#MOTHERMUSE Carly Horvath

Meet Carly, a licensed esthetician renowned for her rejuvenating facials in both New York City and Sydney, Australia. With a background in skincare from a naturopathic clinic, Carly possesses a wealth of knowledge in sustainable skin health practices. Now based in NYC and working at prestigious skin clinics, Carly shares valuable skincare insights on social media, offering tips on reducing facial tension and 

Your favourite treatment for sun damaged skin?

My favourite treatment for sun damaged skin is definitely the BioRePeel. This is a ‘no peel’ peel. There is zero downtime, if anything you may see some dry skin in the T-zone in the following few days. This peel is amazing for targeting hyperpigmentation, acne scars, fine lines and wrinkles and overall giving you smooth, clear, and brighter skin. It reduces transepidermal water loss so you will also notice your skin is much more hydrated and the barrier is stronger over time making your skin less sensitive. It contains amino acids, and vitamins B and C to replenish and restore your skin on the deepest levels. You will see instant results after the first treatment with continued improvement if done in a series of 4 to 5 times. I started getting Melasma this past summer around my eyes and forehead and after 3 treatments it has disappeared! Super happy with the results for myself and for my clients.

What are your stand out ingredients for treating pigmentation?

For treating pigmentation I love using retinol or the plant based alternative, bakuchiol. Retinol is going to help speed up your skin cell turnover and remove the sun damaged skin cells and replace them with new healthy cells for a more even and brighter tone and texture. Bakuchiol is a great alternative if you are sensitive to retinol and you feel it leaves your skin a bit too dry, or if you are pregnant. Bakuchiol will give the same brightening effects while also calming and soothing the skin. I like the Motif Power Brightening Serum for a bakuchiol option and the Marie Veronique Gentle Retinol or their Multi Retinol Night Emulsion for retinol options. One important note about retinol is to apply only at night and ALWAYS use SPF during the day as it makes your skin more sensitive to the sun. But we know that we should always use SPF no matter what anyways! ;)

Why is the skin barrier fundamental to healthy skin?

The skin barrier is fundamental to healthy skin because it is the protective shield that keeps our skin safe from environmental toxins, bacteria, sun damage, and anything that could irritate our healthy cells or ingredients being overly absorbed through the skin. You can think of your skin barrier as the roof of your house. Without a roof the rain, snow, and sun will be coming straight into your home and cause serious damage. We need to ensure that we don't continuously strip this protective layer off and leave our skin vulnerable to the outside world. At the same time, we also can have inflammation coming from the inside of our bodies, and when the barrier is impaired that inflammation immediately shows up on the skin. That may look like acne breakouts, eczema, dermatitis, or fungal skin infections. So whether it's an internal issue or external, we need to protect the barrier to ensure healthy function for calm, clear, glowy skin. 

What ingredients or products do you recommend to stay away from to maintain a healthy skin barrier?

I would stay away from products that have any added fragrance, mineral oils, sulfates, PEGs, oxybenozone, methyl and propyl parabens, topical corticosteroids, and super aggressive exfoliators. To maintain a healthy barrier I would recommend switching to an oil cleanser, doing LED light therapy treatments regularly, always wearing SPF during the day, and using ingredients like Vitamin B and C, glycerin, and epidermal growth factors.

Why do you like to help heal your clients skin from a holistic approach?

I love to work with my clients from a holistic approach because I believe that everything is connected. Our emotions, our thoughts, our daily habits and routines, our gut health, our relationships all show up on our skin. I know this from personal experience because I struggled with my skin for many years. I actually moved to Sydney, Australia because I wanted to take real time and space to rest my nervous system and find natural solutions to healing mentally, physically and emotionally that I couldn’t get a hold of in my life in NYC. I am so grateful to be able to say that I truly found that above and beyond what I expected. I actually feel like a different person now living in NYC the second time around. I never would have imagined I could get to the point I am at now to be able to not only help myself but help so many other people at the same time. It is truly a blessing and a miracle that I have gotten to learn from the most amazing humans all over the world how to live a whole and healthy life from the inside out.

I notice you incorporate a lot of facial massage into your treatments, why is it a go-to for healthy tight skin? Could it be considered a natural alternative to botox?

Yes absolutely!! Our facial muscles are constantly reacting to our daily experiences. Whether we are happy, sad, confused, stressed or worried, our muscles are carrying it all. I like to use facial massage to reset the muscles to a balanced state and over time train the muscles to remember that softness and ease is the baseline. It is a conscious awareness to notice our muscle tension and be able to relax it in the moment. I find yoga, breath work, and meditation also help to get back into your body and reset your awareness to the present where you can feel good and at ease. This in turn will end up making you look like you got botox when you didn't.

Your favourite beauty tool we can all use at home?

Omg there are so many great ones, where do I begin! I absolutely love the Cecily Braden Lymphatic Brush. It gently moves the lymph to drain to reduce toxin overload and remove puffiness, especially around the eyes. For the body, I love the Prana Ionic Dry Brush. It has copper bristles which neutralize the ions in your body, reducing acidity levels to rebalance your energy and reduce inflammation. I also love to do gua sha regularly with the Saint Jane Obsidian Smoothing Stone and a nourishing face oil and the Biotyspa Body Sculpt Cup for lymphatic drainage on the body when I’m in the shower. 

What do you look for in an SPF? Do you prefer a mineral SPF or chemical? If so, why?

I prefer mineral SPF because chemical SPF makes my eyes burn. I am very sensitive to it and sometimes I try to go back to trying it but it’s super irritating to me around the eye area. I also love mineral SPF because Zinc Oxide is a very soothing ingredient to the skin so if you are acne prone and have a lot of heat and inflammation already, mineral spf is going to do a better job at calming it down and preventing breakouts from happening. When I first switched to mineral spf I noticed my breakouts almost disappeared. Of course I love MOTHER SPF because it doesn't leave a white cast and every ingredient used is really protecting the skin barrier and nourishing the cells. I love that the Universal Face SPF 50 has sea buckthorn and Kakadu plum to really brighten and prevent free radical damage.

Currently, what’s your AM skincare routine?

Right now I am loving the BioEffect Micellar Water for a gentle cleansing or Tammy Fender Cleansing Milk, Neal’s Yard Remedies Frankincense Essence, Venn Probiotic Booster, Sachi Pro Resilience Serum, and Dr. Loretta Anti-Aging Peptide Moisturiser.

Any last tips on deciphering a skincare label or knowing what to look out for in your skincare?

It can be hard to know which products and brands are truly good for your skin and which are just good marketing. You can follow me on instagram at @carlyhorvath and always reach out if you are curious about a brand or product that you would like to try and I can give you my honest opinion. Otherwise I would look up the ingredients on https://www.ewg.org/skindeep/ to see The Cosmetic Ingredient Review assessment of the safety of each ingredient in your product. Additionally always ask your esthetician before you purchase something to make sure it will work well with your skin type and conditions. 

Follow Carly on Instagram for expert advice and consider booking a session with her during your visit to NYC for exclusive access to advanced skin treatments not yet available in Australia.