Taiwanese facialist Su-Man Hsu spills her top tips to feeling radiant.
BY ELLEN BURNEY | 29 SEPTEMBER 2013
"If exercises were measured in IQ terms, dancing would be a member of Mensa. It's the highest form of physical intelligence," says Su-Man Hsu , a dancer-turned-facialist.
Related articles
Val Heng Vong: the complete woman
Noor Fares: The Complete Woman
Tamara Hill-Norton: The Complete Woman
But before she starts pirouetting, she tends to her skin. "I begin with a scalp scrub and rub my ears to promote circulation to my face. Asian women think of anti-ageing from 18 as it's in our culture to prevent things rather than sort out mistakes later."
Her mindset is as clear as her skin. "I like to keep things simple. I grew up as a farm girl living in a mud hut in Taiwan. My parents were illiterate but taught me valuable lessons, the most important being to live in the present, not to control what you create. Too much control is like living in a cage."
Her diet too is inspired by her heritage, with lots of stir-fried or steamed vegetables, rice, noodles, fruit, chicken, pork and fish. "Not too many red meats, and I don't eat dairy. I have soy milk in coffee, and just a glass or two of alcohol a week. My body reacts badly to dairy and alcohol."
Her life mantras also herald from the homestead. "My husband says we all need three things in life: something to do, someone to love and something to look forward to. I try to live by opening the space in front of me. It's good to stay open-minded about our choices because choosing things you don't know can bring wonderful surprises."
Su-Man's essentials
- I start each day with a warm glass of honey and lemon to flush out my system. I'm a big fan of porridge, which I drizzle with Udo's Choice blended oil ( udoschoice.co.uk ).
- Twice a day, using my line of products, I deep-cleanse, tone, and apply serum, facial oil, eye cream and moisturiser. I exfoliate twice a week, and once a week I apply a special paper mask that's infused with my own formulation for extra glow.
- Every evening I apply a mask of honey and apple-cider vinegar to even my skin tone and reduce dark spots, usually for half an hour.
- I don't have long eyelashes so I'm addicted to Benefit mascara for extra volume and length ( benefitcosmetics.co.uk ). I also love Dolce & Gabbana's sexy Monica Voluptuous lipstick.
- I have regular acupuncture with Dr Ke Xin Li at Everwell in London's Chinatown to release blocked energy in my arms and hands as I use them a lot as a facialist (everwell.co.uk ).
- I grew up in a sunny climate so I wear bright colours that work with my skin tone. I like skinny jeans by Hudson and True Religion with T-shirts that can show off my lean arms!
- I meditate every night before bed, lying down.
- I love reading, the cinema and the theatre: a wonderful combination of escapism and inspiration.
Su-Man's new range of products launches at the end of October at su-man.com