Up until last Thursday, I’d taken to cleaning my face with baby wipes. It is quick, simple, seemed to do the trick. But then I noticed my skin was much drier than it had been, and my pores were looking more and more ‘cloudy’.

One of my very inspiring clients, Angela Jia Kim, has a green skincare boutique at the Limelight Marketplace in NYC, Om Aroma. She invited me to come in and try their “Fresh Face Fix”. Of course, I wanted to see her space and meet her team. But, I have to admit, I was a bit nervous about ‘unveiling’ my skin up close and personal to her top esthetician, Dennis.  Actually, I was quite embarrassed because I know better. Not having time is no excuse to neglect the largest organ in our body. So, I decided to let Dennis have a go at my face.

From the champagne grapeseed cleanser, Aromatonique mist, custom made pumpkin mask, raspberry and honey serums, and white truffle infused facial cream, this Fresh Face Fix was like a five star meal for my skin. If you are in or around NYC, you must book one for yourself. Not only was it incredible relaxing, I learned a lot – including the proper way to cleanse my skin and even how to apply makeup!

One of the greatest tips Dennis gave me stuck in my mind. He said, “Think of the skin like ‘fish gills’, cleanse upward to get deep in the pores and apply makeup downwards so it doesn’t get trapped in the skin.”

The meaning of ‘proper cleaning’ was blurred a bit for me, as I went for many years thinking it had to be complicated to be ‘good’, and when my life got busier with Millana and EJ, I traded in the huge routine for baby wipes. But, I learned that a  proper cleanse is easy, and doesn’t take much time at all. In fact, there is danger in over-cleansing the skin. A proper cleanse is really just this:

1. Fill a bowl/basin with fresh, lukewarm water (neither hot or cold is good for the face)

2. Using a soap (with few, natural ingredients) cleanse the skin in an upward direction

3. Rinse well with lukewarm water – hydration is good, and make sure to get all of the residue off of the skin (in other words, splash away)

You can follow with a quick mist of a natural toner, massaging in a serum (massage is also great for the face), and finishing with lotion. This whole process can take from 1-4 minutes, which even for busy women is not a lot of time. As a matter of fact, Angela even developed a 1-Minute Ritual that combines everything from cleaning to toning to moisturizing, and there are lots of skincare/lifestyle tips on her blog.

So, I made a vow to myself to not use baby wipes to cleanse, to actually take a few minutes to take care of me at the end of the day. And I splurged a little, too. Om Aroma makes a beautiful Red Raspberry Skin Serum . Dennis said to apply it morning and night, and “rub it in while you are walking from the bathroom to the kids rooms .” I get it, really, NO EXCUSES.  He showed me a circular motion that gets the serum deep into the skin, and not to mention feels fantastic.

As I left feeling fresh and refreshed, Angela (who has the most radiant glow) reminded me that the reason she created Om Aroma was to keep skincare natural yet simple for busy women, and let me tell you, it really couldn’t be simpler. We all deserve to spend a few minutes a day nurturing our skin.

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