Fleishman is in Trouble actress, Julie Tolivar, has spent the past few years troubleshooting ways to balance motherhood and a career. Through many sleepless nights Julie has managed to find her footing in both worlds and has even credited the turbulence of being a working mom to making her a better actress. Amongst the chaos of pregnancy, motherhood and having a successful career in the industry, Julie stumbled upon the shocking truth about the harsh chemicals found in everyday beauty and household products and has since made it her mission to go clean and share her findings with the masses. Julie breakdown the ins and outs of clean beauty swap in the below!
1.You star in the hit Hulu series, Fleishman is in Trouble. What can you tell us about the show and your role in it?
Well…I must first say that I most certainly did not “star” in the show! Haha! But it was awesome to get to work so much on a great project with Jesse Eisenberg and the incredible team of directors and producers that worked on the show. Fleishman Is In Trouble is brilliantly written by the very talented Taffy Brodesser-Akner who also wrote the novel. I love how the show is about so many heavy subjects— divorce, middle age, disenchantment, but finds a way to not take itself too seriously. I play Karen Cooper, a patient of the lead character, Toby (played by Jesse). Karen is a wife and mother, and when she is brought to the hospital, she’s unconscious. While Toby and his team are treating and diagnosing Karen, he creates an image of who he thinks Karen is—this interesting, complex individual who is the perfect wife and mother. His fantasy of Karen is filling a void as he attempts to answer questions about why his marriage fell apart and what it is he is really searching for. There’s a great moment when he is faced with a more realistic picture of who I am and you see, as the audience, how that affects him.
2. You worked opposite Jesse Eisenberg and Lizzy Caplan. What tips were you able to pick up from them to help elevate your craft as an actress?
Lizzy and I never had the pleasure of working together. But I loved watching Jesse work. In a lot of my scenes, I am lying in a hospital bed so I really had an opportunity to take in the other actors’ work in a way I’m not always free to do. As an actor, I found Jesse had a great way of being able to develop a rapport with his fellow actors and also focus and concentrate and dig in deep to the work he was doing. I really admire how he took a personal interest in everyone around him and when it was time to work and really get down to business, he knew how to very quickly “drop in” and focus in a way that you have to when the cameras are rolling. I think the intelligence and likeability that Jesse brings to the roles he plays really come from who he is as a person. I remember this one scene where he had this one line that was really a mouthful and he tripped up on it a few times. But he kept his cool and stayed focused and I think that is just a simple but really important skill to have when you’re under pressure on set.
3. When you were pregnant your research into everyday products led to your love for clean beauty and clean ingredients. What were some of the most shocking facts you found in your search?
One of the most shocking things I found is how hard it can actually be to get clear straightforward answers about these things. I would spend hours researching ingredients in the products I used to see how harmful they really were and if there were forms of these chemicals with different names or with different molecular makeups that were basically the same toxic substance masquerading as something else. It’s hard to find out how much of the products that touch our skin are absorbed into our bloodstream, and at the end of the day, anything that I found questionable after researching got thrown away. For me, it wasn’t worth the risk to my baby or myself. There are too many clean products out there now to take a risk with something that has “fragrance/ parfum” or parabens in it. It is quite alarming how little oversight exists in the skincare industry. Let’s talk about PFAs for a second: PFAs are incredibly pervasive not only in our skincare products but in household items, clothing and furniture. And just the very people who are targeted in marketing campaigns by stain resistant furniture or fabrics, namely families with small children, are the people who should especially be avoiding those repellent chemicals that have been shown to be major hormone and endocrine disruptors. Let’s just say, just because you can easily purchase something, don’t assume it has been deemed “safe” by anyone. DO YOUR OWN RESEARCH.
4. Doing a complete switch in your skincare and makeup routine to include more clean products can feel overwhelming. What tips would you share with someone looking to integrate more clean ingredients into their everyday routine?
Take your time. It can most certainly be overwhelming. But just know that every time you remove one product with toxic ingredients from your routine, you are doing a lot for yourself. It takes time before you are able to incorporate cleaner living into things like your dish soap and laundry detergent. Once you start looking at labels it is normal to feel overwhelmed by chemicals you don’t recognize or can’t pronounce. But, I think it’s important to know what we are putting on our bodies and using to clean our houses can, in fact, affect our health and the health of our families.
