Skincare Made Simple with Gunilla Eisenberg

Welcome to Organizing with Ease, the podcast that brings you simple strategies and inspiring stories to help you create a more intentional and stress-free life. If this is your first time tuning in, welcome. And if you're a returning listener, we're so glad you're back. Today, we have a very special guest whose work beautifully aligns with our mission of making life easier and more joyful. Gunija Eisenberg, growing up in Denmark, shaped Gunija's view on skin, beauty, and aging.

She believes that the goal isn't to stop the aging process, but to care for your skin and evoke your best self. This powerful belief is woven into her transformative skin services, handcrafted products, and wellness coaching programs. In 2005, Gania opened Skin Boutique in San Francisco, where she quickly gained a loyal following for her holistic approach and innovative use of oils. Her better than Botox facial caught the attention of Allure magazine.

which named her the best facialist in San Francisco. A title that brought celebrity clients through her doors and placed her at the forefront of natural skincare. Now as the founder of Issa Alex, Ghania has evolved her in-person treatments into a global experience, empowering individuals around the world to embrace radiant skin and inner confidence. You're going to love this conversation. So get ready. grab your coffee, get cozy, and let's just dive in. Thank you so much for being here today. I am so, I can't begin to tell you how really excited I am. We finally made this happen. And I know our schedules have been so big. They've been just been crazy busy. But I also know this conversation is going to be so valuable for our listeners. So let's start at the beginning. You ready, Gineah? What inspired you to get into the world of skincare and helping others feel more confident in their skin. Well, thank you so much, Diana, for having me. I know we've been trying for a little while and I'm so excited to be here as well. So again, thank you. And well, so my whole background in skincare really started because I worked in corporate after I actually graduated business school. And then I just started feeling a lot of

You know, pressure and stress. And I went away to a spa and I was just like, this is what I love. I love being in this environment. And, um, it just made me kind of rethink what I was doing. And, uh, then I ended up in a very serendipitous way. I picked up a book about hot spring. live in Northern California about spas and I read this book and I thought, you know, that's interesting. I've always been interested in skincare, aromatherapy, the healing arts.

And maybe that's something for me. So I contacted this spa, it's luxury spa that was in, um, it's a destination spa and I contacted them and they, as a matter of fact, had just put an ad in the paper and they need, they were looking for a spa director assistant, spa director that could help do private labeling for their products. It's, it was like, um, it's a hotel, a boutique hotel that you would stay at, but had a really luxurious spa.

And so I got that job and I quit my financial job and went back to school, became an aesthetician, and then it kind of just took off from there. Wow, that is amazing. OK, so now that we've heard this amazing story, things happen for a reason, right? And I truly believe in that. So let's break it down for anyone who might feel like a little lost with skincare.

Let's say someone who's listening like right this minute actually even me because I'll take this down for sure Maybe winding down their day and thinking about like I really want to take better care of my skin Where where where would I begin? Like what would I do? So, I mean I'm all about like minimalism and keeping it simple and basic because I when I work with my clients one-on-one

I always try to assess what's your lifestyle like. Do you like to spend 10, 15 minutes in the bathroom applying several products, layering products? Are you more just like, need to cleanse on a moisturizer. That's what I can commit to. So for me, it's really about the consistency of developing a skincare routine that you enjoy and that you can commit to doing every day. So the first thing you want to do for sure is making sure you have a cleanser that is appropriate for your skin.

And you want to always make sure you're cleaning your skin at least at night, depending on, you know, depending on what you have going on with your skin. But so some people need to clean twice a day. Some people like cleaning twice a day, but you always want to make sure you're not over cleansing. So first you want to make sure you have that cleanser and then you're going to remove the cleanser. always teach my facial clients. to use a washcloth, a damp washcloth to remove the cleanser so no residue from the cleanser is left behind that can clog the skin, can also give a little bit of a dull complexion. So you really want to remove the cleanser and then you can, if you decide, you can do a mist, a toner, you can do a moisturizer. There's different steps in the skincare program, but the cleaning, the cleansing step is very, very important for the skin. I think it's the key to a good skincare.

You know, have to say something. So my mom always told me, this is like one of my mom's things is that you never go to bed with makeup on no matter what time, no matter what time you get home, whether it's an after dinner or like that 2 a.m. you walk inside the house, no matter how tired you are, Diana, make sure you wash your face. And ever since ever, I mean, like I was a little girl and I kept watching my watching my mom and she kept doing this. And I'm like, there's got to be something to it because her skin looks even to, you know, look is amazing. And so

Is that something that is actually like a true, true statement to be made? Like you really should, no matter what time of the night you go to bed. It's kind of funny. there really something to be said about that? Yes. mom, that not that mom trick there? No, a hundred percent because the, actually it's funny because I have a similar story. I, when I was a teenager and we were, I was going out with some of my college friends, some Russian friends and we had been out late.

