Want To Instantly Peel Your Body?
body skincare doesn't have to be a burden
Gooooood afternoon!
I sent out last week’s newsletter on Friday afternoon, which any publicist will tell you is the worst time to release news you want people to see and the ideal time to release news you want to be buried. I’m sorry Tree, you’ve taught me better. I just had so much to say about ZIIP and NuFACE and microcurrent technology and I needed time to get it all together how I wanted it. So if you missed it, please check it out! It’s long, but I think it successfully answers pretty much every question you may have about these devices, what makes them worth spending a few hundred bucks, the truth about the gels that deter everyone from using and, of course, whether they actually work. Plus, it may be one of my better headlines.
It’s interesting that when someone says “skincare” we know they are talking about the face, no need to specify. If they weren’t talking about the face, they would say body care. It’s still skin, but we treat it as an entirely different entity, from how much time and effort we put into caring for it to the concerns we have about its appearance and even to the options available for treating those concerns. I wouldn’t necessarily say it’s carelessness, but we certainly have a different attitude towards the skin on our chest upwards.
Understandably, a primary reason for this is the surface area. There’s simply too much skin to care for equally and a decent amount of it is very difficult, if not impossible, to see clearly. It’s a lot easier to cover it up and forget about it. This sounds negligent, but it actually largely works in our favor, as the majority of our body has significantly less UV exposure throughout our lifetime than our face. And as UV exposure is the leading cause of external skin aging, the skin on our body tends to age much slower than on our face. We don’t notice the signs of aging (wrinkles, sagging, laxity) as early, except on our hands and arms.
And even if we were all willing to tackle the surface area, the products to do so pose some issues and important considerations: the size, the price, the ease of use/application, the residue/transfer on clothes, the packaging and more. It can be hard to stomach spending a lot on something that will be used up quickly. We don’t want to have to wait to dry off nor do we want our clothes to stick. Can you bring the product in the shower? Will it slip? Will you be able to open it with wet hands?
Another reason is that, for the most part, the skin on our body requires less of us. It has a number of distinct differences from the skin on our face, making many of our facial concerns inapplicable to these areas & affording us the opportunity to be a bit more casual in our treatment in many respects. On the flip side, it also presents new challenges and while these body skin concerns may be less ubiquitous, they are extremely frustrating to those who suffer. (There’s also the argument that they are actually more common than we think, we just don’t talk about them nearly as much/have an easier time hiding them than our face.)
I started to think about this a few months ago––why is it so hard to care for the skin outside of our face––after having a debilitating flare-up of a type of eczema I’d never heard of. I wrote a 2-part series about the realization that I took my hands for granted and how we needed to recommit to showing them the respect they deserve, beginning with building our hand care toolkit. I’m thrilled by the improvement I’ve seen in my hands and specifically would like to call out the hand LED glove and Soft Service’s Theraplush. Your service does not go unnoticed.
A few weeks later, I delved into it a bit more with Spate’s Addison Cain, in another 2-part series about the current state of cleansers. While talking about the rise of treatment cleansers, we touched on how this trend is also present in the body cleanser category, where treatment cleansers can be a sort of 2-in-1 body wash and targeted treatment product. It makes sense why this is appealing: it’s easier to cover the surface area and eliminates the need for an extra step since you can use it in the shower. These products allow body care to still require very little effort. Plus, no mess, no residue.
While working on today’s issue, I asked a few of my clients if they knew what the differences were between face and body skin and they all said variations of “it’s thicker…I think.” They’re not wrong! But what does that mean and how does it impact the function and presentation of our body skin? Is that the only difference? We’ll answer those questions next week. Hope you’re ready for a science lesson.
Today, I am beyond delighted to introduce you to a new product in the body care space and new friend, Helen Shin, of LILIS.
You may remember during my interview with Addison, she mentioned LILIS when I asked her about new products on her radar. Addison is the type of person I really trust with recommendations because she is very much in the beauty world but has no real financial incentive to be anything but honest. Her work is driven by data, not free products or affiliate commissions, so if she talks about something, it’s because she really likes it. After that issue, Helen reached out and generously sent me her 2 products to try. I loved them so much that I started using them during my facial pop-ups. Beyond the products, I was also drawn to Helen’s story. Below you can read my interview with Helen, but here’s a quick preview as to what I think makes them stand out in this category:
The Instant Peel is a gommage product, so easy to apply to large surface areas with very little effort, best used pre-shower to easily rinse off, great ingredient profile for exfoliating & brightening. It also just feels fancy and smells great. The Firming Serum also has a kickass ingredient profile and is the perfect consistency, absorbing quickly and not needing additional moisturizer on top. They’re definitely in the luxe body care category, but are generously sized and you don’t need to use a ton. Amazing to prep for spray tans and a great gift option.
