Cruelty-free & Sustainable Cashmere is finally here!/ Lana Ecológica y Libre de Crueldad!

It’s EARTH MONTH! This means I will be promoting sustainable and ethical brands now more than ever in the hopes that you connect with them and choose to support their world-changing missions. Starting with Naadam, a sustainable and ethical fashion brand I’m beyond proud to partner with to bring this HUGE ECO GIVEAWAY for you! As I’ve shared with you before, I haven’t worn cashmere or any other type of wool in years because of the cruel animal practices behind the industry (animals having their tails cut off, left with wounds open, bleeding to death, etc) but Naadam is reshaping this! Naadam is the first ethical and cruelty-free cashmere brand in the market! How are they doing it right? Beautifully and mindfully! All animals are hand-combed (not sheared!) and are cared for and treated humanely as a WAY OF LIFE, not merely a practice. They also pay their herders 50% more and…. (wait for it!)…. use ahimsa silk! This is silk that has been produced by waiting for the silkworms to hatch from their cocoons and later boiling the empty cocoons rather than the boiling the live silkworms, like ordinary silk methods. Naadam also uses clean energy-powered manufacturing, non-toxic dyes, and is rolling out biodegradable plastic bags. This is the only cashmere brand that is Cradle to Cradle certified for their high standards focused on protecting the earth and basic human rights. As if all this weren’t incredible enough, Naadam also makes sure the goats get veterinary care on a yearly basis to prevent harmful diseases, and constantly looks for ways of offsetting their CO2 emissions.

Their line is gorgeous, warm and comfortable, and there are a few pieces I adore so much I’ve been wearing on a weekly basis! Below are the photos of my favorite styles, AND…. the details for this $4,500 GIVEAWAY featuring some of my favorite brands! The sustainable kind!

ECO Giveaway:

Naadam and I have partnered with @the_citizenry, @reformation, @tataharperskincare, @avocadomattress, and @packagefreeshop to gift a lucky soul over $4,500 in products to help you live your best eco-friendly life!

The winner will receive:

- $500 Gift Card from @naadam.co

- $500 Gift Card from @reformation

- Avocado Green Mattress of any size and Two Green Pillows from @avocadomattress

- $250 Gift Card from @packagefreeshop

- A personalized skincare consultation for a customized regimen up to $500 from @tataharperskincare

- $500 Gift Card from @the_citizenry

To participate, click here. The details are in the landing page!

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(ESPAÑOL)

Es el mes de la madre tierra, lo que significa que estaré compartiendo marcas ecológicas y éticas ahora más que nunca! Comenzando con Naadam, una marca de moda ética y sostenible de la cual estoy super orgullosa de asociarme. Como he compartido con ustedes antes, no he usado cashmere ni ningún otro tipo de lana en años debido a las crueldad hacia los animales detrás de esta industria (animales que les cortan las colas, dejan con heridas abiertas y desangrándose, etc.) pero Naadam está remodelando eso! Esta es la primera marca de cashmere ética y libre de crueldad! ¿Cómo lo están haciendo? Maravillosamente y conscientemente! Todos los animales se peinan a mano (no los rapan/rasuran/cortan!) y se cuidan y tratan humanamente como un manera DE VIDA, no simplemente una práctica. También pagan a sus pastores 50% más que el mercado …. (¡esperen!)…. usan seda ahimsa! Esta es seda vegana y pacífica que se produce esperando a que los gusanos de seda salgan de sus capullos, e hirviendo los capullos vacíos en lugar de hervirlos con los gusanos adentro y vivos, como hacen en los métodos de seda comunes. @naadam.cotambién utiliza energía limpia, tintes no tóxicos, y está lanzando bolsas de plástico biodegradables! Esta es la única marca de cashmere que tiene la certificación Cradle to Cradle por sus altos estándares centrados en la protección de la tierra y los derechos humanos. Otras practicas que me encantan de Naadam, se aseguran que todos los animales sean vistos por veterinarios anualmente para prevenir enfermedades, y buscan constantemente nuevas maneras de compensar sus emisiones de CO2!

Su linea es hermosa y cómoda! Abajo les comparto unas fotos de mis prendas favoritas las cuales uso casi todas las semanas! Y hoy, les tenemos una sorpresa!! Un sorteo ecológico de $4,500 de marcas eco que AMO!! Una personita con mucha suerte ganará los siguientes productos:

SORTEO ECO:

-$500 en ropa de Naadam

-$500 en un gift card de @the_citizenry

-$500 en un gift card de @reformation

-Una consulta de @tataharperskincare más $500 en productos

-Colchón ecológico de cualquier tamaño y dos almohadas orgánicas de @avocadomattress

-$250 en un gift card de @packagefreeshop

Para participar, haz click aquí! Los detalles están en la pagina web de Naadam.

