DORÉ

NATURIUM first piqued our interest when it debuted on the beauty scene last summer because it boasted elegant, high-tech formulas at a very reasonable price — nothing is more than $25 dollars! With Susan Yara’s passion for all things beauty, and her veteran experience in the industry, she is the perfect woman to be at the helm of such a revelatory brand. Best news, NATURIM will be in Target starting in January, making them even more accessible to a wider audience. Read on to learn more about Susan’s beauty philosophy and routine!

What is your morning beauty routine?

Morning is when I like to keep it simple. I tend to splash some water on my face because over-cleansing can strip the skin. If you don’t sweat a lot or wear heavy products at night, then this tends to be fine. My biggest skin issue is melasma and hyperpigmentation, so a lot of the products I use treat that. I first pat NATURIUM Alpha Arbutin Essence 1% on my skin to hydrate and brighten, as well as prep my skin for the next products. Then I go in with NATURIUM Vitamin C Complex Serum to further brighten, hydrate, and also boost the efficacy of my sunscreen. I’ll use other treatment serums depending on the day, but Vitamin C tends to be my staple. Then I always lock everything in with moisturizer. I love NATURIUM Plant Ceramide Rich Moisture Cream because my skin tends to be dry. It’s super creamy and thick, so it’s perfect during the winter too. I let all of that absorb into my skin while I drink a cup of coffee and eat breakfast with my two toddlers. After I get dressed, I throw on a tinted sunscreen. One of my favorites is EltaMD UV Restore Tinted Broad-Spectrum SPF 40. It gives your skin just a little coverage and a lot of glow, so people think I don’t wear makeup. I spritz OUAI Texturizing Hairspray at the roots of my hair to give it some volume, then apply some light makeup on days when I work from home.

What products do you keep on your person to use throughout the day?

Now that we wear masks throughout the day, I’m obsessed with NATURIUM Niacinamide Skin Mist 2% to refresh and hydrate my skin. Niacinamide really helps to calm the irritation masks can cause, while also keeping mask acne at bay. Our advising dermatologist, Dr. Alexis Stephens recommends spraying it into your mask, then letting it dry down before wearing it. It’s a great tip! I also keep my sunscreen with me for re-application and a great lip balm. Laneige Glowy Balm in “berry” is one of my favorites.

What is your evening beauty routine?

My skincare routine gets really serious at night. I switch up my products often, but this is the time when I think we can repair our skin and treat it. I tend to shower, where I get in a double cleanse to wash my face. I’ll use an oil-based cleanser or balm like Farmacy Green Clean, then a water-based cleanser like NATURIUM Niacinamide Cleansing Gelée 3%. This ensures I get my sunscreen and makeup off in a gentle way and have a clean slate. Trust me, makeup wipes will not cut it. After that, I tend to layer brightening products like NATURIUM Alpha Arbutin Serum 2%, NATURIUM Azelaic Topical Acid 10%, and NATURIUM Tranexamic Topical Acid 5%. They’re all light serums that work in different ways to fight hyperpigmentation and melasma. I don’t think everyone needs to use this many treatments, but if you want to put up a good fight against your dark spots, then this is your military. You know the Army will kick some ass, but when you add the Navy and the Air Force, then you’re way more likely to win. I follow with NATURIUM Retinol Complex Cream to further brighten and fight the signs of aging. If I’m still using the military analogy, retinol is the Marines. It’s a must-have for anyone that wants to stimulate collagen and encourage skin cell turnover, but it tends to be the ingredient missing from so many routines. On nights when my skin feels dry, I’ll follow with NATURIUM Intense Overnight Sleeping Cream to lock all the hydration and treatments in. I love applying a rich body cream all over and my go-to is Bioderma Atoderm Intensive Baume. My last step is a light application of Agent Nateur Holi(Rose) Deodorant because I like the light scent before bed and I don’t deal with deodorant in the morning.

Can you expand on what “clean beauty” means to you and NATURIUM?

I have a really diverse following on YouTube and social media, but the vast majority are women that either plan to have children someday or their lives have already shifted to motherhood just like mine. I think many of us become way more concerned with the products we use while we’re pregnant and breastfeeding because we’re told to suddenly avoid so much. It’s not just ingredients, but different medicine and food. Yet at the same time, our skin goes through a ton of changes due to fluctuations in our hormones. Naturally, clean beauty tends to cater to us. We want effective products, ingredients that don’t raise any red flags (even if some claims are baseless), and we want our routine to feel like a treat because skincare can sometimes be our only form of self care. That said, there is a lot of conflicting information in clean beauty, as well as products that don’t work, so I decided to join the conversation with a brand that believes in both natural and synthetic ingredients that are backed by science. It ensures NATURIUM reaches the people that need us most. I also love that clean beauty has brought attention to sustainability, responsible ingredient sourcing, and respect for animals because these are core pillars of our brand. There is still a lot of work to be done, but the awareness helps give us more options and opportunities as it becomes the norm.

Transparency seems to be a priority for NATURIUM. Particularly seen in your Packaging Promise and Ingredient Library (so impressed by both!). Why did you want this conversation with the consumer to be at the core of your brand?

This goes back to the lack of information. People fear what they don’t understand, so we try to break down the ingredients and their function in an easy-to-digest manner. I’ve built my career on providing information to consumers, especially in the beauty space, so it only made sense to continue to do so with NATURIUM.

When do you feel most beautiful?

I feel the most beautiful when I’m confident enough to show off my skin instead of cover it up. I’m almost 40 and truly believe my skin is better than it has ever been because I take care of it and treat it so much better than I did in my 20s.