And we got home and they were so diligent about cleaning. This is before I got into skincare. They were removing the makeup and they're like, in Russia, we have a saying that one day that you don't clean your skin is like a year off of your life, adding aging to your. So that always stuck with me. was like, oh my God, you must never, never not cleanse your skin.

It's hard when you have small children. I get that. I've been there, you know, so you have to give yourself a little bit of grace. So if you can do it most of the time, that's great. But it is because you want to really get that. yes. So what happens at night is that your skin naturally renews itself. The skin cells naturally renew them. So you're helping that process when you're removing all the gunk from the skin. So the skin is not working as hard, if that makes sense.

So you're going to remove all the dirt. mean, there's a lot that piles up during the day. Environmental pollutants, if you're wearing makeup, sunblock, all of that just traps dirt, bacteria, dead skin cells, all of those things. So you want to remove, want to, and I also always tell my clients to really spend a good minute, like count it out in your head, do the ABCs account to 60 while you're massaging your cleanser into the skin so it can properly break down dirt and makeup and bacteria and all the dead skin cells. Like just applying a cleanser on and removing it is not going to do that much. So you really want to spend the time. You can even do the double cleansing method with an oil cleanser together with a regular cleanser, just depending on if you wear makeup and sunblock and you know, like what your day has been like. Right. But that way you're set up. So when you also when you are using your products, your actives or your moisturizer, it actually will help penetrate a lot better. It won't just sit on top of the skin and not do that much. So I like to think of the nighttime as a really good cleansing ritual. It's like you're cleaning your day. You've been busy. All kinds of things are coming at us and you're just taking that moment for yourself to regroup and reset. And the cleansing is like a psychologically, I don't know, it feels very lovely. But your mom was right. I'm 100 percent.

Thank you for that one. Thank you very much for that one. But I have to ask, like why, so I know we just talked about like the how and the what, but like why is it really so important to maintain healthy skin? Well, I think I'm from Denmark. The way I grew up, we're all about sustainability, longevity, and you know, like like healthy skin is a sign of a healthy person. It's just.

You know, we don't cover up our skin that much with makeup. It's more about if you have a radiant, healthy glow, it just, you know, the way you show up in the world is different and the way you feel about yourself is different. So I for me, having a healthy radiant glow is just very important. I don't, you know, I just I don't think there's any specific reason why you should have it outside of. if it's something that you care about. I think most people want to look and feel good. So I think in the process of taking care of yourself, something happens where you're honoring yourself and you're feeling better about yourself. And there are there's actually like studies that have been shown. A Susie Mann, who is like a financial analyst. She did a whole talk about women who work that is very important to spend money and time on skin care and makeup and fitness and clothes and.

You know, unfortunately, men don't have to worry about that as they, you know, move up in the ranks at their work. But for when they can look however way. But for women, it's just different. Like when you take that time and you invest in yourself, you demand more money. You just you command yourself in a different way. So there's a link. So all of these things, I just think is important. And I think as we are women and we are mothers and all of that, I mean, we want to feel good about ourselves.

Right. it's, it's little bit of that self care. Yes, yes, yes, yes. No, no, no, we definitely do. But, know, the thing is that with the self care, have to say there's just so many skincare products out there. Right. I mean, like if I go into my daughter's bathroom right now, I think I could start my own store. I keep, keep, mentioned this all the time. Like I, it's, it's not, I'm not joking. Like I'm, really not. Um, and it's just so easy to feel overwhelmed because you see the product and then you get stuck. And so like,

For someone scrolling online or walking through the stores, where would I even start? Because like I said, I could start here in my own house, but I'd prefer not to, right? Because that's my daughter's skincare regimen, right? But how could they feel, or how can one build an effective routine that would work without getting lost because of all the options that are out there?

Yes. So it's super overwhelming for people and to stand that. And teenagers right now are using way too many products. And we have to remove some of that. Even they're using anti-aging products, which they certainly don't need because they're basically like destroying their skin by the time they're 30. But for adult women, so I actually developed an online program. following my better than Botox method to healthy glowing radiant skin, take care of my skin. But I think the key is that you want to key again, you're keeping it, you're going back to basics, understanding your skin. When I work one on one with clients, you know, they're developing more knowledge about skincare and also their own skins, how it reacts to certain things. So it's a little bit of being investigative with

like your environment, what you're doing, your stress levels. It all affects the skin nutrition lifestyle. But in terms of just going back to the skincare products themselves, just because vitamin C is what's being a trendy ingredient on TikTok or Instagram, that doesn't mean that it's the right, you know, for you. So I kind of just tell people to go back to basics, get a good cleanser, a good moisturizer.

And then you can add a couple of actives like you could add vitamin C. We're talking about adult women, not children, You could add a retinol, but only do it like two to three times a week. I mean, obviously I'm an esthetician, so I think it's great if you can work with an esthetician locally where you are. I do think that you can do some research on your own, but just don't.

