Maybe I should have been a little more cautious before swiping the inside of my mouth with a DNA kit and handing it to my UPS guy. But I wanted to do a full Know Beauty review for everyone. So, off it went in the name of science and great skin. My Skin DNA Kit was headed over to Know Beauty, Vanessa Hudgens and Madison Beer’s new skincare line to find out how genetic factors impact might impact my dermis. Then, they’ll send me a personalized routine with their new products. Pretty cool, right? Here’s how it went.

First, you might be wondering how Vanessa Hudgens and Madison Beer teamed up for this project. Beer was friends with Hudgens’ younger sister Stella, so there was a family-friend connection. The duo has been in the public eye since they were young. They have both struggled with specific skin concerns and wanted to start brands of their own. So, they teamed up and enlisted chief medical officer and dermatologist, Dr. Karen Kagha.

Know Beauty.

Now, let’s get to giving up my DNA. While you can purchase their skincare online now, if you want a more personalized routine, you can do the confidential DNA Kit ($95 at Know Beauty) and analyze seven core genetic categories, such as skin sensitivity, collegan quality and pigmentation. Then you’ll fill out the (free) Skin Diagnostic Quiz to help the brand get to know your diet, stress level and other lifestyle factors. Finally, you’ll get product recommendations, taking the guesswork out of skincare.

Elizabeth Denton.

Here’s a peek inside my DNA summary. The higher the number, the heathier your skin. As you can see, I’m at low risk for fine lines and wrinkles. “Your results indicate that you carry minimal genetic abnormalities that may speed up the collagen decline process,” reads my report. Yay! But look at that Skin Elasticity number. “Your results indicate that you carry a handful of genetic variations and may be prone to reduced skin elasticity,” my report says. Oops. Each result gave me specific skincare ingredient reccomendations. You can learn a lot from these reports, not just about yourself but about what each ingredient can do for your longterm skin health.

Elizabeth Denton.

My Skin Diagnostic Results are a little more embarassing to look at. These are based off my answers to the quiz so you can see I desperately need to start working out again. I also don’t sleep enough, eat too much sugar and have too much stress. Can anyone else relate?! At least I eat fruits and veggies and stay hydrated.

Based off these two tests, Know Beauty sent me a personalized skincare routine. The company sent me the products for free for this review but you can decide which to purchase from your routine. The collection ranges from $20-$30, so they’re pretty on track with other big skincare brands. (Maybe even more affordable.) Each is cruelty-free and formulated without phalates, sulfates, mineral oil and parabans.

Below is the routine I’ve been using for about two weeks. So far, I’m really liking the line and feel like it is right for my skin type. I can see this saving money in the longterm since there’s less wondering if a product will be too heavy or greasy or drying. You can shop my products now and the rest on Know Beauty’s website.

Know Beauty.

Purifying Cleanser

This cleanser is great for those with balanced/dull skin and who live in warmer climates. (I live in Los Angeles.) It removes dirt and impurities from pores with grapefruit and prickly pear, while hyaluronic acid locks in moisture and Lotus stem cell controls excess sebum.

Know Beauty.

Reviving Day Eye Cream

This hydrating cream contains hyaluronic acid and squalene, as well as vitamins A and E.

Know Beauty.

Hydrating Lip Mask

There’s only one lip mask and it’s this ultra-softening formula with shea butter, safflower seed oil, vitamin C and vitamin E.

Know Beauty.

Glowing Collagen Mask

You know how I had a high-risk for poor skin elasticity? This mask contains collagen to support skin elasticity, as well as hydrating and plumping amino peptide and squalane.

Know Beauty.

Energizing Day Moisturizer

With broad-spectrum SPF 30 I get the sun protection I need, while anti-inflammatory green tea and brightening basil extract boost my skin tone and glycerin hydrates.

Know Beauty.

Rejuvenating Night Serum

This serum contains a retinoid to resurface the skin, as well as vitamin C to brighten and E to nourish.

Maybe I should have been a little more cautious before swiping the inside of my mouth with a DNA kit and handing it to my UPS guy. But I wanted to do a full Know Beauty review for everyone. So, off it went in the name of science and great skin. My Skin DNA Kit was headed over to Know Beauty, Vanessa Hudgens and Madison Beer’s new skincare line to find out how genetic factors impact might impact my dermis. Then, they’ll send me a personalized routine with their new products. Pretty cool, right? Here’s how it went.

