6 Ways Self-Love Will Help You Crush Your Goals
From breaking free of external validation to creating joy-based goals, discover a more sustainable and fulfilling path to success.
Healthy Tech: Victoria Rodriguez-Smith
Titusville, Fla., nail tech Victoria Rodriguez-Smith keeps to a raw vegan diet. She’s found that it improves her health and her mood.
by Staff
May 24, 2019
2 min to read
Victoria Rodriguez-Smith
Tell us a bit about yourself and your career.
I am a mom of eight amazing children and am married to my best friend. I’ve been in the beauty industry for over 12 years and am loving it. I am a cosmetologist, nail tech, educator, and author of a nail industry book called A Great Nail Teacher, about how to become a good nail instructor. I take care of clients for an average of nine hours a day.
How did you decide to begin your raw vegan diet?
I decided to begin my raw vegan lifestyle when I realized that I was always out of breath, even while doing the smallest tasks. I was frequently in a foul mood, sad, and depressed.
What has been your result so far?
My results have been life-changing. My mood has drastically changed for the better. I see myself often loving life and laughing. I feel younger and stronger. I’ve lost some weight, which was my main goal, but once I realized how this wonderful lifestyle has changed me and my family I’ve decided to continue this journey. My children and husband are 70% vegan, not quite as much as me. We eat mostly fruits and vegetables and try very hard not to cook our foods, and of course we don’t eat anything with animal products. We look for organic, non-GMO, and gluten-free products.
How do you make time for the gym?
It is a choice. I absolutely feel better when I go to the gym. I take my children to school, then I go to the gym before my salon opens at 10 a.m. I go three times a week.
What’s your advice for other nail techs who want to become healthier?
I strongly advise my fellow techs to love themselves and treat their bodies like a temple. Educate yourself in the lifestyle that you want to live and just do it. Love yourself so you can love what you do.
Subscribe to Our Newsletter
More Wellness
The Invisible Hazard in Every Nail Salon and How to Fight It
From acrylic monomers to airborne bio-dust, the air inside a nail salon carries risks most professionals never see coming. Aerovex Systems reveals the source-capture and room-purification strategies that are setting a new standard for salon safety.
Sponsored by Aerovex Systems
Nail Safety Council Warns Holiday Shoppers About Toxic 'Magic' Gel Polish Removers
Products marketed as 'magic' or 'burst' gel removers may contain methylene chloride, a federally banned, highly toxic chemical.
How Beauty Pros Can Prevent Pain: Somatic Movement for Career Longevity
Working in beauty doesn’t have to hurt. Learn how Somatic Movement helps hairstylists, lash artists, and other beauty pros release tension, improve posture, and extend their careers.
Spa Day, Safe Day: Stop Fungal Infections in Their Tracks
As a spa or salon professional, your clients expect more than just beauty—they expect safety, hygiene, and peace of mind. Fungal infections like Athlete’s Foot and Nail Fungus are more common than you think, especially in environments where tools and footbaths are reused without proper sanitation. This blog covers how to stop these issues before they start, using proven infection prevention strategies for salons and spas.
Federal Research on Nail Salon Safety Concludes Due to Budget Reductions
A federal initiative aimed at studying chemical exposure in nail salons has ended due to staffing and budget changes. Here’s what the project set out to do—and what its conclusion means for salon professionals.
by Anne Moratto
Opinion: What You Need to Know About Pedicure Safety
For many people, a pedicure is a relaxing beauty ritual. But what most don’t realize is that this simple service, if done without proper hygiene and sanitation, can cause serious infections and long-term health issues.
Onycholysis: What Nail Pros Should Know About Nail Separation
Onycholysis is the separation of the nail plate from the nail bed. While it may look painful, it typically isn’t—at least not at first. But without proper care, this common nail disorder can lead to infections, deformities, and long-term damage.
What to Say--or Not Say--to Someone Grieving
Mckenzie Kool, Psychologist, MC, RPsych provides us with guidance on what may or not be helpful in speaking with someone who has suffered a significant loss.
Protecting Your Clients From Viral Infections
Clients come to you to feel their best—not leave with a viral souvenir. Warts and cold sores can spread fast in busy salons, but a few smart habits make all the difference. Let’s talk about what’s really lurking in your salon (and how to kick it to the curb).
Beauty Professionals, It's Time to Take the Green Pledge
As Earth Day approaches, The Green Beauty Community Foundation and the Green Spa Network invite beauty pros to step forward and embrace sustainability through the Green Pledge--a powerful initiative designed by and for beauty industry leaders.
How Not to Be Cynical About Valentine's Day
Don’t cancel Valentine’s Day altogether, urges Jill Palmquist. Instead, think of it as a (frilly, flowery, Champagne-bubbly) wake-up call to fall deeply in love with your own life.
Temporary Burnout or Time to Hang Up the Shears?
Life coach and Culture Ambassador of Sam Villa, Andrew Carruthers, outlines how to tell if your burnout is temporary - or if it's time to make a bigger career change.
Nail Care and Cancer Treatment: 6 Tips for a Safe Nail Service
Cancer treatment can create very specific challenges for your guest when it comes to hair, skin, and also nails. Here are some tips for working with your salon client who is going through cancer treatment to help you provide a relaxing, enjoyable, and also safe experience.
Sun Patch Protects Hands from Sun Damage
For those clients concerned about exposure from UV lamps, the Sun Patch might be a solution. Sun Patches are waterproof, reusable (up to 10 wears) block 98% of UVA/UVB rays, and maintain their UPF 50+ rating all day long.
by Anne Moratto
The Nail Doctor: Onycholysis, or Nail Separation, Has Different Varieties
One of the most common conditions that affects the nail is onycholysis, which is the separation of the nail plate from the nail bed. Onycholysis occurs as a result of or along with a great variety of nail traumas and disorders. Probably the most common cause of onycholysis is a fungal infection of the nail.
Standing Stretches for Physical Longevity
Hairdressing is a physically taxing career integrating simple stretches into your daily routine can reduce the strain repetitive motion puts on your body, help you stay flexible and strong and eventually prolong your career.