How can I say it? you know, I see people who come and ask me all about this all the time. Oh, this tool and that thing. And they see it on on TikTok and Instagram and dermaplaning. And I always tell people, listen, it all looks very beautiful and satisfying when you're watching a video. It doesn't mean that this is great for your skin. There so many different factors. And I personally, in my own clinic, I work with skincare lines that are not trend based. And I remove a bunch of

I've worked with many, many product lines over the years, obviously, but for me, I work with skincare lines that are effective, but that are not full of carcinogenins. So those are like the things that I feel like if you find a good skincare line, there's a little bit more trust that you can have with what they're releasing. And then going back to just using a really good cleanser. So like, let's say you have sensitive skin or dry skin, always keep the products geared towards more gentle products to clean your skin as most women when they get older, their skin becomes a little drier versus more oily. So of course there's exceptions that people, women obviously have oily skin. So you just want to notice what your skin feels like after you clean your skin. If you just use a regular cleanser, not like a heavy duty, dry cleanser with a bunch of drying ingredients with BHAs and all of that, just a cleanser with nothing in it outside of just the cleanser. And then sees your skin feeling taut, is it feeling a little dry? Is it feeling normal? And that way you can determine what type of skin you have. And so if your skin is leaning more towards normal to dry, then you would just get a gentle cleanser and use that. If your skin is more oily, if you feel like, okay, midday you're already starting to feel like oil, your skin

Your skin is oily or even when you apply makeup, you know, you can tell if your skin is more on the oily side, then you might want to use a gel cleanser. But a lot of times people who have, let's say acne issues, they tend to over exfoliate and they're using really drying ingredients in all the steps of their skincare. So you just, think first you want to take inventory of your own skin and then go from there. If that makes sense. It does.

But I want to go back into the sense how you said, like with the exfoliating and the machines and all this hand thing, I mean, like the knife that you can like use to like scrape off. And I have to honestly tell you that scares me. Like I, because it's your face. Right? And so you see, you see, like you'd mentioned on TikTok and on Instagram, they make it so easy to use these handheld devices, but it's your skin, like it's your face. And what would happen if you read the directions and you don't and something happens. It's just like that. mean, like to me, that's scary, right? I mean, like, I mean, that's, mean, like that is, have you had anything where you've had a client come in and say that they've used one of these, you know, over the counter items and can you help me fix me up? Yes. It does. So that does really exist because that's why I, for me personally, I am very

Hesitant on that big just because of that mere fact that I could see myself doing that to myself Not that I want on to inflict my own pain, but I'm just saying yes No for sure and I do tend to get people where things have gone wrong So they come in to see me But yeah, I just think you have to be careful and cautious and and just because it looks good visually on a video Doesn't mean that that's the best you know, tool for you in terms of some people can do dermaplaning is what you're talking about when you're removing, it's basically like shaving, but you do have to be mindful that there's bacteria on the skin. There's you just, I don't personally think that women are meant to be, you know, like our skin is more delicate than men. like just remove, you know, shaving it like that a lot because you get addicted. That's the problem. So even for me doing waxing, facial waxing,

For clients, I always say, well, once you do it, you kind of have to commit to do it once a month because you're now going to be so used to having no hair. So, and I do understand when women get older for hormonal reasons, you do get more hair, but you just have to, you know, it's a balance. But I think sometimes people overdo the dermaplaning and they can really cause infection and thin the skin and make it irritated. And you also have to be really careful. just with the sun exposure, depending on where you live, people live in obviously in different states and different climates, but all of those things affect the integrity of your skin. both of the skincare lines that I work with, and I also have my own line of skincare oils, it's all about improving the skin, the metabolism of the skin in a way, not thinning out your skin, but making it almost thicker, more healthier so that you have more elasticity over time.

And you're building up the health of your skin versus tearing it down. Again, the way I look at skin, it's good. You can do a little bit of actives with like a retinol or a vitamin C or hyaluronic. And, you know, there's all different or different acids too. But it's like you're poking at your skin a little bit. So it's getting revitalized and it's working. But if you go a little bit too far, there's a tipping point where the skin stops responding. And this happens over time.

That's why it's not great for young girls to be using all of these super harsh exfoliating products because their skin will just shut down and will be, you know, a hot mess really when they're older. I mean, I have a 13 year old, she's been through all of it and her friends are telling her what she should be using. Then her skin broke out crazily. And so now she listens to her mom and she uses the routine, the protocol I put her on. Yes, no, no, no. So yes, you have the 13 year old, I have the 15 year old. So yeah, so we're in the same boat. That's why I'm saying we're in the same boat. But you know, the thing is that now that we're into that seasonal shift, you know, like here in Miami, the 305, the heat is already starting to come to the community. Not as much humidity, but I can feel it already, right? Then we're getting, you know, heading into the summer. And then of course, then we have, of course, the fall then creeping in at the end. And I know that really can affect the skin. I mean, I can feel it when I'm here on the East Coast, especially down here in Florida with the humidity, right? And I'm sure you probably also have on the West Coast, you have also those climates with the seasonal changes, right? But what are your top tips for adjusting skincare routines during these transitional seasons? I, yeah, like, cause I really would like to know more so for me personally, because of this humidity, cause it just, much. you so when you go moving into, you know, away from winter towards summer, typically, you want to switch your cleanser from a more like a creamy cleanser to either like a light lotion or gel, because it's going to be more humid. So you want you know, you're to be sweating more. So you can change up the skin. The cleanser depending on your skin type, if you have really dry skin, you just stick with like a lotion.