Oh, and don’t miss the discount code and giveaway at the end ;)
Interview with Helen Shin, Founder of LILIS
Can you tell me a bit about your background?
I’m originally from Seoul, Korea, and spent over a decade working as a creative director at advertising agencies in New York. My upbringing was truly global, having lived in California, Toronto, and even attending high school in New Delhi, India. My mom, who I consider my most fashionable best friend, was born with a rare dry skin condition. This meant that in every country we lived in, we sought out diverse body care solutions as she aimed to find a remedy that wasn't steroid-based.
Tell me about the inspiration for LILIS! How long did it take to develop the formulas?
The story of LILIS began with my mother, my fashionable best friend, who was diagnosed with non-smokers lung cancer. On the morning of her critical surgery, she woke up at 4 am to exfoliate her body for hours- in a hot steamy shower… A person with a healthy lung would even have a hard time being in a steamy shower for hours. She exfoliated as she was embarrassed to show her rare dry skin to the surgeons. As I waited for her in the hospital, I wondered why body care couldn't be both effective and luxurious. This led to the creation of LILIS.
My mother's surgery was successful, and inspired by her, I spent over two years perfecting LILIS. Our formula, which took more than a year to develop, reflects our commitment to delivering both efficacy and luxury in body care.
What makes the product unique from other body products/body exfoliators?
The traditional Korean way of exfoliating (seshin) using an exfoliating glove is not recommended by dermatologists in Korea as you could easily over exfoliate which brings various side effects like skin aging and create micro tears. Korean skincare practices are more gentle with our approach so I wanted to avoid the chemical exfoliant route. I looked to skincare and brought in skincare inspiration to the body. Instant Peel is a gentle exfoliant that will roll your dead skin cells with the product. It is luxurious in texture, ingredients, and usage. Slow Blink is a luxurious amber, sandalwood musk based light fragrance. Firming Serum is like a Korean face serum for your body. It’s light but deeply hydrating. My mom loves that the formula doesn’t feel like it gets stuck between her wrinkles and that it doesn’t leave an oily or sticky residue.
What’s the best way to use the Instant Peel & Firming Serum?
Use Instant Peel on dry skin before your shower. Massage it onto your body and you’ll see your dead skin cells roll away with the product. It’s great before you shave or wax. I’ve been keeping the Firming Serum in the fridge as it’s been hot.
ENTER THE GIVEAWAY:
3 readers will be sent the Korean Body Resurfacing Set (Instant Peel & Firming Serum), with the choice of fragrance or fragrance-free. To enter, LIKE this post and click START SURVEY below to enter your email. By entering your email, you will be added to LILIS’ mailing list. Winners will be notified via email on Tuesday 7/30.
If you don’t win or just can’t wait, you can use JOLDEF for 20% off sitewide.
Office Hours Reminder
Join us for Office Hours on Sunday! This exclusive weekly opportunity is available to paying subscribers.
Every Sunday at 5pm EST, I’ll begin a new thread for the week in Substack Chat, where you can ask me anything. Every Monday from 5-6pm EST, I’ll be in that chat live, answering questions for the hour. That way, if you can’t make it, you can submit any time after 5pm Sunday and still get an answer. If you can make it live, join in! You can ask questions in real time and (hopefully) interact with others in class ;)
Have a great week!
xx,
Jolie
P.S. More info about the chicken-skin looking goop on my face earlier.
CO2 Lift Mask is a carboxytherapy gel mask. Originally used only in medical settings post-procedure, it’s basically like a hyperbaric chamber for your face. When you mix the two packets together, it releases Carbon Dioxide, oxygenating the skin, increasing blood flow, hydration, lifting and more. It’s incredibly healing and reparative, reducing downtime and clinically proven to increase hydration by 117% after 1 use. Doing a series of 3 or 6 is best for healing and improvement in elasticity though. The mask stays on for 45 minutes and is then peeled off. You have the option to have it applied in treatment or take it home with instructions to apply yourself post-facial. I offer it in my facial pop-ups.
I love these masks always, but they’re pricey so I save them for after facial treatments or before big events. I will be doing 2 more this week and then another 3 the week of my wedding. It’s a mask but thinking of it more like a treatment helps justify the $100 price tag. If you’re interested in purchasing or want more info, email hi@joldef.com. I can give you a discount on 3+.
Love a Jolie recommendation!!
yay for LILIS!! :)