Wise Roots Living is a new, holistic skincare line inspired by Caribbean women
I have yet to meet a woman who has not had to deal with the struggles of finding the right skincare products for their skin.
Whether you have dry skin, oily skin, or stubborn acne, we all, at one time or another, have tried everything and anything. Even all of those fancy brands that promise you the healthy, glowing, blemish free skin you’ve dreamed of – more times than not, we’ve been left unsatisfied with the results.
I’ve personally done the whole Proactive, Clinique, and Neutrogena thing to try and deal with annoying bumps on my forehead. None of them worked. So, ever since a friend of mine told me to try tea tree oil and actually seeing results, I’ve been super into the organic route. I have been looking for more natural, homemade remedies.
Not too long ago, I came across a line called Wise Roots Living, thanks to a model friend of mine who started using their products. I can honestly say that her skin radiates and needs not one drop of makeup!
Wise Roots Living is a pure, holistic skincare line of products inspired by the Caribbean woman. Being an island gal from Puerto Rico, that was enough to intrigue me.
But, the actual best part? The founder, Puerto Rican/Dominican model, Zaliris Made, and her business partner, Rebeca Lopez, and the entire brand’s team is constructed of women (other than their Graphic Designer/Web Developer, Sebastian).
With product names such as, “Bruja Blessings,” “Llluvia Drops,” and “Caribeña Glow,” I was so curious about this Wise Roots Living. The brand was born in Zaliris’ kitchen a few years ago, and I just had to learn about it. I reached out to the founder to find out more!
Check out the interview below, and be sure to check out Wise Roots Living. Don’t be afraid to give the line a try if you’re looking for that island glow all year round!
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What inspired the name Wise Roots Living?
Every time I visit my island of Puerto Rico, I go to the Rainforest, El Yunque. I always noticed these colorful roots coming out of these particular palm trees called Sierra.
So, 4 years ago, I decided to open an Instagram account with the intention to educate people about how to avoid the intake of toxins. The first thing that came to my mind were these are “happy roots.”
Roots are everything – our ancestors, our morals, our strengths, our past, what grounds us, and what connects us with Mother Nature. Roots are what keep plants and trees alive, to what we are inevitably attached and dependent on.
Wise, on the other hand, is what we carry from generation to generation – what we know but cannot always explain. Wisdom is the balance between intellectual and spiritual consciousness; what we should all seek.
And living is the hope and eagerness of keeping our wise roots alive, and to remember that they live amongst us and that they should be present in our lifestyle.
Does Wise Roots Living cater to all skin types?
We consider Wise Roots Living a holistic skincare brand, because the beauty of natural healing doesn’t just target one specific problem. It balances you as a whole so you can treat the root of the problem.
Our products are extremely healing and balancing, which is what makes them perfect for any skin type. If you have oily skin, there is no need to use harsh ingredients that will dehydrate your skin and what will cause your skin to create extra sebum.
The opposite, actually. You need to work with oils that help you balance your natural production of sebum (oil). Our first collection, Bare Basics, is all about this-about balancing and helping our customers to fall in love with more “simple” but effective natural approaches.
Which product would you recommend for acne prone skin?
Believe it or not, I would recommend our face serum, Bruja Blessings, for many reasons. One, it will help you balance you skin oils as I mentioned before. Two, it will help you heal cysts. Three, it will help you regenerate skin cells for acne scars and wrinkles. Four, it will nourish your skin and leave it extremely soft.
You can start falling back in love with your skin and send positive energy towards it.
I know the line was born in your kitchen – do you continue to make the products there?
I continue to make the products myself, but no longer in my kitchen. The process is almost the same, because I believe in the intentions that I put into the products. Here and there I let my intuition alter the recipes a little bit.
This is my meditation, and a talent I believe that was given to me. Both of my grandmothers used to heal pain with prayers and energy, which is what we know nowadays as Reiki, so I like to think I inherited this.
What is the actual process of making the products?
I try to make products always at the beginning of the week, and sometimes my business partner helps me. We have known each other for 15 years, and she joined Wise Roots Living almost a year ago.
I always begin by burning palo santo or sage and playing some music.
The first product I like to make is Diosa Rituals Face Wash since it’s the first skincare product I came up with. My husband’s feedback motivated me to share it with others and to get more into skin care products instead of household – which is what I was doing for my family before going into the beauty industry.
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The names of your products are so creative. Did the names come to you before or after making the actual product?
Yes! I am Puerto Rican/Dominican,and so is my business partner, so I wanted to emphasize that we have Caribbean/Latin roots.
The names came after the product list was done, since they really describe how I feel about the products. Also, the majority of them have a word in Spanish.
For instance, we have a belly/body butter that was made with the intention to prevent/avoid stretch marks during pregnancy (I am a fan of pregnancy and one day would love to be a midwife). So, because you are growing a miracle, I named this butter Miracle Dust. Babies are born with hundreds of chemicals, passed by their mothers through the umbilical cord, so this butter is a miracle dust for the mother and the baby.
How long did it take you to perfect your recipes? How did you test them?
It took me like 2 years to make all my recipes perfect, because this was my hobby and not my business. I used to sell to my friends and friends of friends. So, that is actually how I tested my products, too.
One of my best friends had acne prone and dull skin, after she started using my products her skin completely changed. She went from having millions of products and being so picky about what to use, to just using what I was making back then.
Wise Roots Living products were tested for 3 years on different skin types and skin problems before we launched our website. We are very grateful and proud to say we have received only one bad feedback about one product, but the person is still our customer and loves the rest of the line.
What is your skincare routine like?
That is a great question, because I was never a “let me take care of my skin” person. When I was a teenager, I tried several times to follow a skin care routine. But, my skin would actually get worse after using all those mainstream brands.
I never developed the habit to have a skin care routine. I did modeling my whole entire life so I was exposed to dirty brushes and lots of makeup, but for some reason I always preferred to do my own face masks and scrubs.
Nowadays, I still struggle with using all the products, everyday, day and night. But what I cannot live without is my Diosa Rituals face wash, Mist of Gaia face toner, Canela Prayers clay mask, and Bruja Blessings face serum.
When I am lazy, and because I do not use makeup on my skin, I can clean my face with the toner and then apply my serum. I do the clay mask once a week, but if I have any event or photoshoot, I definitely do not leave my house without doing the clay mask since it’s like an instant Snapchat filter to your skin, followed by the face serum.
Which 3 products would you recommend for first time users?
Me and my business partner always think about this question and every time I answer differently because I honestly want people to try all of them. They are all great.
But, I would say: Diosa Rituals face wash, Canela Prayers clay mask and Bruja Blessings serum. With those three and a mascara, you can live your whole entire life and look pretty all day long.
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How has the Caribbean woman inspired your brand?
That Caribeña Glow – how we named our face moisturizer. There is nothing more beautiful than that healthy, dewy look of your skin. We, the Caribbean, have a beautiful connection with Nature and natural beauty. We are a mix of different elements of life and cultures, we are a melting pot of magic and energies. We are happiness, and our skin reflects that.
Wise Roots Living wants to have customers that are happy, that can breathe in the aromatherapy in our products, and take a moment for self-love rituals so their connection and trust with Mother Nature (Gaia) can be reflected in their skin and eyes.
Photos by: Celey Miranda
Models: Kira McDonald, Natalia Roth, Lina Chaparro, Keyshla Maisonet, Eva Davis, Kiki Barth, Zaliris Made