First, you might be wondering how Vanessa Hudgens and Madison Beer teamed up for this project. Beer was friends with Hudgens’ younger sister Stella, so there was a family-friend connection. The duo has been in the public eye since they were young. They have both struggled with specific skin concerns and wanted to start brands of their own. So, they teamed up and enlisted chief medical officer and dermatologist, Dr. Karen Kagha.

Know Beauty.

Now, let’s get to giving up my DNA. While you can purchase their skincare online now, if you want a more personalized routine, you can do the confidential DNA Kit ($95 at Know Beauty) and analyze seven core genetic categories, such as skin sensitivity, collegan quality and pigmentation. Then you’ll fill out the (free) Skin Diagnostic Quiz to help the brand get to know your diet, stress level and other lifestyle factors. Finally, you’ll get product recommendations, taking the guesswork out of skincare.

Elizabeth Denton.

Here’s a peek inside my DNA summary. The higher the number, the heathier your skin. As you can see, I’m at low risk for fine lines and wrinkles. “Your results indicate that you carry minimal genetic abnormalities that may speed up the collagen decline process,” reads my report. Yay! But look at that Skin Elasticity number. “Your results indicate that you carry a handful of genetic variations and may be prone to reduced skin elasticity,” my report says. Oops. Each result gave me specific skincare ingredient reccomendations. You can learn a lot from these reports, not just about yourself but about what each ingredient can do for your longterm skin health.

Elizabeth Denton.

My Skin Diagnostic Results are a little more embarassing to look at. These are based off my answers to the quiz so you can see I desperately need to start working out again. I also don’t sleep enough, eat too much sugar and have too much stress. Can anyone else relate?! At least I eat fruits and veggies and stay hydrated.

Based off these two tests, Know Beauty sent me a personalized skincare routine. The company sent me the products for free for this review but you can decide which to purchase from your routine. The collection ranges from $20-$30, so they’re pretty on track with other big skincare brands. (Maybe even more affordable.) Each is cruelty-free and formulated without phalates, sulfates, mineral oil and parabans.

Below is the routine I’ve been using for about two weeks. So far, I’m really liking the line and feel like it is right for my skin type. I can see this saving money in the longterm since there’s less wondering if a product will be too heavy or greasy or drying. You can shop my products now and the rest on Know Beauty’s website.

Know Beauty.

Purifying Cleanser

This cleanser is great for those with balanced/dull skin and who live in warmer climates. (I live in Los Angeles.) It removes dirt and impurities from pores with grapefruit and prickly pear, while hyaluronic acid locks in moisture and Lotus stem cell controls excess sebum.

Know Beauty.

Reviving Day Eye Cream

This hydrating cream contains hyaluronic acid and squalene, as well as vitamins A and E.

Know Beauty.

Hydrating Lip Mask

There’s only one lip mask and it’s this ultra-softening formula with shea butter, safflower seed oil, vitamin C and vitamin E.

Know Beauty.

Glowing Collagen Mask

You know how I had a high-risk for poor skin elasticity? This mask contains collagen to support skin elasticity, as well as hydrating and plumping amino peptide and squalane.

Know Beauty.

Energizing Day Moisturizer

With broad-spectrum SPF 30 I get the sun protection I need, while anti-inflammatory green tea and brightening basil extract boost my skin tone and glycerin hydrates.

Know Beauty.

Rejuvenating Night Serum

This serum contains a retinoid to resurface the skin, as well as vitamin C to brighten and E to nourish.

I think of breathing in two different ways, after we acknowledge that breathing is mandatory for life and air always enters into the lungs.

#1: I use breath in a way that helps me to harness my reflexive core in exercise or to manage load (think picking up your grandchild).

#2: I use breathing as a practice when lying down or seated to manage my mind/body connection. This is better known as stress management or meditation.

Breathing for Core Strategy or Load Management

Air enters your body automatically because of pressure differences between the atmosphere and your internal body. By virtue of this automatic flow of air into your body, you need to increase volume somewhere to accommodate the incoming air.

