Grimes is pregnant, and, as anyone would, she has created a digital clone of her future child to celebrate. The clone is named War Nymph, and it’s super into wellness (it wields swords just like Grimes) and beauty (it also wields excellent red press-ons). The message seems to be that pregnant Grimes is exactly like nonpregnant Grimes, so it wasn’t entirely surprising to learn that she’ll continue monthly facials from celebrity facialist Candace Marino, the medical aesthetician and skin-care expert known around town as “the L.A. Facialist.”
“It’s funny, I think I was one of the first people to know about it,” said Marino, who got the intel before Grimes’s nipple-less announcement photo hit Instagram. “Obviously, her boyfriend and friends knew, but she came in right when she found out and was like, ‘I just have to tell you this. It’s kind of too late for other people to know, but obviously you’re manipulating my skin and I don’t want to do anything bad.’”
That sentiment is a familiar one. Once you remind yourself that the skin is the largest organ of the body and some of the stuff you rub into it can seep right into your bloodstream, it’s hard to imagine continuing your chemical-laden skin-care regimen while gestating. Do you need to throw all your serums into the abyss along with spicy-tuna rolls and shots for nine months?
Then again, does a sentient wild fae like Grimes even need serums? According to Marino, who structured the singer’s current skin-care routine, yes and no. Definitely consult your doctor with any specific questions you have concerning your own skin and products, but in the meantime, here’s what Grimes (or c, as Marino knows her) puts on her face when she’s in this dimension.
ACIDS, BUT DON’T BE ALARMED
iS Clinical Active Serum
“It’s a misconception that acids are bad during pregnancy; most of them don’t even enter the bloodstream,” says Marino. She likes to work with brands that already have a complete roster of pregnancy-safe products so drastic changes don’t need to be made. She currently has c on an iS Clinical skin-care regimen for that very reason; specifically, three acid serums that help with the skin sensitivities many women experience during pregnancy (dryness, itchiness, inflammation).
There’s the multi-acid clearing Active Serum, a good retinol alternative that helps with hormonal acne flares and discoloration from melasma; the hyaluronic-acid-packed Hydra Cool, “a big drink of water” for dehydrated pregnancy skin; and Pro Heal Serum which contains vitamin C to calm everything down. “All of the acids in these products are botanically derived, meaning they come from plant sources, so the salicylic acid is willow bark, the glycolic acid is sugar cane. These are all very gentle forms of the acids that are no contraindication to pregnancy.”
A GENTLE PEEL EVERY MONTH
Olga Lorencin Red Carpet Facial In a Box
Acid sounds even more alarming when it’s followed by the word peel, but it’s still all good. “I usually exfoliate her with a light acid peel, and I use this one quite often because it doesn’t warrant any downtime or shedding. Lactic acid is a milk derivative and is pregnancy safe. This peel breaks down the chain of dead skin cells to exfoliate the skin, which means better product penetration afterward, which results in hydrated, nourished skin. You don’t see any physical peeling, but you still get that cellular turnover. ”
MANUKA HONEY (FOR THE FACE, NOT THE SCREAMING SESSIONS)
iS Clinical Warming Honey Cleanser
We already know that slow-boiled honey tea is a crucial ingredient of the screaming portion of Grimes’s wellness routine. According to Marino, warm honey is part of her beauty routine as well. “This cleanser heats up upon application and is a beautiful medium to massage the skin with. Manuka honey is also a known antibacterial, so this is a great cleanser to add in if you’re experiencing hormonal breakouts during pregnancy.”
A HEAVENLY MOISTURIZER
iS Clinical Reparative Moisture Emulsion
Even the most sentient among us need a little something-something to keep everything looking moist, but no one likes to feel weighed down. This gel-textured emulsion is what Marino prescribed for the singer. “It’s a lightweight yet super-hydrating moisturizer that keeps the skin nourished without the feeling of any of that heaviness or weight that a lot of creams leave.”
HAUNTING MASKS
When c comes in for her appointments, Marino says she usually paints on one of these slightly unsettling Casmara masks with a jelly consistency. “These are incredible because of their cryo-therapeutic effect on the skin,” she says. “These masks are super-cold and drop the skin’s temperature about six degrees. This is amazing for anyone feeling the puffiness or bloat in the face that can come along with pregnancy.” The antioxidant-packed goji-berry mask shown above is a stunner, but Marino will choose from several types to fit her skin’s current state and what it needs most in the moment.
EXTRA OXYGEN
Marino is known for her skills in facial massage, which she does to oxygenate the blood by manipulating skin tissue with her hands (it’s what gets a good glow going). She turns to the spacey contraption shown above for an extra dose of oxygen. “c loves the oxygen dome. Everybody does; it’s really relaxing under there,” says Marino, alluding to both her clients’ psyches and their skin. The dome is her “magic wand” for irritation because it quickly calms redness and inflammation, whether from extractions or living life.
“Fifteen to 20 minutes is all you need, and we can use a number of serums and masks underneath the dome to assist in product penetration,” Marino says, claiming that people emerge soft and radiant, including c: “Her skin is really good. She’s an easy person to make glow.”
A HEALTHY DOSE OF CHILL
That c in c stands for the speed of light, but it may also refer to the singer’s temperament. Marino says she’s “really chill, super-open, and extremely easy to talk to” on a wide range of topics (including “Is it like having an alien inside you?”). “The one thing I will say about her that I respect so much is when I’m explaining something to her, every single time we have that type of interaction, she says, ‘Thank you.’ She’s so polite, and that’s something I find to be so charming about her. She doesn’t act like a celebrity; she’s just a cool chick who’s very polite. No ego, great manners, always gracious.” That can only be good for your skin, right?
This article was originally published on thecut.com.