A piece of my story & an eco-friendly mattress!

I have a little story to share with and it all starts with a new eco-friendly mattress. Some might understand, others might judge but truth is, this story is part of my personal and entrepreneurial journey and I’m actually very proud of it! Those that have been following me since I created this blog and @waterthruskin 3.5 years ago, know what I’ve been through to get to where I am today. For those that just joined us, here’s a little summary. I went from being a successful but very frustrated and depressed private banker to leaving it all to become a conscious lifestyle blogger and travel the world writing about eco-friendly hotels, sustainable fashion, genuine happiness and holistic healing. To achieve this dream of mine, I had to step out of my comfort zone, take risks and along the way...I lost it all! I hit many (much-needed!) rock-bottoms, jumped from home to home and ended up sleeping in my mom’s couch for months until the hard work and struggle paid off and I was able to get my own place. Part of my transition involved learning how to detach from all my material attachments and understand that abundance is only good when we use it to create positive change. (There’s a big difference between abundance and greediness! Confusing the two is what pushes us to get lost in ego.) So, for the past two years, I’ve spent and invested my earnings as a blogger and entrepreneur in a wise and conscious way. Including my apartment which I decorated in an eco-friendly way. Every detail and product in here is either vintage, recycled, reused, fairtrade or a gift. I honestly think I decorated this 600sf place with an $800 budget! The biggest issue was my mattress. I wanted an eco and vegan one that did not release toxins while I slept nor had wool inside (like most organic mattresses). Prices for mattresses like that range from $1500-$4000! So I told myself I would get mine once I achieved the things that needed to be done first. Entrepreneurial things, mostly. Building two ethical business that are now giving their first fruits and flowers! Every penny I made during the past two years went to trademarks, lawyers, documents, websites, platforms, and building a strong foundation for my dreams. This is the behind-the-scenes you guys normally don’t get to see, and one I truly want to share with you so you realize that we can never judge a book by its cover because there's always a story behind it. Always! Influencers, bloggers, entrepreneurs. Anyone taking their passions and work seriously go through experiences like these. It's not all perfect like some people show on social media. We have ups and downs and struggles, too. It's part of being human and amazing, if you ask me! I never became a victim of my story, instead, I found my strength in it. So, my point here. I’ve slept on an inflatable mattress -with a thin cotton mattress on top I received as a gift from friends when I first moved here- for the past year!! To be honest, it felt like an upgrade from my mom’s couch and my body actually liked it! (I sleep like a baby on hard mattresses/surfaces) Until today! Today we celebrate because I gifted myself my first eco-friendly mattress! Nope, no fancy shoes or bags like I would’ve bought myself years ago. But a real earth-friendly mattress! This- besides my two companies, Co-Founder and the amazing Miami and Barcelona team I’m working with- is an accomplishment I’m very proud of. So yes! Today we celebrate! Because I’m finally looking at the world and life with a completely different lens!

In case you wonder, the mattress I got is by Essentia and is made with pure, non-toxic, sustainable and organic materials. Memory foam made from natural and renewable tree sap, soothing essential oils used instead of petroleum, organic cotton and plant extracts used instead of wool. Everything I use on a daily basis and stand for, in a comfy fair-trade mattress! 

I'm also wearing ethical and earth-friendly jeans made with organic cotton, providing fair working conditions and wages to the hands that make them by MonkeeGenes. Fair-trade sneakers made with natural and renewable tree rubber, organic cotton and plant based dyes by ZShoesOrganic. (Use code "Waterthruskin" for discount!) And fair-trade earrings empowering artisans in Colombia by MPWears. #liveconsciously

Podcast about Sustainable Fashion with AWEAR &...

A few weeks ago I was invited by AWEAR to be part of a podcast about conscious fashion alongside two amazing fashion bloggers: Jennifer of Sustainable Siren and Natalie of Sustainably Chic. During our discussion we covered several questions about sustainable fashion, blogging as a career, issues we face as conscious bloggers, our stories and so much more! I feel incredibly honored to have been asked to participate in this podcast and can't wait for you guys to listen to it and hopefully find answers to any doubts you may have. xx

PS: I hope you guys enjoy my "Spanglish" as much as I did!! First time I do something like this and my nerves sort of got the best of me! :D

The link to the podcast on iTunes: bit.ly/ConsciousChatter

The link to the episode: http://awearworld.com/podcast/2016/7/16/s01-episode-21-conscious-blogging

The link to Conscious Chatter podcast: http://awearworld.com/consciouschatter/

Happy Reality-Check World Oceans Day!

