Community - Gabriella Abell from studium essentials

It takes a community to create healing as it is so multifaceted.

This series highlights some of the people in my community that I lean on to create a solid foundation to thrive upon.

My partner hears me speak about gab and her greatness every day when I spritz my venus mist for the millionth time or when I see her post funny memes all naturopaths can relate to.

I am obsessed with studium essentials (and gab) -

my personal favourite product is venus mist & sunshine serum

For those new to studium (meaning devotion) essentials, it was created by Gabriella Abell, a naturopath & lover of all things plants.

Studium essentials is a non-binary skincare line that focuses on plant wisdom, and sustainable practices that include uncompromised, organic earth-safe ingredients.

It is more than skincare, it is a stunning sensory journey gab takes you on that feels completely luxurious but grounded and wholesome.

How did studium essentials come to fruition?

I'd dealt with cystic acne in my teens and as you do, out of desperation - tried a plethora of things (and completely damaged my skin barrier in the process).

So the business naturally grew from there out of personal need and fascination, I love cooking and chemistry - formulating and making skincare is the fusion of these two things.

The process is a precise art, but you still get to play, create and experiment when developing a formula - my brain loves the challenge of that!

What are your favourite resources for knowledge of skin?

I really don't have any resources that stand out, I think the skincare industry can be very noisy and I like to keep an open mind to all skincare philosophies - reading up on all perspectives from a range of experts.

I did really enjoy reading Renegade Beauty by Nadine Artemis and Truth in Beauty by Mukti Organics.

But other than that - podcasts and social media accounts (with discernment!) can be good in moderation and good ol google scholar. Some of my suppliers have cosmetic chemists who you can call with questions or advice, so I also love picking their brains too!

What does your current self-care routine look like and how do you feel it has evolved over the years?

I think studying Naturopathy has been invaluable in learning how to take care of myself, I always think how grateful I am to have studied it - regardless of whether I'll even practice or not - because it has taught me to understand my body's needs in a profound way.

My self-care routine has been full of slow, intentional changes that have accumulated into healthy lifelong habits.

For the future I can see it incorporating a lot more community care too.

I think it is important to change the narrative that a self-care routine has to be complex or expensive, a 12-step skincare routine or a smoothie with a million adaptogens in it to be 'wellness'.

For me, my self-care routine is pretty simple - movement or outdoors time before seeing screens in the morning, a cup of herbal tea when waking and before bed, learning new skills, sunshine, time with loved ones, and quality food & water intake.

Pretty boring but I tailor it depending on my mood and energy!

What is something you wish people knew about skin that is a myth or deception?

Oh man, so many myths.

1. Simplicity is best 2. What works for someone else might not work for you 3. Ongoing skin issues are driven by both internal and external drivers (addressing just one of these will likely not resolve the issue) 4. A healthy skin barrier is better than perfect skin 5. Be careful where you get your information from

What is your favourite recipe right now?

I'm loving making Chicken Katsu Curry from scratch, something about sushi rice with the roux is so comforting to me.

What is your guilty pleasure?

Guilty pleasure is definitely falling into youtube holes - Architectural Digest house tours? Binging Hans Zimmers' composition processes for films? Rockclimbing influencers? 2000s slowed and reverbed playlists? Herbal foraging videos? I got chu. My youtube algorithm makes me feel seen :,)

What do you hope to achieve in the next 5 years coming into your naturopathic practice?

Defining my idea of success and working towards what that means for me is what I hope to achieve, which constantly changes!

Currently, it means freedom, financial stability & authenticity.

But for more concrete goals, I have an exciting project that I can't say too much about yet but the theme revolves around service and community. I'm very excited to be opening my books for naturopathic consultations from February 2023!

Join the waitlist here

I: @studiumessentials

W: studiumessentials.com