Boots Summer Beauty Weekender: Jennifer Rock, The Skin Nerd

“I view the skin as a jigsaw puzzle, and there are many pieces that need to be considered to complete the picture: what products we use, medication, diet, exercise, sleep and stress management all play their part in telling the skin’s story.” – Jennifer Rock

When did you first fall in love with skincare?

I started receiving facials as a teenager due to teen acne and I became the most inquisitive and irritating client known to man – ?why? was my favourite word along every step in the protocol. My respect for the skin and the industry began there and it developed increasingly over the years. My first role as a beauty therapist involved a lot of facials and the rest is history – awards, training, lecturing, attending seminars and learning from some of the best people in the world.

What’s the worst thing you can do to your skin?

Not view it as an organ.
Not have moles checked.
Treat it as an accessory.
Neglect it by having no regime at all – it doesn’t need to be costly. Basic often triumphs.
Never receive a professional consult as it truly optimises results and reduces costs on unnecessary ingredients and products and guarantees the correct usage and skin recommendations.
Over-exfoliate-  this strips the skin and exposes it to the elements and accelerates inflammation and sensitivity and decreasing resistance … increasing the possibility of many common skin conditions such as acne rosacea and eczema.
Use sun beds – it’s an organ why fry it? Why increase the possibility of cancer? Why why why?
Use face wipes – ask yourself how they stay wet? The chemical content dehydrates and irritates the skin. Hydration of the skin is imperative and somewhat comparable to the need of the internal organs to have water levels to act optimally.
…Not all necessarily in that order!

What’s the best skincare advice you were ever given?

Double cleanse, use Vitamin A/retinol topically in doses of 0.6%+ and apply SPF – but most controversially: eat clean by eating green! Feeding the roots of the skin from within will only flourish what we see aesthetically.

What skincare regime step should you never skip?

I personally cannot expect my skin to behave unless I’m using topical Vitamin A. It is THE holy grail. It assists with pigment, lines, wrinkles, hydration, skin exfoliation, density and gentle health. It’s basically a lazy person’s way of having enviable skin.

What skincare essentials could you not live without?

SPF – it’s the shield and part of the Nerd core philosophy. It baffles me that many will spend copious amounts of money on fillers, injectables and quick-fix lasers and peels, yet won’t apply a protective layer daily. Why repair the damage if you’re not going to prevent further?!