For a female scientist making waves in the beauty industry, look no further than NakedPoppy’s very own Marisa Plescia. Marisa plays the indispensable role of NakedPoppy’s Research Scientist — meaning, in part, that she screens each and every ingredient in the products on NakedPoppy.com. She’s also a product formulator who happens to hold four Masters Degrees in the field, and serves as the chair of the Society of Cosmetic Chemists Twin Cities Chapter.

Here, Marisa dives into how she ended up as a cosmetic chemist, her skincare advice, and tips for managing overwhelm.

Tell us about when you decided to become a beauty scientist. How did being a beauty scientist become your life’s work?

I can pinpoint my desire to become a beauty scientist to being 8 years old. I remember reading the labels of every beauty product as a child, from toothpastes to shampoos to my mother’s moisturizers and lipsticks. I always wanted to understand what the labels meant, and be the person to make those products.

Science was also always my main interest in life, but I wanted a creative way to apply it. So, I put together a plan to get educated with a strong background in cosmetic chemistry and beauty science. And I continue to grow my education to this day.

My career as a beauty scientist is truly a childhood dream.

What’s a typical week like as NakedPoppy’s research scientist?

Working at NakedPoppy is a dream. The beauty assessment is really innovative, and I love working here because there’s a real focus on the science behind our products.

As NakedPoppy’s research scientist, I screen every ingredient in each product we bring on to make sure it meets our clean standards. I also help develop the educational content we share about clean beauty and ingredients, and help develop our original NakedPoppy products!

So many of us feel overwhelmed at times. What are your go-to tips for managing overwhelm?

I know this feeling! The first thing I try to do is take a few deep breaths. Then, I repeat mantras. One mantra I’ve loved since I was young is the old quote, “Keep calm and carry on.” This phrase brings me out of going into a negative space and instead focuses me on breathing, letting go, and moving forward.

I also can’t stress enough the importance of taking time for self-care to keep the negative consequences of feeling overwhelmed at bay. To me, self-care is anything I need in a specific moment. That could mean taking a bath with a face mask on, taking a long walk while listening to a good audiobook, or calling one of my best friends to talk it out and reground myself in their love and support.

And when all else fails, I just dance it out!

If you’re giving skincare advice to a busy woman in her 20’s or 30’s, what would you say?

Keep your skin hydrated and prioritize having healthy skin barrier function. As the largest organ in your body, the skin is the barrier between the outside world and your internal body… that makes it super important. 

That means cleansing to remove impurities is a must. Also, you’ll want to use  moisturizer for sure to help your skin repair and maintain a healthy barrier. Last but not least — of course — SPF. About 80% of signs of aging come from exposure to UV radiation.

What skin changes do women experience in their 40’s, 50’s, and beyond? How should this affect their skincare?

As we age, several changes naturally take place in the skin: there’s a decrease in the cell turnover rate, skin becomes drier, and the rate of sebum production goes down. This results in the skin looking more uneven and dehydrated, respectively.

So, keeping your skin well-moisturized is a big deal. For more mature skin, I love a facial oil, because they deliver rich nutrients to the skin (think vitamins, minerals and essential fatty acids) and help replenish the natural lipids in your skin.

Also, consider using alpha-hydroxy acids (AHAs) to speed up cell turnover and remove dead skin cells from the top layer of the skin. They’re non-abrasive, and can alleviate the appearance of fine lines and up the skin’s fitness, texture, and tone.

With 5 minutes to get ready in the morning, which products do you reach for? 

I keep my morning routine as simple as possible: I cleanse, refine with a toner, use a serum, moisturize, and apply SPF (this might sound like a lot of steps, but remember, this is my passion!). I especially love a toner with AHAs to chemically exfoliate my skin in the morning — this makes my skin more refined and radiant. I follow up the toner with a vitamin C serum, apply a basic moisturizer, and put on my SPF — then I’m out the door!

Tell us about an experience or defining moment that’s influenced your outlook on beauty.

My outlook on beauty has evolved over time, and I think it’ll probably continue that way.

As a beauty scientist, I don’t want to define beauty. In my opinion, beauty’s almost unexplainable. And I want people to define beauty for themselves, looking however they want to. 

Personally, I find true beauty in nature. My mom tells this story about me from when I was 3 years old. We went on a family trip to the Grand Canyon and called my grandmother at the hotel. When my grandmother asked how the Grand Canyon was, I responded enthusiastically, “It’s just too beautiful!!” 

I’m in awe of nature whenever I see a landscape or a scene from nature and often wonder to myself, “How did it get to be like this?” It often seems like a miracle of design.

Is there an aspect of your appearance you’ve struggled with in the past? How do you feel about it now?

For awhile, I struggled pretty badly with both hormonal and genetic melasma, which was tough as someone in the beauty industry. I’ve felt pressure to have so-called “perfect” skin. The melasma made me self-conscious and I became obsessed with trying to fix it. The skincare products I was using weren’t working, and I consider myself to be knowledgeable about ingredients and products, so that was frustrating too. I was doing everything in the book from retinoids to laser treatments.

Then, something shifted when I went to my derm. We realized together that for my specific situation, I needed to get off hormonal birth control. That, along with using vitamin C serums, AHAs, and daily SPF, has made my melasma manageable.

This whole journey helped me come to terms with the fact that I don’t need to put pressure on myself to have perfect skin. No one, I repeat NO ONE, has perfect skin. 

Our skin consists of living tissue and is the largest organ in our body — what’s most important is that it’s healthy and doing its job to protect us.

My melasma doesn’t make my skin imperfect, it makes my skin perfectly me.

What do you do to feel healthier that some might be surprised to hear?

For me, feeling healthier is all about living life to the fullest. A busy, active day full of anything from errands to working out to getting drinks with friends reminds me that I’m grateful to be alive and healthy.

I also love stand up paddleboarding. I think it’s important to nurture both our physical and mental health on a regular basis, and when I’m on the water, it’s both a great workout and a place I feel totally at peace. I always take time to sit on my paddleboard and reflect, and leave refreshed.

What’s the best part of getting older?

I’ve been surprised by this, but getting old feels natural to me. I remember being younger and thinking 30 sounded so old, but once I hit 30, it felt like that was exactly where I was supposed to be at that moment in my life.

As I’ve gotten older, I’ve also learned to better trust in the unknown and in the future, and let go of the aspects of life that aren’t serving me. I feel more aligned with my true self, goals, dreams, beliefs, and opinions than ever before.

When I was a child, I always wanted to be a princess. But now that I’m older, I wonder why I limited myself to a princess. I want to step into my inner queen.

What makes your life beautiful? 

I can’t begin to write down all the ways my life is beautiful.

I’m living my passion with my career. I have loving friends and family. I’ve had so many fun experiences and adventures.

Some days are harder than others, and it’s harder to see life as beautiful. But really, those days are beautiful too because they’re part of my story.

I feel so fortunate for the abundance of a beautiful life all around me. 

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