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Skin Health with Nadia of Syrene
We spoke to our friend Nadia, Marketing and Brand Manager at Syrene Skincare, about looking after our skin health during lockdown. She shares her top tips for combatting stress as well as what she puts in her morning smoothie to nourish the skin from the inside.
Tell us about your role at Syrene?
I’m the marketing and brand manager for the beautiful skincare brand, Syrene. I manage the B2B and B2C development, planning and implementation of the overarching marketing strategy to launch and grow the brand in local and international markets. I work with a small, tight-knit team, and no day is the same!
My role focuses on implementing strategies through an integrated marketing approach and includes working across and understanding channels like social & digital media, public relations, brand partnerships, content creation, influencer relationships, experiential marketing, traditional media, web development and growing acquisition, retention and conversion rates. Not to mention, I also get to learn a lot about skincare ingredients and all the incredible benefits. I get to test all our new products in development, and I help the product team with new ideas too, which is super fun!
Can you share a little of your personal skin health journey and challenges with us? What has helped you along the way?
I always had problem skin growing up and had to go on a course of Isotane as a teenager to help with my acne. Unfortunately, it all came back in my early to mid-twenties, and I lost a lot of confidence. I didn’t know much about skincare and how a good skincare routine with the right ingredients can help. It was only until I joined the team at Syrene three years ago that I became really educated about skincare and all the amazing ingredient benefits. Now, being a year away from my 30’s, I’m incredibly cautious about my skin’s health, protecting my skin barrier and using ingredients to help prevent fine lines and wrinkles.
Nadia at Syrene's beautiful brand launch event in Sydney.
Image by Ruby J Hamilton for Syrene.
Tell us about your morning routine? How has this changed over lockdown?
Before lockdown, I would start most mornings with a Reformer Pilates class, so I’m missing this ritual the most. Instead, I’m enjoying daily walks around my new neighbourhood, followed by my usual coffee and, of course, lathering my skin with beautiful products, before I make myself comfortable and ready to dive into the days’ work. Lockdown has been a great reminder to slow down too and appreciate a bit of calmness and ‘me-time’.
Disruption to our daily routines and more time spent indoors can cause an overproduction of the stress hormone cortisol, which in turn can upset our skin. What are some simple ways to counter the effect of stress on the skin?
An overproduction in cortisol can lead to an overproduction of sebum (oil) in your skin glands, which can cause clogged pores and acne breakout, which no one wants! To prevent this, it’s super important you manage your stress levels. While at home, you should try as best you can to develop some sort of routine or include the following each day:
— Make time to get outside for some fresh air and exercise, even just for a power walk.
— Get enough sleep and establish a good bedtime routine to tell your brain and body it’s time to wind down. Using skincare to relax and wind down is something I love to do before bed. This way, I’m unwinding as well as looking after my skin.
— Remember to take time for yourself. Engage in a relaxing, re-energising activity that makes you happy – read a book, take a warm bath, ask your partner for a massage, listen to music or a podcast, or re-organise your wardrobe.
For those of us looking to simplify our skincare routines, what 3 steps in the AM and PM would you recommend?
AM:
Cleanse: An absolute must as your first step, both AM and PM. Opt for a gentle cleanser in the morning like an oil or milky cleanser as this won’t strip your natural moisture barrier.
Brighten: Second, apply a serum that’s full of nourishing and brightening ingredients to not only target a specific skin concern, but to also leave your skin glowing during the day. My go-to at the moment is a vitamin C serum.
Hydrate and Protect: Lather your skin with a moisturiser that is super hydrating and locks in hard-working ingredients from your second step. If you’re leaving the house, don’t forget your SPF!
PM:
Cleanse: Daily cleansing ensures proper removal of traces of dirt, excess oil and pollutants. Without cleansing, your skin can accumulate dirt and oil which cause breakouts and premature aging. Reach for an oil cleanser in the evening as oil dissolves oil; an oil cleanser attracts lipids in your pores and on the surface of your skin to help wash it away. My favourite is Syrene’s Aquagel Oil to Foam Cleanser.
Nourish and Strengthen: I always recommend a serum or treatment that will protect and strengthen your skin barrier overnight.
Hydrate: Lock in all the goodness with a nourishing cream. Bonus if it includes repairing benefits too.
What is a favourite recipe of yours to nourish the skin from the inside?
It will have to be a classic green smoothie. Nutritious and delicious! Ingredients I include are:
— Spinach – rich in vitamin B for glowing, plump skin.
— Frozen mango – full of antioxidants to help fight free radical damage.
— Greek yoghurt – packed with probiotics for good gut health, which in return means healthier skin.
— A dollop of honey – a delicious antioxidant.
— Banana – contains lots of nutrients for healthy skin.
— Water - hydration to maintain skin elasticity.
What are some of the best things we can do for our overall skin health?
Establish a good skincare routine and look for specific ingredients that will target what you are trying to solve or prevent. I love Syrene because every single product is formulated with seaweed extract Ephemer, which is rich in antioxidants to protect your skin from free radicals that cause ageing and helps strengthen your skin’s barrier. Other skincare ingredients I include in my routine are Vitamin C, Niacinamide and Hyaluronic Acid. I also love the benefits I see from using Dose & Co’s Marine Collagen, I add this to my coffee every morning. After attending many Dr Libby events over the years, I have learned the importance of gut health and how this can impact your skin health too. Nothing beats kombucha to boost gut health for me and my favourite by far is Daily Organics Original Kombucha.
Reusing Syrene empties.
A selection of Nadia's favourite Syrene products.
What is your must have Syrene Skincare product and why?
It’s hard to choose just one! My absolute favourites are the Aquagel Oil to Foam Cleanser and the Aqua Hydrating Masque. The cleanser is super gentle, but cleanses deeply without stripping your natural moisture barrier, I love that it removes makeup easily, and I can use it over my eyes. The masque is luxuriously light in texture, yet formulated with a powerful blend of Marine Collagen, seaweed extract Ephemer™ and Black Fern extract Liftessence™ to protect your skin from the environmental drivers of aging, plump and brighten too.
Tell us a little bit about Syrene’s commitment to sustainability and why you believe this to be important?
CSR is a core value of mine, and marketing a brand that has this at the forefront of its business model is important to me because it means the business is solving a problem and not adding to it. Syrene has started taking steps to become a more sustainable brand, and I have helped communicate and implement these initiatives.
The first step Syrene has taken includes using Ocean Waste Plastic in its packaging, meaning that bottles and jars are made from recycled plastics found in our oceans. The ingredients in the formulations are also sustainably sourced and harvested, and recently online order packaging has been switched to either recyclable or compostable materials. We also encourage Syrene customers to give their aqua jars and bottles a ‘second aqua life’ by reusing them to store things. If you’d rather recycle, we recommend dropping your Syrene empties off at our retail partner, MECCA, who can recycle it all for you, thanks to TerraCycle.
