Episode 56: When Beauty Hurts: Hidden Cost of Conventional Beauty with Gabrielle Mullinix
Description
I sit with Gabrielle Mullinix, a holistic hairstylist and head spa practitioner, to talk about the unspoken realities of the beauty industry, toxic work environments, and how chronic exposure to chemicals can affect your health. Gabrielle was also my hairstylist who helped me navigate my hair loss during chemotherapy. I am truly so thankful for her and how much her guidance meant to me at that time.
About Gabrielle:
Gabrielle Mullinix is a trailblazing scalp therapist, Holistic HEAD SPA Educator, and founder of GEMPIRE HEAD SPA, a soulful brand dismantling the toxic norms of the beauty industry from the inside out. With over 15 years of experience behind the chair, Gabrielle transformed her own health collapse into a mission-driven movement, guiding both clients and professionals toward a more sustainable, spiritual, and science-backed approach to scalp and nervous system care.
Based in Austin, Texas, Gabrielle blends ancient wisdom, nervous system regulation, and non-toxic tools to create deeply nourishing HEAD SPA experiences. Her online education platform empowers sensitive stylists, estheticians, and wellness practitioners with the techniques, rituals, and marketing tools to build peaceful, profitable careers that don’t compromise their health.
Known for her intuitive guidance, honest insights, and a sense of humor that brings levity to the real stuff, because healing doesn’t have to feel so serious. Gabrielle is a natural leader who blends education with embodiment. She moves with intention, follows her curiosity, and holds deep respect for the sacred rituals that reconnect us to our inner wisdom. She believes that when we care for the crown, we awaken something sacred - our connection to self, spirit, and purpose.
What You’ll Learn:
- How chronic exposure to chemicals in beauty and healthcare settings can contribute to illness
- The real story behind hair loss, cancer, and the overpriced wig industry that often isnt quality despite cancer patients paying thousands of dollars
- What greenwashing is and why “vegan” or “clean” labels aren’t always safe
- Why the nervous system needs time to reset after leaving toxic environments
- How scalp health connects to fascia, hormones, blood flow, and even your nervous system
- Daily things you can do to support healthy hair growth without losing your mind or your money
- Why slowing down and reconnecting with your body is non-negotiable if you want to truly heal
Timestamp:
00:00 Introduction and Welcoming Gabrielle
00:07 Journey of Leaving Toxic Work Environments
00:50 How We Met: A Hair Salon Story
01:51 Health Concerns in the Hair Industry
04:06 Speaking Out About Industry Toxins
06:10 Personal Health and Environmental Factors
13:06 Beauty Standards and Self-Perception
25:36 Navigating the Wig Industry During Cancer
32:50 Navigating Depression in a Salon Environment
33:37 The Reality of Greenwashing in Beauty Products
34:21 The High-Stress Salon Culture
38:07 The Importa
Want support for perimenopause that goes beyond hormones?
Whether you (or your clients) are taking HRT but still having symptoms, not ready for it, or can’t tolerate it...there’s more we can do.
I’ll be sharing practical tools from a movement and rehab perspective, focusing on the nervous system, fascia, lymph, viscera, and musculoskeletal system.
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PS:
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