I am huge fan of the Jordan Samuel Skin line, as many of you know I absolutely adore the Plie Treatment Cleanser and I am now almost out of my first bottle of Hydrate – Jordan’s Hyaluronic Acid Serum (and have and most likely always will repurchase). When I had the opportunity to connect and have a chat with Jordan himself recently, I was pretty nervous. Why? Well he is someone whom I have a tremendous amount of respect for.
For me, Jordan is someone that is not only kind, approachable and incredibly hilarious. He is someone who is knowledgable, does his research and basically just knows what he is talking about with no BS when it comes to skincare and all things skin. This is so obvious in his Skin Talks videos on his YouTube channel. He has a lot of integrity, not only as a person, a brand but also as a business owner. The success of his brand is a testament to this, with little advertising, and a lot of word of mouth rave reviews, the Jordan Samuel Skin line has fast become a favourite for the skincare obsessed and beyond.
What sets Jordan’s line – Jordan Samuel Skin from many other brands is perhaps its simplistic approach. With only 4 SKUs, Jordan’s line is small and simple and it is the way he intends it to be. The less is more approach to good skin is what Jordan and his line is all about I had the amazing opportunity to pick his brain about it and learn exactly why this may be the case.
***Please continue reading below for a discount code and a chance to win Jordan’s entire collection!
Early Days
Image Source: Jordan Samuel Skin
Jordan’s journey into skincare starts with ballet and ballet has become highly influential in terms of where he is today. “My whole life was basically in ballet” he says, as Jordan started his ballet training at a young age. In his early days of professional ballet training, Jordan didn’t care about skin, he enjoyed ‘beauty’ but didn’t think twice about what he was using and what it was doing for his skin. He was lucky enough to not have any issues with his skin whilst growing up and going through adolescence so the concern for skin was not of a concern at the time. However, Jordan’s skin started to change a little when he got into the professional ballet as he found that he started getting acne from heavy stage makeup and heavy lighting. Being the natural problem solver he was, he started to play with lots of different products to see what worked best for him and found that his issues with this started to heal and his interest in skincare was piqued.
It wasn’t until that Jordan was injured that he started looking more closely into skincare. He retells, “So I broke my foot for the second time in two years while performing. And instead of being down and out I started to be proactive about things. Learning how to start a business, learning about formulations etc. I first started making scents. And then adding them to some oil etc. started slow and kept building on my knowledge. Eventually I made the most killer shaving cream (it’ll eventually return). I soon realised that I wanted and needed more education if I wanted to have my own brand. So I decided after I retired from the ballet I would first become an esthetician.”
Why Less is More
When Jordan first got into skincare, his routine was never long or short. However, his entire philosophy of less is more truly came about when he came across an interview with Eve Lom (and he highly recommends to read/watch any interviews with her). From these interviews, Jordan had a lightbulb moment as everything seemingly started to make sense with her less is more philosophy. He connected so deeply to what Eve was saying in her interviews that he booked a trip to London and a facial with Eve herself. Its not hard to believe that the two got along quite well in this session – “We are friends now” Jordan says ever so casually. In his meeting with Eve, she recommended a plethora of reading material for Jordan about skin and most importantly skin physiology. It is from this point that Jordan really started to deeply understand and appreciate the foundation of skin and how it works.
Jordan believes at the end of the day the skincare industry is an industry – it is out there to make money. “Look at any trade magazine and it will show you what is the latest and greatest but it looks at nothing in terms of skin physiology” Jordan says. “We were put on this earth not needing skincare” Jordan states quite simply. He then goes on to explaining to me that we have sebaceous glands for a reason, they work to lubricate and moisturise the skin. With a good diet and healthy lifestyle our skin should actually be quite fine without any product (but we would still need SPF).
Many of the skin issues that we have in today’s society is quite simply our own doing. Jordan explains to me further by telling me that we often misuse or mistreat many skincare products out there. Simple things such as using too many acids, not cleansing thoroughly, over cleansing, not wearing SPF, using too many occlusives are possibly some of the simple errors that I am sure many of us (myself included) have done in the past or continue to do.
The simple reason why Jordan finds a less is more skincare approach to be more effective is quite simply the fact that the skin can realistically look after itself perfectly fine. It may need some additional help in terms of treating issues such as acne, pigmentation etc and if this is the case – then use less product to get the most out of your targeted treatment. It is the actives that make these treatments work and there is optimal penetration into the skin as there is less product or occlusives blocking the way. For instance, Jordan took the time to explain to me that once we cleanse our skin some of us apply a Vitamin C serum and will then continue to layer more serums/creams/lotions etc on to the skin. In these skincare formulations ingredients such as silicones will gradually continue to block out the actives in a serum as they are layered on top. Continuously layering serums on top of each other is not only a waste of product but will also loose the efficacy of product and its actives.
