Runako Inside Out with Corinna Williams
Inside Out is our weekly profile on people and all things personal care. Our profiles will look into different aspects of personal care including physical, skin, mental and health care. We want to know how you’ve been taking care of yourself inside and out and help us share tips, tricks and advice with others.
After working in ad sales for Google as on-staff writer for the German editions of Elle and Harper’s Bazaar in Munich and New York, Corinna’s love for fashion and the need to have her own coveted pieces of clothing expertly cleaned and handled with care compelled her to found Celsious – a premium sustainable garment-care provider and Brooklyn's first eco-friendly laundromat – together with her sister Theresa.
Runako: How are you? Especially now with the on-going coronavirus pandemic?
Corinna: All things considered, I am grateful to be doing well. I am healthy, heading into my third trimester of pregnancy. To be honest, maternal instincts are great at shifting focus to what REALLY counts: your personal and baby’s health and well-being.
Runako: How have you been taking care of your mental health? Have you implemented any changes to your personal routine?
Corinna: My routine of meditating daily has not changed dramatically. I have just been incorporating some Hypnobirthing as well as Self-Havening techniques taught by my midwives. On top of that, I have started self-imposing deliberate (social) media breaks. Tuning into collective grievance is important as is staying abreast of the news, but if I start feeling the weight of it all negatively impacting my mental health, I quite literally pull the plug!
Runako: How have you been taking care of your physical health? If not, why?
Corinna: I’ve always been physically active, but have shifted my workout routine to prenatal-specific exercise. My trainer Thea Hughes (@tmaxine_) has developed an amazing program (6ft Training Club) that encompasses not only strength training geared towards preparing for birth and postpartum recovery, but also nutrition.
Runako: We can’t forget about skincare, how has your skincare routine been during the quarantine? Any significant changes?
Corinna: Moisture, moisture, moisture! My skin has been on the drier side during pregnancy plus stretching skin needs some extra attention as well.
Runako: What are some products you’ve been loving and using?
Corinna : Runako, obviously, for all-over body moisturizing. For my evening cleansing routine, I swear by Marie Veronique’s EO Oil Cleanser and Toner. In the morning, I just rinse my face with water and apply Dr. Hauschka Quince Eye and Quince Cream in the summer. In the winter, I usually need something richer like Weleda Skinfood or Yay for the Earth Face Lotion. In the shower: Terra-Tory soap only!
Runako: Any natural skin care tips or products you’ve tried and are now part of your personal routine?
Corinna: What has really worked for me in terms of skincare is the “Less is More” approach. I like Dr. Hauschka’s philosophy of leaving the skin bare, to breathe, at night and not going overboard on cleansing, which can strip the skin of much-needed moisture. That said, I still love a good natural beauty product and am most certainly not as minimal as my sister, who uses pretty much only water and castor oil. I am also a big fan of aromatherapy, so anything scented with essential oils I love will bring so much joy to my skincare routine. I cannot wait to start perineal massage (look it up, mamas- and papas-to-be!) soon with this new Petal Primer oil I got from Living Libations. I’ve also recently discovered their Shine On Conditioner, which is all-natural and works great for my natural curls.
Runako: Do you have any go-to DIY skincare recipes or combinations that you can share?
Corinna: I always want to make my own, but running Celsious leaves me with so little time, plus there are so many great clean brands out there that I love to support, so I happily leave it up to them to whip up the skincare for me.
Runako: What’s a must in your personal care routine? (Don’t be shy)
Corinna: Good, nutritious food: organically grown fresh produce, herbs, spices and pasture-raised animal products. Now that I am growing a human, giving myself and my body and baby only the best is more important than ever. But even before I was expecting, I was a firm believer that many of our modern-day ailments can be prevented and cured by nature’s bounty.