Did you guys know the oceans contain 99% of the living space in the planet and over 200,000 identified species? Or that they absorb about 30% of carbon dioxide produced by us reducing the impacts of global warming? Yeah, neither did I. Besides my love and admiration of nature, I also keep learning new things every day. I try to research as much as I can, especially when it comes the impact of our steps on this planet. From brands that are natural, ocean-safe, and cruelty-free, to products that are sustainable, to hotels that are eco-friendly. There's honestly so much we can do and learn from each other during this chosen conscious journey. All we have to do is spend less time analyzing the meaning of life, and more time recognizing it when it stands right before us. Like the ocean. It beholds the secret to life and instead of protecting it, we are poisoning it with products we buy out of habit with zero clue that they may end up in our waters. Plastic bottles, plastic bags, plastic straws, plastic caps. Plastic! It's been said that enough plastic has been thrown away by us to circle the earth 4 times!!! That is plastic that takes up to 1000 years to degrade! And plastic that ends up floating in our oceans and killing thousands of species per year. Plastic bags, facial scrubs (YES! Those micro-beads are non-biodegradable!), shoes, plastic bottles and dishes, etc. Our trash is the leading cause of "44 percent of all seabird species, 22 percent of cetaceans, all sea turtle species and a growing list of fish species" being documented with plastic in or around their bodies. Luckily, like everything in life, there's a solution. We CAN put a stop to this and it all starts with our daily actions. Nope, you don't need to be a millionaire to make a difference in our world! Together, with baby steps, we can help heal and preserve our planet for our future generations. With that being said, here are some suggestions for you guys. I apply them to my day-to-day and they are easier than they seem. Trust me! Happy #WorldsOceanDay!

1) Ditch the plastic bottles and cups! I know it's hard. Specially when you're on the run. I've reduced my consumption of plastic bottles and cups significantly by taking my glass water bottle or flask with me everywhere.  Here are two eco-friendly options that will make your life so much easier.

• BKR glass bottle (I have the 1L bottle, which means that refilling and drinking it twice per day gives me the recommended daily water dose. 2L for women. 3 L for men.)
• Fressko Bamboo glass flask (options for coffee/tea available as well)

2) Say no to plastic straws. This is a huge issue, guys! I've seen heartbreaking videos of rescuers taking plastic straws out of the nose of sea turtles! Please order paper straws or no straw at all whenever you get a drink. A friend of mine started a movement in Ecuador called #sinsorbeteporfavor (no straw please). Let's start something like that everywhere. What do you say?

3) Use beauty products labeled as ocean-safe. Specially sun-block! If not, the chemicals of whatever you put on your skin will end up in our waters and poison sea earthlings and reefs. Here are my favorite brands:

• Baiser Beauty (natural, eco, vegan and cruelty-free beauty products)
• Raw Elements (ocean-safe, natural and organic sunblock. Tinted one is the best one!)
• SpaRitual (best scrubs! No micro-beads but tons of brown sugar!!)

4) Recycle! Take your own bags when you go shopping and say no to plastic bags. 500 billion plastic bags are used annually worldwide. Time to put a stop to that!

5) Don't throw away things from your closet. They will end up in landfills. Donate them to people in need or give them a fashion makeover and keep using them. I've done that with most of my jeans (I have jeans from 6 years ago!), tees and even shoes! Grab some scissors, eco paint and go crazy!

6) Buy consciously! Choose brands that have nature and the community in mind. Brands that are using materials no one ever thought possible and are going beyond their ways to make a powerful statement. Brands that come up with products such as recycled plastic shoes or bags made from recycled plastic bottles or cork yoga mats. They exist! Here are some of the ones I adore, but you can also find more under the "Green Blog" tab or under "Kind Fashion".

• Melissa Shoes: beautiful and comfortable shoes made from recycled plastic. Company also reuses 99% of waste and unsold shoes from previous collections.
• Harveys: amazing bags made from car seat belts and recycled plastic bottle interior lining. Use code waterthruskin10 for discount
• Yoloha Yoga: yoga mats made from cork, which is a renewable source. No plastic!
• Inner Fire: yoga pants made from recycled plastic bottles
• Matt & Nat: bags made from vegan leather and recycled plastic bottle lining
• G-star Raw: jeans and clothing made from recycled plastic taken out of the oceans. LOVE this brand so much!!