But if you are more towards normal combination, like if you feel like you're sweating and there's bacteria, then I would move. I would change the cleanser. And then I always suggest also, I'm a fan of using a hydrating mist, but you know, that's something also that you could change to more of a like a toner that's a little bit more pH balancing, a little bit more antibacterial, depending again on what your skin is like. So I don't know, how would you classify your own skin? I'm thinking, well,

Now that I'm getting into like, you know, the age, so to speak, can sense that it's feeling it was always oily, but now I'm feeling that it's turning into how you had mentioned a little bit on the dryer side. Yeah. And so but I do feel that when the humidity comes, it just sets in. Yeah, you start feeling. And then I really start feeling it. Yes. Yeah. Yeah. So you could use like a gel cleanser, and then you could do a toner.

that will help just to, you know, could be an antibacterial, it could just be a little bit more stringent of a toner. And then you can apply a light, you know, a moisturizer or gel botanical serum. I mean, I love oils for the skin because I have my own skincare line, but it's like all in one product. You only need to use one. It acts as an active moisturizer and

And all of that. then now for me, where we live here, and I don't know if you guys have that in the spring, there's a lot of allergies in the air. I experienced. And with the blooms. Exactly. So I noticed people coming in for facial, like their skin is just more reactive and generally irritated, which happens for myself too. Like I get my skin just gets more. I have said I tend towards normal to a little bit sensitive skin. having removed all of the chemicals and all of that, my skin, feel like it's more normal that I do believe that you can balance your skin rather than always treating it for the rest of your life as hypersensitive or this or that. But we all have tendencies. So I definitely have that. I am a little reactive to the allergy season. So that during that time, you may have to switch to products that has more soothing ingredients like rose, chamomile, calendula. those are ingredients that are soothing. then, like, I have five different skin oils. One of them is soothe that has chamomile and rose, and it's more of a protecting oil for me during this time. So my skin doesn't feel irritated, it's a little bit less active. So it's a tool towards sensitive skin. And then of course, as you move into summer, you are going to be and you specifically in Miami, you want to protect your skin. So you need to have a good sunblock. And I prefer a physical sunblock one that's not chemical that will interact other ingredients because the chemical sunscreens can be agitating to the skin and your skin is skin. Your skin is an organ, right? So I'm all about the less chemicals you can apply on your skin because it gets absorbed through your liver, your kidney, your blood, all of it. it's like a sunblock sits physically and reflects the sun rays away. And then the chemical sunscreen will go into your skin. So I just prefer that not to apply something that's going to go in that's a toxic product. Yeah, no, we definitely don't though.

For those busy moms and for those busy people tuning in, the parents, professionals, or just anyone who is short on time, what would you say are non-negotiables in daily skincare routines? Like, let's say if someone only has three to five minutes at the end of the day, what should they absolutely not skip? So, cleanser number one. So really spend that time to clean your skin using a damp washcloth to remove it. You've already done great if you're doing that. then you do need a moisturizer. you can have like a, you know, but I do believe in having a couple of different ones. So you're not always using the same moisturizer specifically if you want to do add a little active to it. The only exception is facial oils. I mean, I have clients who use only facial oils and nothing else, and it's just, works for them. They don't have to do a bunch of steps. They love it. So you're getting more.

you're getting an active in the oil because the molecular structure of essential oils are very tiny. So they're mixed into the oil that has a base and that will penetrate into the skin and regenerate the skin cells. So it's all about repairing damaged skin cells. So when the new cells come up, they're copying off of a healthier cell versus a damaged cell.

So that's why the cleansing is really important. And then using a moisturizer or an oil, I'm biased towards the oils. And then I have to agree with you. I am also very biased on the oils as well. I really am. I don't know why. Maybe because I saw it from my mom using it. But there's just something to be said of what you can see by using an oil. Yes. And also, mean, the oil. balances oil production, our bodies are very smart. So if you're stripping all the natural oils of your skin, the body thinks, oh, I need to start producing more oils and send to the surface. So if you are using a light oil, of course, there's all kinds of different oils. That's important what oil you are using for your skin type, but your body then it will stop producing oils. So it's much better. And you can, I was in Copenhagen visiting my cousin. in December and she of course was looking at my back and she was in shock. She's like, you only use oils, you don't use a cream with it. I said, no, I'm totally fine. mean, sometimes I use cream, it's very dry. It's going back to the seasonal skin care. If I feel like there's a certain season that's very dry, then maybe I'll add a moisturizer over it. But once you start using oils, it's, you know, that's all you need because a cream is really oils mixed together with chemicals. If you think about it.

