Most recently updated 1/12/21

The Coming Clean series features trailblazing women and their reflections on how to live a beautiful life.

Tara Parenti is NakedPoppy’s skincare specialist based in San Francisco. She’s been a licensed esthetician for 15 years and has extensive teaching experience at the International Dermal Institute, Dermalogica, and San Francisco Institute of Esthetics and Cosmetology. Parenti previously served as the lead esthetician and education manager at True Botanicals and received her diploma in organic skincare formulation from the International Organic Skincare Entrepreneur Program.

How did you become a skincare specialist?

When I was a teenager, I would get lost in Allure — my favorite beauty magazine at the time — and knew I wanted to work in the beauty industry. My very first job in high school was at Bare Escentuals before it was Bare Minerals. At the time, it was this lovely apothecary type boutique where you could custom blend your creme’s with floral oils and essences. It was a very skin-centric experience. I couldn’t help but feel a rush at the sights and smells of the beautiful products around me and I could see that same feeling of excitement on the faces of the women who walked in.  

After high school, I worked at a very hip salon and developed a friendship with one of the regular clients who was also an esthetician. Meeting her made me realize that I could do what I love and make a career out of it. I enrolled at San Francisco Institute and never looked back.      

What’s your definition of good skin?

I don’t like to describe someone as having “good” skin because it implies that there is also bad skin; I prefer referring to skin health. And what makes a healthy skin is having good barrier function: a healthy microbiome, balanced acid mantle, and a fortified lipid barrier. When the barrier is in optimal health, all your cellular and metabolic processes function at their best.

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

How you prioritize skincare needs to be conducive to your way of life. I have seen women who lead the busiest lives and still carve out 30 minutes for their nighttime routine, and multi-taskers who mask while giving their kids a bath. Foundational skincare starts with proper cleansing, moisturizing, and SPF. If nothing else, start there and make it count.  

If lifestyle and budget permit, I cannot emphasize enough how meaningful and worthwhile it is to consult with a licensed esthetician. It saves so much time, energy, and money to have someone properly assess your skin and guide you through appropriate at-home care tailored to your individual needs.   

What are the most important changes women start to face in their 40s, 50s, and beyond? How does this affect skincare routines?

During these times, we may start to notice lines and wrinkles, lost facial volume, and the damage and discoloration of UV radiation — although it varies for everyone, and regular sunscreen use can definitely minimize it! In addition, our epidermal cell turnover rate dramatically slows down.  

While a streamlined routine with cleanser, moisturizer, and sunscreen is great if you prefer it, it may not necessarily address these changes. Evolving your skincare routine with a few additions can help, if you want it. First, regular exfoliation will speed up cell turnover and reveal brighter skin. Then, there’s your treatment step: For daytime, an antioxidant, such as vitamin C, can help repair and defend against cellular damage, whereas retinol at nighttime will redensify the skin by synthesizing collagen.

Are there any tricks or hacks you’ve commonly shared with clients when it comes to skincare? 

Chilling skincare in the refrigerator. Applying an eye cream, essence, or mask? Cooled products are heaven on your face. 

Tell us about an experience or defining moment in your life that has influenced your outlook on beauty.

I made the conscious decision to practice holistic esthetics seven years ago. This means not just treating the skin but, rather, treating the whole person. From there, I studied Ayurvedic and Traditional Chinese Medicine approaches to skin health. We’re talking about ancient beauty practices thousands of years old, entirely unique perspectives on beauty. I now believe my shift towards slow beauty was destined to be.

What are your holy grail skincare products and why?

This is really hard! A balm and my gua sha, which work synergistically. Balms are my ultimate skincare product; they are so nourishing and healing, and can be anything you want them to be. Believe it or not, there’s a balm for everyone, even blemish-prone skin. My gua sha provides a level of self-care and personal connection that is truly ritualistic — something very important to me. 

With 5 minutes to do your makeup in the morning, what do you reach for? 

I don’t really wear a lot of makeup. Right now, my go-tos for a quick morning routine are my cleansing oil, Odacite Blue Aura Cleansing Water, LOLI Blue Cornflower Water, NakedPoppy Revitalize Organic Facial Oil, NakedPoppy Clean Liquid Liner, Ilia Beauty Super Serum Skin Tint SPF 40, and Color Theory Creme Corrector from Au Naturale. Somehow, I can do all that in five minutes!

What’s the best part of getting older? 

Confidence and self-awareness.

Do you do anything surprising in order to feel healthier? 

I am obsessed with gut health. Like, obsessed. My morning routine is so extra! Prebiotics, probiotics, fiber powder, greens drink, lemon water, and manuka honey — it’s a lot.

What book would you loan to everyone if you could?⁣

Me Talk Pretty One Day by David Sedaris. If you need to laugh out loud, open that book to any chapter and enjoy. Pairs well with a cocktail 😉 You’re welcome. 

What makes your life beautiful?

My children, of course! And being blessed to have my life’s work be my passion and having my daughters see that. That’s beautiful.  

Want to see Tara’s favorites and other luxuriously crafted clean beauty products? Get “shockingly accurate” clean beauty picks. Take your beauty assessment.

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