Some kind of wonderful...when we first laid eyes on the founder of Nuni Wellness Dayle Larter we knew this is a woman who is exactly where she is meant to be. Dayle radiates vitality and you wouldn't have any idea that she underwent a double mastectomy shortly after the birth of her second child, having earlier tested positive for the abnormal BRCA2 gene. Inspiring to say the least, we speak with Dayle about her journey and the spark that to lead to creating a new wave of educational self care products for our boobies. October is National Breast Awareness month so please join us in discovering the Nuni revolution...
Nuni Wellness is such a powerful movement towards women becoming more aware of their breasts. Please tell us about the journey that is Nuni Wellness?
Thank you, it’s so lovely to be referred to as a movement! The Nuni journey started as a result of testing positive for an abnormal BRCA2 gene - not so comfortingly referred to as the ‘breast cancer gene’. Given the 80% lifetime risk that comes along with this finding, almost 3 years ago I made the decision to undergo a risk-reduction double mastectomy and reconstruction, when my kids were 10 months and 4 years old.
During this time I recognised a need for someone to offer products, education and inspiration to help enhance breast wellness, connection & self-awareness in a fun, modern way; and decided it might as well be me! I’m really passionate about having positive conversations about how women can achieve optimal breast wellness and proactively manage their risks through self-massage.
My hope is that Nuni is seen as an empowered and sexy lifestyle brand to invite, inspire and inform women of all ages to take care of their breasts. I don’t have my boobs, but I’m here to help you keep yours!
Since the Nuni revolution how have women opened up to you about how they feel about their breasts?
Ahhh, yes – great question! It seems that nearly all of us have something going on with our boobs in one way or another, whether it be physical, or emotional. Big feelings are often linked with our breasts - stories, trauma, perceptions, puberty, relationships, comparisons, disconnection, breastfeeding, intimacy, shame, health issues…or a sense that they’re not ours – that they’re a plaything for our partners or a source of nourishment for our babies. All of these feelings and beliefs can result in our boobs becoming very neglected, tucked into a bra and forgotten about.
So many beautiful women have reached out in thanks for changing the relationship they have with their boobs, which makes my heart so happy. Not only are they grateful to feel more empowered in terms of their breast health (ie regularly getting in touch with themselves so that they are in a better position to notice if any changes were to occur), but they also report a real shift in terms of their connection to, and appreciation of their breasts. I have to admit, my focus for Boob Oil initially was coming more from a health/self-check angle, but I’ve been blown away by how much support it’s been receiving as a beautiful tool for aiding self-connection.
Let’s dive into your amazing natural products the boob oil and the scar serum, a new generation of personal care. Could you give us the run down on the best way to “look after our girls?”
Boob Oil is a daily breast care elixir that has been created to help women at every stage of life to look after their girls. Combined with regular breast massage, it can help to enhance the appearance, tone & texture of your breasts, soften tissue, stimulate lymphatic drainage, promote circulation, flush toxins, reduce hormonal tenderness, and most importantly, increase self-awareness. It’s designed for quick daily use, and to complement a more thorough monthly self-check.
Scar Serum was formulated after recognising a real need for a completely natural, toxin-free scar treatment after my own breast surgery. It seems so counterintuitive to use a product to ‘heal’ something when it’s chock-full of nasty ingredients, especially on an area such as your breasts. Our Scar Serum contains the most coveted botanical oils from around the world, with potent healing properties that help to diminish the appearance of scars,support skin renewal, and fade discolouration.Although it was designed for use on breast surgery scars (augmentation, explant, mastectomy, breast lift, reduction etc) it’s effective on scars from other cuts, injuries and blemishes, too.
Our products are 100% toxin free, organic, natural, vegan & cruelty free, always. And we only ever test on tata’s, not animals.
I know you are an advocate for preventative care being the best care, would you mind telling us about the best ways to nourish our bodies from the inside out?
While I’m not a doctor myself, since finding out about BRCA, I’ve taken on board the very best and latest (and often conflicting) advice from doctors, integrative docs, cancer oncologists, naturopaths, nutritionists, healers, mindfulness experts….the works! And the findings are important for all women, not just those with a high-risk (genetic faults only account for 10% of all cases of breast cancer).
