I am very excited to welcome Karen Burzdak of Hanu Skin Care for the first of a series of features on my blog to help you prepare for your photo session with Fleur Foto Photography.  Karen is going to help you prepare your complexion with tips on a regimen and products to use that are organic and natural.  I’ll hand things over now to Karen to explain how to get that smooth and glowing complexion you’ll want for your photo session.

“I was recently looking at some older photographs of myself, cringing at the way my skin tone and complexion looked in them.  I looked like a raccoon.  I actually asked my sister why she didn’t tell me I looked so bad at that point in my life.  We decided that I just wasn’t doing the right things to my skin to photograph well.  Everyone wants that perfect, authentic photograph.  While there are lots of factors to be considered like an amazing background, good lighting and, of course, a great photographer, one thing you should also focus on is your complexion.

Young Skin

So what could I have done about my bad photos aside from learning how to photoshop?  Getting your makeup right is key, however, first we need to talk about establishing a skin care routine using safe products.  I can’t emphasize enough how important it is to get into good skin care habits early in life.  I have lots of clients whose teenagers have broken out skin and are very self-conscious about it.  I ask them several things.  Are they washing their face regularly? Are they using safe, blemish control and moisturizing products that won’t clog their skin?  The answer is almost always, no.

First, I would recommend a clarifying face wash like this one from La Roche (available at CVS) which is fragrance and preservative free and ranked safe by the Environmental Working Group (EWG).  Next use a blemish treatment that won’t dry out sensitive skin.  I know it sounds counter-intuitive to put an oil on your oily skin, but I recommend using an oil-based product like the one we make at Hanu Skin Care.

The botanical oils won’t clog your pores and will work to heal your skin. Then use a moisturizer that is geared towards your skin type. For teens, I recommend this one.

It’s great for skin that is undergoing hormonal changes and contains argan oil with vitamin E, essential fatty acids, carotenes and squalene which helps to heal damaged skin combating free radicals. This product also contains Pomegranate seed oil, packed with fatty acids and antioxidants, which reduces skin inflammation while regenerating new skin and improving skin tone and elasticity. The combination of turmeric, geranium, rosemary and clove bud provide skin restorative properties while facilitating blood circulation and detoxification just below the surface of the skin.

The model in this beautiful photo by Fleur Foto uses Hanu Skin Care Teen line to hydrate and heal her skin. She only needed minimal makeup to look flawless while some of us, ahem, older models might need more.

Adult Skin

As an adult, once you’ve established a good skin-care routine, your skin tone should start evening out, under eye circles will diminish and you’ll be able to apply makeup to enhance the way you photograph. Read my blog post: Skin Care Tips and Tricks for more advice about skincare in adulthood.

Using an oil based moisturizer specific to your skin type

and under eye product will help makeup go on more smoothly.

Make sure you pick makeup that is not full of harmful chemicals by using EWG’s skin deep database to check your products for safety. After lots of research and trial and error (read: raccoon eyes), I recommend the following products for a flawless finish.

• “un” cover-up by RMS Beauty is a lightweight, nontoxic concealer that blends into skin easily.
• Mineral Airbrushing loose powder by is a talc free, mineral powder that even has an SPF30 in it.
• Lights, Camera, Lashes by Tarte is formulated without harmful parabens, mineral oil, phthalates, and sodium lauryl sulfates.

Choosing products that are right for your skin type is one of the most important things you can do to achieve an amazing complexion.  Make sure you take skin tone and skin type into account when you are reading the descriptions of products.

Hanu Skin Care products are formulated from organic, oil-based ingredients that will hydrate, heal and nourish your skin one cell at a time. Our skin care products are made by using a combination of beneficial, plant based oils to meet the needs of all types of skin. To ensure your product is made with the best, natural ingredients, we formulate each one by hand in small batches with 100% pure and organic oils. We don’t use any synthetic chemicals, preservatives, or GMO’s. We’re a small, Boston-based company and we perform all sourcing, formulation, and distribution. We only make products that we would use every day and in fact, we started making these products out of our desire to have these benefits for ourselves.”

Now you are armed with all the information and some great product recommendations to prepare your complexion for your photo session.  Get in touch today to book your session!

Laura is lifestyle and portrait photographer based in Londonderry, NH but also serving the surrounding areas of Windham, Nashua, Hollis, and Brookline.  Laura also works with clients in the Greater Boston area, including Groton, Newton, and Quincy.  Laura specializes in maternity, newborn, child, family and high school senior photography.