Radiance - The Juice Cleanse Co.

Georgie Cleeve is the founder of OSKIA, a London based nutritional skincare company (and winner of Best British Brand & Best Natural Brand and countless other accolades). Having discovered the benefits of MSM, commonly known as the 'Beauty Mineral', and how transformational the ingredient can be, Georgie decided to make a leap from an editor at House & Garden Magazine to the world of nutritional science and skincare therapy to create OSKIA.

We managed to catch up with Georgie to ask her a few questions about her journey and about the nutritional concept which is integral to her skincare products.

What inspired you to create OSKIA?

I was lucky enough to be introduced to MSM by my father whose business brought it to market as a joint supplement (initially for race horses) 30 years ago. At the time I’d had numerous unsuccessful knee operations but the MSM completely repaired my damaged cartilage, enough to go from no hope of running again to competing in triathlon and marathons, but most significantly it also transformed my weak, eczema prone skin. The seed of an idea was sown, and later I went on to study skin therapy and pulled together a team of exceptional nutritionists, cosmetic scientists and doctors to formulate a nutritional brand designed to improve skin health.

What makes OSKIA different from other skincare brands?

We are the only natural, nutritional skincare brand that targets skin health from a nutritional angle, rather than just ageing and other skin concerns.

Can you tell us more about the nutritional skincare concept behind OSKIA?

Our products deliver unique blends of bio-available nutrients, many fermented, to improve skin health and functionality. MSM is just one of our key minerals, but we also use a vast range of vitamins, amino-acids, proteins and glucides.

MSM plays a key role in all OSKIA products. Why is it such an important ingredient for skin health?

It’s so simple it still amazes me that we were the first to utilise MSM for skincare. MSM is the most bio-available form of sulphur, and sulphur is needed to produce collagen (which is why it’s so great for joint cartilage). It’s also found in keratin so great for your hair and nails. On top of that, it’s one of the best anti-inflammatories and helps detoxify the skin’s cells – unbeatable for acne and eczema.

How long do you need to take MSM supplements for before you should notice a difference in your skin?

Like all supplements, to see a real difference you need to take MSM for about 6-8 weeks – for 1 -2 skin turnovers. For acne suffers, it can be much quicker as the skin detoxes quite rapidly.

What is your view on nutritional supplements for health more generally and are there any that you take on a daily basis?

I’m a firm believer in eating a proper diet, and a massive advocate for vegetable juices. Even my 13 month old loves her fresh green juices. However, I am also a realist and a very busy, completely disorganised, working mother of two, and know all too well that good intentions can go rapidly out of the window. Correct and targeted supplements can be wonderful, in natural and not cheap synthetic forms. I currently take MSM, Hyaluronic Acid (for my dry skin) and astaxanthin (the world’s best anti-oxidant) – the rest I get from my diet.

OSKIA products contain blends of bio-active nutrients such as Swiss Apple Stem Cells, Ribose, MPC Milk Peptides and Glactoarabinan to name just a few.

Can you explain what is meant by 'actives' in skincare products?  

Actives are ingredients that actually ‘do’ something, ie stimulate collagen or hyaluronic acid production, reduce melanin pigmentation etc. The rest are ‘functional’ ingredients, such as emulsifiers or thickeners. Ideally a product should have more of the former and less of the latter.

What ingredients are key to a healthy skin?

Avocados for their omegas, turmeric and chilli for their anti-inflammatory effect, watermelon and coconut water for their skin quenching trace nutrients, mushrooms for selenium and oysters for skin healing zinc.

What are your top three beauty products?

Our Renaissance Cleansing Gel is my absolute go-to cleanser at the moment. I’m obviously biased but it’s fabulous and leaves my skin so plump and smooth. Our Restoration Oil is full of wonderful actives and delicate oils, a must for winter, but my all-time favourite is still our Renaissance Mask which is used on set at Pinewood before close-ups and completely revitalizes my complexion.

What is your long term vision for OSKIA?

