WOMAN MADE: ANNICA FORSGREN KJELLMAN & SKINCITY
Woman Made -haastattelusarjassa kauneuden yrittäjänaiset kertovat omat kosmetiikan suosikkinsa. Nyt haastattelussa on verkkokaupan ja ihonhoitobrändin, Skincityn perustaja, Annica Forsgren Kjellman.
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WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE BEAUTY SNACK?
Many people forget that skin not only benefits from good products, but also what you put into your body. What you eat has a major impact on your skin and choosing a healthy diet can make a big difference.
Hydration is essential to maintain a healthy, hydrated skin, I like to keep myself well hydrated with my go-to coconut water smoothie, the ultimate thirst quencher that helps my skin and hair to stay hydrated, and it’s very easy to make! I put all the ingredients in my blender and mix for 1 minute.
Coconut Water Smoothie: 600ml coconut water, Juice from 1 grapefruit, 3 tsp baobab powder, ½ honeydew melon. This smoothie will help you glow from the inside out!
WHAT IS YOUR MORNING BEAUTY RITUAL LIKE?
I try to always get at least 8 hours of sleep to make sure I wake up feeling well rested. I enjoy starting my day by drinking two glasses of water and doing some stretch exercises to get my body going and after that I make myself a cup of coffee before the rest of the family wakes up.
When it comes to my skin, I start with washing my face with cold water because I believe it´s good for my skin and is also a great way to awaken myself. A product that is always in my morning routine is the SKINCITY Skincare First Concentrate - a serum concentrate packed with skin saving antioxidants like Vitamin C and Niacinamide, soothing Oat Kernel Oil and moisturizing hyaluronic acid - a must in every skin care routine and the first step to a healthy skin.
WHAT MAKEUP PRODUCTS DO YOU USE ON A DAILY BASIS?
Everything I put on my skin should be helping and improving my skin. That´s why I created my own skin caring makeup brand MAKETHEMAKE. We call it ’skincare-infused makeup’ which implies that the products are skin care with makeup benefits – two in one.
Vitamin B Flawless Filter Foundation is my absolute favourite that I apply every day. It leaves my skin with a satin matte finish and it´s packed with great skin caring ingredients. As the name implies, there is need for an Instagram filter with this foundation on. After I apply my foundation, I cover up my dark circles underneath the eyes with a concealer. Peptide Perfecting Concealer is a must-have if you suffer from swellings or struggle with dark circles under the eyes. Finally, I apply my all-time favourite mascara from Sensai 38C Volumising, a bit of lip gloss and I´m ready to go.
WHAT IS YOUR NIGHT-TIME RITUAL LIKE?
I take my night-time routine very seriously – during the night the skin regeneration is at its maximum, so it´s the ultimate time to give it the tools for repair.
My ingredient tip for the the-night routine is always Vitamin A in any form, and barrier building ingredients like ceramides and squalane. Our Total Repair Retinoate Treatment from SKINICITY skincare is a favourite that you can use 3 times a week, one day a month or one month a year as a deep treat to really get the skin cells going, reduce wrinkles, improve skin elasticity and promote a healthy radiant skin over time. It contains the latest innovation in Vitamin A – Hydroxypinacolone Retinoate – that is a highly active form, yet gentle, so it won´t give you the side effects like drying or peeling that other retionids might do. It´s suitable for all skin types – even for acne.
WHERE DID YOU GET THE INSPIRATION TO START YOUR OWN COMPANY?
I have been working in the beauty business in different roles since the year 2000 when I graduated from skin therapist school and in 2011 I figured I wanted to start something on my own. Since I came from the skincare business and my husband Micke already had some experience as an e-tailer, we figured we would create something that combined our two worlds.
We discovered that something was missing on the market – an online version of a skincare clinic – where you would get the same service as in a physical beauty salon or clinic. From this idea Skincity was born and we have grown from a family business with me and my husband as the only employees in 2011 to a global business with more than 140 co-workers in Sweden, Norway, Finland and UK.
We believe that we not only sell skincare – we change people’s lives. When you´re concerned about your skin, everything becomes an obstacle, but when you get your skincare routine working, suddenly you can function normally. We hear this all the time from our customers.
BEST TIPS ON BALANCING SELF-CARE WITH BUSY BUSINESS AND FAMILY LIFE?
For me it’s all about finding a balance between my skincare routine, diet, exercise and family. It’s important for me to have the weekends and evenings off to enjoy the company of my family and to make sure I provide my body with the right nutrition to help it stay strong and healthy.
I also like to spend some time by myself every now and then, pampering myself and taking time to reflect. Exercise is also very important for me – I make sure to go to the gym regularly and I also have a personal trainer to help me get the most out of my exercise and to make sure there are no excuses not to go to the gym. I think structure is a key word for me to make sure I have the time and energy to do everything I want to do.
IS THERE A BEAUTY LESSON YOU WANT TO PASS ON TO CREAM FILES READERS?
Lately, I´ve been spending a lot of time thinking about how we treat our skin – if it´s sustainable. Have our skincare routines evolved in a healthy way in relationship to our skin?
The trend in the latest years has been to “chase percentages”, with that I mean that we seem to think that the higher the percentage of let´s say an alpha hydroxy acid or a retinoid, the better. We seem to think that in order to have an efficient skin care routine it must sting, burn or peel. No pain no gain! I believe that this is not a sustainable way to treat our skin – this will backfire and will most likely cause sensitivity or even worse, skin allergies.
It´s time for the industry to educate people about this and to teach them how to take care of the skin barrier to keep the skin healthy in the long run. This was one of the main focuses when we developed our own brand SKINCITY skincare – to offer results, but without focusing on percentages or maximal doses of specific ingredients. All or our products are well balanced and formulated to respect and even improve the skin barrier. We focus on optimal, not maximal concentrations to deliver long term results in a healthy way.
Interview of Annica Forsgren Kjellman by Eevis Liedes
Photos courtesy of Skincity / Annica Forsgren Kjellman
