TGG003: The Beginner's Guide to Glowing Skin
FOCUS OF THE WEEK: Skincare 101
I’m fairly obsessive about my skincare routine, and you should be too. Ironically my skinthusiasm (roll with it) is the product of laziness: if you have a solid foundation of healthy, glowing skin, then you don’t need to wear much makeup. Plus, any makeup you do apply is going to look bomb. Think of it like a slice of Joe’s Pizza: the plain slice alone is so damn good that adding pepperoni or any other toppings would just be like- “WHAAAT?! I didn’t think it could get even better!” We’re not trying to “fix” anything. We’re just talking about how to maximize and celebrate the gorgeous skin we’re born in.
“As kids, we’re taught how to properly brush our teeth, but really they should do it for skincare as well. The skin is the largest organ of the body, and people look at it as a luxury—they are so wrong. I’m hoping more and more people will protect themselves with the right products and tools.”
– Georgia Louise, Facialist
What Even is Our Skin?
Our skin is the baddest b*tch around. Did you know skin alerts our immune system to viruses and infectious agents, regulates our body temperature, AND picks up on feelings like touch and pain, relaying them to the brain? When fall rolls around and you’re so pumped to send that “Pumpkin spice everything!!!” snapchat of your Starbucks latte that you spill it all over yourself, thank your skin for regularly shedding dead cells and generating new ones, preventing you from looking like a raisin.
"So help me god Jessica I'll sacrifice anything and everything to get that perfect pumpkin picking insta for you."
How Do We Treat Our Skin Like the Queen She Is?
We’re going to start by shifting our perception of skincare, remembering that it is in the eye of the beholder. We have this idea that people – women especially – should have flawless skin, and we have the tools to make ourselves glow if we just try hard enough. Let’s get rid of these misconceptions. If you have oily skin like I do, let’s embrace that and find ways to care for your skin that leave you feeling beautiful. Caring for yourself is the wind beneath your wings, giving you the confidence you need to go out there and grab life by the lapels.
Btw @men: Don’t skimp on skincare. Grooming has never been sexier.
Tha Routine
#1 Cozy up. Throw on your jammies or sumthin comfy. Press “play” on a guilty pleasure podcast or a dope TV show soundtrack. Stand in front of the mirror and look at yourself. Look at each of your eyebrow hairs. Do that weird stuff we all do as we start to unwind at the end of the day.
#2 *Cleanser Fun fact: you need to remove makeup before using a cleanser. I use coconut oil for removing makeup, as it’s both natural and effective. Then you can use cleanser. You need a good cleanser that removes dirt and all the pore-clogging crap that gets on our skin. Just make sure it’s soap-free and therefore not too harsh for your face.
Twice a day, wet the face with warm water, wash thoroughly, and wipe away any excess soap with a warm, clean cloth. Bioderma Sensibio H2O and Glossier’s Milky Jelly Cleanser are both good options. I’m regularly moving and sweating, so for a quick on-the-go cleanse (like after a workout class), Clinique Cleansing Wipes are there to help.
#3 Toner Toner removes any remaining dirt and impurities still hanging around. It also acts as a gentle daily exfoliant, allowing products to get into your skin. Our pores are like itty bitty swimming pools, and without exfoliating, the products we put on our skin cannot fill the pools. Using a cotton ball, I wipe my face with La Roche-Posay Toner for Oily Skin in outward strokes.
#4 *Serum Targeted serum acts like a supplement for curing your skin’s deficiencies. Just as I have low iron levels and take a pill each morning to compensate, I have fairly red skin and need a serum with niacinamide (like Super Pure) to counteract. Whether your skin needs hydration or maybe acne help, there is a serum out there that’s tailored to you.
Are you extra like me? Check out this funny little vibrating stick I use to apply my serum. The tool massages the liquid into my face and leaves me feelin lavish.
#5 Eye Cream Did you know our eyes are the first thing to start showing signs of aging? After applying serum, I use this amazing Avocado eye cream from Kiehl’s that leaves my eyes feeling like they just chugged a bottle of Evian. A little goes a long way, so I scoop a tiny bit onto my ring finger and gently tap the cream under and around my eyes.
#6 *Moisturizer A light but effective moisturizer is a must. I know some people blame moisturizers for break outs, but zits are actually often the result of an imbalance in your system. Glossier Priming Moisturizer gets the job done, as does Kiehl’s Ultra Facial Moisturizer.
#7 Oil In my (un)professional opinion, oils are the closest thing we have to a fountain of youth. Every evening I mix two drops of oil into moisturizer on the back of my hand and massage it into my face. Using a towel, I then lightly pat any excess oil still sitting on the skin. For best results, Rescue Spa owner Danuta Mieloch recommends using oils intermittently (otherwise they won’t balance out your skin). “Create your own little apothecary and bring things in and out of rotation.”
#8 *Sunscreen If nothing else, apply sunscreen. Do not pass go, do not collect $200 without it. I don’t care if it’s an $8 bottle from CVS; get that SPF on your skin.
#9 Get horizontal Now that you are a glowing goddess who is not to be f***ed with, light a lavender candle and sail into bed with the comfyness and grace of Julie Andrews mattress surfing in The Princess Diaries 2.
The good news is you don’t have to product lasagna your face more than once a day (idek who has time for that). In the morning, I do a quick cleanser-and-moisturizer one-two punch.
*
I get that a good skincare routine requires time and $$. That’s why I put “*” next to the steps I feel are necessary. Feel free to keep the other steps on the bench as you develop basic habits. But like any smart coach, remember to eventually give those other great players some court time.
Extras
For you advanced skin folks:
Ya know how at Sweetgreen you can tack on all the extra toppings you want? Skincare is the same. If the steps we discussed are the Kale Caesar salad, then consider these optional extras the roasted chicken, toasted almonds, and hot chickpeas that you can pay a little more for:
Mask A couple times a week, give your skin a reset by applying a mask like these ones from Dr. Jart or this hilarious bubble clay mask sold on Amazon.
Silk pillowcase Okay I know I’m doing the most with this one, but I recently bought a silk pillowcase that’s soft on my hair and gentle on my face without being absurdly expensive.
Exfoliator Exfoliate 1-2 times per week. Pixi Glow Tonic and Kiehl’s Papaya Scrub are just a couple of the many great products out there that can gently do away with dead skin cells.
FML As a kid my idea of “skincare” was scrubbing my face with St. Ives with the tenacity of a child who spilled soda on her mother’s favorite white sofa. Turns out I was microtearing my skin *pretends to laugh but actually cries.
P.S. Bradley Cooper didn’t let Lady Gaga wear any makeup for most of A Star is Born.. so basically if you embrace your natural beauty there’s an 80% chance Bradley Cooper will cast you in a leading role and fall in love with you. Food for thought!