the importance of self-care through beauty products as a form of wellness, and the desire to cater to the unique needs of an immunocompromised population such as women with cancer. Recently, Holly was featured in an online publication in Oprah Daily called “What ‘Clean Beauty’ Means Now.” You can read the article here.

 

Holly at an event with our corporate sponsor Stella McCartney.

 

We asked Holly a few questions about her role with Living Beauty and her amazing contributions to the beauty industry. Keep reading to learn more!

 

What made you want to be a part of the Living Beauty board?

While studying for my Master’s in Public Health in 2011, I took a class on women’s health policy, and I dedicated most of my class research to understanding the socioeconomic impacts of cancer on women in the United States. I was fortunate to have a supportive professor who encouraged me to map the policy landscape of this disease by analyzing what support networks and research groups existed, along with their missions. During this mapping process, I noticed a significant gap in groups that focused on the emotional and social well-being of women going through the experience of cancer. Specifically, organizations that sought to empower through education as a way of uplifting women.

 

Flash forward seven years; I had the privilege of meeting Nancy Davidson, Executive Director of The Foundation for Living Beauty. When Nancy walked me through the mission and vision for Living Beauty, I couldn’t help but feel that this was the missing organization I had been searching for. I immediately volunteered my time and any resources I could share. Several conversations later, Nancy invited me to join the Board in 2018, and I’ve been honored to support Living Beauty ever since. In 2023, I’m proud to have been appointed Vice Chair of the Board.

 

How has the “clean” beauty industry changed in the past few years since you started The Ingredientist, and what makes you excited about the future of the beauty and skincare industry?

Regarding industry change, the short answer is: it’s complicated! I started in the entrepreneurial and “indie” beauty sector, but I don’t tend to associate with the term “clean” anymore. That’s not to say that I look down on it nor underestimate the power of claiming “clean” as a movement, but as a conscious and science-backed concept, it’s misused and diluted as it’s gone mainstream. I wish that weren’t the case because it ruins the original intention behind “clean” for everyone, which at a minimum, is to signal to consumers that the formulas are vetted against environmental health touchpoints for safety.

 

From a regulatory perspective, there is no universal legal definition of “clean,” so it is entirely up to the brand’s interpretation of the term, which can breed consumer confusion from company to company. From an ethical perspective, the term is sadly often utilized by brands in a marketing act called “greenwashing,” or when “clean” formulation, standards, and sustainability claims are false or misleading.

 

The Ingredientist is a science-driven branding and product development consultancy. I embody the equivalent of a Director of Product Development for multiple brands. When it comes to vetting a new client match, rather than rely on the term “clean” to determine alignment, we go beyond to look at the “business ingredients” of the brand ranging from their mission, vision, supply chain, products, marketing, and education. Across the brand’s “business ingredients,” we look for a commitment to progressive principles, which determine quality, ethical, and sustainability standards.

 

All this is to emphasize why it’s so important to have brands rooted in cosmetic science. I ensure that the science is authentically communicated across the “business ingredients”, in particular when it comes to product positioning, marketing, and education. Founders, executives, chemists, and marketers can speak different languages, so translation across stakeholders becomes a key priority for me to get everyone aligned.

 

I’m most excited about technology in beauty and its implications for ingredient sustainability and skincare solutions for various conditions. Microbiome research is a keen area of interest for me, and I think we will see some serious innovation happening there in the next few years. I’m hopeful for this research mainly for promising solutions related to caring for immunocompromised skin, which can be the case for many people going through the experience of cancer.

 

Can you tell us about your involvement with facial spa, Cheeks + Co., and the inspiration behind the face serum you created called Tidalshift?

Cheeks + Co, a modern facial spa in Pasadena, CA (with more locations coming in 2023 and 2024), is redefining the spa experience by encouraging each client to reclaim “a space for you.”