This shape change is what we call breathing. We can change shape in our ribs and our chest as well as our stomach. The artful design of our body created the lungs to take in the air and they happen to live in our ribs which are designed to expand.

On the other hand, our stomach expands with increased food content. But if our abdomen expands when we take air into our lungs, it is really a bulge because no air actually changes the volume of the stomach. Think about a water balloon and how if you squeeze it, the rest of the balloon pushes out. Essentially that is what is happening on a belly breath. The ribs tighten so the belly can jut out.

Hopefully, it makes sense now that optimal breathing for movement and exercise utilizes mostly the movement of the ribs, which are designed to expand. The overflow of pressure then moves into the belly. 

When you expand your ribs to breathe, you do not push down into your core. Nor into your pelvic floor. However, when you belly breathe, you do push down and out because of simple body mechanics. 

Is a yoga belly breath bad? No, I enjoy lying on my back and allowing more shape change in my tummy as part of relaxation. Would I belly breathe when doing a goblet squat? A FIRM NO!

Find out how to assess your breathing and breathe for optimal core and pelvic floor health during Sarah’s free Short and Sweet webinar on July 15, 2021.

Breathing for Meditation or Stress Management

Breath work was my entryway into meditation. I found guided meditations difficult and distracting, but breath work kept my mind on my body and allowed for meditation to occur. There is a lot of good scientific research now on the power of meditation of any kind to lower stress levels and blood pressure levels, in addition to helping patients recover from trauma.

Let’s look at some of my favorite breath work guides.

Ana Lilia

Ana suffered from various stress related symptoms until she discovered breath work. She became a certified breath coach and has guided thousands of people to connect with their breath. Her healing journeys include music and guidance. I have enjoyed her free breath work offers and you may as well. She has been featured on NBC news, BravoTv, the LA Times, and Harpers Bazar.

Tai Hubbart

Tai says “For the majority of my early life I struggled with depression, and for over a decade, I suffered with chronic headaches. While I was able to remain high-functioning professionally in the Advertising & Design industry, I had little capacity to enjoy life, and spent the majority of my resources trying to track down the root of my dis-ease and simply feel better.

“In 2009, I decided to leave my corporate position and take a life/healing sabbatical in which I could listen more deeply and redirect my life’s compass.” She leads group breath work sessions, and one-on-ones. In the breath work section of her website you can enjoy a 28-minute introduction to breath work.

Annalise Sullivan

Annalise Sullivan is a writer, energy reader, and autonomy activist. In addition to her academic achievements in sociology and social work, Annalise has spent over a decade honing her methods as a breath work facilitator, intuitive guide, and NARM trained trauma-informed practitioner.

Annalise offers a breadth of techniques and resources to support you on your healing journey. I appreciate Annalise’s reasonably priced group breath work experiences on Zoom.

Rohi Coustage and Energy of Breath School

I experienced a true breakthrough when I practiced gamma breath with Rohi Coustage. She offers this description: Breathing into Gamma is a great daily practice, from a few one-minute breaths throughout the day to longer practices.

This brings us to a baseline Gamma state and all our life reflects upgrades into a higher energy state with unlimited fulfilling outcomes in whichever area we choose to focus our breath. Cultivating our gamma state leads to the unlocking of our higher sensory abilities, the development of our higher brain processing power, total manifestation power, and the evolution into our Light Bodies as we enter this era of accelerated consciousness evolution and next level awareness.

Two Types of Breaths to Try

A Basic Gamma Breath

Breathe deep – 3 seconds to inhale, 3 seconds to exhale, following this sequence:

IN MOUTH, OUT MOUTH

IN MOUTH, OUT NOSE

IN NOSE, OUT NOSE

IN NOSE, OUT MOUTH

Do 3 sets of the above and finish with:

ONE MORE IN MOUTH, OUT MOUTH

Then relax and tune in for a few moments to the effects.

Square Breath

Advice from Navy Seals: The military has found square breathing to be the best technique for on-the-go stress management. Although they teach many types of breath in the military, the Huberman Lab has worked with the military and revealed in a podcast recently that square breathing is their go-to technique for maintaining equilibrium in stress filled environments.

