FRESH TALK WITH AN AWARD-WINNING FACIALIST FROM LONDON

Meet Adeela Crown, award-winning aesthetic skin specialist, and international celebrity facialist. Adeela has worked in the skincare industry for over 10 years, and her knowledge of the field has allowed her to develop her own techniques for deeply penetrating skin treatments. Adeela holds residencies at the prestigious The Dorchester London as well as in The Raffles, in the tropical paradise that is the Maldives. She is also used to traveling the world to take care of the skin of actor clients. Adeela has shared with us her knowledge of the skin as well as some of her tips for a radiant complexion.

1. How did you become a facialist?

My journey began over 10 years ago when I shunned a career in London in financial services to instead pursue a more satisfying career in luxury skin health. As a long-time sufferer of scarring and pigmentation left by adult acne, I was already undergoing ‘life-changing’ aesthetic treatments. The positive effects of my skincare results made me want to change direction and provide the same level of hope and skin-positivity to others.

I re-trained in cosmetic chemistry and initially began my career working alongside world-renowned plastic surgeons in London, Los Angeles, and Dubai as their in-house aesthetician to help post-surgical patients’ skin repair after undergoing invasive procedures.

2. What kind of treatments do you offer to your clients?

Early on in my career, I became disenchanted with the non-naturalness and permanence of drastic invasive procedures like facelifts, Botox, and fillers. I prefer to work with non-invasive skin technology and high-performance, natural beauty products that promote skin health from the inside-out and long-term results. So, I began perfecting my own skincare approach by following a simple mantra: 'prevention is smarter than cure'.

Each treatment I have curated centers around this simple, yet game-changing philosophy to educate and inform my clients about the benefits of this ongoing skin-health approach. I like to call myself a skin-engineer who has state-of-the-art skin-tools in my toolbox. Be it micro-needling for skin resurfacing, microcurrent for lifting muscles, radiofrequency for collagen synthesis, ultrasound for toning, or LEDs for cellular rejuvenation – I curate the right bespoke blend of therapies based on what each skin demands.

My treatments are not all skin-tech driven. I have been honing my signature facial massage technique – dubbed the ‘revered lifting massage technique’ by Harper’s Bazaar - called SkinDance™: combining Indian Face Yoga skills with Hungarian massage, Chinese Gua-Sha, Japanese Asahi & Tanaka acupressure techniques.

This amalgamation of methods organically evolved into my unique SkinDance™ and has become an integral aspect of all my treatments. SkinDance™ is a vigorously energetic, sculpting, contouring, oxygenating, lymphatic draining massage method that lifts and tightens, whilst my hands rhythmically dance around my client’s skins.

3. What are the benefits of someone getting a facial and seeing a facialist regularly, over just having a skincare routine at home?

A facialist is trained to coax the skin to perform better, trigger the skin’s defense mechanism with various devices, or simply fix a hard-to-treat skincare issue. Much like we all brush our teeth daily, we still must visit our dentist regularly to maintain our dental hygiene!

My clients now understand the skin’s structure better and that for the surface skin to be healthy, work is needed to promote health within the deeper layers of skin. As a result, my deeply penetrating treatments like micro-needling, radiofrequency, and ultrasound have become all the rage.

4. What skin concerns do clients most often approach you with?

When I began my career, I was carrying out more anti-aging treatments. As a result, my client’s age-group was 40+ on average. Recently the trend has evolved from anti-aging treatments to preventative treatments, whether it is acne, pigmentation, or wrinkle prevention. I am now seeing a younger age group which ranges from 18-35 on average.

My clients’ skincare concerns also depend on my location. My London clients are wary of pollution and work-related stress, which wreaks havoc on the skin’s immune system, leading to breakouts. Clients in LA are mostly concerned about sun damage, pigmentation related discoloration, and aging issues. Clients in the Maldives travel from all corners of the world and want to leave it all behind with the most relaxing and glow-boosting hydration I can offer.

5. What are some of the most common skincare mistakes that you wish more people were aware of?

The at-home DIY versions of skincare products, devices, and tool use have increased as the pandemic wore-on. This prolonged isolation has forced us to take skincare matters into our own hands, leading to some good and some terribly bad skincare habits.

Buying strong peels unsuited to skin types online and using at-home without a prep solution or neutralizer, leading to post-inflammatory hyperpigmentation, or burning skin tissue by leaving peels on for longer than recommended. Over-exfoliating with home cleansing devices causing micro-tears in the skin. A rise in scar tissue and pigmentation on my client’s skins left by DIY extractions of pimples, blackheads, and whiteheads. Over-using BHA solutions to self-treat acne, causing chronic inflammation. Not using SPF indoors even though we are still exposed to UVA lights that still penetrate through our windows, not to forget the skin-damaging HEV (high energy visible light) emitted from your devices.

The physical doors of the beauty industry have been closed but most facialists and dermatologists have kept their virtual doors open. Getting advice and skincare support is now only a virtual call away.

