Three For All: La Suite's Non-Negotiables For Healthy Skin

“Every skincare routine needs Vitamin C, sunscreen, and Vitamin A (aka retinol). These are what I call my non-negotiables.”

- La Suite Skincare founder Rhea Souhleris Grous  

La Suite Skincare founder Rhea Souhleris Grous has been a skincare-industry leader for decades. While she delights in the latest age-defying tonic or treatment as much as the next beauty lover, her “non-negotiables” for maintaining healthy, beautiful skin have remained the same over time. “If you don’t use Vitamin C, Vitamin A, and SPF, little else you put on your skin will make a difference,” says Rhea.

Whether you’re forty or fourteen, rejuvenating or prejuvenating, a skincare minimalist or ten-step-routine-ophile, La Suite’s non-negotiables are the foundation of your daily routine. These three ingredients—Vitamin C, sunscreen, and Vitamin A (retinol)—are quite simply the answer to a lifetime of beautiful, radiant skin.

That’s because our innocent faces are all facing the same enemy: environmental exposure. UV radiation, sunlight, pollution, blue light: environmental damage is the #1 cause of skin aging. From the moment you wake up until the moment you slide that phone onto your nightstand (we see you!) your skin is under attack.

What happens when a sliced apple turns brown? It’s undergoing the process of oxidation, caused by free radicals. Guess what: You’re the apple. Free radicals are unstable molecules that are missing an electron, so when your skin encounters sunlight, pollution, or other harmful factors, they pair with electrons from atoms of the skin, causing damage to your skin’s DNA and havoc in your cell function. This damage can appear as hyperpigmentation, wrinkles, inflammation, or dull-looking skin. You’re now the brown apple. 

We all have the same problem—but the good news is we all can benefit from the same solution. Vitamin C and Vitamin A (retinol) are powerful antioxidants: they protect and repair the skin from oxidation. C and A keep your cells functioning at optimal levels—and SPF shields them while they do their work. That’s why these three elements are the answer to healthy, beautiful skin—La Suite’s “non- negotiables.”

Even better news: La Suite’s Non-Negotiables Kit has everything you need. Whatever your skin type, condition, or tone, using these three elements, every day, will result in one gorgeous face: yours! Here’s how to use them:

Morning: Vitamin C

Once you begin to use Vitamin C regularly, you’ll see that applying it every morning will become one of the highlights of your day. This miracle ingredient makes skin smoother and brighter, and stimulates collagen production which may result in softening fine lines.

Leading dermatologists and skincare experts unanimously agree that Vitamin C is a powerful anti-aging tool, and Rhea is one of them. “Vitamin C is radiance in a bottle!”

La Suite’s feather-light Vitamin C Brightening Antioxidant Serum is our #1 best-selling product. Its chic white opaque bottle and slender glass dropper are no accident: Vitamin C can destabilize when it meets the air. La Suite’s signature bottle ensures that our serum won’t oxidize and turn brown or lose its potency.

The La Suite difference: We use a Vitamin C dynamic duo of L-ascorbic acid and tetrahexyldecyl ascorbate to enable a friendlier time release delivery that suits even sensitive skin. Our Vitamin C Brightening Antioxidant Serum also contains Vitamin E as well as other brightening agents. 

How to use: Every morning, apply a few drops of Vitamin C Serum to face, neck and décolleté after cleansing and toning.

Did you know? Our Vitamin C has “hang time” and strengthens skin against UV exposure. Once applied and absorbed into the skin, it cannot be rubbed, washed, or perspired off for three days! 

Morning and During the Day: SPF

“You can use the most expensive creams and get every treatment in the book, but none of it will matter if you don’t protect every day with a proper SPF,” says Rhea. Why? The sun’s damaging UVB (burning) and UVA (aging) rays are responsible for 90 percent of skin aging—so 100 percent of your skincare routine should be devoted to avoiding them. That means rain or shine, indoors or out, if you can see your hand in front of you, it needs to be applying SPF. 

If sunscreen is your new best friend, it had better be loyal, trustworthy, and fun to be around. Meet La Suite’s Sheer Mineral Sunscreen+ SPF 50. It’s a mineral, not chemical, sunscreen: its micronized zinc oxide formulation is light but powerful, fragrance-free, and doesn’t feel sticky or greasy. With the added antioxidant benefits of green tea polyphenols and hydrating Vitamin E and phospholipids, it protects and nourishes the skin all by itself, but is also the perfect primer for foundation, powder or concealer. This BFF’s got your back (and front!). 

How to use: SPF is the last step in your morning routine. After your moisturizer, apply a 1/2 a teaspoon of Sheer Mineral Sunscreen+ to face, ears, neck, and décolleté. Reapply throughout the day. 

Evening: Vitamin A (retinol)

Who wants to wake up to fresher, smoother, more youthful-looking skin? Everyone! And in fact, every skin type, condition, and tone can benefit from applying Vitamin A as part of an evening routine. Also known as retinol, this ingredient is second to none when it comes to improving signs of aging. Fine lines, sun damage, acne, dark patches, laxity: all these conditions are improved by regular Vitamin A use.

Vitamin A exists naturally in the body; it regulates healthy cell activity and is vital in the production of collagen. It shares all the benefits of tretinoin (aka retinoic acid, the prescription form of Vitamin A, commonly known as Retin-A). Unfortunately, as a result of UV exposure, we need more of it than our bodies can produce—that’s why you need need need Vitamin A in your skincare routine.

Beauty editors, dermatologists, and skincare experts marvel at La Suite’s best-selling Retinol Serum. It takes the best of Vitamin A—stimulating cell turnover, evening skin tone, unclogging pores and more—and leaves potential side effects—irritation, stinging, redness—behind. “The side effects of retinol are a result of the Vitamin A being delivered too quickly to the skin, but can be avoided by gradually helping the skin build tolerance” says Rhea. 

This luxurious yet lightweight oil-to-serum offers maximum benefits with minimal side effects. It’s due in part to La Suite’s proprietary delivery system, which keeps the retinol stable and regulates its release. Infused with bakuchiol, caffeine and green tea polyphenols, our Retinol Serum contains soothing and anti-inflammatory elements that alleviate potential irritation. 

How to use: Use Retinol Serum in your PM routine after cleansing and toning and before a hydrating moisturizer. Since Vitamin A is such a powerful active ingredient, we like to keep the rest of the PM routine simple. 

Pro tip: If you’re a new retinol user, Rhea recommends: 

Week 1: Monday, Wednesday, Friday

Week 2: Every other night

Week 3: Every night

If sensitivity occurs at any point, go back to Monday, Wednesday, Friday until well tolerated and gradually increase frequency to every night. 

Retinol is fantastic for all skin types, even sensitive and those with rosacea! The important thing is to build up to daily tolerance and stay consistent.

The beauty marketplace is crowded with products and promises, and can often seem confusing. But you can always count on La Suite for straight talk. Problem: oxidation. Solution: antioxidants. ASAP: Try our Non-Negotiables Kit, and watch your skin begin to repair and restore itself.

Any questions? Reach out to us here!