So the oils are the most pure way to moisturize and treat your skin for different skin purposes. But I live in San Francisco Bay Area, we don't have climate in the same way the season changes as most other people have. So I always teach my clients, have a couple of different products and you're going to have to layer some days. The weather's more dry, some days it feels more humid.

And that's, but that's more advanced. So when you're starting to get to know your skin better, then you can start bringing in, um, different products. can alternate. Um, I like alternating so your skin doesn't get used to any one thing. It's great to also alternate your cleanser. So your skin doesn't suffer from skin cell receptor fatigue. You probably have heard hairdressers talk about alternating their shampoos. So, yeah, so it's kind of similar with.

I like, like one of the skincare lines I work with, he's all about you need to have three different cleansers. And I'm like, that might be a little too much, but two cleansers, think is good to two for me is manageable three. don't know about that. But you know, And also if you work out, right, like let's say you've been working out. And then some days you just feel more grimy, you feel more for whatever, whatever you're doing. mean, I have a lot of

I have a whole group of clients out in Colorado who are all horse people. So the days when they're working with horses or riding, they want a little deeper cleanse. So it's going to be, you know, adapting to your lifestyle and what's going on. Yeah. So now let's talk about, cause there's always this, you know, skincare myths and I know that there's a lot of misinformation out there, but what's the most common skincare myths that you wish people would just stop believing?

I think that oils are bad for you. I'm not talking just about face oils, just that the skin is dirty and you want to over... The only way to treat it is by using all of these exfoliating ingredients like all the BHAs, the AHAs. And I think that all stems back to when we were younger, their marketing, where they were trying to sell the idea of cleanliness with foam.

So people have this association with foam that that means you're clean, but a lot of times that can damage the skin barrier and the microbiome. So it's keeping that in check. then, yeah, you don't need to use all of these different active ingredients to all the time, I would say.

Like so you don't need to use red and a every single day vitamin C hyaluronic acid like all of those products can be good in small amounts. But not those those are I mean, like my understanding and correct me if I'm wrong, but those are strong. Like that's it. Like that's strong to put on your skin. Yes. Right. mean, like, so like for something like that, if I would put that on my skin and go outside in the in the 305 heat here, it would I would probably burn my face with is that is that correct? Yes.

Right? Right? You'd be burning your face if you would do that every day. So that's the other thing when we're talking about seasonal skincare. So sometimes I'll modify people's skincare protocols to like, let's say winter and they do want to use a little bit of retinol, which is a milder version of redneed. That's a good time. Now, if they know like where you live, there's going to be a lot of sun and you're outdoors. I know you're out walking because I see your little... post on social media. I have my hat on. do have a hat. do have a hat because I do know because just to let you know, know and listeners know that in my younger days I did, I was always sporting a very beautiful tan, but I do have to say that, you know, having third degree burns because of my sun tanning episodes, you live and learn, you learn, you learn very well on what not to do any further. So, you know, skin and that is why it's for me, it's just really important.

just to keep your skin protected and hydrated. because, know, I mean, that's just why I think consistency comes with making sure that you do the proper skincare, right? I mean, so, you know, and I know I can honestly say that I have clients where I organize their bathrooms accordingly. So I do have clients where they do have their morning routine. And then they have their night routine. But then I have some that don't have any routine, but they do try, which is, think is very good. But for someone who struggles to keep up with their routines, what would you say to them? Like, what would you say with someone that's struggling? Well, so I have a question for you because I would love to teach my clients how to organize their bathroom. So when they have a morning routine and evening routine, how does that work in the bathroom? How are you setting it up? Well, it depends on like,

Okay, so everybody's different, right? Like as far as when they walk into their bathroom and the bathroom does not have to be large or small. It really is just about them. So, you know, after they do their brushing of their teeth, depending on where it's located, a lot of times it's right there by the sink. A lot of times they have everything in their drawers because they don't want anything out on their countertops. And so what they would do then is a lot of times they'll have their products in a medicine cabinet in the wall off to the side. And then we would then

We would then align like let's say one shelf just for morning. Mm-hmm. And then the second shelf for the evening. Mm-hmm. Mm-hmm. And that had that's if it's if a lot of times also then the products that they use are in drawers and then we organize the drawers so that they can it's an easy grab and go. Yes, they don't think about it Yeah, and that's why the the shelving is important for them so that they can see their products and that also helps them see when they start running out when they're running low on a product. Right, makes sense that they can actually see, you know, I'm running out. I'm running low on this one, so now I have to order it again. Yeah. But I think it's for my clients. It's it's the visual and it's also the ease of the easy grabbing and going.

