
FaceTime: Model & Advocate for Women, Jess Vander Leahy
Welcome to FaceTime, a segment in which we interrogate the beauty whims, zit-melting strategies and self-care views of cool girls around the world. Here, multi-hyphenate (model! writer! presenter!) Jessica Vander Leahy talks acids, medicating her skin, and spills the tea from her fancy dermatologist.
Jess! Talk to me about your skin. Whatās it like? How well-behaved are we talking?
Have you seen Girl, Interrupted? My skin is like Angelina Jolieās character in the sense that when itās behaving itās wonderful and people seem to admire. But, when itās triggered itās so unpredictable. Itās real bad. Itās angry and the issues seem so deepādeep in the dermis, that isāand I just want to disappear until it calms the fuq down.Okay so whatās the best thing about your combination skin when itās behaving?Ā
I love when my PH is on point because my pores are small and firm. My make-up reduced to just a touch of tinted moisturizer that accentuates my glow.
What sort of break-outs do you get?
When my skin isnāt happy itās all down to my hormones, stress and, because I travel a lot, air pollution, changes in sleep and changes in water. Good skin after a 30 hour flight? Forget about it. Also, as Iāve aged my pigmentation is worsening. It took me a while to accept thereās not a lot I can do to stop it entirely because itās just something that happens with people with my skin tone, but itās a battle to make it less noticeable.
Basically my skin is a reeeeal fussy bitch.
So, how do we keep her happy?
Well, I treat her like I treat my friends, give āem acid and keep them hydrated. jk jk jk. But really... Iāve been to a lot of doctors. Nowadays, I use a lactic acid cleanser and low percentage (14%) glycolic scrub daily. I use a really thick moisturizer morning and night and I finish off my evening routine with a retinol and hyaluronic acid. Basically, if Iām as consistent as I can be with these core products I see a noticeable brightening and evenness to my skin.
If Iām having a breakout I get a little salicylic acid peel from my dermatologist; this is a type of beta-hydroxy acid and is often in over the counter acne creams, but if you get it straight up from a professional itās super effective. I also get prescribed topical clindamycināa type of antibioticāwhen I have weeks where the skin issues are deep and just wonāt clear. So youāre not opposed to medicating your skin?
Not at all. I think some people leave their skin issues too long and try DIY solutions that can scar or do further damage. Sometimes you do need that medical-grade products to get rid of something properly.
You mentioned pigmentation, whatās your current approach to that?
Well the retinol helps with evening the skin tone but, being Australian, I know to worship sun protection. Given that I have pigmentation using an SPF is good but I MUST use a physical barrier too so zinc is a must for me.
As a model, how do you prep your skin differently when you shoot? Or do you even do that, at all? Did I make that up?
Itās just all about keeping it clean and clear because it means that the makeup can sit nicely. Also I like to do a mask before I head to set because that way my face is juicy and plump and wonāt be as inclined to suck in the oils from the makeup to hydrate itself.
For those of us who donāt have a fancy dermatologist to consult, can you give us some second-hand intel for free?
Yeah, letās just preface all of this by reiterating Iām not a doctor! But I think seeing a professional for your skin is great if you can because, even with over-the-counter stuff you, can do some real damage. But I understand itās prettyĀ $$$.
Iād just say, even with a doctor to ask youāre the only one who can ~feel~
your skin so I think one of the best things you can do is just pay attention to it. Itās an organ, after all, so that means itās constantly processing and adjusting to your environment and working in conjunction with a lot of other systems in your body.
My doc says the same routine wonāt work forever so when my skin starts to behave
Ā
Do you take pleasure in reading the skincare routines of strangers?! More of that here.