Welcome to You Look Moist, a regular column wherein Man Repeller asks cool people with glowing visages how they achieved their supreme hydration (amongst other things). Today’s installment features Erika Bloom, a veteran pilates instructor and founder of Erika Bloom Pilates.
How would you describe your skin?
I love my skin, but it definitely needs a lot of care. I deal with everything from wrinkles to acne to brown spots to redness–you name it. While skincare is a priority for me as a result, I don’t think of any of these things as “problems” because I enjoy using beautiful products and the ritual of caring for my skin.
How would you describe your skincare approach in general?
I try to keep it beautiful from the inside out by focusing on sleep, healthy foods, hydration, and products that heal rather than cover. I aim to be low-maintenance while still being thoughtful about caring for my skin consistently and thoroughly.
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Which skincare products are integral to your routine for achieving your ideal, glowing, well-moisturized complexion, and how/when do you use each of them?
I wash my face every night with Tammy Fender Cleansing Milk. Then I use a nutrient rich toner or mist like Indie Lee Coq10 or True Botanicals Nutrient Mist, and my hero product, Tata Harper’s Rejuvenating Serum. Then, I choose a treatment depending on what my skin is grappling with that day, like Marie Veronique Lightening Serum when I have brown spots or True Botanicals Repair Serum for wrinkles. Sometimes I feel like I need a little more, especially on dry winter days, so then I add one more step and use an oil: Vintner’s Daughter Active Botanical Serum, de Mamiel Facial Oil, or True Botanicals Pure Radiance Oil. I also love masks and do them at least once a week. The ones I find most effective are Herbivore Brighten Pineapple + Gemstone Mask when my skin needs glow, Josh Rosebrook Cacao Antioxidant Mask for large or clogged pores, and Tammy Fender Restorative Radiance Mask when I’m dull and need moisture. On my body, I love to use Kate Mcleod’s amazing body stones in the morning and de Mamiel Salvation Body Oil at night. For my hair, I use all-natural shampoo and conditioner by using Grown Alchemist Shampoo and Grown Alchemist Conditioner.
The foods I choose are also integral to keeping my skin beautiful. I eat a variety of fresh, organic vegetables and healthy fats and focus on pre- and probiotic foods like mushrooms and fermented vegetables. I supplement with healing plant medicines from Anima Mundi like the Mushroom Mocha Milk.
What about makeup products?
Starting with a great base is essential, so my morning skincare is the most important part of my makeup routine. I don’t use a cleanser in the morning–I start with my toner, Tammy Fender Essential C Tonic in the summer or True Botanicals Renew Nutrient Mist in the winter. Then, I put on my Tata Harper Rejuvenating Serum. It instantly takes care of any puffiness I wake up with.
My next step is Josh Rosebrook Nutrient Day Cream Tinted SPF 30. This is a nourishing moisturizer that also has light coverage and sun protection. I don’t leave home without it. If I need more coverage or have a photoshoot, I layer on RMS “Un” Cover-Up. I like to use the 22, but then a bit of 44 for contouring. Often my only next step is W3ll People mascara in brown.
It’s rare for me to wear more makeup than that. If I do, like at night for an event, I use cream color on my lips, cheeks, and lids. I love the RMS Lip Shines, RMS Lip2Cheek, the Tata Harper Volumizing Lip and Cheek Tint, and the Kosas Color and Light Blush & Highlighter Duo. It’s fun to have multiple choices so you can play with the end look a little. When I apply makeup, I use my fingers for quick daytime application, but for a really polished look I use blushes to layer and blend. I love the makeup brushes from Westman Atelier.
What’s the cheapest product you use regularly and love?
I often grab things from my kitchen to use in my beauty routine. I use olive oil on my hair. I mix coconut oil and brown sugar to exfoliate my body. And I grow vegetables and ferment them to work on my gut health, so my skin is healthy from the inside out.
Is there anything you try to avoid, skincare- or makeup-wise?
I start by avoiding anything that isn’t natural or has chemicals in it that could be harmful if absorbed through my skin or rubbed off onto my children. Then, I look at how the natural ingredients were derived or sourced to make sure that even those “safe” ingredients are free from the contamination of toxic chemicals and pesticides. Lastly, I avoid products designed with the goal of covering rather than nourishing and healing. I want my makeup to highlight natural beauty and do double duty to actually make my skin healthier as I wear it.
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Any next-level tips, tricks, or services that you swear by to help you look “lit from within”?
Looking lit from within is all about whole body health, so focusing on movement, sleep, healing foods, time in nature, and emotional awareness are key. I practice meditation, Pilates, Yoga, hiking, and receive acupuncture regularly to help maintain this balance.
What’s your go-to product or trick for fixing a skin disaster?
Tammy Fender Epi-Peel is amazing for remedying so many things. I use it on acne, on brown spots, and on areas where I have texture issues. I follow it up with a hydrating oil or the Tammy Fender Spontaneous Recovery Creme.
Do you do anything differently skincare-wise when you travel?
I always keep my face makeup-free when I fly and often do a mask pre- and post-plane. I also put essential oils on my hands and use an essential oil spray for my face to ward off colds and break-out-causing bacteria. I love making a blend of clove, lavender, a citrus like lemon or mandarin, oregano, and rosemary.
I also always travel with my de Mamiel oils–the Altitude Oil to recover from the plane, and Settle to aid in sleep. They are so much more than just essential oils and they are absolutely gorgeous. Otherwise, I try to keep my skincare routine the same when I travel. I find consistency to be important in this respect.
What’s something you wish your teenage self knew about taking care of your skin?
I used a lot of drying products as a teenager which really–even with oily, young skin–is not the way to go. However, I was lucky enough to grow up in a home that was very focused on food as medicine and spending time outdoors, swimming in the ocean with no makeup on, etc.–so I really, even then, had a healthy approach to caring for my skin in that way. I remember my mom’s remedy for everything was: “drink a glass of water” or “eat some fermented foods”–which are still two of my beauty secrets as an adult.
Photos provided by Erika Bloom.
The post You Look Moist: A Pilates Guru With a Go-To Fix for Acne and Brown Spots appeared first on Man Repeller.
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