As far as dream jobs go, Melinda Solares has a pretty sweet gig. As Sephora's new beauty director, she gets to try out just about every product that hits the store's shelves and give unbiased recommendations to the millions of people who shop there every day.
But as fun as it is to drown in lipsticks and moisturizers, it's also a responsibility she takes seriously. Because if anyone knows the transformative power of great skin care—and more important, listening to what your particular skin needs—it's Solares. “When I was younger, I really struggled with hormonal, cystic acne. I still have some scarring,” she says. Solares tried everything: diet changes, doxycycline, spironolactone, exercise, facials, laser treatments, Botox, and the least helpful advice of all when you have chronic acne, drinking more water.
“It's been a long journey, but overall my skin is my dream now,” she says, crediting the years of trial and error it took working with a dermatologist and an esthetician to get her skin in a healthier place. It's also why she approaches her work with no judgments: “I consider myself a realist. So whenever someone asks me, ‘What should I use in my skin-care routine?’ I ask them about their lifestyle. If they're busy or don't have a ton of interest in beauty, then I'm like, let's just nail down the basics and make sure you have a routine you can keep consistent.”
Whether it's simple or involved, Solares says sticking with a routine is key. For her personally, that means—at minimum—starting the day with a light rinse, a hyaluronic acid serum, and an SPF moisturizer. “I cater my skin-care routine based on what my skin needs and how busy or anxious I'm feeling,” she says. “At most, I'll go up to nine steps in my routine—usually on Sundays when I want to take some time for self-care.”
So what makes the cut when you have all of Sephora's top sellers at your disposal? We asked Solares to drop her routine—and, of course, spill what's worth grabbing the next time you find yourself aimlessly wandering through Sephora.
My Steamer
The first thing I've been really into lately—especially since I've been at home and haven't been able to get to the dermatologist or facialist—is steaming my face before I start my skin-care routine. I always say, think of your skin like a sponge. When you're washing dishes, if your sponge is dry, it doesn't do much. But when it's wet, it picks up and absorbs everything on your plate. Your skin acts the same way. When you use steam before cleansing, you loosen the dirt in your pores and create pathways for everything to come off easier. And it'll make your skin care afterward absorb better.
I've tried a ton of steamers, but nothing compares to Dr. Dennis Gross's Pro Facial Steamer. It packs a punch with the steam. You're never left wondering, Is this really doing anything? In my dream world I'd use it every night, but realistically, I use it about twice a week. I'll either start cleansing, then sit in front of this so it helps break down my makeup, or I'll pop on a face mask and steam. I had bad cystic acne for years, and I feel like this was a game changer for me.
My Cleansers
Most mornings, I just splash my face with cold water. But at night I'm all about the double cleanse. I'll start by using a precleanser to help break down any makeup I'm wearing. Lately, I've been using the Farmacy Green Clean Makeup Melt Away Cleansing Balm. It is so good. I mean, get-Halloween-makeup-off-in-one-try good. And I find that it keeps my dry skin feeling way more moisturized and hydrated than other makeup removers.
My second cleanser is Tatcha's The Rice Wash. It's more of a cream cleanser, which I tend to prefer for myself over gel. It has hyaluronic acid to help with moisture. And then the rice powder is what's really interesting. Traditionally in Japanese culture, when people would harvest rice, they noticed the rice powder and water helped keep their hands looking youthful. It's since become a ritual that Tatcha uses in its products.
My Mask
People often ask me what's my ride-or-die product, and my answer is always Drunk Elephant T.L.C. Sukari Babyfacial. It's the most amazing at-home facial. Your face truly feels like a baby's after you use it. It has both alpha hydroxy acids and beta hydroxy acids that chemically exfoliate your skin, which helps rev up your skin-cell turnover. It's also great for fading dark spots. I still have some light post-acne scarring on my cheeks, and this product makes such a big difference.
It is heavy-duty though, so you want to start up with it slowly. I recommend using it only once a week for two to three minutes to see how your skin reacts, then you can work your way up. I also avoid it on days I'm using retinol.
My Essence
If I'm being honest, I want to use a skin essence every day, but realistically I tend to use it more when I'm treating myself. I get a lot of questions about what essences do. So going back to the sponge analogy, think of an essence like the water you're putting onto a sponge to help it absorb. When you add an essence to your face, you help create pathways for all of your skin care to penetrate better. My go-to is Tatcha's The Essence Plumping Skin Softener. It's another one that smells so good and isn't irritating.
My Serum
Next up is my hyaluronic acid serum: Glow Recipe's Plum Plump. It's one of those products I use every day, twice a day, no matter how quick of a skin-care routine I'm doing. It's so wildly hydrating and moisturizing and makes my skin feel dewy—and again, that's coming from someone whose skin is on the dry side. It's like a big glass of water after a night of one too many glasses of wine; my skin just drinks it up. I think that's because it has different weights of hyaluronic acid within it, so it can target multiple layers of your skin. I can't live without it. And, of course, it comes in the cutest little bottle that surprisingly lasts a long time.
My Retinol
Shani Darden's Retinol Reform is everything. I love Shani and really respect her. I think she's an incredible esthetician and brand founder, and her products are renowned among celebrities. I find her retinol is gentle enough to use every day. It's got lactic acid in it to help with skin-cell turnover, dark spots, wrinkles, and even blemishes. It's kind of similar to the Drunk Elephant facial, but this one has a little more punch. Also like that mask, you want to make sure you start up slow with any retinol. Shani recommends starting with it one night a week, and adding one more day every week until you build up to every or every other night.
My Eye Cream
One of the most commonly asked questions I get is “Do I need an eye cream?” So I'm going to bust down this wall and say yes, you do. When I first started getting into skin care, I thought using your face moisturizer around your eyes was enough, but they're formulated differently. The skin around your eye is much more sensitive: It's thinner, it's more delicate. And so the cream I personally like to use there is usually thicker and has slightly different ingredients that than what I put on the rest of my face.
I love this Sephora Collection Brightening Eye Cream in particular. It helps to hydrate and de-puff your eyes. It's only $17, so it's paycheck-friendly. And with eye cream I like to pack it on, so I like to get something that costs less so I can use more of it. When I have time, I like to take a rose quartz roller and do some lymphatic drainage massage under my eyes with it. Sephora Collection has a mini one that's perfect for your eye area.
My Moisturizer
Let's be real, who doesn't want J.Lo's skin? I could probably just end this conversation here, but I've been obsessed with J.Lo since I was a little girl. My dad is Cuban and he'd play her Spanish music in his restaurant. So I've always looked up to her as a really badass, powerful Latina woman. And, of course, her skin is just beautiful.
I've been using her Wonder Cream for a few months now and it's blowing my mind. It's so luxurious and hydrating and feels so good going on. I don't know what it is about the consistency—maybe because it's so thick—but when you put it on, it feels like a facial kind of experience.
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My Sunscreens
I have two sunscreens I bounce between depending on how I'm feeling in the morning. The first is SuperGoop's Glow Screen, which is just absurdly good. I've recommended it to so many people who have gone on to buy multiple bottles because they loved it so much. It leaves your skin so glowy. My other favorite is JLo Beauty's morning moisturizer that has an SPF. It gives you that glowing angel skin she has.
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Follow Melinda Solares on Instagram @ladyymelinda. This interview has been edited and condensed.
