Skincare Secrets and Facial Massage for the French Girl Glow
Inside the Facialist’s Studio with Audrey David, founder of The Inner Glow
Audrey David is the founder and chief “facialiste” of The Inner Glow, a natural skincare studio in Marseille. When I stumbled upon her site while researching partners for the Reboot Retreat, I was instantly smitten with her holistic approach to skincare and natural anti-aging — which includes her signature facial massage technique, the Lift and Glow treatment.
With her dewy skin, sultry voice and zen energy Audrey is a walking billboard for effortless French girl beauty. Guests at the Reboot Retreat got to experience Audrey’s facial massage treatments, which help tone the face, reduce wrinkles, add firmness and brighten the complexion. She also led us through a self-massage workshop, so we could continue the ritual at home.
Recently, I caught up with Audrey to chat more about her approach to self-care rituals, anti-aging practices, her favorite clean beauty products and more. Here’s some highlights from our conversation:
Audrey led us through a facial massage workshop at the Reboot Retreat. Photo by Rachel McCarthy
How did you become interested in facials and self-massage in particular?
Since I was a little girl, I’ve been interested in the world of well-being and in particular, skincare. I used to cut out articles from beauty magazines and put them in a binder. I used to ask all my friends and family to give me massages. As soon as I started working, I would treat myself to a regular facial. Then, one day, as I started to research more and more, I said to myself: "why not make this my career since I am passionate about this world?” Et voila!
What are the common mistakes you see people make in terms of skincare?
Putting pressure on your skin (it's counterproductive) and wanting to do too much in your routine, and therefore stopping in the long run. It's the same principle as sports: regularity and pleasure are the key!
My advice: massage yourself every day for one minute. Then two minutes, etc... it will become essential to your well-being!
Another mistake I see regularly is buying a multitude of products, testing them quickly and then stopping. It is better to have a simple but effective routine. And it’s necessary to test a product for at least 3 weeks, the time it takes for cells to renew, in order to see the effects a product is having on your skin.
What is one simple thing everyone should do to help their skin age more gracefully?
A few things: Be kind to yourself. Give yourself a one-minute massage every day. Sleep. Drink a lot of water. Laugh. Smile to yourself. Enjoy life: embrace the epicurean mood.
True, there is so much more to skincare than what we put on our skin. On the topic of products, there are some wonderful "clean" skincare products out there - what are your must-haves?
A few of my favorite brands that make products that lend themself well to facial massage and natural skincare are: Antipodes, Elemis, Violette, Nyssae, Oden, La bruket, and Tomorrow Beauty.
Photo by Rachel McCarthy
Mists, serums, oils, creams... in what order should we apply our skin care products so they do their job?
The proper order to use your products in is: First, cleansing. Second, floral water or toner to restore the pH of the skin and cancel the calcareous effect of tap water. Third, eye cream. Fourth, facial serum. Fifth, your moisturizing cream. And finally, oil (at night or if you don't leave the house, as it can be quite heavy).
I have a post about this topic, and many other tutorials on my Instagram too!
In terms of nutrition, what do you recommend people avoid or add to their diet for healthy, glowing skin?
My advice is to eat as much raw foods as possible, and local organic fruits and vegetables in season. You want to be sure to eat good fats like healthy oils, fatty fish, and nuts and seeds. A good amount of protein. I also love vegetable juices and lacto-fermented foods for probiotics.
Avoid processed, industrial products, too much sugar, junk food...
And of course, everything is a question of balance! Nothing should be completely forbidden!
For people who only have a few minutes to spare, but want to incorporate some facial massage into their routine, what are a couple of "moves" they should absolutely do.
I also have a video on the movements to do when you put on your day or night cream, for it to be most effective. And it’s quite quick to do!
In general, you want to put your face cream starting from the bottom of your face and massaging it upwards to the top of your face. Then the same motions from the center of the face, massaging to outwards, stretching the skin lightly as you apply it.
And for those who want the full experience with you, where can they learn more and reserve a treatment?
With pleasure! You can learn more about my services and book on my website at theinnerglow.fr