Onwards and upwards! I’m working on 16 new products are the moment…

If you want to try Oskia products for yourself use the code RADIANCE before the end of the month for 15% off.

A massage treatment can be hugely valuable during a cleanse and one experienced therapist that we often turn to is Lucinda Meade of TwentyTwo Training. Here she shares with us her individual approach to massage.

In what ways can a massage benefit you on a cleanse?

When you decide to ‘cleanse’ your body you are subjecting it to a profound change. You will be reducing your intake of refined sugars and other toxins, and ironically it is the improvement in your diet that may make you feel worse before you begin to feel better. A combination of soft tissue treatment, hypnotherapy and acupuncture (or any one of those treatments tailored especially for you) will enhance your sense of well being, make you feel stronger and allow you to make and maintain the change you need in your life.

Is there a specific type of massage that you think is particularly beneficial?

I believe it is essential to match the type of massage and overall therapeutic approach to the needs of the individual in order to derive maximum benefit.

For example, in the case of an athlete with a very high level of fitness and a challenging set of performance goals one might focus on deep muscle treatments to encourage rapid recovery and avoid injuries. This could be combined with acupuncture to address pain and promote healing, and hypnotherapy to help visualise successful achievement of competition goals.

Another example might be a busy professional/full time mother who needs to maintain a healthy body and mind in order to manage multiple responsibilities covering both work and private life. In this case treatment might focus on reducing stress levels, eliminating toxins and enabling natural healing processes to maintain the health and vigour necessary to meet the multiple demands of a busy and demanding schedule. 

I like to finish all my treatments with acupressure to the face and head to eliminate any remaining stress, invigorating and toning the face.

In what ways can a massage effect your emotions, mental outlook and stress levels?

Clinical studies have shown that therapeutic massage increases oxytocin levels. We are social animals and touch is vital for the release of oxytocin, making us feel more balanced, socially connected and less anxious. Massage also decreases adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH) levels - these are raised when there is chronic stress present in the body. These two actions explain how therapeutic massage focussed towards these endpoints, allows us to feel more balanced and capable of taking on the new challenges and goals that we want, or need, to address.

What lead you to become a Physiotherapist?

I started out working in the creative industries. After a period working in Athens, I returned to London, studying art and working freelance in design and illustration, before moving into video editing and photography.

My love of physical fitness, in particular running, and the experience of nursing an elderly friend, led to a change of direction and following a science foundation course I graduated in physiotherapy from King’s College London.  

I am passionate about treating the whole person, not just an injury or a symptom. At the end of my first year of university I was diagnosed with cancer. From this I learned two important things that have influenced my practice. Firstly, that clinical excellence combined with kindness are both rare and therapeutic; and secondly, (when my oncologist, shifting uneasily in his chair, said “positive people do better.....”), that your mind will influence your health. 

Not only that, but the benefits of a 360 degree approach to life which includes exercise and nutrition is vital for all my clients. At a gym like TwentyTwo Training the whole person is addressed.

As a result of that experience I extended my knowledge and expertise with a Diploma in Hypnotherapy to help patients manage chronic pain issues and/or overcome negative patterns of thinking and behaviour that affect their wellbeing. I am also a qualified Acupuncturist. 

Because everyone is different they deserve and need an approach that is both evidence-based and designed personally for them. Using physiotherapy, therapeutic soft-tissue techniques, acupuncture and hypnotherapy, I believe I have found the best way to help my clients achieve the positive changes they want.

Here are Radiance we use always use organic and seasonal produce in our juices. Adding red cabbage to your juice makes the most fantastic colour. Because it's in season now we thought we would make the most of it and share one of our favourite recipes that includes this wonderful ingredient with you:

Ingredients:

350g apples
50mls Jax Coco
100g red cabbage
120g lemon
20g ginger

Directions:

Wash all the ingredients
Cut vegetables into manageable sized pieces
Juice using a centrifugal juicer, one by one pass the fruit and vegetables through the chute
Add the coconut water, mix well and enjoy!