Explore the daily routine of one of Denmark's leading beauty experts
Anette Kristine Poulsen has been one of Danish beauty’s leading ladies. She has extensive knowledge on beauty and with her honest opinion, she is an authority within the industry. She quickly snaps up the latest developments and she was one of the very first to try our signature Face Place treatment. We are thrilled that she wanted to share her skincare routine and thoughts on conscientious beauty.
Name: Anette Kristine Poulsen
Title: Founder
Company: Beautyspace.dk
- What is your background?
It’s a colourful mix, actually. The more serious aspect is my academic degree from Aarhus University (BA in Marketing and economics). In the 1990s, I worked for LVMH, specifically Dior, where I was responsible for travel retail in the Nordic countries. In the early 2000s, I took a sharp turn in a different direction (my two young children had begun using the word “dad” more than “mum”, and I wanted to stop travelling) and started writing columns for the broadsheet paper, Jyllands-Posten. Later, I became beauty editor for Børsen, joined the expert team for TV2, launched my own platform, beautyspace.dk, and started (since 2013) to publish books on the subject that interests me the most: SKIN.
- What are your daily beauty rituals?
I don’t do rituals, but I stick to a very strict daily routine:
Morning: I wash my face with a regular washcloth (very few people get dirty during the night), then I use a moisturising mist, moisturising serum and a day cream with SPF, in winter no more than SPF15.
Evening: I cleanse my face with a mild cleansing product, followed by my own vitamin A cream, Ansigtscremen. If I want to up the efforts a little, I’ll use a peel under my cream, preferably containing salicylic acid, so I get to those pores. I also love the growth factor protein, EGF – this works (like vitamin A) as a booster for the skin’s collagen level.
- There are many definitions relating to beauty with a conscience. How do you navigate between terms such as ethical, sustainable, vegan, organic, clean, etc.
When it comes to a conscientious approach to beauty products, I believe in the very basics of “spending up” – if I’ve bought something that turns out to be a mistake, I’ll try to figure out who actually benefits from the product in question. I try not to glorify certain terminology – even, say, local products that makes great sense both in terms of being conscientious and practical. But perhaps the skincare manufacturer genius based in, say, California or Costa Rica also deserves and needs support, not just from their neighbours. I think we're all looking for authenticity - I want to get a “feel” for the people behind the products I use.
- How big a part does clean beauty play in your choice of products?
I don't know if you could call it “clean beauty” (as far as I'm aware there still isn’t a clear definition of what clean beauty means), but I’m genuinely disappointed when I come across products filled with silicones and petrolatum/petroleum jelly. I look for more of an effort, and I’ll avoid these two ingredients to the extent possible.
- They say wisdom comes with age – what has been your biggest realisation in relation to beauty?
Very simple, the certain charisma people resting in in themselves own. It’s immensely alluring.
Besides that the knowledge we have now – that the sun is far more than just a friend. It can make you pay sooo badly. For almost three decades I was in the sun far too much, and although my skin has since recovered (how and with what is described in the book Seriously Better Skin), it would have been not just cheaper, but better and healthier for me if I’d known what we know today about sun exposure.
- You’ve tried our Face Place treatment, how does it stand out compared to other treatments you’ve tried?
I can tell you what I wrote in Børsen Weekend – because I recommended it to others:
I had 75 minutes of different facials. It was wonderfully comfortable in a small, intimate room with soft music playing, and I kept my fingers crossed that no one were able to spy me through the keyhole – the leather masks with their red cables make you look like a creepy cousin of the movie character, Hannibal Lector.
First your skin is gently heated under a dry mask, while your neck and shoulders are massaged free of any tension. Then the pore vacuuming starts – literally. The unit looks like the suction apparatus at the dentists. Fortunately, it’s not painful. Finally, you skin is marinated in a mixture of vitamin C (goodbye, dark pigmentation) and anti-inflammatory, soothing zinc. This is followed by a pleasant arm massage, and I remember the feeling when I left ... my face felt moisture-saturated and fresh, and there was no redness.
- New products and treatments are being launched all the time. What would you never do to your face or body?
I don't like Botox and fillers. In my mind, they steal away a person’s character, and I suspect in ten years’ time we’ll be asking ourselves, did we really do that? I would not mess with my facial expressions, not even a little. BUT …. because of my job and my eternal curiosity, I've had my fair share of crazy treatments, though. Today, I’ll do light laser treatments like IPL for collagen-boost, but I'm too afraid of bigger things. With skincare products, I've also become more aware of acids. They can be wonderfully refreshing but you could easily overdo it and end up with shiny skin.