6. What are your top 3 tips for taking good care of your skin?

• If you do not already, ensure vitamin C is a part of your daily skincare routine. Vitamin C offers the greatest body of benefits: it helps minimize sun damage and inhibits melanogenesis – skin’s pigment-formation process. This in turn brightens and evens out the complexion and strengthens the skin’s vascular wall, providing an anti-inflammatory and tightening effect. Vitamin C and SPF are a power couple that helps prevent sun damage, and studies have shown that it also helps reverse some previous damage too. I just finished using NUORI’s Supreme-C Serum Treatment, which contains a potent 7.5% vitamin C concentration.
• Ensure hyaluronic acid is also part of your daily skincare routine. Hyaluronic acid is the key molecule involved in skin moisture, with a unique capacity to bind and retain water molecules. Apart from using hyaluronic-rich serums and creams, a good diet can also help stimulate the production of hyaluronic acid in our bodies: eating foods such as leafy greens, root vegetables and fruits rich in vitamin C and amino acids can increase levels of hyaluronic acid and collagen for skin support.
• Get regular facials. There are certain skincare issues only a trained eye can spot and correct. Weave a monthly trip to your facialist into your routine: it will pay dividends a few years down the line. Not only active ingredients used in facials are professional strength and deeper acting, but a facialist can also start to work on preventative measures early-on and minimize or even counter their effects. You can then go home and carry on your skincare routine to maintain the results of the rejuvenation your facialist has kick-started.

7. What ingredients do you wholeheartedly believe in?

I have a total love-affair with vitamin C. I feel if more people understood the true wonders of vitamin C, then very few people would suffer from many of the skincare issues they currently do. What I like about vitamin C is that it does not discriminate against age groups, skin tones, or skin types. For vitamin C to actively work on your skin, it must be a minimum of over 5% concentration in a serum form. Though, steer clear of 15/20/30% concentration solutions as higher does not mean better. Higher % can inevitably lead to irritation and tolerance issues, and instead of swimming in the wonderful benefits of vitamin C, your skin will be busy fighting irritation. I like to keep it simple and find NUORI’s 7.5% pure vitamin C serum very effective.

Another favorite of mine is collagen supplements in the hydrolyzed form to help support the skin’s internal structure. Just like the benefits of deeply working facial treatments, collagen supplements work from within to maintain the health and youth of skin all year round. This in turn helps to prolong the benefits of facials, which is key to getting the highest return on your skincare investment.

8. What lifestyle habits do you have that keep your skin in top shape?

I ditched the alcohol-based drying toners and replaced them with AHA/BHA infused oil control pads in the AM or PM after cleansing.

I invested in a wearable LED mask – which is effective for all skin types and great for working from home! The light-emitting diodes in these masks gently penetrate the skin to stimulate collagen production, combat acne and breakouts, and lighten pigmentation.

I am a religious SPF-wearer. I began mixing the right dose of SPF with my moisturizer in the palm of my hand years ago, every morning. It has since developed into a good habit. I now wear SPF come rain or sun. I am sure my future skin will thank me for this!

I love Pilates, so I have been practicing reformer yoga for a long time. Pilates is my time to switch-off and meditate, which has undoubtedly lowered my stress levels and even helped calm down my hormonal breakouts.

9. Could you recommend some educational resources to people who want to learn more about ingredients and cosmetic formulations?

• Reverse the Signs of Ageing – The revolutionary inside-out plan to glowing, youthful skin - Dr. Nigma Talib
• The Skincare Bible: Your no-nonsense guide to great skin - Dr. Anjali Mahto
• Skin Care and Cosmetic Ingredients Dictionary - Varinia Michalun & Joseph C. DiNardo

10. Describe your perfect self-care day.

In between running a business and mothering a toddler, I do not always get to use my day off just to myself, so I have learned to ration my beauty practices. Though, I do try to spend at least 20-30mins on my skin daily, carrying out an at-home mini facial once a week.

One weekend I would do a mild micro-needling followed by hyaluronic acid serums and an LED mask. The following weekend, I would concentrate more on exfoliation with a polishing scrub, using my exfoliating brush, and again hydrate deeply. I practice a 5min facial massage up to 3 times a week with my favorite oil. This is when I use Gua Sha massage tools to help drain and soften lines & furrows. The enhanced blood circulation boosts the immune system & increases lymph drainage.

I have become mindful that constantly being on my devices was seriously disrupting my sleep cycle. I now set an alarm at least 30-60 mins before bedtime to remind myself to switch off the TV and devices. I read a book and brew a calming tea containing chamomile, rose, and fennel to soothe the senses.

I feel these little tweaks in self-care have had a really positive impact on my skin’s health.

For more tips on how to create the perfect spa day at home, find more expert advice here.

Follow Adeela at https://www.instagram.com/adeelacrown/