7) Reduce your consumption of seafood. If you're not vegan yet, try to reduce it to 1-2 per week and see how you feel. That's how I started. It's hard, because most of us were probably raised eating meat and seafood on a daily basis, but it's worth it. By reducing our seafood consumption, we reduce the by-catch (whales, dolphins, seals and other animals that get caught in fish nets by mistake and are killed in the process) and the chance of depleting and killing our oceans. 

8) Say no to aquariums and zoos and support animal-freedom activities when you travel. Go snorkeling in the ocean and interact with Nemo. Those memories are priceless! Read about my adventures with the wild here. 

9) Keep your home eco-friendly. Click here to read the tips I recommend. 

10) Spread the word!! Let's inspire each other and create a massive wave of awareness. 

** Numbers and research gathered from: 

http://ecowatch.com/2014/04/07/22-facts-plastic-pollution-10-things-can-do-about-it/

http://www.ipsnews.net/2016/06/world-oceans-day-a-death-sea-called-mediterranean/

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Planet-loving GIVEAWAY!!!!

***The Winner of this Giveaway is: Jessica Tejera (The Walking Mermaid Blog)

It's that time of the year again guys... Giveaway time!! Over $200 of planet-loving gifts that will brighten up your days while helping heal our world. One product at a time! :)

For this giveaway, I don't want you to repost this picture but to upload a picture of yourself promoting a conscious lifestyle. Be it cooking vegan food, cleaning the beach, wearing a vegan outfit, recycling, volunteering at shelters, or even doing yoga. I  want you to post that activity that plays a big role in your life and is also mindful to our planet as whole, and describe why it is important to you and what a "conscious lifestyle" means to you. Who knows?...Maybe in this way, the movement will finally catch on. Nothing to lose and so much to gain!! Why not give it a try? <3

Ok, so...basics. These are the steps you will need to follow:

1) Make sure your Instagram account is public

2)Follow @waterthruskin @shopbubblebags @simplygum @consciouscoconut @rawelementsusa @agentnateur

3) Post a photo of yourself doing your favorite conscious activity & describe why it plays a big role in your life & what "Conscience" means to you.

4) Tag your friends and share the love!!! Use #wtsgiveaway #lifestylewithaconscience 

Winner will be announced on February 14th (happy v-day!). My international soulmates can participate too! Worldwide love and shipping, babes!!!

PRODUCT INFO: 

-BBB Bubble Clutch: This clutch is made from recycled bubble wrap! Very fashionable, cool, big enough to carry all your daily essentials and EXTREMELY kind to our planet!! ($181)

-Conscious Coconut Oil: Ever wanted coconut oil that is travel-friendly? Well, this is it! Organic, cold pressed, travel sized,  AND provides a meal to a child in need in the US.($15)

-Simply Gum: Natural, vegan, and organic gum that has eco-friendly post chew papers in that cute and chic box. Winner will get 2 different flavors. ($6)

-Raw Elements: My favorite sunblock ever! Natural, organic and ocean-safe (does not harm our ocean or its animals). It comes as a stick which makes it so much easier to apply to your face and neck. ($15)

-Agent Nateur: The only deodorant I use. Vegetarian (has honey as ingredient), organic and natural. Made from avocado, coconut oil, raw honey, lavender & eucalyptus. ($19)

Closing 2015 with a lovely feature on Cosmo Latinas!!!

No words to describe my excitement right now guys! Not only do I feel incredibly honored to have been contacted for this piece and to represent the country that saw me grow, Bolivia, but I also find it truly inspiring that Cosmo agreed to feature the conscious brands I promote on a daily basis. From head to toe, once again, dress in planet-friendly LOVE! What an amazing way to close 2015, babes! This Cosmo issue was published in November 2015 but it wasn't until yesterday that a friend of mine called me to share the exciting news. The issue will be on newsstands until 2/16/16. Can't wait to keep spreading consciousness in 2016! Anything is possible. Never forget that! And stay kind. Always! xx

-Kimono by BohoHunter. Made by artisans in Colombia. You can find it at one of my favorite stores in Miami. This store promotes handmade, fair trade and charity-oriented fashion garments. Shop it online too!

-Flower carved boots by Melissa. Recycled plastic. The Brazilian brand “Melissa” focuses on designing shoes that have the environment in mind by reducing water and waste pollution, using recycled plastic, and reusing unsold shoes from previous collections. 

-Boho necklace by Yvera. Handmade in Bolivia. 

