Skin Deep

Hollywood skin guru Shani Darden is the secret behind some of the most flawless faces both on and off the silver screen. Just one peek at the expert esthetician’s website and you’ll find rave reviews from the likes of Kelly Rowland, Emmy Rossum, and Suki Waterhouse, to name a few. We caught up with Darden—and her two daughters, Phoenix and Lennon—at her Los Angeles home—to talk skincare myths, raising girls, and the lowdown on her own personal beauty routine.

photography by EMMA FEIL

MINI | We’re excited to be here in your beautiful home! Can you tell us about the place?

SHANI DARDEN | It’s been a dream of mine to own a home since a very young age. After getting married and having two kids, I was finally able to buy my first home last year. I had met Jake Arnold through a mutual friend and loved his mix of Californian laid back luxury and refined European sensibility. He has an effortless ability to make homes look really chic, cozy, and lived in. I feel like I’ve already lived here for years, and literally rush home after work every day to be here because it’s my favorite place.

MINI | Do you have a favorite room in your home?

SHANI DARDEN | My bedroom is my favorite because it’s so calming and peaceful. It has beautiful views to the backyard and the hills that are covered in plants. It’s a beautiful place to wake up every morning.

MINI | Let’s talk motherhood! What has surprised you most about motherhood thus farr?

SHANI DARDEN | Discovering how much you can love your kids has been such a beautiful, unexpected surprise. I am a mother of two girls and they have become my motivation to work harder and go further in my business than I ever thought I could. I love that my girls get to watch me build my brand and know that chasing their dreams is entirely possible.

MINI | What is your greatest parenting worry or fear?

SHANI DARDEN | Honestly, I worry constantly about my kids. I worry about them being in the car with other drivers, being safe at school, being parented and mentored the right way. I’m worried constantly, but that’s just part of being a mom.

MINI | What is most important to you in raising your girls?

SHANI DARDEN | Raising them to be strong, confident, independent women. Everything I do is for my girls. They’re my number one priority.

MINI | What is your greatest joy of motherhood?

SHANI DARDEN | Spending time with my two favorite little humans and watching them grow. Both of my girls are incredibly different people, so being able to cultivate their unique personalities and interests is really important to me. I also love that both of my girls have a skincare routine. We do masks together and they both know to wear SPF every single day... without me having to ask! That makes me very proud.

MINI | What have you found to be hardest aspect of motherhood thus far?

SHANI DARDEN | Balancing work and parenting. I’m lucky that I own my own business, but I’m very available and present for my clients and am also booked for an entire year. I work on Saturday mornings sometimes or around big red carpet events on the weekends. I am lucky and thankful to have a supportive husband who is very involved, but balancing time away from my girls to show up and be a successful entrepreneur can be challenging. It’s all about finding balance and having an incredible support system in place. I am also lucky enough to have a small, yet amazing group of people who work for me who have become my family. They are not only there for me and my business, but they’re there for my family too.

MINI | What helps you to juggle motherhood and career?

SHANI DARDEN | You just live and learn. It’s so hard and so challenging trying to do both, and when you think you’re crushing it as a mom, something at work tends to slide and vice versa. The juggle is real. You have to try and let go of the mom guilt and let yourself off the hook. Just hope you’re doing the best you can. That, and a little rosé at the end of the day never hurts!

MINI | You are the skincare guru for so many! Tell us how you got started in your career.

SHANI DARDEN | I’ve been obsessed with skin care as long as I can remember. Even when I was a kid, I was mixing face masks and testing new products. As a teenager growing up in upstate NY and dealing with acne, our closest dermatologist was over an hour away. I begged my mom to take me. In my early 20s, I moved to LA to become a model, but instead I just ended up booking a bunch of music videos as a backup dancer (and I couldn’t even dance!). Eventually I realized that skin care remained a constant obsession of mine, and so I went to school to become an esthetician. One of my first jobs was for a dermatologist, Dr. Erma Benitez. It was such a great experience for me to see and understand so many different skin types and skin issues. This is also when I first saw how much retinol can help the skin, by boosting collagen, smoothing fine lines and wrinkles, clearing acne, and decreasing pigmentation. From there, I worked at a spa in West Hollywood and eventually went off on my own doing facials in the back house on my residential property. The demand became so high that I finally opened my own studio. It’s all felt like a dream, but I know this is what I was put here on earth to do.

