If anyone knows good ingredients, it's Monique Rodriguez. The Mielle Organics founder has built her hair and skin-care brand around natural products, taking a holistic approach to the way we see beauty. “Anytime I see an ingredient that's trending that's great for the body, I think about, What are the health benefits for the hair, skin, and scalp?” she tells Glamour. “Mielle is a brand that's inspired by natural food products that are beneficial for the hair and skin as well.”
Mielle's latest line, the Sea Moss Collection, is no exception. “Sea moss was an ingredient that was trending for the immune system,” Rodriguez says. “I started doing a little bit of more research in really understanding its benefits, where it's derived from, and whether it could be beneficial for textured hair. Sea moss has magnesium, vitamin E, vitamin C, zinc, all of which are really great ingredients that can help promote hair growth and prevent shedding.”
That natural mindset goes beyond her company and into her own personal beauty routine. “My routine is very simple,” the self-proclaimed skin-care minimalist says. “It's more of a maintenance routine. I like to stick to what works well. I'm not a product junkie per se, because I feel that you'll never really understand what truly works if you're switching from product to product. And if it works, why switch? So I stick with my basic products that I use.”
A steady and consistent routine has helped Rodriguez fight off her biggest skin-care concerns, from mascne to clogged pores. “I have to make sure that I am exfoliating because wearing these masks has caused my skin to break out,” she says. “I've been really adamant about exfoliating once a week, making sure I'm using my cleanser. I'm using a moisturizer before I put on the mask, and I've also switched to cotton masks so my skin can breathe.”
In another installment of Glamour's Drop the Routine, Rodriguez shares the product that keeps her skin clear and hydrated.
My cleanser
For my everyday cleanser I am using Eminence. It's from a spa—my esthetician recommended it as a daily cleanser. I cleanse morning and night.
My moisturizer
I use the Mielle Moisturizing Facial Lotion with SPF. I love the Mielle moisturizer because I formulated it to be very lightweight. I don't like my face to feel cakey or heavy. As soon as it touches your face, it absorbs in your face and has SPF protection. You can put it on before makeup and it doesn't feel like it's caking underneath.
My face mask
I actually have two face masks that I use. One is by Eminence and is a kale and vitamin C mask. It has a jelly consistency, and once you take it off your face, your face feels very supple, very smooth. I also use our Mielle activated charcoal mask. I use that as a deep-cleansing mask to remove dirt, oils, and impurities from my skin. I try to do that weekly.
My spot treatments
Acne patches—I'll just put it over my blemishes and they blend in with your skin tone. What I like about those is that it actually pulls the bacteria and the pus out of that pimple and absorbs it without leaving any marks.
My face mist
I have a face mist by Eminence. It's called a Stone Clay Facial Mist, and it hydrates and tones the skin. I'll do that after I do my full skin-care routine. That's the last step before I go.
My lip balm
I use Burt's Bees lip balm. It's so smooth and not waxy. It makes my lips feel very soft.
My devices
Jade roller. I'll use that after I apply all of my serums to increase the circulation to my skin and get the blood flowing.
My serums
For my toner I use the Mielle facial serum. I use that morning and night, and then I follow that up with our vitamin C serum. Vitamin C is the healing vitamin. Vitamin C and E. If you suffer from any hyperpigmentation or any dark spots from acne, it can help lighten up those spots and heal the skin that was affected by the acne.
My body lotion
I am also very minimal when it comes to body lotions and body creams. I do use a body scrub. I'll use that in the shower and I'll try to do that every couple of days or so, but I don't like very oily lotion. I don't want my skin to be dry, but I don't want to feel like I have loads and loads of oil sitting on my skin. I like lotions that quickly absorb in the skin. Right now I've been using Hempz body lotion. It absorbs very quickly and doesn't feel like you have a thick layer of something sitting on top of your skin.
Did you know you can shop right here, right now on Glamour? Hit select Buy Now buttons in this article to start building your cart. Once you’re ready to check out, complete your purchase without ever having to leave the article. Best part? There’s free shipping on all orders. Happy shopping!
