One look at Nicolas Travis and the first thing that you’ll immediately be drawn to is his impossibly clear and radiant skin. Needless to say, the fact that he used to be plagued with stubborn acne, now seems unfathomable.
When it comes to skincare and skin woes, Nicolas has been there and done that. Plus, he doubles up as the brains and a walking testimony for his skincare line, Allies of Skin – which makes him a bonafide authority on skincare.
Travis on the definition of true beauty
“True beauty is the ability to feel comfortable in your own skin. It’s living by your own rules and the feeling you get when you don’t feel like you have to hide anything or feel like you have to put on five layers of foundation. I think that is so powerful and beautiful.”
Travis on the allies of our skin
“The allies of our skin are really ingredients. Let’s start with the usual suspects. They’re clinically-proven ingredients that have got years and years of clinical data like Vitamin C, Retinol, antioxidants and we use them as supercharged concentration in our products.”
Travis on how clean beauty clears up stubborn acne
“Clearing up acne is always a trial and error process. For me, it was finding out what ingredients worked out for me and what ingredients didn’t work for me. So, this really created the skeleton for what we call the ‘triggers’. We have a very clean formulation ethos. We don’t formulate with silicons, parabens, sulfates, drying alcohol, synthetic fragrances, and dyes with mineral oils. Based on my experience, I really feel that those ingredients or fillers cause more harm than good and there’s really no need for them. It took me about 2 years to formulate before we first started in 2016 – so I was formulating in 2014 – where we really realised that clean beauty is not just a fad. Now you see clean beauty everywhere, but what does it mean? Back then, it wasn’t popular at all but for me, it means creating supercharged concentrations without any of the triggers that will make people’s skin even worse.”
Travis on how to have perfect skin when you love wearing makeup
“I would start by figuring out what are the concerns of your skin. Then, I will start by treating the skin until it’s naturally so radiant and glows with health that you don’t really need to wear so much makeup. You can wear the fun stuff that enhances your eyes – or even a blush, but you don’t need that much to conceal.”
Travis on the most common beauty faux pas that women commit
“The first is that they’re not washing and cleansing their face properly and that starts with not removing their makeup correctly. A makeup wipe is terrible. You shouldn’t be wiping your face because you’re tugging at it because there’s friction and it’s not clean. I would say start by using a balm or an oil cleanser to break it down and don’t ever use a wipe. Plus, many people want their face to be squeaky clean. Your face should never be squeaky clean because you’re stripping away the natural oils and you’re destroying your skin’s barrier. And again: always, always avoid sulfates!
Secondly, people are also not applying their skincare products properly. They will apply an oil first and then a moisturiser on top, which is not how you should do it. You should mix an oil with the moisturiser and apply in one easy step or apply the oil last. This is because oils can penetrate creams but creams cannot penetrate oils.”
Travis on other clean beauty brands that have got his approval
“The other brands that I really like are the clean ones like Josh Rosebrook and iS Clinicals.”
Travis on the skincare routine that gives him his flawless skin
“It’s mostly my products but to break it down, I really believe in a good cleanser. It’s so important because people don’t wash their face properly or they use the wrong cleanser that’s so harsh it strips the skin of its natural oils. I start with a good cleanser, then a mist. I don’t tone so I use my anti-evapouration mist, followed by a serum. I love serums. In the morning, I use my Vitamin C serum mixed with the hyaluronic serum and that’s enough because you’ve got your antioxidants, Vitamin C, and peptides. Then, I use my day mask, then SPF and eye cream. And in the night, I cleanse, mist then apply the mandelic serum that I mix with hyaluronic acid. Lastly, I apply my brand’s overnight mask. In the event that I’m breaking out, I use the Promise Keeper Blemish Sleeping Facial.”
Travis on what’s next for Allies of Skin
“We have so much happening. We’re going to be in every single Sephora Asia and Sephora Australia store in September. That month, we’re also launching with Sephora Europe in 10 different European countries.
In the later half of the year, we are going to be launching three new formulations – an eye cream, an incredibly amazing hydrating gel cleanser, and a booster that’s like an essence. The booster is really good for pores, brightening, and for helping with scars.”
