WE PROVIDE CLEAR ANSWERS TO ALL THE QUESTIONS EVERYONE IS ASKING
Serum or no serum? Can you use your day cream on the eye contour? Is vitamin C really compatible with sun exposure? Between contradictory advice on social media and persistent misconceptions, it is not always easy to find your way through your beauty routine.
Every day, we receive your questions, your doubts, and your concerns. This FAQ gathers the answers to the most frequently asked questions you ask us about routine, active ingredients, anti-aging, and specific skin concerns.
You will find clear and actionable answers here to build an effective beauty routine tailored to your real needs. Whether you are new to natural beauty or looking to optimize your existing routine, these tips will help you make the right choices for your skin.
1. ABOUT YOUR BEAUTY ROUTINE
CAN I USE MY DAY CREAM AS AN EYE CONTOUR TREATMENT? DO WE REALLY NEED AN EYE CREAM?
Is the skin the same across all areas of the body? The answer is no. The eye contour is the most fragile area of the face: it is the thinnest, the most stressed (blinking, screens...), and to make matters worse, it contains no sebaceous glands to keep it hydrated. As a result, it is the area that shows the first signs of aging. It is important to keep this area hydrated to prevent dryness. Some serums or creams that contain active ingredients that are too strong or too concentrated can damage it.
The eye contour requires special attention with gentle yet hydrating active ingredients. I even recommend applying a serum first and then adding a cream or balm on top to prevent dehydration.
MY SKIN ABSORBS EVERYTHING I PUT ON IT. HOW CAN I HYDRATE IT?
Start by drinking plenty of water, around 1.5L per day. This is where good skin hydration begins. Then apply a hydrating toner between each step of your routine, so the different layers of skincare will trap hydration thanks to the toner. This is the sandwich technique. Finally, finish your routine by applying an oil, which will seal in hydration throughout the day or night. A collagen course will also help rehydrate and strengthen your skin from within.
SHOULD I USE A SERUM?
Serums are essential treatments for addressing specific concerns. Their molecular weight allows them to penetrate deeper layers of the skin. Serums have a targeted action: anti-wrinkle, anti-dark spot, anti-blemish... They should always be used underneath your day cream.
Day creams are intended to prevent dehydration and protect the skin during the day. So if you want to treat a specific concern, a serum will give you the best solution.
WHEN SHOULD I USE OIL IN MY BEAUTY ROUTINE?
I generally recommend applying oils in the evening because during the day they could dilute the SPF applied as the final step. In the evening, the oil will allow the serum applied underneath to be more effective because it is trapped under the oil, which is occlusive.
2. ABOUT SOLUTIONS TO SKIN CONCERNS
SHOULD I APPLY A MOISTURIZER EVEN IF I HAVE OILY OR BLEMISH-PRONE SKIN?
All skin types need hydration, even oily and blemish-prone skin. Day cream acts as an anti-dehydration barrier for the skin during the day. Not applying day cream when you have oily skin would trigger overactivity in the sebaceous glands, which would overproduce sebum to compensate for the lack of hydration. Choose a lightweight, non-comedogenic day cream.
In the evening, do not be afraid to apply an oil — on the contrary. Some oils are designed for oily skin in order to regulate sebum production. They are quickly absorbed and do not leave greasy residue.
HOW CAN I MAKE DARK SPOTS DISAPPEAR?
Pigmentation spots are one of the most delicate concerns to eliminate. You will need patience and the use of suitable, specific skincare.
First of all, if you are not already doing so, protect your skin. The main cause of pigmentation spots is UV rays, which is why you need to protect your skin every day with UVA/UVB protection.
Use a vitamin C serum to protect your skin from free radicals and oxidative stress, along with targeted treatments that will penetrate deeply and act effectively.
Boost your skin’s cell turnover by exfoliating about 2 times a week and using a retinol-based treatment the rest of the time. By encouraging cell turnover, you will gradually fade the pigmentation spots present on your skin and make way for new cells.
Finally, I recommend including a course of light therapy sessions in your routine, either in a salon or at home thanks to our LED mask. Several studies have proven the effectiveness of LED photomodulation on cellular regeneration. To treat pigmentation spots, we recommend near-infrared light, which penetrates deeply to stimulate skin regeneration and repair.
3. ABOUT ANTI-AGING AND PREVENTION
HOW CAN I GET RID OF UNDER-EYE BAGS?
Under-eye bags are caused by an abnormal concentration of lymphatic fluid in this area and/or poor blood circulation. This is often due to a poor sleeping position during the night. Ideally, you should sleep on your back and slightly elevated. In both cases, it is important to reactivate blood and lymphatic circulation through massage. In the evening, before going to bed and after using an oil on your face, perform lymphatic drainage with a gua sha. The movement should go from the inside out, always ending by draining the fluid down the neck, toward the body's drainage pathways. In the morning, you can again perform movements from the center toward the outside of the face.
