BELLA KOH
What conscious living means to you
“Living life with a conscience to yourself, your loved ones and the environment. It’s a choice to better ourselves and care for the future.”
What motivated you to start this journey
“I started living consciously in 2009 after immersing myself in yoga and learning about factory farming. That journey didn’t end, and it became something I explored more upon having a child, from ensuring that the food we consume is sustainable to using more eco-friendly products.”
Practical steps you’ve taken in the home
“At this point, the food we consume at home is 85 per cent organic and sustainable. Almost all of the cleaning products we use in the home – including dish soap, detergent, laundry powder and even toilet cleaner – are non-toxic and gentle to the environment.”
Lifestyle changes you’ve made
“These days, I’m treating my skin with care by introducing paraben-free and chemical-free beauty products. Alessandra’s wardrobe consists mainly of organic and unbleached materials, while I opt for pieces from Reformation, a label that makes clothes out of recycled fabric. I have been a loyal follower (of the brand) since 2012. Our cats follow a similar lifestyle with the food they consume. Their food is made with sustainable fish, hormone-free chicken, and even their catnip is organic. My recently launched #slowlife workshops aim to help others realise the importance of wellness and living consciously through our food and lifestyle habits.”
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AARIKA LEE
What conscious living means to you
“Living with care and respect for our community and environment. We are part of an intricately interdependent world. We have to start looking beyond our immediate conveniences and consider how our actions can affect our surroundings, which will in turn come back to us.”
What motivated you to start this journey
“I want to be part of a solution, not a problem. And I want my children to grow up learning that too.”
Practical steps you’ve taken in the home
“We don’t use plastic straws. Instead, we use steel straws – The Last Straw (above) is the brand we use). We use bar soaps like Biconi, a local natural beauty brand that makes soaps for kids and adults for hair and body, as well as Cloversoft tissue products (above) everyday. Their 100 per cent bamboo non-bleached paper means less toxic waste going into the air and waters. Bamboo trees also absorb 30 per cent more carbon dioxide from the air and release more oxygen, so they’re good to grow for the environment. We contribute our packaging to after-school art centres that use the materials for craft. We started the #thinkoutoftheboxsg movement on Instagram as a way for everyone to contribute their recyclable items and see children turn them into beautiful creations.”
Lifestyle changes you’ve made
“We participate in Swapaholics so that the clothes we don’t use anymore can be given a new lease of life. Old clothes are donated to the H&M Garment Collection, which pulls them apart to recreate conscious textiles with the new-spun threads. I don’t shop for clothes as much, and use Style Theory instead. I get a subscription box of new clothes to wear without spending too much.”
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AUDE GIRAUD
What conscious living means to you
“Being aware of what surrounds you, but also being able to look inside yourself to ask the right questions and try to find the right answers.”
What motivated you to start this journey
“As you grow older, you realize that time matters a lot. It’s about spending what precious time you have to do the right things with the right people. I also advocate taking the time to sit down and think (more deeply about life and issues that concern you), so as to not be overwhelmed by a world that moves so quickly.”
Practical steps you’ve taken in the home
“I try to be conscious in my everyday life by recycling things. Buy vintage: There’s an amazing place in Singapore called Hock Siong (that stocks vintage products). I love things that tell a story! My latest purchase from them is a mirror from the Raffles Hotel (above). Old is the new new.”
Lifestyle changes you’ve made
“I love the dresses from ethical local brand Esse. They’re socially responsible and they use sustainable materials like bamboo and organic cotton in their designs. And through my floral business Ask A French Flowers, I try to use more dried flowers because they last longer, so as to reduce my ecological footprint.”
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Like this? Check out the Female Collective’s exciting 2018 plans, eco-friendly fashion labels to shop and natural beauty brands to know.