Yeah. Cause you know, mine are the, you know, the family, the moms, the professionals, we all are short on time. Yes. So that was really good that you had mentioned about the three to five, you know, three to five minutes in the mornings or, know, because it, that's why it's important when you do have your products that they are organized accordingly. So it just makes that morning and evening routine a lot easier and less stress. Yes. So sometimes if I have people on a special protocol, I will write out an AM protocol and a PM protocol. And then they either like, you know, print it out and they hang it inside. Yes, wherever it looks, it depends on if you care how it looks visually in your bathroom. A lot of them just put it on the mirror. Yeah, yeah. So because it's easy, it's easy for them. And they just, you know, put on the mirror and you know, that that's reminds them. yeah, yeah.

So I mean, I just I'm forgetting now what your original question was. But I think like you were talking about like what steps or what? Like if someone like the consistency of how important it is, you know, and if someone is struggling to keep up with a routine, right, right. Would you what would you suggest to them on helping them stay on that? Because you know, it's just like with anything that we do, right in regards to a routine or a habit.

It takes, you know, it takes every day to make it work. But if someone's struggling to do all of these things, what would you suggest for them to maybe even just focus on that they can just feel that they're actually still taking care of their skin? Yes. So I think if you can do it in the evening, if you can commit to just doing it once a day, at least because as I mentioned earlier, your skin naturally renews itself at nighttime. So if you can clean your skin, Apply whatever product you use and that way you're already way ahead because now when you wake up the next morning with nice glowing skin and you can just apply whatever moisturizer or sunblock you don't even really have to clean your skin unless you more tend towards more oily skin and you just like the feeling I like to clean in the morning. I feel like it wakes me up a little bit and I just like that feeling but I use very gentle cleansing lotion for myself in the morning and then

I think it's like trying to figure out at the end of the day, when is it going to suit your schedule? Cause do you have kids? Are you working? Do you work out? So obviously if you work out, you want to do your skincare routine right after that as possible, as soon as possible. But if you know that you come home and you have to cook and you have to put kids to bed, it's like trying to find five minutes somewhere there before you are not too tired and you're going to bed.

So you could do the skincare routine a little earlier and not necessarily when you're brushing your teeth because maybe you're just exhausted at that point and you don't feel like doing it. So I think that some feedback I just got because I'm launching a course right now, my Better Than Botox Method, some of the feedback with the people who have gone through it before was that rather than looking at your skin as a chore, your skincare routine as a chore, that person's feedback was that

she started looking at it as a ritual for herself and self-care, a moment that she really started enjoying. But before that, it was a chore for her. So I think it's like changing that mindset around the skincare. part of why I love, you know, also working with the oils that I have is like, teach people to take a moment to breathe in the oil. It just resets your whole day.

So there's an association that you build with scent and you can whatever product, know, perfumes or whatever people are very, I mean, our, our, um, you know, our smell is one of the most important senses that we have because it's an association. You can lose your sight, you can lose hearing, but if you lose your smell, you have no association anymore. It creates a feeling inside of you when something smells good.

you know, you think of your grandma's cooking or, you know, Rose can transport you back to the garden, whatever childhood memories, but there's a very strong correlation with that. So I think like if you can change how you feel about it and find just the time during the day that works for you and it may not be, like I said, in the evening when you're brushing your teeth, maybe it's when you get home from work and you just take a couple of minutes to shift into being home and out of the work day. That could be your time to do your routine. That's actually one that probably our listeners can probably do right now. Like if they're listening and later on this afternoon, not make it part when they're brushing their teeth. That's a really good takeaway. Now, I know that skincare, it isn't about the products, right? But it's also, it's about a lifestyle.

And I know, I mean, I don't know how you feel, but how do you feel that these factors of sleep and stress and diet play into the health of our skin? And there's lessons within, yeah, of lifestyle, nutrition, stress levels. I I actually even have a course for teenagers as well where I spend a whole module teaching them about stress because stress affects your skin tremendously.

So it could show up as acne or it could show up as sensitive inflamed skin, but your skin is talking to you. So whatever is showing up on your skin, it's communicating that something doesn't is out of balance. And, you know, some people get a tummy ache when they're stressed. Other people get skin rashes. So it's just or acne. So it's like understanding yourself. And I think that, you know, I'm really into cold plunging. That's really good. So where I'm from in Denmark,

We are taught, you we do sound as we do dry brushing circulation. Okay. It's all because it's cold climate and, you know, we want to get that circulation going. That stimulates the lymph. So that's just part of your body care. Okay. It up on your skin, like dry. If you have dark circles, it could just around your eyes. The simple act of dry brushing your skin a couple of times a week could help remove the dark circles because it's stagnant lymph.

So it's all associated. And I don't want to... So basically, I just don't need to have all that cover up. I could just actually remove it and just do it. I mean, some people are more prone to... No, I know. I'm just thinking of myself. So I actually will be adding that. So yes, thank you for that one.