MINI | What does your own skincare routine look like?

SHANI DARDEN | [In the morning], I cleanse with [Shani Darden] Daily Cleansing Serum, which is my gentle gel cleanser that doesn’t strip your skin. It actually helps to add moisture back into your skin with Glycerin, Jojoba, and Sodium Hyaluronate. After cleansing, I use my Deesse LED Mask for 20 minutes. LED light boosts collagen in the skin, minimizes fine lines and wrinkles, and improves circulation to give you a nice glow. Next up, I will apply a Vitamin C serum for antioxidant protection, eye cream, and sunscreen. I love Supergoop’s Everyday Sunscreen. It’s lightly hydrating yet doesn’t cause congestion. I wear sunscreen every single day, no matter what.

At night, I cleanse with Daily Cleansing Serum again, following up with my Daily Toning Essence which helps to regulate sebum production to keep pores clear. Next up is Retinol Reform. If my skin is a little more on the dry side, I like to use a hyaluronic acid serum like Dr. Nigma’s Serum No. 1 to plump up the skin. Following that is eye cream. I finish my routine with Daily Oil-Free Moisturizer, which provides lightweight hydration with natural extracts and light humectants. Twice a week I exfoliate with the Dr. Dennis Gross Alpha Beta Peel Pads.

MINI | What is the biggest misconception you think people have about skincare?

SHANI DARDEN | Not every product works for everyone. You have to take the time to find out what works best for your skin, and not just select products because someone else talks about it.

MINI | What is your biggest no-no when it comes to skincare?

SHANI DARDEN | The number one mistake when it comes to skincare, is not wearing sunscreen every single day. The sun will age you. Protect yourself!

MINI | What are the elements of a great skincare routine or skincare product lineup?

SHANI DARDEN | Everyone’s skin type is different, but the very basics are a great cleanser, moisturizer, sunscreen, antioxidant serum, and a treatment serum at night. From here, you can add in more specific products that suit your skin type best.

MINI | If you could give your girls one piece of advice, what would it be?

SHANI DARDEN | Believe in yourself, believe you can do it, and eradicate any sense of self-doubt and fear. Never be afraid to put yourself out there and chase after your dreams.

MINI | Your favorite places to visit in LA with kids— GO!

SHANI DARDEN | On the weekends, we love to hang out in our backyard. I work so much and love being in my home, and my kids are just like me. We finally got our home after years and years, so we love to entertain and just enjoy it, kids and all!

MY COFFEE ORDER Decaf almond milk latte.

BEFORE KIDS, I NEVER THOUGHT I WOULD Have my own business, be launching a full line of products, or have a beautiful new Beverly Hills studio. I feel so blessed I could cry.

IF THERE WERE MORE HOURS IN THE DAY, I WOULD Spend more time with my kids, unapologetically watch more “Real Housewives” and possibly eat cheesecake because I would have time to work out.

ALWAYS IN MY FRIDGE Eye masks to treat puffy eyes and in my freezer are frozen gummy worms (one guilty pleasure I can’t live without).

IDEAL DATE NIGHT Dinner at Petit Trois, followed by late night pinot grigio by the fire pit in my backyard.

FAVORITE LOCAL SHOP House of Intuition. It’s stocked with sage, palo santo, and every crystal you can imagine.

CAN’T STOP LISTENING TO Beyonce, always and forever.

FAVORITE KIDS MOVIE Brave.

FAVORITELOCALRESTAURANT... Manpuku.