About Alexia
Alexia P. Hammonds is a research scientist, entrepreneur, and doctoral student whose work lives at the intersection of women’s health, longevity, movement, and public scholarship. With over 20 years of experience across fitness, wellness, beauty, and media, she brings a rare perspective that is both evidence-based and deeply lived. This site reflects that intersection.
A career built across
disciplines
As Founder and former CEO of Eat. Sweat. Undress., Alexia made history as the first Black woman to create fragrance of any kind in Grasse, France, the birthplace of perfume, and the first Black woman to create a hair perfume. Her products and story were featured by major outlets including Huffington Post, NBC, ABC, Oprah Daily, Essence, Cosmopolitan, Beauty Independent, the Associated Press, Forbes, Madame Noire, and Black Enterprise.
Entrepreneurship and
innovation
Alexia’s professional path began in movement and wellness. Classically trained as a Master Classical Pilates and yoga Teacher Trainer, she taught and trained professional and collegiate athletes while building a reputation for excellence in movement education and holistic wellness. She later expanded into beauty and media, serving as Beauty Director for LaMode Magazine and Envy Magazine in Dallas and appearing as an on-air fashion and beauty expert for Fox 4’s Good Day.
The work she is building
now
Today, Alexia is pursuing her Ph.D. at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, where her work centers on improving health outcomes in menopausal women through evidence-based exercise interventions. As a published researcher and research scientist, she contributes to peer-reviewed academic journals while advancing scholarship focused on aging, women’s health, exercise endocrinology, and community-based wellness interventions. Her work is especially attentive to the needs of midlife and older women, including women who have long been underrepresented in research.
Why Alexia First exists
Alexia First was built to translate research into meaningful practice. It is a platform for women who value trusted expertise, elevated living, and a more thoughtful approach to how they move, age, and care for themselves. It is also an invitation to follow Alexia’s journey as she evolves from doctoral student to Alexia First, Ph.D., growing her public and scholarly voice along the way.