March 13, 2023
In Conversation with Jessica Sepel
We’re in conversation with Jessica Sepel — Founder of JS Health and 3 x best-selling health author. Jess is passionate about empowering people to give up dieting, nourish their bodies naturally, find balance with food and embrace body love - for life.
We take this moment to talk with Jess about all things inner and outer beauty along with her daily wellness rituals and insightful tips on beauty, balance and business.
Your journey is so inspirational — take us back to where it all began
I started a very candid and casual blog documenting my health knowledge, nourishing recipes and personal journey. I was writing very honestly about my struggle with fad dieting and my quest to find balance with food and my body.
When you learn about the support that nutrients and minerals offer, and how essential they are for healthy functioning of the body, you can't help but have a massive love and respect for wholefoods and how important they are.
As a fad dieter, I really wasn't treating my body very well - and in turn missed out on those key nutrients that help you to thrive and feel your best. I was living off diets which are usually low in nutrients and high in artificial substances. The moment I started making changes - that feeling of real health and the mental freedom was so incredible that it propelled me forwards on the path. I felt like I could do anything and everything.
I blogged about this journey, and soon after got my first book deal - which gave me a brilliant platform to expand the JSHealth community.
My passion for vitamins grew! I saw the ways that a good supplement formulation could help my people. Although, I always found myself wanting to tweak the formulations to have higher doses or specific forms of the ingredients for a more therapeutic effect. This inspired me to create my own line of supplement formulas, and so JSHealth Vitamins was born.
This mission, passion and care for people's health has allowed us to create targeted formulas embedded in research that can truly help our customers to feel better and address their specific issues, whether that be bloating, skin health, energy levels, sleep or stress.
How did your experience shape your career and success in business?
My purpose has always been without a doubt my community. When I first started the blog, through to 2023 and our 43rd product. Everything we do at JSHealth is for the community, because they have asked for it, and I believe that is the true ingredient to our success. We will always be a community first, mission-led business.
An important lesson or turning point along the way
I believe you never stop learning as a business owner. Honestly, literally something new every day. You just cannot prep for what is to come (not such a big believer in business plans haha). You learn on the job!
A personal turning point was the launch of my very first book, it was the moment I started to believe that my philosophy was really something that others wanted to learn about and live by. I realised I could really help people and that filled me with the drive that propels me and our team forward today.
Advice for overcoming self-doubt and feeling empowered/confident?
There are always going to be times in life you just want to give up. It wouldn’t be human not to have days you just want to throw in the towel and stay in bed. On those days, and in times when I need to block out the noise around threatening my confidence, I remind myself of what my grandmother always tells me… she says: “You’ve just got to box on Jess, keep boxing”. I’m also a huge believer in the power of positive affirmations. Tell yourself in the mirror each morning, ‘I am capable, confident and worthy.’
What’s your philosophy when it comes to beauty?
I believe whole-heartedly in the power of beauty that comes from confidence within - that’s my driving force, to help the community feel even just a little bit more confident within their own skin. That’s my philosophy for beauty.
My beauty routine? Keep it simple and natural. What you put on your face is just as important as what you consume. I use our 4-Step Vitamin Skincare System morning and night, and my skin has truly never been better.
Do you have a morning/evening ritual? Any non-negotiables?
I am a complete creature of habit. I have the same daily and nightly routine every day, which I believe are essential to my wellbeing.
In the mornings I wake up and have a coffee, do 15 minutes of exercise (something from the JSHealth App - usually yoga), meditate and then make a healthy breakfast or JSHealth Power Protein Smoothie (sometimes this is at my desk in the office).
At night, my husband and I love to go for night walks. It gives us an opportunity to decompress and leave work at the office. It’s my favourite time of day. After a very quick, very simple dinner I have the world’s bubbliest bath and then finish with my JSHealth Vitamins skincare routine, take a sleep supplement with relaxing ingredients like magnesium and lavender (I leave these on my pillow in the morning) and get into bed. No phones after 8pm!
What do you do for a moment of self-care?
Self-care is so important. Our night walks and my bubble baths would have to be two of my most important self-care moments.
Your glow is year-round. Talk us through your beauty ritual
I have long been a natural beauty product devotee (no surprises there!) but when I hit my thirties I really started to notice that my skin in particular needed a little bit of extra support. I needed more from the natural beauty products I was using. After years in the making, we finally launched the JSHealth Vitamins Skin range. The hero actives are vitamins and botanicals from nature, yet it’s science-focused and designed to perform. This is my ritual! I do the 4 steps morning and night.
I’m loving the Eye of Horus Skin Tint Serum and makeup after my 4 step skincare routine!
I am also a believer in a quality marine collagen supplement, probiotic and fish oil for skin health.
What other rituals and practices do you attribute to your overall health and well-being?
I think being kind to yourself (not to mention those around you) is a very powerful and often overlooked piece of advice for overall health and wellbeing. The JSHealth philosophy is all about balance - no fad diets, no denying yourself of anything.
A pivotal piece of health/beauty advice you have learnt or received:
Focus on loving yourself and taking care of yourself. Self-love really is the first love!
Also, hard work will always pay off in the end.
For more information on Jess and the JS Health community, visit jessicasepel.com