YOUR SKIN DOESN'T NEED THAT - the skincare queen reveals her greatest tools and secrets feat. Danna Omari of NOY Skincare

Published August 16, 2021

Hi, pod fam!!

We do a lot of talking on the pod about internal ways to improve your health and wellness—including your skin health. This week’s guest is helping us get back to basics with a few simple external improvements we can make to our skincare routines.

I’m so excited for you all to meet Danna Omari: esthetician and owner of NOY Skincare, a holistic skincare & wellness studio in NYC. Danna’s skincare philosophy is reset, preserve, protect to show that healthy, glowing skin is accessible to all of us. We’re talking simplified topical skincare routines, facial reflexology, and finding balance—in skincare and in life.

Let’s start with why a good skincare routine is important.

I think we all know that there are so many extrinsic factors—some of which we can’t fully control—that affect our skin: stress, diet, autoimmune disease, environmental factors, toxins, etc. But, as Danna says, “the one thing that you can control is what you do to your skin.”

Having worked with clients and her own skin over the last 15 years, Danna has learned that the single most important part of skincare is to get your skin to a happy place where it’s calm and nourished. Because calm, happy skin is thriving skin.

So, how do we achieve calm, happy skin?

First, Danna notes that skincare is not one size fits all—especially if you have an inflammatory skin condition. “Everybody is different,” she says. “What’s good for you is not going to be good for me and vice versa.”

“Skincare is not one size fits all.”

With that being said, there’s one universal method Danna recommends to ALL of her clients: oil cleansing. And it’s so easy to incorporate into your routine!

What is oil cleansing?

Simply put, oil cleansing is cleansing your face using oil. But don’t go reaching for any oil in your kitchen. The key is to choose a high-quality oil that will nourish and balance your skin—rather than clogging pores or causing irritation.

Okay, I know it sounds scary if your skin is already oily. Why would you want to add more oil to your skin? But here’s the thing: oil attracts oil. So when you’re cleansing with an oil, it acts kind of like a magnet to pull out and extract grime, dirt, and any unnecessary oil.

It’s tempting to reach for a harsh cleanser, but with those, you risk stripping your skin of all the oil it does need (and it needs some!). This can confuse your skin and force it into stress mode, where it then overcompensates by producing more oil.

Because oil cleansing helps keep your skin balanced, it’s a step that lets you press the reset button. If you’re seeing inflammation, irritation, or something not right about your skin, you can stop using everything you’re using for a bit and just calm the skin and restore balance. Less is more until you do achieve that homeostasis.

How to Oil Cleanse

While oil cleansing can be done a few different ways, here’s the method Danna has found most universally effective:

Wet your face with warm water
Pump/pour your cleansing oil (Danna’s personal favorite is this one) onto a cotton round*
Move the cotton round in circular motions around your face for a minute or two, extracting any “gunk”
Don’t rinse away the residue—what’s left will be good, skin-nourishing oils that support a healthy protective barrier/acid mantle

*You could use a washcloth, but Danna has found that these can be irritating to the skin because of potential laundry detergent residue that doesn’t get fully rinsed out in the wash. Even the gentlest of laundry detergent can be irritating on your skin.

Danna recommends oil cleansing twice per day—morning and night—to remove any impurities that your skin accumulates during your day or while sleeping.

“You have two chances every single day to improve your skin. You better take them.”

The great thing about oil cleansing is that it could literally be a one-step skincare routine. You don’t necessarily need to apply anything else to your skin; just let the beautiful oil absorb and nourish. With that being said, a balm or moisturizer can be layered on top for extra nourishment.

On Using retinol/vitamin A…

One other skincare product Danna recommends frequently to her clients is retinol/retinoids (vitamin A derivatives). However, unlike oil cleansing, retinol/retinoids may not be for everyone.

Vitamin A—which can be found in skin care as retinol, tretinoin (prescription), adapalene, retinyl palmitate, retinaldehyde, and more—helps with aging skin and acne. It strengthens skin, boosts cell turnover, stimulates collagen and elastin production, and is basically like food for your skin.

For just starting out or for sensitive skin, Danna recommends choosing a product with the form retinyl palmitate, which tends to be gentler on the skin. If you’re seeing extreme irritation or dryness, you’re probably going to want to go with a gentler retinol product. Why? Because your skin needs consistent use of retinol over time to build receptors and actually get the full benefits. If your skin takes time to recover in between each use, you probably won’t be using it frequently enough to get those benefits.

As always, tune into the episode for allll the juicy goodness in this ep! We’re digging into more skincare philosophies, which professional skin treatments are worth it, the basics of facial reflexology (and how this simple practice can set the tone for your day), and how to tell if facials might not be for you.

Please share your thoughts with me on our NEW IG, @shoporganicolivia

xoxo,

Olivia

Connect with Danna:

Follow @noyskincare on IG

IGTV: Facial reflexology for digestion

Visit the Noy Skincare website

Shop Danna’s skincare routine:

Living Libations Best Skin Ever Seabuckthorn

Living Libations DewDab Ozonated Beauty Balm

Cosmedix Eye Doctor

Jade Gua Sha By Danna Omari®