Can you guide me on my morning and evening skincare routine?
Of course, I use Shani Darden’s quote. She’s also my esthetician, so she does my facials and all that and understands my skin very well. I just really trust her product. I start with her cleanser, then I use her toner. In the morning, I will also use IS Clinical’s Pro-Heal Premium Serum ($158)—awesome. Then I’ll do the SPF moisturizer. At night, I would do the same thing but remove the Pro-Heal Serum. Then I’ll do Dr. Dennis Gross’ peels, which can change lives. Again, I like the practicality of it. I would do it maybe once a week, and then if I didn’t, at night, I would take the retinol that Shani had. I really feel it’s a game changer for women my age. It just keeps my skin really nice and smooth.
Is there anything about your beauty routine that might surprise people?
I feel like when people talk about beauty routines, they focus on the outside instead of what’s going on inside. I’m very intentional when it comes to realizing what I’m putting into my body, that is, what I’m eating. I realize that certain foods can cause breakouts, so I try to stay away from those. That’s not to say I stay away from those all the time, but in general, I do. And then drink water. I think water is really essential when it comes to skin health and removing all the toxins from your body. I think the biggest surprise will be the mental health component. I think that really focusing on your mental health, getting enough sleep, meditating and doing things that give your emotional well-being will help your skin as stress can cause consequence. When I track my stress levels, I feel like I’ve seen tremendous benefits to my skin.
I totally agree! I am all about meditation. It can make a world of difference. I’m also excited to learn more about 4U by Tia, your new hair care line! What inspired you to create your own brand and why is this really important to you?
I usually explain this in four different categories. One of the main reasons I founded 4U is because of the four passions I have in my life. Representation, community, family, and accessibility are things I’m really passionate about. It’s really my “why” and why I get out of bed every day. I want to continue to inspire, motivate and raise awareness about representation. I know how important visibility is when it comes to seeing someone who looks like you. I feel like when you have an element of relativity, you see it and you can become it. It just makes you feel empowered.
Growing up, I didn’t see women of color with curly hair honored, especially in the beauty category. It focuses more on European standards whenever beauty is discussed, whether it’s on television, whether it’s in magazines, whether it’s just in school conversations. When I had curly hair at school, I was chosen. It was not something that was organized. It is something seen as if it were an anomaly. I believe that causes some kind of insecurity in me. My view is that representation is very important. When you see someone like you, like I said, you feel valued, you feel heard, you feel seen.
I didn’t start feeling confident about my hair until there was a great social media movement called big chop. A whole bunch of women come together and eventually put their feet down and say, “You know what? I’m not going to conform to what society says is beautiful. I’m going to embrace curls, curls my curls, my waves and my natural texture. I’m going to cut all my hair and I’m going to celebrate because I’ve been real and living in my authenticity.” I joined that movement, and that’s when I fell in love with my hair. Also, I feel like there are some things that are not safe as there are no products available when it comes to the look and feel of my best hair. I will go into a beauty supply store, and there are no products made for me by women like me. Again, it just makes you feel like something’s wrong, and you ask, “Don’t I matter? Why is that?” So I wanted to come up with a line of products where I empower women to be who they are, live their true selves, live their truths, shine and bask in all the glory that comes with it. beautiful hair and give them options. We deserve to be part of the conversation and I want to make sure that the ingredients in the line are clean, natural, safe and recognizable.
Since becoming a mother and being diagnosed with endometriosis, I understand the power of health and I’ve started to prioritize that. I want to give the conscious consumer an option so they can use something that not only makes them feel confident about their appearance, but also confident as a consumer. about their health. It’s sustainable and also accessible, which means it’s a luxury brand. We have quality yet affordable high performance components. I feel like there’s a void when it comes to that. A lot of quality brands are priced so high that it’s not a tangible or easily accessible product. So those are the reasons why I decided to launch such a beautiful, purposeful hair care line, and I’m glad people embraced it.