The World Cancer Research Foundation has suggested that 38% of breast cancers could be prevented with some simple lifestyle changes, such as exercise & diet. So we KNOW that what we eat and put on our body, how we feel, how we move, and even what we think affects our breast cancer risk. What we can do is have an understanding of the areas in our lives that can make a difference, and adopt a proactive, yet relaxed approach. I emphasise relaxed as there’s absolutely no benefit it letting any wellness guidance take over your life – the stress that comes from trying to cram in every anti-cancer food group or avoiding breathing in a single environmental toxin is ridiculous and highly stressful (trust me); and stress is one of the single most important things we’re trying to avoid! So chill girl, chill.
Here are my best hints for happy boobies (and overall health!):
- 40 mins daily exercise or 240 mins over a week (1 x weekend hike has same benefits as 6x40 min sessions!)
- Fill up on nutrient dense foods – limit refined and processed foods
- Increase cruciferous & leafy green vegies (think broccoli, kale, cauli, cabbage, spinach)
- Enjoy 7-9 hours sleep
- Manage stress & incorporate some form of mindfulness into your day – meditation, yoga
- Eliminate sources of inflammation in the body
- Ditch and switch to clean, low tox household & beauty products
- Drink loads of filtered water
- Sweat regularly – steam baths & infrared saunas are amazing.
(we’re actually just about to release a free Breast Wellness Guide full of juicy bits of info like this for our email subscribers, so if anyone is keen to learn more, head on over to the website & sign up).
Best advice for young women about looking after their breasts?
I’d rather keep things light, but the reality is that breast cancer is the most commonly diagnosed cancer in women under 40, and given that screening age isn’t commonplace until we’re 50, the one thing we can do is cultivate a greater awareness of our own breasts - how they feel, how they fluctuate throughout the month, how they look in the mirror. Peace of mind can be found in this!
Most young women have heard about monthly self-checks, but avoid them as they can tend to feel more like a search and destroy mission - like you’re hunting for something that shouldn’t be there - and I know first-hand how easy it is to avoid checking when it feels clinical.
My advice would be to consider your boobs like you would any other part of your body – we focus on gut health, dental health, mental health – so let’s not ignore our breast health! Cultivate a regular self-care practise. Spend just a couple of minutes less on your face routine and shimmy your hands on down to your chest! Take a moment to give them some love. It will become so normal and lovely that you won’t want to skip it. And did I mention that Boob Oil smells so lush, you’ll want to slather yourself in it daily?!
What can we look forward to next on the Nuni Wellness story?
Oh guys, I have so many big plans for this little boobie biz! Given the sheer number of people with boobs around the world, I just want to continue spreading the breast wellness message far & wide! We are gearing up to look at international retail partners early next year & have a few other exciting things in the pipeline for the remainder of 2019. I’m just so thrilled the brand is growing organically, which reassures and inspires me on the daily!
I also feel that real change can happen by getting in early and talking to high-school kids about boobs. We can’t rely on the education system to foster this in them, and they might not be receiving any education at home, so I’d love to talk at schools and inspire our next gen of girls to get handsy!
I think the more we educate, gain knowledge, practise self-care and nourish our bodies inside and out, the greater peace of mind we can achieve. And the more likely we are to see positive changes to statistics. Yeah, so having positive conversations with young women is definitely something else I’d love to do!
I’ll basically just be here talking about boobies and creating products and resources to inspire a regular breast-care routine till the cows come home! 😊
Has your personal style changed after your surgery?
My personal style has definitely changed since the surgery, particularly with the style of tops and swimmers I wear, now tending to opt for styles with a slightly higher cut under the armpit, due to my under-boob scars. Having said that, the scar serum has lightened them to a point where it probably isn’t as noticeable as I imagine.
Oh, and because of the type of operation I opted for, the pec muscles across my chest are partially holding the implants in place, which means that when I engage my pecs my foobs ripple and move - it’s quite the party trick! So when I’m working out or doing yoga I choose to wear high-necked tops.
One benefit of my surgery would have to be the fact that my foobs Do.Not.Move, so bras really aren’t necessary –the most I’ll wear is a little soft cup bralette, or swimmers!
Current life mantra?
Wellness is our greatest luxury.
Follow the Nuni revolution over @nuni_wellness and try Dayle's products in-store at the Saint Helena Sunroom in Bangalow.