As model and British Vogue’s contributing sustainability editor Amber Valletta becomes the face of Lyma Skincare, she reveals the secret behind her glowing skin, why less is more, and her advice for tackling climate paralysis.
On how she wakes up in the morning
My dog usually wakes me up in the morning, so I go down and take her out to go to the bathroom. Then, I go into my library to meditate and pray, and start my morning spiritual practice. After that, I’ll shower before I work out. I know that sounds crazy, but it helps me wake up. I do light weights training and a lot of bodyweight [training].
On her everyday beauty routine
In the morning, I cleanse my skin – I usually use a gel cleanser or scrub, but I use active ingredients generally. Then, I use a vitamin B spray or another toner, some vitamin C oil and layer in the new Lyma Skincare products. Depending if I’m going out or not, I will mix moisturiser and sunscreen together.
At night, I will usually use a creamy cleanser to take off any make-up and dirt, and then a toner. At my age, it’s not about super harsh stuff – a couple of times a week, I’ll throw in a peeling pad that will have lactic acid in it and maybe some other acids to resurface the skin. Or maybe I’ll do a vitamin A cream that’s a retinol type of cream. For me it’s about gentle [skincare] but regenerating the skin; helping those fine lines and tightening pores, anti-ageing. I put on a heavier moisturiser at night because we lose a lot of moisture at night.
On her skincare pick-me-ups
The Lyma Laser is great when you’re watching TV or working on your computer. I’ll just sit and put it on one of my spots where I get wrinkles or in the morning if I’m looking tired. Just 10 or 15 minutes of it – it’s great. Sometimes I’ll even just use the oxygen mist and glide gel and give myself a quick mask if I don’t have time to do the laser. My other secret weapon is ice – it’s like a cryo facial. In fact, the make-up artist that introduced me to the laser always ices the face and it totally works. What I love about Lyma is that the products are gentle, but they’re super effective.
On why less is more
I don’t normally wear make-up when I’m not at work. I think it’s important to give my skin a break because it is constantly being worked, but when I am going to do a little something it’s just a simple concealer. I don’t usually use foundation. Even at work I like to see the skin so I’m always asking “Please don’t put too much on”, because I think I look better with less.
Contributing Sustainability Editor Amber Valletta’s Favourite Eco-Friendly Beauty & Wellness ProductsGallery9 PhotosView Gallery
On her desert-island beauty item
I’ve always been about an eyebrow and I think if your eyebrows are symmetrical, it kind of just frames the whole face. If I were on a desert island I would need an eyebrow brush and mascara – I feel like you can do all of your face besides your lips.
On her best hair moments
I like all of the different versions of myself but I feel most comfortable when I’m not at work and I’m having a good hair day – when my hair is down and it’s wavy and not looking like a total rat’s nest. It’s a little beachy, [a little] sexy, because nobody ever leaves my hair down. My hair’s practically always back for work.
On sustainable beauty
The beauty industry is ripe for a makeover, for sure. We really need to understand our carbon footprint and how products are made. A huge piece is clean beauty and taking out these substances and chemicals that are obviously not good for us, nor for the planet. But also for me, a huge piece of this is about packaging. We need to be looking at recyclables, refillable and new innovations to really clean up the industry. We have the answers. We just need to put the investment in place and be willing to look at things differently. We’re really in this funny place right now where there’s a lot of talk about the environmental crisis and the need for sustainability, the need for recycling, and the need for people to change. But yet companies aren’t giving us enough solutions to change – this is where investment in our future from the bigger brands is so vitally important.
On tackling climate paralysis
[The climate crisis] is overwhelming and it can put you in paralysis, but I think it’s vitally important to look for hope and to find solutions. Read up on people who are doing great things, or if you’re interested, take classes. I do believe we create the world we want to see. We keep creating this fear – like we don’t have the answers and we have all this stuff coming at us, like AI, pollution, fires and all that. [But] we could have a green revolution in technology and in the economy, just by changing the way we create things and discard things – if we attach ourselves [to those ideas] then that’s the future we’re going to have. I think we need to start redirecting the way we think in order to create a future that is more positive for people. We have a lot of power; we have the ability to change our role.
On spirituality
I’m a seeker of the deeper meaning of life. I’m always interested in reading articles about people’s journeys or reading books about people finding different sorts of peace or joy, and how they got there. For me, life is much deeper than a handbag. I like to seek out things that make me feel good from the inside out. To me it’s what’s happening between my two ears and in my heart that’s the most important. I’m not religious; I’m spiritual – I do believe that there’s something greater. There’s a greater purpose and we’re just so tiny.
On how she switches off
I’m just like everybody else – I put on Bridgerton. I’m watching Queen Charlotte right now, which I love. Or I even watch The Bachelor or The Bachelorette, just because it’s so brain numbing – it’s like McDonald’s for the brain.
On her secret to a life well lived
Get to know yourself. Enjoy the journey. I think the best person you’ll ever meet is you, once you find that joy of learning who you are and accepting who you are. We all make mistakes – come to accept that and learn from those things. Really enjoy your own time and be able to be present with yourself. Then in turn, you take all those things into the world and you can be present with strangers or people that are close to you and have a lot more acceptance and love and forgiveness of the people around you. It really is finding that internal love and acceptance. That’s the key to life, really, just love.