So in Denmark, we have a concept called hygge, which is a lot of people have heard about and there's been books about it. But it's a concept of creating an ambiance. And you will appreciate that because you are doing all of this with all of your organizing. it's like creating ambiance, setting a stage for you to relax a little bit, like just to feel good. So people care very much about how their homes look. And there's these little moments throughout the day. Maybe you a candle when you eat. that has shown that children spend longer time eating at the table if you light a candle. But it's all these little moments throughout the day. Maybe you have a flower on your table, things that make you feel good. So I think of skincare in that way, like little, it's a little ritual that you have.

It's the You had mentioned cold plunge. talk a little bit more about that because I know that that is what a lot of people are doing right now. So talk about that a little bit more. Yes. So I have a son that's an athlete. So he got me started on the cold plunging. But it is really, it's good for the body. It's good for the mind. You know, just the way I look at it, I do not like cold at all. I mean, it would literally always take me about 15 minutes to get out into the ocean because I have to, you know, kind of get used to it. But I started doing the cold plunging a little bit because of him, uh, cause he got me motivated. And then I have a friend who has a beautiful property in Colorado. And during COVID we would go out there and she has a river that runs through her property. So we started going down there and doing the cold plunge every day. And you kind of just love it. Like, I mean, I, again,

it took me a while to be able to actually do it. But eventually I was able to. So how long do you do the cold plunge for? So only like a minute, two minutes? Yeah, I mean, long as you can. As long as you can. Okay. Yeah. So but but that said, as it turns out, my girlfriend's neighbor, she's from Holland, and she worked with the

What's his name? I'm forgetting right now that I Wim Hof, who's all about cold plunging. So she worked with him. So I asked her for women for the purpose of women. It's we're not like, you know, the men. So we do have to protect our female organs. So sitting 10 minutes is not necessarily great for women is what she said. But and depending on your personality, like if you have a very like type A personality, maybe

You want to dial it back a notch. But if you have a more sluggish, can do it a little bit. You just have to modify it a little bit. What I do, because I don't have a river that runs through my property. I mean, I do have, I live by the coast. So I do have the ocean. I actually, at the end of my shower, I turn it to ice cold. And I'm very proud of myself. because something I would never have thought that I could do. But I literally started this during COVID.

I stand for like, sometimes it's 30 seconds, sometimes it's a minute and a half, sometimes it's two minutes. But when I do it, I just feel so much better. I already feel like I accomplished something amazing. So I feel good about myself and you have to be at the present moment. So it takes all of you know, because it's so cold. So you have to breathe. Now you don't do this every day. Do you? Every time I take a shower? Yeah. Okay. Yeah And it's not it's so good for your skin tissue. Yes, this relation. It's good for everything. But on top of it, besides all the physical skincare and all the stuff that they've studied about it, it's also for me. I like I said, I just feel good. Like I feel really good about myself. Like I did something. I overcame something already. Well, because that's a huge that's something very huge to overcome. And you know,

There's also those, and as you know, for me and my clients, they always like to see the before and afters. And I'm sure your clients, you you take pictures of their before and afters as well. But are there things to do for the before and afters when you wear makeup that really makes a difference? I'm sorry, I'm not following to do. like, so for, for like, for when you wear makeup, right? So, and so you have your skincare and then you have, you know, underneath and then you put your makeup on over it, right? So like what is it that can make a really big difference in regards to showing the before and afters for the improvements of your skin? a lot of people wear a lot of makeup. Or sometimes they don't wear makeup at all. Maybe they just wear just like a foundation and some powder and just put loosely on that, right? But for the best skincare underneath it, for, you know, before they put the foundation over, right? Like what, what would, what would help them to show a really big difference so that they don't feel like they're making all the taking care of their skin and then they put foundation on it. They're not really ruining their skin, right? Yeah. Yeah. Right. So that's where I'm asking about that. Okay. So I can give you the feed, but my sister is a professional makeup artist in LA and

You know, she works on celebrities. She also works on regular models, you know, and the feedback she gives me all the time is most people have really dry skin and it's really hard for her to apply beautiful makeup and foundation if their skin is so dry. she she obviously she's my sister. So she's been trained at this point. She knows quite a bit about skin care. But it is. Yeah. So like.

I would say most people are not wearing enough product underneath their foundation. Of course, for me, I wouldn't want to use a chemical foundation at less is more. if you can do the more natural mineral powders or you can do concealer and do a, like I just try to avoid too much foundation because again, I think it's part of my upbringing. Like we don't like that look. of like so much makeup on the face. Like it's all about showcasing your natural skin and the glow. But some people, of course, love wearing the foundation and all of that. So again, you can use a you could use a serum, you can use a cream, you can use an oil. Sometimes the oils are really nice because they can prep the skin for the makeup and it just glides and spreads better. But that's preference. And then

Of course, there's sunblock if you're during the day, but a lot of times if you are wearing a foundation that can also act as a sunblock. So it just depends what products you're using. If that makes sense. love personally, I like the mineral powders because well, there's a couple of powders that I like that are not actually talc, they're pressed minerals with tint. And so that serves as like, it just gives your skin like a nice canvas and

It doesn't sit in all the creases on the face. So that's my concern sometimes when people are using or overusing foundation or powders is that it actually makes you look older because all of the products are settling in all the wrinkles on your face. So that's what I'm trying to avoid. And I think, I mean, a lot of people are more advanced now, I think with makeup, because they are watching the tutorials, like where you do a little bit of cover up versus like doing your whole face. Yeah.

