With a Roster of A-List Clients, Dr. Nigma Talib is Reimagining Wellness Starting with our Digestion
BY JOHANNA FERREIRA
Dr. Nigma Talib believes the secret to healthy, youthful-looking skin starts in the gut. The naturopathic doctor with a 6-month-long waitlist and a number of A-list celebs including Penelope Cruz, Charlotte Tilbury, Kate Bosworth, Freida Pinto, Rosie Huntington-Whiteley, and Stella McCartney, will recommend laying low on the dairy, gluten, wine, and sugar before suggesting something topical. She doesn’t believe in suppressing patients symptoms, instead Dr. Talib’s aim is to get to the root of the illness.
Dr. Talib started experiencing an array of digestive issues when she was just a teenager. She saw numerous doctors and specialists, who couldn’t get her any relief. She didn’t start to feel better until after visiting a naturopathic doctor. It was her own experience with seeing a naturopathic doctor that inspired her to become one.
She became fascinated with how digestion correlates with how people age and has been able to transform her patients by encouraging healthy diet changes, which eventually led her to author the book Younger Skin Starts in The Gut and launch her supplement and skincare line.
“After seeing thousands of patients over the last 20 years of being a naturopathic doctor in New York, London, Vancouver, and Los Angeles, I found a gap in the market of skincare and results driven nutritional supplements that are safe and clinically effective,” Dr. Talib tells thirteen lune. “I started with a small run of skincare and supplements that I spent years developing through my clinical research. I use these very supplements treating my own patients. What I saw was exactly what I had suspected — the amazing results and outcomes of my patients using the products were proof in the pudding to inspire me to create more for the mass population. If I could help others who are not my patients, but could make an impact for their health and wellness, this was something I really wanted to do.”
Dr. Talib’s beauty philosophy is quite simple: Beauty and wellness starts within. She wants people to understand how foods that are harmful to your digestive system will reflect on your skin whether it be acne or wrinkles. This is what she likes to refer to as “digest aging.”
Get To Know — Dr. Nigma Talib
Where are you from originally? Where do you live now?
I was born in Nairobi, Kenya. I currently live in Beverly Hills, California.
What were some of your first memories of beauty growing up?
I was always obsessed with wellness from within since I was a kid. I would always make my family drink more water and noticed how little water everyone drank. I would look at my mom and tell her she hadn’t drank enough water and that she was dehydrated. I would go around as a teenager buying various supplements for my family and friends for presents. The correlation of diet and how you feel was something I realized from a young age along with good quality nutritional supplements. I ended up working for a nutraceutical company where I really learned about quality products and how they were made and how not all nutritional supplements are created equally.
For skin care, I used to make turmeric home-made face masks in my university years, as I couldn’t afford the expensive skin care brands and I would also make homemade skin care using eggs whites, avocado, papaya, and flower extracts.
What does self-care look like in your life?
I make sure my food and skin care match my needs. I currently use very few products for skin care: my cleanser No1, the serum No1, and the creme No1 and a sunscreen.
[For my weekly routine], I use my Dr. Nigma Talib Treatment Mask No 1 once a week and LED light therapy to boost my mood and collagen. [For my daily supplement routine], I take all my Dr. Nigma Talib supplements religiously, as I know I can’t get all my nutrients from food and I can see and feel the difference when I miss days.
What inspires you most about the beauty landscape and industry today?
I love the fact that there is more inclusion and that the beauty industry is moving toward inner wellness in order to achieve outer wellness. The idea that skincare alone can help your skin and overall wellness has been debunked.
What has been the biggest challenge in starting your business?
Oh gosh, where do I even start?! Because my mom has taught me a lot about running a business since I was a kid, I would watch her run multiple businesses. This was a key learning moment for me and being able to watch her do this was a blessing. Running a business is like doing jumping jacks and studying for an organic chemistry test all in one go!
What has been the biggest win this far?
The biggest win is when I get messages from consumers on how my products have changed their life whether it helped them be healthy, to get pregnant, or to feeling optimal, is most gratifying and where my heart just sings with joy.
What would you like to see more of in the beauty industry when it comes to diversity and inclusivity?
I would definitely like to see more inclusion of beauty and wellness brands with Black and Brown founders. My dream would be to have the world look at diversity as being strength NOT weakness.
