Name: Ranise F.
Age: 44
Location: Brooklyn
Do you have any children? No,
Do you smoke? Yes, cannabis
Do you drink? Sometimes—zero to two drinks per week
Skin care routine: AM: Dr. Loretta Gentle Hydrating Cleanser, homemade toner made of witch hazel and rosewater, Dr. Loretta Intense Replenishing Serum or homemade oil mixture, Kiehl’s Powerful-Strength Dark Circle Reducing Vitamin C Eye Serum, CeraVe moisturizer with SPF. Same as the daytime, except for Shani Darden Retinol reform Serum and collagen facial moisturiser. Hydrating facial every three months. Buccal fat facial massage two times a year.
Spending on skin care in the US: $1,037
“A lot of things I use are DIY, because skin care is so expensive. So I figured, I’ll just make my own! But certain things, like a gel cleanser, I don’t know how to make.
It was so expensive. I loved the Drunk Elephant marula oils, but they were too pricey. That’s why I ended up making my own from scratch: I got marula oil and mixed it with a little bit of jojoba oil and rosemary oil. It’s definitely trial and error figuring out what percentage of oil I want for each serum. Like with a tea tree oil blend—I remember putting the first batch on my face, getting into an Uber, and the driver was like, ‘What’s that smell?’ And I said, ‘I’m sorry, it’s my face!’ That was bad.
When I tell people how old I am they are all amazed, but I personally think I look older than my actual age. When we look in the mirror, everyone sees their own flaws. I can see my undereye circles and dark circles. I see things that I believe make me look older, but because I’m told so often that I don’t look like I’m in my 40s, I guess I should believe it.”