Skincare Starts From Within 🫀

A Conversation with Minty from Men & Beasts

There are some conversations that stay with you long after they end.

My sit-down with Minty from Men & Beasts was one of those conversations.

What started as tea and skincare quickly became something deeper; a conversation about wellness, lifestyle, balance, stress, food, rest, and the reality that taking care of ourselves goes far beyond products.

If you’ve been following me for a while, then you already know I care deeply about what we put INTO our bodies. But this conversation reminded me that what we put ONTO our skin matters too. Not from a place of perfection, but from intention.

Tea First. Always.

Before we even got into skincare, Minty introduced me to one of her favorite teas: Oolong.

Not just because of the taste, but because of the ritual behind it. The calmness. The intention. The way tea slows you down enough to actually listen to your body.

She explained how Oolong tea is rich in antioxidants and may support focus, heart health, anti-inflammatory benefits, and overall wellness. Honestly, it set the tone perfectly for the entire conversation.

Nothing about this experience felt rushed. It felt grounding, intentional, and present.

Meet Minty ✨

For those who may not know her, Minty is the co-owner of Men & Beasts, a plant-based Chinese restaurant in Echo Park that quickly became one of my favorite openings of 2025.

Beyond the restaurant, she’s deeply passionate about skincare, wellness, tea culture, and healthy living — and you can immediately feel that passion when she talks.

The Conversation 🫀

One of the first questions I asked Minty was how she got into skincare and what made her so passionate about it.

She explained that skincare started from wanting to feel and look like the best version of herself. One thing she said early in the conversation really stayed with me:

“There are no ugly women, only lazy women.”

Now baby… that line woke me UP 😭

But underneath the boldness of that statement was a deeper point about consistency, routine, and showing up for yourself. Because skincare is not magic; it’s habit.

We also talked about the biggest mistakes people make with skincare routines. According to Minty, most people focus too heavily on topical products while ignoring the bigger picture: lifestyle.

Food. Stress. Sleep. Hydration. Daily habits.

That’s what truly affects the skin underneath, and honestly, I agreed with her immediately because your skin really does tell the truth about how you’re treating yourself.

When I asked about beginner skincare routines, I appreciated how realistic and balanced her advice felt. No overwhelming 15-step routines. No unnecessary products. Just intentional basics: a gentle cleanser, moisturizer, and sunscreen.

And baby… sunscreen came UP heavily in this conversation 😭☀️

We both agreed that regardless of how melanated you are, sunscreen matters. Faithfully.

One of my favorite parts of the conversation was discussing vegan and cruelty-free skincare. Minty explained how important it is for her to avoid products connected to animal suffering, and that alignment mattered deeply to me too.

As someone who has been vegan for almost six years now, hearing wellness and skincare conversations rooted in compassion felt refreshing.

Probably the biggest takeaway from the entire conversation was when Minty explained that skincare products may only make up 10–20% of healthy skin. The other 70–80% comes from lifestyle: stress, sleep, food, hydration, and routine.

And honestly? That shifted the conversation beyond skincare completely.

Because wellness is not just one thing. It’s the combination of small intentional habits that support your body long-term.

Products Mentioned 🧴

Some of the products Minty shared during the conversation included:

• Maelove Glow Maker Vitamin C Serum

• Paula’s Choice C5 Super Boost Eye Cream

• Biossance Squalane + Copper Peptide Serum

• EltaMD UV Clear SPF 46

• Paula’s Choice Ultra-Light Daily Hydrating Fluid SPF 30+

• Biossance 100% Squalane Oil

• Paula’s Choice 2% BHA Liquid Exfoliant

• Gentle cleansers and retinol products focused on hydration and balance

Final Thoughts 🫀

This conversation honestly reminded me that slowing down is important. Being intentional is important. Taking care of ourselves is important.

I’m grateful to Minty and Men & Beasts for creating space for a conversation like this. This was my first long-form wellness conversation on YouTube, and honestly, I loved it.

It felt calm. Educational. Grounding.

And I definitely want to continue creating more conversations like this around wellness, lifestyle, creativity, and intentional living.

Because sometimes the most impactful conversations aren’t the loudest ones.

Sometimes they’re the quiet ones shared over tea. 🫀