Favorite Things: Skin Authority

Skin Authority

We'll admit to being product junkies - it's a hazard of the business. On any given day, we're sampling a new mascara, testing a fab mask and then jetting off to an evening event with brand new falsies. But one thing we've always been very picky about? Our cleansing products. After suffering in high school and college, we swore "never again" after finding an organic regimen that worked.

So when Skin Authority rep Debra Locker approached us before the International Spa Association show late last year and asked if we wanted to get a facial with her products, we said sure. But when she asked us to commit to trying Skin Authority as our main regimen for weeks at a time ... we'll admit to being skeptical.

But we were assured by Locker that we'd be in good hands - the brand's founder, Celeste Hilling, is a former head of the International Spa Association and considered a worldwide expert, and spas like the Ritz-Carlton Tysons Corner use the line in their facials. It wasn't as if we were trying a drugstore generic. And speaking of generics, one of the things that originally sold us on Skin Authority was its near medical-grade quality.

The products are all designed to work with your skin's Ph levels and are the highest concentration of ingredient potency that one can get without a prescription. After a facial analysis, our esthetician assigned us a daily "regimen" that looked more like a prescription than anything else - it even came on a yellow pad! We were to start with a gel cleanser on dry skin, followed by a toner, cell renewal cream or Vitamin C serum (depending on the time of day) and a sunscreen-enhanced moisturizer. To help with our frequent travels, we picked up the kit in mini form as well.

After the first few days, we weren't entirely convinced ... it was a lot of steps to remember. But we loved how the cleanser, which was applied to dry skin, only took a tiny amount AND removed our makeup in one quick step. The daily serum also made a difference in our skin's tone and redness in less than week. After a month, we noticed that we were getting comments almost daily on our skin - something that had never happened before. And since we hadn't switched anything else major ... it had to be Skin Authority.

One of the things we LOVED was the regular e-mails from the brand talking about the chances we should be seeing in our skin, and the "hotline" we could call at any time to discuss questions or skin concerns. We knew that our skin would now be "regenerating" on a faster basis, and knew at what points we should start seeing results. It was like having our own personal skin coach on speed dial - we'd never seen this level of high-touch service from a brand before. 

Rarely does Deacon find such a high ranking for a skin product as he does for the Skin Authority line. We've since ceased using their moisturizer in lieu of our tried-and-true organic Skincando Miracle Cream (at least for the winter), but the rest of the products are 100% in our rotation. And three months later, we're not even out of our initial supply - a huge plus, given that products can get expensive.

If you're searching for a pump up to your own routine, trying to get "in shape" for a big day, or simply looking to make a change ... we'd highly recommend the products!  You can find it at the Ritz-Carlton Tysons Corner, FYI.

Deacon was gifted the Skin Authority set, but the opinions of this puppy are solely his and writer McLean Robbins' own.