5. How do you personally go about vetting a brand and the ingredients they use?
I use the EWG website a ton. It’s a valuable resource and makes it quick to see if a product is considered clean. If it does not score well by EWG standards, you can see what ingredients it contains that are not safe and why and then make an informed decision. I also shop at Credo for all my skincare. Credo vets all the brands it sells and has a “Dirty List” that includes 2700+ restricted ingredients.
6. What are some of your favorite clean beauty and skincare products?
I have a few products that I always keep in my rotation. Tata Harper resurfacing serum is amazing. It smoothes and soothes my skin and smells divine. Ursa Major Golden Hour is my go to moisturizer. I discovered it during my pregnancy and still haven’t found anything that works better for my skin. I also really love Vintner’s Daughter and Odièle’s Rose Serum. Both of these oil serums work wonders on my skin. I recently worked with Odièle creator Josee Leduc on a photo shoot, and she is extremely knowledgeable about skincare and the potential toxicity and side effects of certain skincare ingredients which is why her brand is organic and free of pesticides and fungicides. Osea is also an excellent brand and I’ve used several of their products. I’m obsessed with Kosas tinted skin oil and wear it almost everyday instead of a foundation. But overall, I think my favorite clean makeup brand is Ilia.
7. Do you have a go to self care routine? If so, what does that look like for you?
“Self care” is really difficult to find time for when you are a nursing mom of a 6 month old and have a very active, intelligent, strong-willed 4 year old. But, it is important to take those small moments to take care of yourself: A. To keep you sane B. To set a good example for your kids and C. Don’t you have to put on your own oxygen mask before you can help others?
I try to take time out at least 4 days a week to get some good cardio in my day. I used to dance on a daily basis and if I don’t get my heart rate up and sweat, it’s hard sometimes to keep a positive outlook on life. So for me, exercise is not just to keep my body in shape, it’s like therapy. I try to drink a lot of water and eat well, but sometimes frankly, it’s difficult to find the time, so there are days I end up skipping a meal or scarfing down some nuts, chips, a piece of fruit or chocolate. Sometimes I know I should eat clean but my soul is screaming for 4 pieces of pizza. I think it’s important to be honest about that stuff and get rid of the shame involved around food. Eat healthy and take care of yourself, but it’s ok to indulge sometimes.
8. As a working mom of 2, how do you find balance in motherhood and your career?
Sometimes I’m busier than others and that is the nature of the business which means it’s always different balancing those two things depending on the particular project I’m working on. I definitely took time off when I had my two children. A year after my first was born, Covid hit. So obviously, everyone had plenty of down time during that year and I really immersed myself in my daughter’s growth during the 2nd year of her life. I’m really just getting back to work and reinvesting in myself since the birth of my son. Sometimes, I find the hardest thing about being a mother and having a career is the lack of sleep! Sleep deprivation is brutal! It’s also sometimes difficult to remind yourself that even though becoming a mother changes you forever, you are still that same person you were before—-The same person with the same dreams, gifts, and life experience you had before you became a parent. It’s absolutely necessary to carve out time for self care, and time to pursue the things that are important to your life goals outside of being a parent. Becoming a mom, loving your children, and being responsible for another person’s everything puts a lot in perspective for me. I think it has ultimately made me a better actor.
9. What goals are you most looking forward to accomplishing this year?
I feel like goals are a little like wishes in that you should keep them private or they might not come to fruition. I will say on a lighter note that getting more sleep is definitely on my list! I have also recently made it a daily goal to be kinder throughout my day. When you’re constantly telling your child to “be kind” it’s good to take your own advice. It seems so simple, and yet, I feel like just treating one another with kindness is not necessarily something we prioritize in our society these days. The world is crazy, there’s so much we can’t control. What we can control though is how we treat each other.
10. Is there anything else you’d like to tell the NEW YOU readers?
Watch Fleishman is In Trouble! It’s a great show that will make you laugh, cry, and at times cringe (in a good way) because it’s so damn honest. The performances are wonderful and it’s a story that really resonates on so many levels with so many people.
Credits:
Photographer: William Ferchici
Stylist: Charles Ward
Hair Stylist: Damian Monzillo
Makeup Artist: Marie Josee Leduc
Photo Assistant: Anna Istomina
