New England winters can be rough on our skin. The cold temps and low humidity, coupled with the dry heat indoors (which can be great for extending a blow-out), make keeping skin healthy a concerted work in progress. Brenda Brock, founder and formulator of Farmaesthetics, the award-winning all-natural fine herbal skincare brand based in Newport, says that taking care of your skin doesn’t need to be complicated, just consistent. “Aim for a daily regimen using products that are free from synthetic, chemical, or artificial ingredients,” begins the actress-turned-innovator, who built her business from a farmstand at Sweet Berry Farm in Middletown, which now opens seasonally as a retail outpost.
Brock explains that many skincare products out there are often derived from petroleum; they diminish tissue integrity, thin the skin barrier, and lead to sensitivity over time. “I formulate our herbal skincare products using whole, natural, nutrient-rich ingredients, designed to nourish the skin the way real food nourishes the body. Our products are created to sustain long-term skin health, feeding the tissue so it can remain balanced, resilient, and vibrant for years to come.” Brock adheres to what she calls a “heartbeat routine” of cleansing, moisturizing, and protecting – morning and night. “From there, you can layer in additional products or treatments as needed, but consistency with the core routine is key.”
Each morning and night, it’s important to wash your face with warm water and a mild cleanser. Housed in a frosted glass bottle, Farmaesthetics’ Fine Herbal Cleanser has a pleasant smell that comes directly from its ingredients, including geranium essential oil, lavender essential oil, and witch hazel. There are no added scents to any of Brock’s products, but they smell light and fresh. Use a few pumps to wash away impurities and excess oil while maintaining your skin’s natural moisture and pH balance. To prepare the skin for optimal absorption of moisturizer, follow up with Pure Complexion Tonic, a soothing toner applied with a cotton round.
After cleansing, when skin is clean and damp, warm a few drops of facial oil between your palms and apply to face and neck, pressing or tapping with light massage into tissue using gentle, upward strokes. “Our Nutrient Dense Fine Facial Oil is a 100 percent natural, lightweight herbal moisturizer made of nine organic botanical oils that deliver a deeply layered benefit deck. It’s perfect for use prior to lotion or cream application when drier skin or colder months call for layering,” says Brock. Farmaesthetics Complexion Conserve Face Serum is a concentrated treatment that repairs damaged, diminished or over-exposed tissue; it restores elasticity by delivering deep hydration, and long-lasting antioxidant support. “Castor seed, rose and carrot seed oil are among the super-herbs in this formula that strengthen skin barrier to help prevent moisture loss and damage from environmental elements like dry air and cold temperatures,” Brock explains.
“Protection isn’t just sunscreen, it’s about shielding, strengthening, and nourishing the skin barrier so it can do its job,” says Brock. “Remember, natural herbal products protect with nourishing ingredients to support, not smother as mineral oils and synthetic compounds often do.” The brand’s Nourishing Lavender Milk is an organic calendula-based lotion formulated to lock in moisture on the face, neck, and décolleté, restoring hydration and protecting from moisture loss. And to keep smiling without splitting your lip this season, their Lip Softener utilizes nature’s skin-mending herb calendula and vitamin-rich carrot seed oil to plump tissue and keep lips soft and youthful, even in the frosty air. Learn more, including stockists and hospitality and wellness partners at Farmaesthetics.com
Brenda Brock on dry brushing and gua sha
Intrigued by the endless scroll of celebs touting beauty routines, we asked Brenda Brock for her take on dry brushing and gua sha. Tools and techniques that aren’t new but are definitely getting lots of buzz on the socials.
“Circulation is so important to skin health and gua sha is a great choice for facial care, as is dry brushing on the body,” says Brock, who applies Nutrient Dense Fine Facial Oil with her fingertips almost daily, and enhances her routine using a gua sha tool two-to-three times a week.
“A gentle dry brushing awakens the skin with light, rhythmic strokes, encouraging circulation and exfoliation and preps the skin’s surface for absorbing nourishing oils. This is done on completely dry skin with a body brush or loofah,” advises Brock.
Brock recommends applying Nutrient Dense Fine Facial Oil onto clean, damp skin of face and neck with gentle tapping motions. “Do not tug or pull the tool across the skin but gently guide it over,” says Brock. What follows is her method for using a gua sha.
Eyebrows: Use the double-notched edge or a smaller curve of the tool to glide from the inner brow area outward along the brow bone to the temple.
Cheeks: Use the long, flat edge of the tool. Start from the side of your nose and move in a sweeping motion up and outward towards your temple, along the cheekbone.
Hairline: Use the gua sha at the hairline with little zig-zag motions. Move across the hairline a few times to release tension and encourage blood flow from forehead to scalp. This is great for the complexion and healthy hair as well.
Jawline: Place the “U” shape (double-notched edge) of the tool at the center of your chin and glide it along the jawline towards the earlobe.
Neck: Using the curved side, glide the tool from the base of the neck upwards to the jawline. This helps promote lymphatic drainage.
Under Eyes: Use the smaller, curved end of the tool with very light pressure. Gently glide it from the inner corner of the under-eye area outwards to the temple.
Comments
No comments on this item Please log in to comment by clicking here