 

Cheeks + Co is the first public-facing product development partnership for The Ingredientist. So I’m thrilled to talk openly about the immensity of work that went into the branding, product formulation design, and ingredients chosen. Over 16 months leading up to the launch in December 2022, I worked directly with the Founder, Tina Uzzardi, to conceptualize the skincare brand and create a product pipeline that physically embodies the spa’s mission and gives people the tools to further self-care at home through skincare.

 

Before I jump into the product, I want to touch on the inspiration behind the brand. When Tina and I landed on the concept, it was an “aha” moment! We kept returning to what it means in a modern scenario for our skin to face the elements daily, especially in a rapidly changing world as far as climate is concerned. Themes of strength, resilience, adaptability, and momentum were constantly on our minds. Then we zeroed in on the extreme biodiversity of California as a way to illustrate the variety of elements we can weather in quick succession (plus, Tina is a California native). Within two hours in California, you can go from below sea level in a hot, arid desert to freezing conditions at over 6700 ft elevation in the mountains. Tidalshift, the debut product, was realized in understanding how climate fluctuations and environmental stressors affect the skin. #facetheelements is the brand hashtag for that reason. Plus, each product in the line will have assigned geo-coordinates as a fun discovery moment that leads to an iconic place in California that inspired the product creation.

 

Tidalshift, inspired by McWay Falls in Big Sur, is an ocean-blue, skin-strengthening serum that provides foundational benefits for all. It works by helping to fortify the skin barrier function and delivering an intense protective panel of antioxidants that help to safeguard against stressors. Tidalshift replenishes the dermal reservoir with ceramides, amino acids, phytonutrients, and essential fatty acids. Lastly, it replaces three types of serums (hydrating, antioxidant, and brightening) by combining them into one incredible super-serum through advanced formulation. Tidalshift is designed for the momentum of modern life and having the skin strength to weather it. It’s got a beautiful, uplifting scent called “Lavender by the ocean.”

 

We are so grateful for Holly and her commitment to Living Beauty! You can learn more about her work by visiting www.theingredientist.com.

Meet the Malones

 

Pictured from left to right – Matt Gershik, Erin Gershik, Cynthia Malone, Michael Malone at our Dinner Under the Stars Fundraising Gala

 

Meet Cynthia and Michael Malone, who have been major supporters of The Foundation for Living Beauty for a number of years. The Malone’s daughter, Erin, is a Living Beauty, two-time cancer survivor and the chair of the Living Beauty Board of Directors.

 

We asked Mike, why do you support Living Beauty?

 

“First of all, we were brought to Living Beauty by our daughter Erin’s circumstances. We saw what it meant to her, and what the organization does, and it was an obvious connection for us.” Mike continued that he and Cynthia appreciate and value what Living Beauty does to enhance the lives of women with cancer. “We might never have known about The Foundation for Living Beauty but for the positive support that has come from Erin’s experience. The mission is critical to women, and we learned that through Erin’s cancer journey.”

 

In looking for an organization to support, Mike indicated three factors that are important to consider. He feels that the donor must feel a personal connection and way to identify with the organization’s mission. Whether it is a personal cancer journey, or that of a loved one, identifying with the mission is an integral part of why donors choose to give. Mike feels that donors are also looking for firsthand evidence that the organization’s mission is being implemented effectively, and that the programs and services being offered are of benefit to the clients being served. Along with that is an assurance that the organization is practicing fiscal efficiency in the use of donors’ dollars.

 

The Malone Family has been the main sponsor of Living Beauty’s golf tournament for all 5 of the years we have held it. He said, “The golf tournament is an opportunity to bring people into a different environment to learn about Living Beauty’s mission, who might not have already known about the organization’s programs and services for women with cancer. It’s a way to be together and celebrate the organization and its mission and contribute to its success.”

 

The Foundation for Living Beauty is so grateful to the Malone Family and the many other donors who support our important work!

 

If you are interested in becoming a supporter of The Foundation for Living Beauty and help us in our mission to educate, uplift and empower women with cancer you can learn more here.