Here's how it works:
Founder's Formula 7- Skin Method
1. In the mornings, do not cleanse, simply wipe face and neck with a re-usable cotton or bamboo pad soaked in Purslane and Commelina Gentle Balancing Toner.
In the evenings, massage face and neck with Macadamia Omega 7 Cleansing Oil and rinse away with water. Pat dry excess water. Using a re-usable cotton pad, apply Purslane and Commelina Gentle Balancing Toner.
2. If you are preparing for a big day or a big event, or if your face is feeling stressed or irritated, start with CALM Tasmanian Mountain Pepper Berry Serum as your first serum layer. Drop 1 or 2 drops in the palm of your hand, press hands gently together and press flat palms to face.
3. Allow to soak in (clean your teeth, lay out your clothes, light a candle, sip tea). The time it takes will depend largely on how dehydrated your skin is at the time. Very dehydrated skin will soak up serums instantly.
4. For mornings, after 1 or 2 minutes, apply Wild-Harvested Kakadu Plum Vitamin C Serum, especially if skin is pigmented or sun-damaged but also to prevent pigmentation. Repeat with a second serum layer of Australian Botanicals Pro-Aging Treatment Concentrate Serum).
At night after cleansing and toning, apply Phyto-A+ Australian Native Tobacco. Wait a few moments for it to absorb. Then apply one or two drops of Australian Botanicals Pro-Aging Treatment Concentrate Serum with Niacinamide B3. (The reason we recommend using the Fortified version of the Pro-Aging Serum in the evening is that some dermatologists recommend not using Vitamin C at the same time as Vitamin B.)
Again, allow a little time for each serum to fully absorb before applying the next. Layer as often (or as little) as needed to reach saturation. If your skin is already well hydrated, one or two layers may be fine. If skin is dry, use more layers, allowing a minute or two between layers.
If skin around eyes is puffy, or for dark circles, apply Native River Mint Cooling Eye Serum around the eye area, include on the lids if puffy, carefully avoiding the eyes themselves, morning and night.
5. After layering serums, apply Wild Rosella Every Day Moisturiser in the morning and Snake Vine Extract Super Anti-Oxidant Night-Time Recovery Cream to complete the occlusion to lock in benefits and prevent the freshly hydrated skin from 'de' hydrating.
6. Apply 1 or 2 drops of Australian Botanicals Nourishing Facial Oils for additional skin health benefits, including oil-based Vitamin E, and to complete the occlusion. Oils can penetrate moisturisers but moisturisers are less efficient at penetrating oils. Remember the key with oils, as with all Founder's Formula products, is that a little goes a long way.
7. For day time, finish with an 50+ SPF - remember it needs to be applied at least 20 minutes before sun exposure in order to give it time to form a protective barrier.
The 7- Skin Method is a Korean technique for applying serums and toners. In Korean, 'toner' translates as a 'skin', so the '7- Skin Method' translates literally as the '7- Toner Method'. The 7- Skin Method is a way to apply multiple layers of hydrating toners in 7 thin layers to thoroughly hydrate the skin. Using this method, the skin is deeply hydrated, while the multiple layers build to become an occlusive, like a moisturiser. In the original 7 Skin Method a moisturiser is not used.
All Founder's Formula serums are hydrating serums. All are created in a base of organic aloe vera and with added natural hyaluronic acid, which is soothing and hydrating. Our Pro-Aging Serums have multiple hydrating phyto-actives including native seaweed (Tasmanian kelp) with its exceptional moisturisation properties, Emu Apple, a rich hydrator, Banksia, rich in moisturising glycosides that repair and restore skin health, and Kangaroo Flower, rich in natural hydrating fatty acids.
We include moisturisers and oils in the 7- Skin Method because there are beneficial phyto-actives that are only available in nature as oils. They do not dissolve into water and so are not available unless oils are included in a skin care routine. Serums (sometimes referred to as Essences), followed by oils, offer the full range of skin benefits that nature has to offer.
Taking the time to love our skin is taking the time to love. Korean women completely understand the meditative power of ritual and the magic of using skin care mindfully and lovingly to create awareness and inner stillness. Applying skin care with Presence is a way of consciously bringing the power of now into our day!
But, of course, many of us live busy lives and sometimes the ritual and the down-time are just not an option for every woman every day. So if time is not your friend today, remember, skin can multi-task and it is completely fine to mix serums and apply in a single step. Allow to absorb and follow with a little Australian Botanicals Nourishing Facial Oils mixed in to your preferred moisturiser - we can call it the 'Busy Woman's 2 - Skin Method'.
Self-love in any language is doing what is needed in the moment.
Author note: Dr Annie Holden is an anthropologist and the founder of Founder's Formula. Annie lives on the Sunshine Coast in Queensland, Australia.