What is your background?

I’ve been working as a celebrity makeup artist for about a decade. I’ve had the extraordinary pleasure of working with so many amazingly talented actresses and models (from Susan Sarandon and Christy Turlington, to Mindy Kaling and Amanda Seyfried), and through my work as a ‘clean beauty’ makeup artist, I’ve had the real treat of working with hundreds of non-actress/models  – ‘real people’ (!) – as I’ve helped them ‘clean up’ their beauty bags and explore the world of non-toxic beauty.

When did you first become aware of green beauty?

My aunt worked in health food stores when I was a kid, so I would always visit her and play with the limited cosmetics on the shelves. So I was aware that it existed, but I didn’t think much about it. As a young adult, I worked as a social worker for many years in hospitals helping folks with compromised immune systems and it was from those doctors that I learned that so much of what goes on our skin winds up in our bodies. I brought that knowledge with me many years later when I began my career as a social worker, and it really influenced my product choices. That was nearly ten years ago!

How do you see sun-safe skin as being vital to health?

Because rates of skin cancer continue to rise, and rates of cancers in general are super high, I can’t see how anyone can deny the connection between sun safe skin and overall health.

It’s extremely important that everyone knows this and engages in practices to keep themselves as safe as possible.

You’ve seen a lot of skin up close. What do you think people might not understand about the sun’s effects on our skin?

Oh this is a great question. I know very well the damaging effects of UVA + UVB rays. I can’t say that I fully understand the science behind the aging of skin cells, but I do understand that at the very least (and this is purely from an aesthetic standpoint) these rays are oxidizing to skin, meaning they do damage to our healthy skin cells, leaving them less plump + possibly darkened. The best example I can give is when you look at what happens to the inside of an apple an hour after it’s been cut open. Skin cells begin to brown and lose moisture in a similar way.

What advice would you give about maintaining optimal skin health?

Shielding one’ skin from the sun by wearing a hat, staying out of the sun at the times when it’s the highest, and wearing sun block – preferably one from the world of clean beauty… meaning free from all potential toxins and safe for our oceans – is a great start.

To learn more about Katey, go here