Our skin is our biggest organ and what we put on it can have ramifications for different aspects of our health. If you’re thinking more about the impact of the makeup, skincare and personal care products you use, my guest on today’s episode of Period Story shares a lot of great information. Sjaniël Turrell is a holistic makeup artist, nutritional therapist and conscious consultant who focuses on a natural and sustainable approach to beauty.

In this episode, Sjaniël shares:

• How the intensity of lockdown exacerbated the perimenopause symptoms she was experiencing
• How perimenopause made her get clear on what she does and doesn’t have capacity for
• The direction her nutritional therapy qualification took her work as a makeup artist
• Why we need to think differently about the makeup, skincare and personal care products we use
• Why fragranced products, including cleaning products and menstrual products are the number thing in your home you should consider switching
• The natural and organic brands she recommends, including RMS Beauty, Ilia Beauty, Madara, Kosas and Ere Perez
• Natural and organic makeup brands (and tips!) for dark-skinned and mixed race women
• And of course, the story of her first period

Sjaniël says that if you’re looking at switching to natural, organic and sustainable versions of the products you use, do the best you can afford in that moment and do the best you can with what you have.

Thank you, Sjaniël!

Get in touch with Sjaniël:

Website

Instagram

A transcript is available on www.periodstorypod.com

Get in touch:

IG @periodstorypod

Email

periodstorypod@gmail.com

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

How do you navigate a career as a corporate lawyer while also coping with severe insomnia, severe brain fog, feeling disconnected from your body and dealing with medical gaslighting? I get into this and more on this week’s episode of Period Story, Sonja Rincón, the founder and CEO of Menotracker, an AI-powered menopause app that transforms symptoms into personalised insights and support.

In this episode, Sonja shares:

• What happened when she was dismissed by her gynaecologist after seeking treatment for brain fog and a frozen shoulder
• When she stumbled upon the term medical gaslighting and how it made her understand that she wasn’t alone in her experience
• What to do if you feel like you’re not being taken seriously by your doctor
• How 1 in 10 women have left their jobs due to the impact of perimenopause and menopause symptoms, and a quarter of women have considered quitting due to the impact of these symptoms at work
• How her experience led her to found Menotracker
• Cultural differences in conversations around menstruation and perimenopause across Europe
• How tracking symptoms in perimenopause and menopause can help you have a better understanding of your health
• The importance of understanding what any health app you use does with your data
• And of course, the story of her first period

Sonja says that when you use an app, it’s really important that you really check what they are going to do with your data, especially any health related data. If you’re not comfortable, don’t use the app.

Thank you, Sonja!

Get in touch with Sonja:

Website

LinkedIn

Instagram

A transcript is available on www.periodstorypod.com

Get in touch:

IG @periodstorypod

Email

periodstorypod@gmail.com

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

On this week’s episode of Period Story, I had the pleasure of speaking to Ruby Raut, a Nepali-born environmentalist and the co-founder and CEO of WUKA, the UK’s first reusable period underwear brand.

In this episode, Ruby shares:

• How she ended up using reusable period products from her very first period
• The impact of the Nepalese practice of chhaupadi and how she felt treated almost like an untouchable
• How menstrual taboos impacted her education and how she was able to go on to gain a degree in environmental sciences
• Why having access to clean toilets and water can impact your experience of menstruation
• The impact of single use menstrual products in the UK - over 200,000 tons of disposable tampons and pads are sent to UK landfills each year
• How using one pair of period underwear replaces 196 pads or tampons going to the landfill
• Why Wuka supports grassroots sports and how they got 6,000 girls into sports in 2025
• And of course, the story of her first period

Ruby says that when we talk to young people about periods in a way that is accessible to them, we take the embarrassment out of these conversations.

Thank you, Ruby!

Get in touch with Ruby:

Website

Instagram

TikTok

A transcript is available on www.periodstorypod.com

Get in touch:

IG @periodstorypod

Email

periodstorypod@gmail.com

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.