Rarely seen without her peach lab coat, our formulation chemist Ingrid is responsible for some of your favourite skincare formulas—Very Luxe Face Cream and Lip Hero, just to name a few. Beyond concocting brand new products, Ingrid is a new mum to baby Lorelei. She also has some pretty amazing skin and a tonne of skincare-y knowledge she thought you needed to know. So we decided to ask how she does it.
Skin Type: I'm oily/combination, especially after having a baby. I don't even think it was this oily before pregnancy, not for a long time at least. As you get older, it sort of starts to dry out a little bit more but now it's oily again.
Skin Concerns: Redness, acne, texture, and dehydration.
Star Sign: Virgo
Skin Sign: Juggler
Routine In A Few of Words: Targeted and cyclical with a touch of lazy. I approach it a little differently now that I'm breastfeeding. I haven't been using retinoids in a while or anything too hardcore. But, I'm also just trying to be gentle with myself. I'm not getting a lot of sleep and then maybe compensating for that with chocolate.
AM Routine
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Warm water
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Very Luxe Face Cream. Depending on how much moisturise I think I need. Sometimes I skip it.
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And then Nifty Fifty OG.
PM Routine
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Fancy Face, which I love. My face is not clean if I haven't used it. It feels weird if I go in with any other cleanser straight away.
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And then, at the moment I'm working on a cleanser, so I’ve been using that.
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Much Plumper Skin, especially out of the shower when you're all juiced up and damp.
Favourite Ingredient: I'm seasonal, so I love a particular ingredient this time of year or a different one at another. But I always love anything with centella in it (like Very Amazing Retinal and Clarifying Face Hero). That always piques my interest. I just think it's quite effective at soothing and then any ingredients that help to restore skin's barrier; think ceramides.. Good, happy skin starts at the barrier.
How Your Routine Has Changed: For a long time in my youth, I didn't think I could, or should, use a moisturiser because my skin was so oily. The magazines at the time—because that's how you got a lot of your information—would recommend benzoyl peroxide and some harsh stripping cleansers. Benzoyl peroxide is very effective, and if it doesn't irritate you, that's fine. But if you don’t support your skin, and use a moisturiser to combat its drying effects or practice good sun safety then it might contribute to further problems. I think I did some damage back in the day.
Skincare Advice: Happy skin starts with a strong barrier. Once you address your barrier, your skin is in a much, much happier position. Acne is reduced, your skin is smoother, more hydrated, everything works better. It's all in the barrier.
Skincare Sin: I don't know if it's a sin, but sometimes I'll just wash my face and then be done when I just don’t have the energy for anything else. I feel like that's barely a sin.
Where Do You Skincare: I love a good shower cleanse. And then I have skincare everywhere. Like I have skincare on my bedside table. At my desk. In my bag. There's always like a little tube or jar or something. Then there’s no excuse not to.
Why Do You Skincare: Because I know that it works. Being acne-prone and oily, I know that I see a difference when I skincare. When my skin is happy it gives me just a little more inner confidence to face everything else my day might have in store.
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