The Glow Down with Steph Prem
For those who haven’t got to know you yet, can you tell us a bit about you and your wellness journey? I’m Steph Prem, based in Melbourne Australia! I’m a former Winter Olympian and advocate for leading a healthy and balanced lifestyle. I’m the founder and director of Studio PP and a speaker and coach in the health and wellness space. Following a traumatic exit from professional sport in 2011 I jumped wholeheartedly into an ongoing personal and professional wellness journey that drives me to continue to work in the health space and drive personal and professional development for myself and my clients around Australia.
How do you start your day? I live by the Tim Ferriss quote ‘win the morning, win the day’. I'm not naturally a morning person so I have to work hard to foster positive and healthy ways to start the day. It's all about discipline, those conditions that you have with yourself - the things that becomes second nature over time and become part of your daily routine. For me that’s seeing daylight first thing in the morning, vitamins, lemon water and exercise followed by a hot and cold shower. 90% of the time it’s how I start my day and sets me up for success.
How do you juggle and prioritise self-care when you're running your studio, training and most recently covering the Winter Olympics? This has been and always will be the challenge … finding the balance or the calm in chaos right? For me it’s all about good habits and non-negotiables. Daily exercise, sleep and a positive mindset. Exercise is always my number one goal not just for physical health, but also to boost happy hormones, reduce stress, to manage and improve my mood. I’ve also suffered from a lot of chronic pain so movement and sleep are essential. I've had chronic fatigue due to injury and/or work and lifestyle habits. So sleep and recovery is something that I've really had to prioritise. It's become a very, very important part of my non-negotiable toolkit. When exercise and sleep are a priority my mental health and mindset are at their best and then I feel in control and able to manage the rest.
What does 'self care' mean to you? Self-care may be a bit of a buzzword, but it’s also a genuine practice for physical and mental health and building resilience. I think self-care really is just improving and nurturing your relationship with the “self”. Promoting and fostering positive and healthy lifestyle habits like mindfulness, proper nutrition, sufficient sleep, regular exercise and hydration and treating yourself with the love and care you would of a friend or a family member which we all know is easier said than done.
What's the first thing you reach for on your beauty counter when you wake up? Normally a rosewater hydrating spray on my face first thing in the AM.
What's your current holy grail beauty product and why? My body brush and Polished scrubs. The skin is the largest organ of the body, our first barrier to fight illness and a passageway to our bloodstream. It’s vital for our physical, mental, energetic and emotional health. I certainly didn’t look after my skin when I was younger so it’s something that has become a big part of my self care ritual as I get older.
Out of the five Polished scrubs, which is your go-to and why? Bergamot is my current hot fav. I love the combo of shea butter and vitamin E – my skin just eats it and feels gorgeous all day after application.
Any current beauty trends you've recently jumped on? I think with lockdowns and working from home becoming the new normal (especially here in Melbs the last few years) At-home DIY beauty trends have really been my thing. Home-made organic hair masks being the standout.
Are you a morning or night time body exfoliator?Definitely morning! Straight after exercise is my fav time to exfoliate! Plus I find the coffee scrubs help energise me for the day ahead!
What do you wish you incorporated into your beauty routine sooner Sunscreen for my face and body scrubs for detoxification and congestion or cellulite. As a former athlete that was out in the elements I had a goggle tan for a few years… and because exercising and training was my full time job learning to detox, flush and nourish my skin/body (especially after exercise and excessive sweating) has been a game changer.
What’s something people are surprised to learn about you? I genuinely struggle with a lot of the “fitspo” movement that exists at the moment. It seems to dominate social media and affect society’s perception of health and wellness. Coming from a professional sports background, performance was always about how your body functions, not how you look. I’m passionate about offering a more balanced perspective and promoting the idea that health is not a size, it’s a lifestyle. It’s often hard to communicate that visually on social media.
What's your go-to secret/product that keeps you feeling refreshed in between workouts? Post exercise Polished scrubs and JS health protein powder (in a smoothie) are my staples.
Shop Steph’s favourite Bergamot Salt Polish here.
