courtney shields

When I was in NYC visiting Tula I showed Dr. Raj, one of the co-founders of Tula, on my stories and you guys had tons of questions about her skincare routine. I thought it would be fun to do a mini Q + A and get all your Dr. Raj questions answered as we get into the holidays, because now is the time when gift shopping and traveling kick into high gear. Tula has the cutest gift sets  for the holidays which are perfect for trying out the products or getting one of your family members hooked on Tula too. My personal favorite is actually the travel kit because I have been traveling so much lately. I always bring my favorite products with me on the go, but every inch in the suitcase counts, so having a travel size kit is perfect.

1. I’m gonna be honest, I about passed out when you shared your age in the office! I knew I had film you on my story and was totally blown away by the amount of DM’s flooding my inbox asking for you all your secrets. So, I thought a little skincare and wellness Q+A post with the pro herself was in order. Tula is a probiotic based skincare line and totally innovative in that way. Most people know how great probiotics are for your body when ingested, but can you briefly explain why they are so good to apply to your skin too?

I was inspired to start TULA by my patients! After noticing how much better my patients looked and felt after a course of probiotic treatment. Often their skin was calmer and clearer and I could tell they were feeling better before they had the chance to tell me! I began to research the topical benefits of probiotics and after uncovering research finding that probiotics  have a proven ability to soothe and calm skin inflammation, TULA was born. Our mission is to help women and men gain confidence through falling in love with their skin again, so TULA is all about pairing clean and effective ingredients with powerful probiotics + skin superfoods for healthy, balanced, glowing skin.

2. Your skin is incredible. I’m sure a lot of it is genetics, but as the founder of a successful skincare line, I’m gonna go out on a limb and say you have a kickass routine!

I am a big believer in approaching beauty from the inside out.  A happy and healthy body is going to radiate beauty and gut health has a very strong impact on skin health! Probiotics are friendly, healthy  good-for-you bacteria that work to improve your health, both inside and out. Probiotics act as a protective layer on the skin, locking in moisture for a more radiant, hydrated and balanced appearance. Probiotics are clinically proven to reduce the appearance of inflammation and can also help to reduce the appearance of redness and irritation, which helps improve the skins clarity and tone. Probiotics help defend the skin against age-accelerating environmental stressors and free radicals, which can help the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles. People with all types of skin (sensitive, dry, oily or acne prone) are likely to see improvements in their complexions by introducing probiotics (either topically or ingesting- ideally both!) into their regimen. 

3.Can you give me the full rundown on your AM and PM routine? I’m assuming majority of it is Tula, but we want everything (Tula or otherwise).

My skincare routine focuses on beauty from the inside out. I always try to nourish my body with nutrient-dense, whole foods like vegetables, fruits, legumes, nuts, fermented foods, and lean protein sources. I take supplements as well, including fish oil and the TULA Daily Probiotic and Skin Health Complex. 

I like to start my mornings off with about 10 mins of stretching and meditation, to set the tone for the day. My morning routine is all about being efficient, so I use the TULA Purifying Cleanser to remove dirt and pore-clogging debris from my skin followed up with the TULA pro-glycolic PH Gel and the Aqua Infusion Gel cream for hydration. I love using our new face filter primer to prep my skin perfectly for a light dusting of make-up. 

If I have makeup on from filming, I begin my evening skincare routine with the Kefir Cleansing Oil, which gently removes my makeup and gives me a blank canvas to start my skincare regimen. I follow this with the TULA Purifying Cleanser, which removes dirt and pore-clogging debris from my skin without stripping it of its natural oils. After my face is clean and patted dry, I like to massage my face with a jade roller to increase circulation and reduce the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles. I typically follow with the Deep Wrinkle Serum, our Overnight Rescue Treatment on my face as well as the Revitalizing Eye Cream around my eye area to seal in moisture. After moisturizing, I mist my face with rose water and pat the excess into my skin to add an extra layer of hydration.

I try to do a face mask at least twice a week (Major Glow is my go-to) and treat myself to a hot bath every so often! Self-care is an extremely important yet overlooked part of living a healthy lifestyle.

4.Do you have anything else you do daily or weekly that you feel contributes to your anti-aging regime? Foods, wellness drinks, zero sun, a daily smoothie, bed time? Spill all of your anti-aging secrets!  The people want to know!

In addition to taking a good daily probiotic supplement I also love eating fermented foods, which are an excellent source of probiotics, such as kimchi and sauerkraut. I NEVER let my face in the sun, and a super high quality SPF is an everyday essential. As a doctor, Mom (of two amazing full-of-energy-boys)TULA founder and frequent contributor to shows like Dr. Oz and Today 8 hrs sleep is often elusive, but when I can, I will squeeze in as close to 8hrs as possible!

Daily exercise is something I will never compromise on, no matter how busy I am. I find the time to move, whether its a 30 min gym session or even just 10 mins of stretching or meditation. I love to keep my body moving and the endorphins flowing.

I love giving skincare tips and encourage people to look for products that focus on healthy, balanced skin, so I love that  every TULA product contains prebiotics and probiotics and skin superfoods that help to maintain a healthy microbiome and improve skin barrier function. Topically applying both prebiotics and probiotics helps to keep skin strong and balanced.  Prebiotics support the healthy bacteria on skin while the probiotics that we formulate with help to improve skin barrier function and increase cell turnover. It is important to make sure that the healthy bacteria on skin are thriving in order to keep bad bacteria that may cause inflammation, acne, and other skin grievances in check.

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Thank you Tula for sponsoring this post. As always, all opinions are my own.