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One Urban Farmer’s Mushroom-Infused Skin-Care Routine

Courtesy of Indy Officinalis
Indy Officinalis, a multi-faceted model and farmer-forager with a captivating spirit. The Los Angeles-based model, sustainability activist, urban farmer, and Global Influencer Partner for Origins manages a rooftop garden on Skid Row in downtown Los Angeles.
Officinalis’s goal as an influential image-maker on social media is to educate and inspire her community to create a BIPOC community urban farm where she plans to teach Black and brown youth food sovereignty. She also works with the unhoused community in Los Angeles to distribute fresh produce and herbal teas to the houseless community, and has created a self-empowerment gardening program for individuals to grow their own food. Here, Officinalis details a week in her beauty routine. The following interview was told to Amanda Mitchell and has been edited for length and clarity.
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SUNDAY

Sundays are my day to reset and I truly believe that nothing beats the ‘Sunday Scaries’ like a multi-step skin care routine. 
My Sunday routine actually starts on Saturday night — eight hours of rest is such an important part of my daily routine. No matter how late I stay up, I aim to do light stretching and drink a glass of lemon water before bed to help with lymphatic drainage. To do my hair a favor, I like to use silk pillowcases. Since dreadlocks are a low-maintenance style, it's important to focus on upkeep, and silk helps keep the flyaways at bay
On Sunday mornings, I make a point to move slowly and with intention. I love putting together a fun playlist of all the music I listened to during the week, and blasting it while I clean my house from floor to ceiling. I like to apply the Origins Clear Improvement Charcoal Honey Face Mask before I start cleaning. That way, I can feel it working while I move around my home. I always have two drinks on me at all times. Usually on Sunday mornings, it's a cup of green tea and a glass of lemon water. The natural vitamin C is great for skin, and lemon is said to have all kinds of wellness benefits. 
I like to keep a jade roller ready to go in the freezer and refresh my face in between cleaning/dancing spurts. Taking a bath on Sunday night with Epsom salts and dried flowers from the garden is my ideal transition to a busy work week.
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MONDAY

Photo Courtesy of Indy Officinalis
Tea helps me ease into the week on Monday mornings. Traditional medicinal organic red clover supports my health from the inside, then Origins A Perfect World Antioxidant Cleanser with White Tea gives my skin a super gentle wash, infused with antioxidants from the tea leaves. 
I’m also not stingy with the jade roller — it continues to make sporadic appearances throughout the week.

TUESDAY

I’ll keep with either my lemon water or red-clover tea each morning and keep consistent with the Origins cleanser that I mentioned. For my skin care, simplicity is key. When I find something that works, I like to stick with it. Since I work in agriculture, I usually don’t wear makeup on the daily, which translates into a more simplified skin-care routine.
Working in the sun and with soil all day can be hard on my fingernails, so I like to keep it natural and use coconut oil on my cuticles and keep a soothing fingernail brush by the sink. I also love to use a nice, locally-made, soy-based hand soap whenever I can.  

WEDNESDAY

Photo Courtesy of Indy Officinalis
Because I spend so much time in the sun, I try to take extra care to keep my face hydrated and soothed. I love Origins Mega-Mushroom Skin Relief Micellar Cleanser. It's definitely my daily go-to and on-the-go skin cleanser, including some of my favorite botanicals, like cordyceps mushroom, lavender, boswellia, [and] turmeric. 
Halfway through the week, I like to make a point to give my skin a little extra love. Long days in the garden can mean a steady beam of sunlight, which is tough on skin. So I'll end a lot of my days with Origins Mega-Mushroom Relief & Resilience Soothing Treatment Lotion
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THURSDAY

I try to keep up with my skin care throughout the week. By Thursday, I’ve run through my main arsenal, and I stick with it! Continuing with the same antioxidant cleanser with white tea for my daily cleanser, and [the] Mega-Mushroom Skin Relief Micellar Cleanser when I’m in a rush or traveling. 
As a bonus boost, Origins Mega-Mushroom Hydra-Mist gives me that extra-dewy glow that makes me feel confident. It’s especially handy for me since I don’t typically wear makeup during the week, so it’s easy to use throughout the day.
If I have any skin irritation from the sun or bugs in the garden, I’ll put some wet chamomile tea on my skin and soak up some of its antioxidant properties and use the same treatment lotion at night before bed, which helps reduce irritation.

FRIDAY

During the day I stick to my regular skin-care routine. Fridays are always long for me because I usually harvest veggies on Fridays, so coffee is key! If I’m going out at night, I use mascara for some extra eyelash volume. I’ve never been a pro at applying my own makeup, so I like to stick to the basics. I also use Ginzing Into The Glow Brightening Serum because it gives me an extra evening glow.

SATURDAY 

Saturdays are for farmers-market hopping, so I start the day with a huge cup of iced green tea and a blueberry smoothie. If I have bags under my eyes from too much fun the night before, then I put the tea bags under my eyes to reduce puffiness. I do a full hour of hot yoga at home and my dog usually tries to join in. After my shower, I use Origins Ginger Souffle Whipped Body Cream because it makes my legs so silky! Saturdays are for spontaneity, so sometimes I sneak in another charcoal face mask in the evening, but I’m usually bouncing from ocean to friends to the forest to the market.
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