BEFORE THE DOLAN Twins and, ugh, Logan Paul, YouTube was dominated by a woman named Michelle Phan.

Michelle Phan YouTube YouTube

The now 31 year-old gained fame with her step-by-step makeup tutorials and celebrity transformations, with her videos garnering over 1.1 billion lifetime views.

Two years ago, Michelle took a break from posting on her channel in order to focus on herself. At the time, she also decided to stop wearing foundation.

Michelle's foundation-free skin

In a new interview with The Klog, the content creator explained the motivation behind her decision:

It honestly became too high maintenance for me. So much of my time was invested in achieving flawless skin with foundation, and the after care that comes with it. My skin became too dependent on foundation, and the older I became, the more coverage I needed (or so I thought).

Our skin is the largest organ in our body and it communicates with us. When we’re seeing redness, it’s our skin’s way of saying, ‘Hey, there’s an issue here.’ If I’m just covering it, I’m hiding these issues and placing them on the back-burner. Doing so built up this insecurity I had where foundation felt like my security blanket. If I wasn’t wearing foundation, I didn’t “feel” like myself. Seeing flawless filtered faces online, my perception of healthy skin was warped and unrealistic.”

Phan shared some advice on how to kickstart your skincare routine and taking a much needed break from makeup.

I think the most important part is recognizing your skin and just understanding it. No one knows your skin better than you. Do you have combination or oily skin? Everyone’s different. Also, recognize the patterns in your skin. Do you get acne right before your period, and is it around your chin area? If you do, your acne might be a hormonal issue. Even dairy is full of hormones, and that can trigger a breakout.

So first, have a proper diagnosis on your skin. From there, you can start implementing things. Like OK, my skin is dry, so I should get a really hydrating moisturizer and start using a mask. Baby steps. Skin care doesn’t have to be complicated. We have the ability to repair our skin. Even if you damage it, the damage isn’t done. You can reverse it. The skin has the ability to heal itself, you just have to know the right techniques and adopt a healthy habit. It pays off in the long run, believe me.”

While she doesn’t make videos anymore, Phan is being with her other businesses, Em Cosmetics and beauty sample subscription service Ipsy.

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