This Influencer's High Maintenance Routine Is Totally Relatable for Skin Care Addicts

At first click, a trip to Lisa a la mode—the website of blogger Lisa Jean-Francois—may leave you craving a scoop of ice cream. But you’ll quickly see the site isn’t named in honor of dessert, but rather a serious sense of style. Keep scrolling, obsessing over Jean-Francois’ good taste, and we can guarantee it won’t be long before you’re also left wondering about her every thought on beauty. We know, because it happened to us. After picking up a tip or two on her blog, we had to know more, and that’s why we asked her to share her perspective on all things skin care with us. 

On Her Routine…

You’ve got to love anyone who’s honest about their beauty regimen, and Jean-Francois certainly qualifies. When asked whether her routine is simple or high maintenance she says, “High maintenance, for sure. My skin care routine consists of seven to 10 steps, so it’s not for the faint of heart!”

As for what makes up that lengthy routine, Jean-Francois varies her routine in the daytime and the evening. To kickstart her day, she uses an oil cleanser, exfoliator, toner, prescription acne medication, vitamin C serum, hyaluronic acid serum, moisturizer, and sunscreen with SPF 45. At night, she makes a few adjustments, reaching for an oil cleanser, foaming cleanser, face mask, toner, prescription acne medication, acne-fighting serum, hyaluronic acid serum, moisturizer, eye cream, and an overnight mask. Just imagine the glorious #shelfie all those products would make for.

On Her Beauty Must-Haves…

Picking favorites from a skin care collection can feel impossible, but let’s face it everyone has a few. You know, the ones you really can’t live without. For Jean-Francois, those would have to be her prescription acne medication, an oil cleanser to remove makeup, and a vitamin C serum, which she swears by for helping reduce the appearance of dark spots and hyperpigmentation.  

On What Women of Color Need to Know…

“Women of color, make sure you are using a daily sunscreen,” Jean-Francois says. “Don’t leave home without it!” Since it’s never a bad time for a sun safety refresh, we’ll happily take the opportunity to remind you that no matter your skin tone or type, you should be wearing a Broad Spectrum sunscreen with an SPF value of 15 or higher, every single day. Don’t forget to reapply—at least every 2 hours.

On the Best Beauty Advice She’s Ever Heard…

If Jean-Francois had to pick just one piece of skin care advice she’s received to call the best, it would have to be to use a face serum. “I had no idea I needed anything beyond a cleanser, toner, and moisturizer,” she admits. “Serums are changing my life!”

On Her Best Skin Care Tips to Share…

You know we can’t complete an influencer interview without hearing all their best beauty tips. Jean-Francois has two tips to reveal, the first of which is for anyone out there with oily skin. She says that if you have oily skin, you should “moisturize, moisturize, moisturize”. Attempting to dry your skin out by skipping moisturizer can actually backfire, causing your skin to hypersecrete oil to make up for what’s believed to be a loss. “Nip it in the bud with increased moisture,” she says. As for tip number two, Jean-Francois recommends laying off harsh exfoliators. “Look for gentle exfoliators instead,” she says. “I prefer liquid exfoliators, personally, or skin polishers.”