Skin Nerd: Questions with Jennifer Rock

_{^{This week, we at Dublin Book Festival gave you the opportunity to ask one of our authors, Jennifer Rock (The Skin Nerd), questions about her new book. We were delighted to get to chat to Jennifer and ask her all your burning questions. Here’s what she had to say…}}

Do you think that social media (e.g. TikTok and Instagram) can be responsible for misinformation about skin care tips?
I absolutely think that social media can be a source of misinformation about how the skin works and what we should use on our skin, but in the same breath, I’ll say that TikTok and Instagram can also be incredible educational resources.
For every video you see of someone removing their makeup with washing up liquid, you can also find ingredient and product information from skincare and beauty experts such as Hyram, Caroline Hirons, Nadine Baggott, Sali Hughes, Robert Welsh as well as hundreds if not thousands of dermatologists sharing their tips on social media platforms.
Find sources that are trustworthy, evidence and science-based (as well as results-oriented) and if you’re ever in doubt of what you’re using on your skin, speak to a skincare professional! In terms of our own content on The Skin Nerd and Skingredients, we use research papers, the team’s skincare education and recognised product information from brands to provide helpful tips wherever we can in a way that we hope allows viewers to know what works for their particular skin.
The web, in particular social media, can be your ally when it comes to a fantastic skincare routine, especially in the year 2020!

What is your favourite skin care product right now?
I currently adore the Tata Harper Hydrating Floral Essence. It’s a super hydrating botanical mist with ingredients like rose water, aloe leaf juice, hyaluronic acid, centella asiatica extract, rice extract and other soothing, antioxidant extracts too. I use it at night after cleansing and prior to my serums, as damp skin is believed to absorb ingredients optimally, and I have truly seen a difference. My skin feels more soothed, calmed, there’s less redness in my skin and it’s holding on to hydration for much longer.

Do you have to spend a lot of money to get a good skincare routine?
It’s not about the money you spend or the amount of products you have: it’s about the right ingredients and the right education alongside them! In my opinion, there are key ingredients that everyone’s skin needs including vitamin A, antioxidants, hyaluronic acid, vitamin C, probiotics, peptides, ceramides and SPF. Forming your routine with a few products that feature these ingredients, including a thorough cleanse with a skin-friendly makeup remover like the Cleanse Off Mitt and a hard-working cleanser, will allow you to protect and maintain your skin daily. There are
tonnes of affordable skincare products that contain these very ingredients! Spend on your everyday products, so a good cleanser, serum and SPF, and save on what I consider the optional add-ons, so eye creams, masques and moisturisers. Not everyone needs a mask, eye cream or moisturiser, as products such as a vitamin A serum (like Skingredients Skin Protein) will help to correct your skin and
assist it in maintaining its own moisture.

Jennifer Rock, founder of Skingredients and author of The Skin Nerd Philosophy: Your Expert Guide to Skin Health will be joining us at DBF next Monday 30th November where she will be speaking to journalist Nadine Reid

Tickets are FREE and can be booked here

#AskanAuthor is an initiative at the Dublin Book Festival that encourages our audience to pose questions to the authors at DBF 2020. We may be going digital but we want to make sure that our audience don’t miss out on direct engagement with the authors.

You are invited to submit questions to each week’s chosen author via Twitter, Facebook, Instagram or Email. Create a tweet or post containing your question and include the hashtag #AskAnAuthor. Alternatively, you can send us an email at info@dublinbookfestival.com with #AskAnAuthor in the subject line