INHALE FOR 4

HOLD FOR 4

EXHALE FOR 4

HOLD FOR 4

Repeat for at least 3 rounds.

What have you noticed about your breathing? Is it deep or shallow? Belly or ribs? Have you tried doing meditation? Which breathing technique do you use? Please share with the community!

I can’t think of another influencer right now who gets tagged in as many TikToks and Instagram videos as Hyram Yarbro. Fans of @SkincarebyHyram beg the 25-year-old Hawaii native and skincare expert to critique their beauty routines. He does as many as he can and always with education and kindness. That’s why he has more than six million TikTok followers. It makes sense his next step would be his own brand: Selfless by Hyram. The buzzy skincare brand launches today at Sephora.

Since 2017, Yarbro has been documenting his skincare journey on YouTube and teaching followers what he’s learned along the way. He’s formed a skincare-obsessed community, helping lead the charge of the new skinfluencers. Yarbro has helped people find their confidence through skincare, while preaching that all skin is good skin. He never judges those who make mistakes—even if he cringes a bit at the harsh scrubs and makeup wipes. It’s not surprising fans have been asking him to create a skincare line for years.

Now, Selfless by Hyram is finally here. He teamed up with The Inkey List to deliver what he promises is ultra-effective, BS-free skincare at a fair price point. I jumped on Zoom to chat with Yarbro to find out more about the line and what he thinks about all those TikTok routines.

Source: Instagram

Our mission at STYLECASTER is to bring style to the people, and we only feature products we think you’ll love as much as we do. Please note that if you purchase something by clicking on a link within this story, we may receive a small commission of the sale.

Why He Chose The Inkey List

“First and foremost, it came down to a shared philosophy when it comes to skincare formulation,” says Yarbro of choosing the Inkey List to “power” his brand. “I have really high standards for the ingredients, what products have, what products don’t have, the price point, the accessibility, the brand messaging, the ethics. So much had to be in place.” He says The Inkey List was always one of his favorite brands to recommend pre-collab because it “filled every single one of those boxes.”

When he met the founders, Colette Laxton and Mark Curry, he said there was an instant connection. “We shared the same philosophy on skincare but also this intense desire to want to leave a bigger impact on the world.” Although it was just a casual convo, he felt a “magical spark” and knew he wanted to work with them. He had already been working on Selfless on his own for eight months. “I knew I could share my baby, Selfless, that I had been working on for so long,” he says. “I could trust The Inkey List to carry out this philosophy and carry it out we have.”

Source: Instagram

What “Social Change” Means to Him

Whenever I try to get any gossip out of Yarbro, he brings the conversation back to ethics and social change. It’s something that’s really important to him—more so than the skincare itself. “It was really important to me that every product had a direct and measurable social impact on the most pressing issues facing our world,” he says. They decided to start with climate change and lack of access to clean drinking water.

The brand partnered with Rainforest Trust to help protect forests from deforestation, as well as Thirst Project to provide clean drinking water to more than 60 communities. “The most important thing to me, more than anything else, was to lead with the social impact,” adds Yarbro. “I wanted everyone to know the exact impact they have at the point of purchase.” For example, if you pick up the Retinol & Rainbow Algae Repair Serum, you’ll be helping fight deforestation of more than 2,500 acres.

“Not only in the exact social impact that’s generated from every purchase but also how we source the ingredients, the sustainable packaging solutions, our carbon removal efforts,” he continues. “We developed this thing called the Selfless Standard so when we’re developing these products, we keep the Selfless philosophy in mind of having the most positive impact on the world possible.”

Selfless by Hyram.

What He’s Begging You To Stop Doing to Your Skin

I tell Yarbro he must have thousands of tags on social media and he can’t possibly answer them all. So if he could tell everyone one blanket thing, what would it be? “The primary thing I see all the time is people not wearing their sunscreen,” he says. “Especially because I see so many people using exfoliants and scrubs and brightening products and all these things that increase your skin’s sensitivity to the sun, yet they aren’t using a sunscreen.” Though he doesn’t have one (yet), you should still wear one in combination with using Selfless. Otherwise, all those serums and retinoids can’t do their job.