Throughout my conversation with Jordan, he also reiterated that the skin can only take in so much and once we start to apply more products, the actives in our serums or moisturisers become less efficient. By adopting a less is more approach we therefore get the most out of our actives as it is realistically one of the only actives going into the skin thus it is working at its optimum and our skin is getting the best possible results from it.
But What About the Korean Skincare Routine?
I asked Jordan about his thoughts on Korean skincare and their infamous 10-12 step routine as I was curious to see what his thoughts in this were. Surprisingly enough, Jordan was not completely 100% against it (but wasn’t 100% for it either). “Korean skincare is a lot of light layers, so it’s not too occlusive” he says. Jordan finds the whole Korean skincare and its many steps isn’t something he personally is crazy about but he does feel that there is a place for it. What Jordan also explains and believes is that it really down come down to what works best for you. For that I respect him so very much when he when he stated “Who am I to say that you can or cannot follow the Korean skincare regime?”.
Personally, he isn’t a huge fan but he says that Korean skincare is a little different as it is quite lightweight. However, “skin can only absorb so much. By the time you get to the fourth layer, your skin isn’t really absorbing much else” says Jordan, he goes to on to explain to me that and “you are not getting the next active ingredient at its most optimal” which leads back to his own personal philosophy and thoughts of less is more.
And…For the Beginner…
For someone who is looking to really invest in their skincare regime, Jordan suggests two important types of products to buy immediately. “Find a good cleanser” he states in a matter of fact way (Plie anyone?!). “Find 1-2 good cleansers and a really good SPF”. His advice from here is what I probably really respect and really just solidifies how Jordan is really in to no nonsense, is straight to point and finding something that really works.
After purchasing a really good cleansing system and that all important SPF, Jordan suggests, “If you have the ability to, find a really good facialist”. His reasoning behind this? A facialist will be able to correctly diagnose your skin and give you all the information you will need about your skin type and what areas truly need improving. He says that going to see a facialist can just be a one off for those who may be a little tight for money but he truly believes that they will give any beginner the right guidance into understanding, diagnosing and lead them on to the right path to great skin. He also adds, “Most spas and facialist provide some type of complimentary consultation. So if that is available by all means to do that”. Understanding that not everyone may have the means the see a facialist , Jordan suggests that if these complimentary sessions are not available and you do know their skin type and conditions “I would have them start slowly by sampling around 3-4 products for their skin type and see what truly works. Taking the time to get to know their skin and what works for them and what doesn’t”.
Does a Pamper Session have a place in Less is More?
“Absolutely!” says Jordan. He believes that the all important pamper session is a great way indulge and to use 6 or more products if one wishes too. Jordan suggests to look into his Friday Facials where he takes just a few products to create an indulgent multistep routine. This will not only save some money, but also can be a lot of fun as it gives the ability for many to play alchemist. A great example of this is shown when May Lindtsrom and Jordan got together recently (below) and made some decadent and indulgent skincare creations using just a few products from each of their lines.
Jordan Samuel Skin x May Lindstrom
Another little pamper session trick that Jordan was kind enough to share with me was to never underestimate the power of a beautiful facial massage in an at home spa session. “You could take something like a retinol oil and spend 20 minutes massaging that. The heat of the hands will really help warm up the skin and product and allow it to absorb completely. After that I would suggest removing it. And applying a fresh layer of hydrate and then the retinol”.
Quick Three Questions With Jordan…
1. Favourite Ingredients – Jordan had a little difficulty picking just one so I let him pick a few as he made a great point about there being favourite ingredients for particular skin types. His favourites were: SPF (obviously, zinc oxide in particular), salicylic acid for those with acne, a hydrator for those with dehydrated skin and Retinol because it helps with so many issues such as scarring, resurfacing the skin and overall a great all round ingredient.
2. Ingredient that you will never work with – Hydroquinone – its a scary ingredient and there are other ingredients out there that will do the same thing but are much better. For those that don’t know hydroquinone is a skin lightening ingredient, that basically bleaches the skin and is believed to do more harm than good.
3. Is there a beauty industry myth you would like to debunk? – If you have the right skincare, you don’t need an eye cream or a neck cream. Use your moisturiser and serum and if they are formulated properly you don’t need these products.
Thank you so much Jordan for your time with this interview. It was an absolute pleasure getting to know yourself and your philosophies in so much detail!
I am also SUPER excited to announced that Jordan has kindly offered 10% off his entire website using the code OPJS which expires on the 16th August. On top of that anyone who makes a purchase using this code in that time period will be in the running to win his ENTIRE collection. GOOD LUCK!
Please also note that I do not get anything from using this code – just sharing the JSS love with you all!
Have you used anything from Jordan Samuel Skin? What were your favourite products? I would love to know in the comments below!
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