With there being so many beauty products on the market these days it is hard to know what to try. I’m personally new to the idea of lymphatic drainage, but as an all natural girl, it just makes sense! The way I see it, it is a three step process. First, you exfoliate your skin through dry brushing; makes sense, it is good to get rid of dead skin cells. Next, you shower to clean all that off. Finally, you use, basically, a massage tool with oil all over your body. I mean, who doesn’t want a full body massage?! I have only tried De La Heart’s kit a few times now, but I can say my skin feels softer and happier after the process. But don’t take it from me, we spoke to the pro herself, owner of De La Heart Gigi Vogel, to break down the lymphatic drainage process, all the nuances, and tell us a bit more about her business. Please read on!

Where are you based?
Miami, FL.

What inspired you to create De La Heart and what inspired the name?
In 2015 I found myself in need to start balancing my successful and ambitious corporate career with a sustainable and healthier lifestyle. As a result, I embarked on a journey of discovery toward mindful living and wellness. The name came to me after my first ayahuasca ceremony—where the message I received was to live from my heart. I was laying in a beach in Tulum, MX putting it all together, and “De La Heart” came to me — a spanglish play on “from my heart”. I didn’t know what it would be, but I thought it was cool so I bought the domain and trademarked the name. A few years later, here we are.

Can you tell us a little bit about what lymphatic drainage is, how lymphatic drainage tools work, and why they are so good for the body?
The lymphatic system is incredibly powerful in its ability to cleanse the body of toxins and waste and promote healthy immune function. What I love about this work, is that the use of these tools optimizes the function of your own healing mechanisms. It gives you the lightness and freedom in your body, and the fluidity that you have access to healing and detoxification anytime and anywhere.

You carry a range of different tools for lymphatic drainage, let’s look at a few starting with dry brushing. You have a dry brush for the body and one for the face. Can you tell us a little bit about dry brushing and what it is good for? Are there different approaches for different parts of the body?
Dry brushing is a gentle and invigorating way to remove dead skin cells, improve skin appearance, and promote cell renewal. Your pores are one of the primary ways your skin uses to detoxify (through sweating), and when dead cells linger on the surface of your skin they become clogged. Clogged pores place an additional burden on organs like the kidneys and the liver and can undermine their proper function.

We have a face and body tool, bc you want to to use a very glentle bristle for the skin on your face and more firm bristle for the body. We sell both in a bundle so you can get your dry brushing ritual from head to toe!

Any tips for dry brushing?
You always want to begin your dry brushing ritual by massaging your lymph nodes to optimize results, dry brush 2-5 times a week, shower after dry brushing to rinse off dead cells. Dry brush toward your heart.

So, now we have dry brushed our body and face and we took a shower. Now we want to try your Lymphatic Drainage Kit, which includes the Body Tool, Organic Jojoba Oil and Lift & Tone Body Cream. Let’s talk about the creams first. Can you tell us a bit about each and how they help?
The lift and tone cream is an all natural skin firming treatment to temporarily improve the look of the skin’s elasticity through daily use. Its formulation contains 90% natural ingredients all free of parabens, mineral oils, and silicones that hydrate the skin while helping it appear smooth and supple. The powerful blend of nature’s firming agents like rosemary, fennel, and geranium naturally tighten the skin while improving moisture, suppleness, and minimize the signs of aging akin.

Your Lymphatic Drainage Body Tool is pretty cool! Is it your own design? We love how you can use it from so many different angles. Can you tell us a little bit about how it works?
Yes. It is my own personal, patent-pending design, which was inspired by mom’s original tool from the 90’s.
When I learned about lymphatic drainage, I immediately wanted to make it accessible to everyone, and after five different versions I was finally able to achieve the performance I was looking for.

Any tips for using the Lymphatic Drainage Body Tool?
Always prep your skin with a hydrating agent— body oil or body cream. Make sure you pump the lymph nodes prior to starting your massage. Hold the tool in a 45 degree angle and use gravitational pressure. Don’t press too hard, you don’t want to bruise or pull your skin.

How often should someone plan to dry brush and use the Lymphatic Drainage Kit? Consistent use is key to optimal results — I suggest anywhere from 2-5 times a week.

What advice do you have for someone new to lymphatic drainage?
It can be overwhelming, so start small. A great place to start is with dry brushing and then build your at-home lymphatic from there.

We love that your body tool is hand made by local artisans (including some deaf ones) in your hometown in Colombia. Can you tell us a bit about why this was important to you?
My purpose with starting De La Heart was to be of service to my community and enhance their well-being by sharing my latest findings and discoveries in the wellness world. When I landed in the skincare business, I didn’t want to divert too much from my purpose, therefore, finding ways to always be of service and give back to the community is always present in everything we do with De La Heart. We root for inclusivity, we want to reduce our carbon footprint by supporting reforestation initiatives, and always trying to be more mindful and more sustainable.

We read that your wood is sustainably sourced. Can you tell us a bit about this process?
We work with suppliers that ensure that their wood has been harvested in a way that is healthy, and that supports continued, sustainable growth to minimize the impact of logging on forests and wildlife. We used to fabricate using tropical hardwoods, but these contribute to devastating deforestation. So we started looking for alternatives to these, that’s why we work with less desirable and more sustainable woods like beech and ivory. We don’t always get it right, but we are always trying to learn and do better.

We also see that you work with a few different reforestation projects in Colombia. Can you please tell us a bit about this?
Yes, we work with Plant A Tree, where $1 of every body tool sold plants $1 tree in Colombia (where we harvest our wood from). This year we also partnered with Colombian tennis player, Robert Farah and his reforestation foundation to plant 100 trees a month that yield fruits and vegetables to support the economy of local communities.

You also give fruit bearing trees to the local community in Colombia. Can you tell us how this initiative got started?
This is a new partnership for 2023 and this is the first month where we will be planting trees, naming them, and watching the fruits (no pun intended) of our efforts to support the community.

Where is the best place(s) to find De La Heart?
You can find us on Facebook and IG @delaheart as well as our website delaheart.com

It has been a crazy few years, how have you been staying positive?
I have a 10 year meditation and yoga practice that allow me to stay present, grounded, and “positive”. I also have a gorgeous family, my husband and two beautiful kids Shiva, 3 and Ronnie, 16 months old, who keep me feeling hopeful every time I look into their eyes.

What is your motto in life?
Work hard and don’t give up.

To learn more about De La Heart, please follow them via the links below:
YouTube channel: @gigivogel
Instagram: @gigivogel_ and @delaheart

Images courtesy of De La Heart.

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