"I think about wellness all the time," says Tai Adaya, founder of skincare brand HABIT. The mission of HABIT is to make SPF more accessible. "There’s so much misinformation around the health aspect of SPF and as a brand, we work to break through and dispel those myths so consumers can make educated decisions about their skin investments, daily healthy habits, and longevity," Adaya tells Sage & Sound. But for this founder, it's more than skin deep:
"Wellness is often used as a stop-gap commercial solution to distract from the fact that we don’t have adequate access to preventative healthcare -- but we should always advocate for truly preventative healthcare and work to change our healthcare system by 1) voting in all local and federal elections 2) being conscious of how we as consumers fit into the healthcare system 3) advocating for ourselves when it comes to our health by asking our providers questions and standing up for ourselves. The U.S. healthcare system has not been designed to serve the average person -- we must change it."
AM
I like to keep it simple with this classic cleanser. In my skin routine as in much of my life, I like to mix high-end and “low-end” products. I find it’s best to keep going back to what you like and will actually use!
My skin is addicted to Good Genes. This is definitely “high-end” -- it’s costly! But I’m so used to it at this point I can’t imagine switching to another daily moisturizer. It gives me an instant pep and I love that it has arnica.
Epi.Logic Daily Dose is the daily Vitamin C I'm currently using.
For SPF, I use Habit Nº41 Mister or another SPF since I test/rotate facials sunscreens from the US, France, Korea and Australia for product development and research.
Other morning must-haves are:
Nespresso: My best pandemic purchase by far!
NPR Upfirst: To get a briefing on the day.
PM
Cetaphil Cleanser again.
Retin-A: SPF is the only topical proven to prevent skin aging. Retin-A is the only topical proven to reverse aging (this is an RX product; always consult a doctor before starting a new RX regimen).
Good Genes or another moisturizer. I’ll test things out and often mix a moisturizer with the Retin-A. Right now I’m using a Summer Friday’s mask.