WHEN SHOULD I START ANTI-AGING?
The best advice I can give you is to start preventing the effects of aging from the age of 25. Daily sun protection is of course the best prevention, but I also recommend starting collagen supplements from age 25 because collagen production starts to decline at that age. I also recommend beginning to apply an antioxidant treatment rich in vitamin C before sun protection in your morning routine. You can also start using an eye treatment because this is the most fragile area of the face, and the only one that does not contain sebaceous glands to naturally hydrate it. This is where the first wrinkles appear. From the age of 30, I recommend gradually introducing retinol into your evening routine.
4. ABOUT ACTIVE INGREDIENTS AND HOW TO USE THEM
SHOULD I REGULARLY CHANGE MY ROUTINE?
I recommend adjusting your routine with each change of season because the weather changes the condition of the skin. For example, in summer, the skin is naturally more hydrated. You can switch to more fluid, lighter textures. But the skin likes to have a routine that remains stable over time. Skincare products can act immediately on the quality of your skin, but to obtain complete results, I recommend giving your products time to act for at least four to six weeks, the length of one cell turnover cycle. And as I often say: you do not change a winning team, so if your skin is happy and healthy with your routine, do not look to change it. However, your skin concerns and even your skin type change over time. You can therefore introduce new active ingredients accordingly.
To sum up, you do not necessarily need to regularly change your entire routine, but rather adapt it according to the season or your needs. But be careful with the latest viral beauty trends, which may not suit your skin type or may interact badly with the active ingredients you are already using and damage your skin barrier.
WHAT IS THE BEST ACTIVE INGREDIENT TO USE AT NIGHT?
For years, I have recommended alternating retinol, exfoliating acids, and a repairing balm at night. This technique is now known as Skin Cycling. This nighttime routine method consists of rotating your routine every three nights by alternating the use of active ingredients and allowing the skin to recover. The effectiveness of each treatment is then multiplied.
HERE IS HOW TO DO IT:
Day 1: Exfoliation
This step prepares your skin to receive the treatments of the following days. A neutral base, cleared of impurities and dead skin cells, leaving your skin healthy and ready to function naturally. The appearance of pores and fine lines and wrinkles will be improved and your skin texture refined.
Day 2: Retinol
Retinol is THE best anti-aging active ingredient on the market. It boosts your skin’s cell turnover as well as your collagen production. It is the essential ingredient to incorporate into your routine.
Day 3: Repairing balm
On the third day, you should focus on deeply hydrating your epidermis. Applying a balm will pamper your skin and encourage it to renew itself without the help of active ingredients.
See the feature: SKIN CYCLING
IS VITAMIN C PHOTOSENSITIZING?
Vitamin C does not make your skin sensitive to the sun’s UV rays. Unlike other active ingredients such as retinol or BHAs, vitamin C does not make you more vulnerable to sun damage and does not make your skin burn more quickly. Vitamin C is a powerful antioxidant, which means it helps prevent damage caused by free radicals responsible for premature skin aging and protects the skin during the day. That is why vitamin C is the best active ingredient to use every morning. Retinol and acids, on the other hand, are best applied at night.
5. ABOUT HYGIENE AND BODY CARE
DO ORGANIC DEODORANTS REALLY PROTECT AGAINST ODOR ALL DAY LONG?
A natural, organic deodorant will not stop you from sweating because it does not contain antiperspirants or aluminum salts, which are harmful to health. Sweating is a natural phenomenon, and blocking it could be dangerous for your health, as the body needs to eliminate toxins. Sweat itself has no odor — it is the multiplication of bacteria that causes bad smells. That is why natural and organic deodorants contain antibacterial ingredients that prevent bacteria from multiplying, as well as essential oils to mask any possible odors and natural powders (clay, baking soda) to absorb moisture. I have been using Organic Cream Deodorant - SOAPWALLA for more than 15 years, and it has always been foolproof. I know I am well protected all day long. For me, it is the best deodorant in the world.
SHOULD THE SKIN ON THE NECK AND DÉCOLLETÉ BE TREATED LIKE THE SKIN ON THE FACE?
Absolutely. The neck and décolleté are often the forgotten areas of our beauty routine, and yet they are the ones that reveal our age the most. The skin in these areas is just as thin and fragile as that of the face, but it contains fewer sebaceous glands and is constantly exposed to UV rays, friction from clothing, and repeated movement.
Consider that your face ends at your chest. Every step you perform on your face should be extended down to the décolleté: cleansing, toner, serum, moisturizer, and above all sun protection. This area is particularly prone to pigmentation spots, horizontal lines, and skin slackening.