"I think SkinCeuticals makes the best vitamin C serum -- everybody else just attempts to get close," says Lorencin-Northrup. "If you feel that somebody does it so amazingly, you can only think two ways: you can make something better or you can copy it. I don't copy and I can't do better, so I use theirs. SkinCeuticals C E Ferulic, $146, is the most fantastic product." The antioxidants in this serum work to neutralize damage from free radicals before they start attacking your healthy skin cells. And the vitamin E in this serum helps stabilize the vitamin C, while the ferulic is an antioxidant that doubles up as a sunscreen.
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Her favorite moisturizer
So what's Lorencin-Northrup's desert island product? Kinara Intense Moisturizer with Peptides, $95. "I was oily all my life and I used to use a lightweight moisturizer, but now that I'm getting older, my skin is getting dryer."
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The best tinted sunscreen
Lorencin-Northrup loves Solar Protection Formula SPF 60 Tinted Concealer, $30. "This particular product is so brilliant that I've never seen anybody break out from it." Plus, Lorencin-Northrup really loves that the color is customizable. It comes with light and dark color tints, so that as you get lighter and darker with the seasons, you can change the color accordingly.
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A good chemical peel
For your skin to be thoroughly clean, Lorencin-Northrup says the secret is to "peel, peel, peel -- especially if you have a lot of blackheads and acne. Impurities make space for themselves and do not leave on their own. They need an eviction notice." However, she concedes that not everybody can walk into a spa and get a $160 facial on a regular basis, so what's your alternative? Peel and exfoliate at home. "Hold back on scrubs and invest in a really good chemical peel," she says. She recommends Dr. Dennis Gross Skin Care Alpha-Beta Daily Face Peel, $78.
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Her favorite foundation
Lorencin-Northrup loves Cle de Peau Cream Foundation, $80. "It has really heavy coverage and is silicone-based, so I can't use it all the time. But it has a hi-def technology that reflects light, so for special events or when I know I'm going to be on camera, this is the best." For drugstore alternatives, she loves Maybelline and L'Oreal foundation as well.
What is it about laying down on a facialist's table that makes you feel so vulnerable? Maybe it's because you're inches away from your esthetician's face, with your pores, pimples, and lines hanging under a seriously bright light? Or maybe it's because the facialist always happens to have the clearest, most flawless skin?
Take celebrity esthetician Olga Lorencin-Northrup, founder of Kinara Spa. Her complexion is even and radiant -- no blemishes, sunspots, or redness around her nose. And the most surprising part is that she rarely wears any foundation. (And at 48, that's no small feat.)
Lorencin-Northrup is one of the most celebrated facialists in the country. Since the opening of her spa in 2003, her clientele list has read like the guest list of the Oscars. Halle Berry, Jessica Alba, Eva Mendez, Natalie Portman, and even Will Ferrell stop by for her renowned Red Carpet Facial (which is what so many celebs thank for their glowing skin).
So what's her skin care secret? Does she practice what she preaches in her own skin care routine? And more importantly, what products does she stock up on? Determined to find out, we sat down with the celeb facialist and asked her for her best-kept skin care secrets. What's behind her glowing, practically perfect complexion? Keep reading. We've got the secrets to getting your own skin perfect here.