Yeah, yeah, no, can get it can get a little bit overwhelming on that foundation. But I do like how you just mentioned with the translucent with a little link, you know, link glimmer, whatever you want to put it like the little payoff powder, just to kind of like, brush it over your face. So instead of like, you know, that matted look, but then again, everybody, everybody has a different everybody has a different and actually, like, well, yeah, and what they like to see on themselves. Yeah, right. So yeah, right. It's different than you know, maybe my next door neighbor or my girlfriend might they might be like, Oh, no, you know, I like these colors. I said, well, that's great. That's but that's not for me. Yeah. And you can experiment a little bit. mean, I learned from my client, sometimes I had a woman who was using she had like a pressed like, like some kind of powder. And she mixed it with a little bit of oil, like one of my face oils. And then she she's like, it's beautiful because

It doesn't give the full coverage, just it gives a little bit of coverage. it just looks, you know, your skin looks more even. Like I have, you can't see it probably here, but I have some red area, you know, um, I just use a very gentle powder. I don't do it all the time, but it just evens it out. But I don't look like I have a blank can, you know, like every, Yeah. Cause I like your there to be a little bit of depth. it's otherwise I feel like you can have that ghost like look.

Well, I'm more light so I can look like a ghost, but you know what I mean? Yeah, I'm on that same path of the ghost. I could tell him that sometimes I'll ask my daughter, do I have too much makeup on? They're like, mommy, no, you don't wear that much makeup. I'm like, okay, fine. Because sometimes you just don't know, right? Like you just don't know if what you know, and I certainly don't want to wear too much makeup because I really don't wear that much makeup. But if we could, if you could leave our listeners with one piece of advice that they can take with them today. to feel more confident and in control of their skincare, what would it be? I think it's just try to make it as simple as you can for yourself so that you're consistent about it and start falling in love with your little skincare routine. Don't get sucked into the overwhelm and all the things that you're being sold online. Just check in with yourself and figure out what is it that you're trying to accomplish with your skin. Pick out. a few things. did really quickly want to go back to what we just spoke about with the makeup is, you know, just using an exfoliator on the skin. I like using physical scrubs because you're moving all the dead skin cells so that the makeup looks better on your skin and your products can penetrate. But I think check in with yourself, figure out, are you somebody who likes to do a mask once a week? you like, do you have time to do an exfoliator once a week? And then just build a routine for you that you can commit to. And then just know that consistency is really the key. And also don't underestimate drinking water to keep your skin hydrated. I always am like water, water, water, hydrate, hydrate, hydrate. But I think just figuring out, like take a look at your day, figure out when you could do a really solid skincare routine, whether it's three minutes, five minutes.

whether you're laying a ton of products, but just find that time for you and just carve it out for yourself and honor yourself. then the, I mean, what I hear feedback from women is like, once you start doing that, you just automatically start feeling better in other areas of your life. You make better choices with what you eat. Maybe you exercise, you know, it all works together. So it's prioritizing yourself and sticking, like just being consistent with it.

Thank you so much for sharing your knowledge and insight with us today. This has been, you have no idea, aside from a long journey of us getting together, but this has been such a great conversation. And I know our listeners are walking away with some really real practical steps that they can actually use tonight, tomorrow and beyond. But how can they get ahold of you? And of course, we will make sure that whatever you recommend right now, we will be able to connect all of that to the show notes later on today. please share with us how they can get connect with you. And are you offering anything for our listeners this for this episode? Yes, of course. Love it. Okay, share. My my skincare line is Alex, which is the name of my brand. We are offering 15 % off to anybody who's listening today using the code Diana loves when they check out so you can go on the website www.Isa Alex, which is spelled I S A A L E X dot com. And you can also, if you want to sign up on my website, you do get a free, um, uh, massage video sent to you and learning how to do a facial massage, because I'm a huge fan of using a facial massage as part of your skincare regimen again, to stimulate circulation and regenerate the skin cells naturally, and also release all of that muscle tension we have. before we go to bed. that's important. And then I always love hearing from people. The best way is to communicate through Instagram, which is my Instagram handle is Isa. Isa.Alex, A-L-E-X dot skincare. So.

Isa.skincare. mean, Isa.alex.skincare. I to think about that for a second. No, no, no, no. And so listeners, again, no worries. We will have all of this linked into our show notes. Thank you so much. Until next time. If you enjoyed today's episode, don't forget to subscribe to Organizing with Ease podcast on your favorite podcast platform and leave us a review. Your feedback helps us grow and reach more listeners like you who are passionate about living their best lives. And remember.

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