-Jeans by Gap. In case you haven't heard, Gap is taking new initiatives to reduce water use and pollution and is part of the Sustainable Apparel Coalition where companies are evaluated on material types, products, facilities and processes based on a range of environmental and product design choices. Retailers also plan to add measures for labor and social standards. Read more here.

Photography by Bea Pernia for Cosmo Latina. 

Courage is contagious! A bracelet with a purpose.

Let’s talk bracelets. Who in this planet doesn't love them? In case you have noticed already, I’m a HUGE hippie-chic jewelry fan and kind of love to stack up my wrist with as many bracelets as possible. But here’s the trick. I don’t just wear any bracelet or necklace or ring. I like wearing things that have a meaning. Bracelets that are either spiritual, give back to our world, or are unique gifts I’ve received from family and friends. And to be honest, I believe in their healing power so much I never take them off! They are my protectors, my positive energy charms and my constant reminders that there’s hope in this world and that limits don’t exist. One of those is my “Brave” red wrap-around braided bracelet. I wear this one with pride because the story behind it is nothing less than truly inspiring. The bracelet’s brass charm says “Brave” (Klaa-han) in Khmer and was handmade in Cambodia. A country where gender inequality still stains many aspects of the Cambodian society and the illiteracy rate of women is much higher than that of men. In order to create opportunity to counter all these wrongs, Jessica Hendricks designed "The Brave Collection". Beautiful jewelry pieces carved and woven by hand by local Cambodian artisans who come from underprivileged backgrounds. Each piece serves as a symbol of bravery to empower women across the globe and to support the work of fair-trade artisans. To make this jewelry line even more breathtaking, 10% of the profits are donated to fight human trafficking and fund leadership programs for women. Each piece comes delicately packaged in a silk pouch hand-woven in Cambodia, and a Brave jewelry box. 

Are you guys as touched with this story as I am? I hope so! Christmas is around the corner and “The Brave Collection” makes the perfect opportunity to inspire those you love to believe in shopping with a conscience and giving back. There are many injustices going on in this world we are completely unaware of, guys. Lack of courage in women is one of them. Let’s help put a stop to that by wearing the courage and being the voice.  

Love, Valeria.

Click here to browse through the collection.  

A bag with nature in mind.

If you are an animal-lover or vegan or both, you've probably already surfed the web from A to Z looking for brands that don't use any part of the animals in their products. I have to admit, this is not an easy task! We live in a world where the leather industry has marked its territory (pretty much EVERYWHERE). You might find a cute tote made out of fabric but then you zoom in and realize its handles are made out of leather! Way to ruin a perfect bag, people! You scream, you curse and even begin random conversations with your laptop about the values and morals of this messy world we live in. Yes. Been there, done that! But sometimes, out of the blue, an entirely green handbag line comes out in the market. Bags made out of vegan leather (faux leather), perfectly stitched together and inspired in today's fashion icons. So stunning and so well done you would never guess it's faux leather until you read the label! Matt & Nat is one of those brands. They offer a wide variety of simple yet elegant and chic designs for every type of lifestyle. From hobos to clutches to wallets and ipad covers. Matt & Nat takes light colors and timeless designs to another level (with prices that will not break the bank) and focuses on showing its shoppers how to “live beautifully” with bags that are the product of the balanced combination of recycled materials (MATT) and nature (Nat) responsibility. From their start, Matt & Nat has never used animal-based materials and over the years has begun experimenting with different recycled materials such as recycled nylons, cardboard, rubber and cork. To top this with a an organic cherry, in 2007 they committed to using linings only made out of 100% recycled plastic bottles and have recently introduced recycled bicycle tires to their collections. How incredible is that? Take a peek. Maybe add it to your “Vegan Must Have” Christmas list. To be honest, I do that for my birthday (coming soon yay!) and Christmas every year and my friends and family accept it. They’ll take anything to avoid the “cruelty-free” speech if they give me gifts that are not kind to this planet. Gotta love the ones who understand your lifestyle choices!

With that being said, here are my two favorite Matt & Nat designs so far:

• Lucy - Dusk: A medium size handbag (size depends on eye of beholder. I’m used to wearing big hobos so this is the perfect medium for me) that can be transformed into two shapes (zippers on side) and can be worn as a handbag or cross-body. It’s dusky light blue color is divine and matches any outfit.

• Blinkin - Blush: This is the first Matt & Nat bag I’ve had in my hands and it was love at first sight! It’s small and light enough to be worn as a cross-body but wide enough to hold your everyday musts. (Literally! I was able to fit my gigantic wallet, cosmetic bag, credit card holder and iphone in it!) Click here to see brand details of the outfit I wore this beauty with on November 2nd.