By Carla Oates
It’s no secret that my philosophy has always been that ‘beauty begins in the belly’—and that for truly glowing skin and overall wellbeing, we must initially turn our attention inwards.
But this certainly doesn’t mean I neglect my topical skincare routine. In fact, having worked in the beauty industry for so long, I’ve always been passionate about innovation as well as how the gut microbiome and skin microbiome work together—which is why I’m so excited to bring GLOW F.A.C.E to our community. While the finished formula contains an abundance of restorative and nutrient-rich ingredients that have each been selected for ther skin-boosting benefits—my goal was for GLOW F.A.C.E to fit seamlessly into my existing skincare routine—which embraces my holistic approach to health, beauty and wellbeing.
Here’s a sneak peek…
Morning Walk
I find that my skincare routine begins long before I step into the shower. Every morning (weather permitting, of course), I try to get outside for a beach walk in the sunshine. Not only does the burst of exercise help to increase blood flow and circulation to my skin, but as I walk, I do my best to breathe deeply and inhale all those lovely negative ions that are so concentrated near the ocean. My morning walk is also like my meditation and acts as a bit of a filing system for my brain so I can clear my head and feel ready to tackle the day!
Inner Beauty
Once home, the first thing I do is stir GLOW Inner Beauty Essential, COLLAGEN Inner Beauty Boost and OMEGA ELIXIR into water. This combination helps to keep my belly happy and skin glowing from the inside, out. I often talk about GLOW as my inner beauty moisturiser and essential daily beauty blend—while I love the addition of COLLAGEN and OMEGA ELIXIR which further quench and nourish my skin.
Cleanse
The cleanser that I’m currently loving is Sodashi’s Calm Clay Cleanser. I have always been such a huge fan of their products and this particular formula is so gentle and helps to balance my skin. It also smells beautiful!
When I have the time, I also love to make my own oil cleanser made with sweet almond, apricot kernel and jojoba oils. Oil cleansers are a great way to remove dirt and makeup from the skin. Simply massage the oil into the skin and remove with a damp muslin cloth.
Tone
After cleansing, I use our Probiotic Skin Refiner to gently exfoliate and infuse my skin with hydration. Even though we’ve created this product for a long time, I still feel like it’s my skin secret! As a by-product of our exclusive bio-fermentation process, this liquid elixir is naturally rich in lactic acid and helps to boost and nourish your skin’s microbiome—as well as increase natural moisturising factors in the skin and promote collagen synthesis!
GLOW F.A.C.E
Next, I massage a few drops of GLOW F.A.C.E into my skin and neck. It’s a super lightweight formula which I love and although it feels like a face oil, it’s more accurately a supernutrient formula that reduces fine lines and wrinkles, firms and tones the skin, whilst simultaneously balancing and strengthening the skin’s microbiome. When formulating, my goal was to infuse as many antioxidants and skin-loving plant extracts into the final blend as possible and I’m so thrilled with the end result. It truly is a multitasking formula with over 20 amazing plant extracts, active ingredients like vitamins A, C and E as well as Bakuchiol—which is a vegan alternative to retinol proven in clinical trials to reduce fine lines and wrinkles, improve skin elasticity and pigmentation—sea buckthorn berry and Kakadu plum, as well as vegan squalene and a unique prebiotic and postbiotic extract that truly enhances skin glow. The final formula also has a luxe velvety feel and it’s truly a transformative product! In fact, in a consumer trial 95% noticed an improvement in skin dryness after using the product.
Moisturise
Often I find that I don’t need to apply moisturiser after GLOW F.A.C.E, but coming into the cooler months, I will likely use a little moisturiser to help further lock in all the goodness. My favourite moisturiser at the moment is Emma Lewisham’s Supernatural Creme. It’s packed with ingredients that help to regenerate collagen—and the texture is super smooth and the scent is lovely.
Finish
The final step in my skincare routine is to use Flora Fix Balm on my lips and around the eyes. I find that during winter, the delicate skin around my eyes can be even drier than normal so this luxe balm helps to lock in moisture and reduce fine lines. Containing camellia and rosehip oil as well as vitamin E and bio-fermented coconut, it’s a super-hydrating formula that is always in my handbag!
