At Cocofloss, we believe in taking the time to reflect at the end of each year to think about which products and practices worked best for us. What things helped to bring more bliss to your days? Which activities made life richer? We’re all about leveling up and finding small ways to make life a little sweeter each day. Check out what helped to lift team Cocofloss in 2018!
Sammie
Two thousand eighteen was my first full year at Cocofloss - and my first full year of flossing (almost) daily! Incorporating Cocofloss into my daily routine has definitely had one of the most significant impacts on my health this year. I visited my dentist and hygienist a few weeks ago, and both have noticed a vast difference in my gum health. It’s crazy how with just one simple addition to my daily routine, I cultivated one of the healthiest mouths (their words) they’ve seen this year. As someone who was once reprimanded for poor flossing technique and frequency before Cocoflossing, this was huge for me!
I also started using a new toothpaste, David’s Toothpaste, earlier this year, and it has entirely changed my tooth game! I had been using the same big brand paste my entire life, and I decided to switch to something more natural after reading about the harm some of the chemicals used in them can cause. After all, your mouth is the entryway to everything you put into your body, and so we should be using only the cleanest and best-performing products in this space!
Chrystle
After reading neuroscientist Matthew Walker’s Why We Sleep, I became obsessed with sleep! As a dentist, I live and breathe oral hygiene every day, but never before paid much attention to my sleep hygiene. The book drove home why we humans all need to sleep about 8 hours each night. I previously had been accustomed to operating on 6 to 7 hours of nightly rest, but now make a point of giving myself time for 8! I go to bed and wake up at around the same time every day. I feel great and, don’t need coffee anymore, and [knock on wood] haven’t gotten sick in over a year! I highly recommend that everyone makes more room in their schedules for sleep.
Another thing I discovered last year and continue to love is the Breathe app on my iWatch. No matter where I am, I can sneak in a few minutes of easy meditation using this app. It gently vibrates at a slow, easy tempo to time deep, calming breaths. Because I can pre-set the minutes or number of breaths I want to take, I never have to worry about running late or getting carried away with my mid-day meditation. Especially on the crazy days, I like to take a few moments for myself to just re-set and breathe.
Cat
Last year, I started practicing yoga regularly. It’s often chilly in San Francisco, and my daily schedule can be nuts. Yoga is my dedicated time to heat up from the SF fog, to slow down, to get stronger, to focus my mind, and to relax. I especially love Ritual Hot Yoga in San Francisco and Y7 Studio in New York City. Both are heated, candlelit yoga classes where you flow to music and beats. Yoga is my daily self-indulgence. It’s a dance party, massage, meditation, and strengthening session all in one.
With regards to self-care, I’ve had dry skin for as long as I can remember. Dry skin tends to flare up when I’m stressed, when I sweat, or when I spend time in dry, cold areas. My best friend from college frequently points out my lizardly shins! This year, I started applying a homemade mix of cold-pressed coconut oil and shea butter to my skin after I shower. Coconut oil locks in moisture, and it feels so luxurious. My legs are looking less reptilian lately thanks to coconuts!
As I turned 31 last year, I decided it’s time to start thinking more about anti-aging skincare. I’ve become more disciplined about wearing sunscreen, and I lather on SPF 40 mineral sunscreen by Supergoop in rain or shine. I also found a facial serum by Caudalie at Violet Grey with purportedly anti-aging resveratrol and grape seed oil extracts. Whether it’s making my skin younger or not, the oil feels and smells divine.
And of course, I’m flossing with Cocofloss! I love taking floss breaks at the office to stretch my legs and to refresh my smile between snacking. My friends used to call me the snacking queen as I’m the most reliable desk snacker. May Cocofloss save the queen from all those snacking-induced cavities!
Caroline
This year (in addition to Cocofloss of course!), I discovered some practices and products that made a huge difference in my life. Firstly, I stumbled across Herbivore Botanicals, and have completely fallen in love with their skincare products! From the sleek and beautiful design and packaging, to the good-for-you ingredients, and overall breadth of product offerings, I’ve become a huge fan. I overhauled my skincare regimen, and particularly love - and recommend! - The Pink Cloud moisturizer. Secondly, I’ve always been an athlete and constantly look for new ways to improve and mix up my routine, and this year I started following Kelsey Wells, a trainer on the SWEAT app by Kayla Itsines! She’s motivational and strong and inspires me to reach new limits inside and outside the gym. Over the past year, I’ve gotten stronger and more confident, and just this past weekend, I finally did a 30” box jump for the first time
Lastly, I co-founded and participated in the first-ever Cocofloss Balance and Bliss Summer Challenge, which embodies everything we believe here at Cocofloss. It was a great opportunity to reset and focus on habit-forming, positive changes every week throughout the summer. I encourage you to join us next year!
Melissa
I started 2018 with an incredible trip to Hong Kong with my parents for research and content creating for completing The Golden Pig Kitchen: My Hong Kong Cantonese Cookbook. Although I’ve traveled quite a lot to HK due to my career in the fashion industry and personal vacations, it was an extraordinary trip since the last time I visited with my parents to HK was when I was in kindergarten. It was such a unique experience to celebrate Chinese New Year, my birthday, and to be immersed in the birthplace of my parents. Family, food, culture, language, and tradition brings us all together.
Spring led me to various creative adventures advising leaders in the culinary space. Food has always been an inspiration for a healthier life, as food is a holistic medicine. It’s also the most powerful medium to transport people by awakening all of their five senses, with the ability to carry individuals to specific memories in time. Food inspires me to live life with balance and bliss. Balance is at the core of HK Cantonese cooking. There is not one focal ingredient as the lead actress, but instead, all ingredients are unique and balanced like an ensemble cast in a film.
Summer was even brighter when I joined the Cocofloss team, reuniting with my Wellesley sister/Co-founder Dr. Chrystle Cu and her sister/Co-founder CEO, Cat Cu. The magic of the Cu sisters is real! As Head of Product, Merchandising and Operations, I invite you all to join us for incredible adventures in 2019, the year of the Pig! But first, let me floss daily for this 21-day Floss Challenge!
