Meet the Instagram Star Whose Supernatural Skin Is Our Office Obsession

Almost as impressive as Amy Sall’s résumé—the founder of Sunu journal, a website and soon-to-be print publication covering African affairs and aesthetics, and a New School lecturer focused on African film and photography from the 1950s to now—is her consistently glowing complexion. Scrolling through her Instagram, amid photographs of her favorite performers, artists, and architects, you’ll find selfies taken on the street, at home, and from the middle of museums. No matter her surroundings, her lit-from-within skin takes center stage. So we asked the native New Yorker to share her secrets—from the importance of always washing your hands to the refrigerator items you should incorporate into your skin-care routine.

Tell me about your skin-care routine—what do you use to cleanse?
I wake up and start with a cup of hot water and lemon in the morning. Then I always wash my hands before I touch my face. It’s just become a habit. I’m trying not to mix touching my phone and computer keyboard with my skin. I always wash my face with cold water and CeraVe face wash—you can find it in a drugstore. My mom washes her face with cold water and she has really smooth, supple skin. It helps—I think I’ve seen a shrink in my pores.

What do you do for moisture?
I spritz with Caudalíe Eau de Beauté—it gives you a glow. Then I use an SPF from the Vinoperfect line. SPF is quite thick, so I try to only use a little and evenly distribute as much as possible. Sometimes I mix in one little drop of neem oil because it’s antibacterial—it treats breakouts—and a little bit goes a long way. I stress out and don’t sleep as much as I should, so I try to avoid breakouts as much as possible.

What do you do if you get a breakout?
I use tea tree oil—it is great for drying out breakouts. It’s very strong, so I just use a little bit on a cotton swab or my finger and dab it on whatever pimples may arise. But always with clean hands!

Does your routine change at night?
I’ve been trying to experiment with this oil, Tsubaki [Beauty] Oil by Boscia. It’s really light, and it’s supposed to even out your skin tone. Sometimes I’ll just dab it on at night. I’m always looking for something light to put on my face at night. I don’t like night creams, because they feel really heavy and I like my skin to breathe at night. I sometimes mix [Boscia’s] with Caudalíe’s [Vinosource Moisturizing] Sorbet. It’s really light and creamy. A little bit of everything goes a long way.

Do you have any Senegalese beauty secrets?
A lot of my beauty tricks come from my mom. I grew up with her using rosewater from Senegal. I use it sometimes as a toner, sometimes as a makeup remover, and in the winter to keep [my skin extra] hydrated. If I spot a few dark spots and my complexion isn’t as bright as I’d like it to be, I’ll [mix] rosewater and lemon together in a bowl, and put it on a cotton pad and wipe my face with it as a toner.

Do you have any favorite treatments?
Sometimes on the weekend I make a mask out of egg whites, lemon, and honey because it brightens and tightens. Egg whites suck your skin in and tighten your pores, lemon evens your complexion, and honey gives you an allover glow. You feel the tightening almost immediately as the egg white dries on your face. I’ll get lost doing work while I have it on and leave it on for 30 minutes, but usually [I just wear it] for 15 minutes. [My skin] definitely feels tighter after.

What do you wear for makeup?
I just apply a little bit of concealer or mascara. I don’t know a lot about makeup. I use Make Up For Ever Full Cover Concealer in shade 20 to hide dark spots. If I wear foundation, I keep it around my cheek area or maybe my forehead and just blend. I use Yves Saint Laurent black mascara, and I’ll very lightly go over my brows with it. I don’t think my hand is light enough to use an eyebrow pencil. People can get very heavy with an eyebrow pencil—it can look really drawn on. With mascara it looks natural—I just brush upward to give it a [little darker] shade. Then I don’t have to shape them.

 

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