Other than preaching about sunscreen, he doesn’t want to discourage people over individual ingredients. He also sees the way his Gen Z audience is focused on prevention rather than trying to reverse damage. (Something I tell him I’m trying to do in my mid-30s. Oops.) “It’s how it should be,” he says. “Skincare is about maintenance to prevent those problems from happening long-term, rather than when the damage is already done.”  Plus, you know, you can get skin cancer.

The One Product You Absolutely Need From Selfless

OK, no one needs a Sephora trip but if you are in the market for new skincare, Yarbro does have a favorite from his debut collection: the Retinol & Rainbow Algae Repair Serum. “I feel like it’s such a unique formula that I truly have never seen on the market,” he says. “It has this incredible texture that when you put it on the skin, it immediately smoothes the skin because of the squalane, but then the retinol and algae help with the appearance of hyperpigmentation, dark spots and acne scars, which is the primary concern I’ve seen on my channel.” He says it’s also a great intro to retinol if you’re a little nervous to try it for the first time.

There are six products in this first rollout with many more to come. Shop them all at Sephora now. (We hear there’s an 80,000-person waitlist.)

Selfless by Hyram.

Centella & Green Tea Hydrating Gel Cleanser

Start your routine with this pH-balanced cleanser full of antioxidant-rich Centella and green tea. It reduces the look of redness and decreases sensitivity and irritation.

Selfless by Hyram.

Mandelic Acid & Rice Bran Gentle Exfoliating Serum

You know how Hyram feels about harsh scrubs. This gentle serum uses 3 percent mandelic acid to remove dead skin cells and 0.5 percent salicylic acid to unclog pores.

Selfless by Hyram.

Retinol & Rainbow Algae Repair Serum

Here’s that retinol serum Yarbro was talking about. It uses 0.2 percent retinol to reduce the appearance of acne scars, 1.5 percent Rainbow algae to reduce the look of hyperpigmentation and 4 percent squalane to smooth and plump.

Selfless by Hyram.

Niacinamide & Maracuja Daily Support Moisturizer

This everyday moisturizer contains niacinamide to reduce oil and refine pores, maracuja to promote the skin’s healing process, and Murumuru butter for softness.

Selfless by Hyram.

Salicylic Acid & Sea Kelp Pore Clearing & Oil Control Serum

Those with acne-prone skin will love this oil-controlling (but not drying) serum with salicylic acid, niacinamide and sea kelp.

if you’re anything like me, you deal with more than one skin concern at a time. I’ve got fine lines, PMS breakouts, dry spots and hyperpigmentation to deal with. How much depends on the day. (Thanks, 30s!) Luckily, Dermalogica’s Smart Response Serum is made just for that ever-changing skin. Unlike serums with just one or two active ingredients to target one issue, there are four actives that hydrate, brighten, soothe and reduce the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles. All in one bottle.

Even better, Smart Response Serum understands what your skin needs before you do, taking a lot of the guesswork out of skincare. The brand calls it “SmartResponse” technology. It gets a little tech-y but basically, when your skin feels dehydrated, oligosaccharides from hydrolyzed beta-glucan kick in to deliver the hydration your skin is craving. Hydrolyzed wheat flour, rich in arabinoxylan-oligosaccharides (or AXOS) triggers to brighten and reduce the appearance of dark spots.

Our mission at STYLECASTER is to bring style to the people, and we only feature products we think you’ll love as much as we do. Please note that if you purchase something by clicking on a link within this story, we may receive a small commission of the sale.

Dermalogica.

There’s also antioxidant-rich Japanese Cornelia cherry to soothe redness and help skin fight free radicals, as well as plant-based mannose-6-phosphate to plump skin and fight the signs of aging, helping improve the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles. Phew! I told you this baby does a lot.

It’s hard to see drastic changes in just a few weeks with this type of skincare, that works to help prevent damage. But using it morning and night, my skin feels plumped and hydrated. Overall, it looks a lot brighter, too. My makeup is going on a lot easier on those dry spots and it’s calming irritation on my sensitive skin. I’ll definitely keep using it and being consistent so the ingredients have the proper time to do their magic.

It’s not cheap, but this four-in-one could replace some of your other skincare so you’ll use less overall. Grab Smart Response Serum now at Dermalogica and Sephora.