Dr Safa Al-naher
The award-winning cosmetic dentist and aesthetics expert shares her everyday skincare routine
A typical day
I wake up at 7am, or whenever my 5-monthold baby girl demands her breakfast. We’ll eat breakfast as a family, which consists of eggs, sourdough toast or porridge with fruit. Next, I’ll do the school run for my two sons before going to my dental and facial aesthetics clinic in Knightsbridge. My team and I start the morning with a huddle, where we plan for the day ahead. We treat a lot of anxious patients, so we offer guided meditation and ‘happy air’ (Entonox) for all of our treatments. I’ll also carry out virtual consultations, discuss treatment plans and assess my patients holistically by looking outside the mouth, factoring in facial features, proportions and skin type. I’m home by 6pm and dinner with the family is always hearty. I’m rebuilding my fitness levels postpartum so try to fit in a reformer Pilates class where I can, which helps me switch off. I also like to make my own aromatherapy blends and candles.
It’s lights out by 10pm.
Skincare philosophy
Invest in a skincare routine. If you take care of your skin, you can appear younger and fresher, and even dental work is better supported.
Skincare non-negotiable
Sun protection at every stage of life and at any time of year. UVA and UVB rays break down the natural collagen and elastin fibres in the skin and damage your cells’ DNA, causing pigmentation, laxity and wrinkles.
Main skincare concern
I suffer from dry skin all year round, but especially in the winter. I also developed a small amount of pigmentation during pregnancy that I’d like to clear.
Day 01 ALUMIER MD SHEER HYDRATION BROAD SPECTRUM SPF40 TINTED, £37.50
I love this sunscreen. It’s tinted, so it works well on its own or as a great base that sits under foundation. It’s also very hydrating.
02 ALUMIER MD EVERACTIVE C+E + PEPTIDE, £149 FOR 3
This serum contains Matrixyl Synthe’6 peptides, 15% L-ascorbic acid and vitamin E, which increases the efficiency of vitamin C fourfold. Together, these three ingredients improve pigmentation, protect against freeradical damage and increase collagen production. You mix the concentrated vitamin C powder with the rest of the serum as and when you use it, ensuring it doesn’t oxidise or lose its effectiveness.
03 ALUMIER MD BRIGHT & CLEAR SOLUTION, £39.50
I use this product every morning after cleansing. It contains lactic acid, which helps to gently break the bonds that hold dead, dry skin cells to the surface so that my skin is ready for more active ingredients.
Night 04 MURAD AHA/ BHA EXFOLIATING CLEANSER, £38
Three times a week, I’ll use this cleanser after removing the day’s make-up. It contains salicylic, lactic and glycolic acids, as well as biodegradable jojoba beads that renew dull and textured skin, and prep my face for the rest of my nighttime products.
05 MEDIK8 BAKUCHIOL PEPTIDES, £45
This became my alternative to retinol during pregnancy. Bakuchiol is a plantbased ingredient that has similar antiageing benefits and a collagen-stimulating effect, but it’s better tolerated by sensitive skin. It also helps to reduce melanin production.
06 OBAGI DAILY HYDRO-DROPS FACIAL SERUM*, £65
The ultimate luxury product, this serum is supremely hydrating without being heavy or greasy. During the winter months, I’ll use it in the morning, too. It contains vitamin B3, which is phenomenal for skin smoothing, as well as hibiscus and abyssinian oils, which are full of antioxidants and smell divine. I’ll also use a few drops on dry hands, too.
Make-up 07 GARNIER BB CREAM LIGHT MIRACLE SKIN PERFECTOR, £9.99
I’ve been using this for years. It’s great for when I don’t want to wear anything too heavy. It prevents me looking washed out so is great for school runs.
08 LANCÔME HYPNÔSE DRAMA MASCARA, £27.50
This is a cult classic and still my favourite mascara of all time. It lengthens and thickens lashes without making them look clumpy.
09 URBAN DECAY ALL-NIGHTER LONG LASTING MAKEUP SETTING SPRAY, £26
When I spritz this across my face, I find it helps my make-up go the distance.
Scent 10 + 11 JO MALONE RED ROSES, £102; JO MALONE ORANGE BITTERS, £102
For me, a combination of the glamorous freshness of the rose, mixed with the earthy sandalwood notes in Orange Bitters is the perfect representation of how I feel when
I’m in control and achieving my dream. It’s my ultimate ‘power scent’. Plus, it’s a unique fragrance.
If Kelly Knox had a mantra, it would be ‘never give up’. Born with a disability (she has no left forearm) in a world made for the non-disabled, Kelly has faced challenges – and overcome them – from the start.
‘I grew up in a world that wasn’t made for me,’ she says, ‘but I learned to believe in my body and never let go of that.’
Even if something is difficult, Kelly affirms that she will keep working at it until it isn’t. ‘I can achieve everything
I want to achieve.’ And, with her track record, there’s no doubt about it.
From winning BBC Three’s Britain’s
Missing Top Model in 2008, to becoming one of the first people with a disability to walk at London Fashion Week, Kelly’s career has seen her break boundaries in an industry historically occupied by those conforming to a very narrow beauty ideal. Her most recent work has been modelling for brands including Primark and Dove.
And when it comes to staying fit and healthy, this determination is a real source of strength. ‘Because of being born this way, I’ve always had to find creative ways of doing things,’ Kelly explains. ‘I never think, “How can I do this?” – instead, I think, “I know I can do this, so how do I find my own way to smash it?”’
At the gym, this means different ways of working out her left side – by strapping weights to her upper arm or doing exercises, such as side planks, that build up her core in a more comfortable way.
Dealing with other gym-goers isn’t always easy, however. ‘If I walk into
‘I grew up in a world that wasn’t made for me but I learned to believe in my body and never let go of that’
a gym, it’s unlikely I’ll see anyone else with a body like mine,’ says Kelly. ‘And people can become very competitive because they can’t comprehend the idea of someone who has less than them being able to do more than them.’
Kelly recalls the time a woman at the pool complimented her on her swimming. ‘She said, “I can’t even swim like you and I have two arms!”’ Kelly laughs but it’s clearly a trying subject.
Nonetheless, Kelly loves her position as a visible role model for those who don’t fit the traditional mould of ‘fitness fan’, and the fact that her Instagram account (@itskellyknox) has over
11,000 followers reinforces the positive power of her influence on disabled and able-bodied people alike.
‘It’s breaking those barriers,’ she says. ‘You can have a different body, you can go and work out and you can smash it. And you can be beautiful with it. You can have that strength. You should not be defined.’
Motherhood is another challenge that has forced Kelly to find her own way. ‘Until I was pregnant with my second child, I was hardcore in the gym,’ she says. ‘Then, with my second pregnancy, I got really sick and couldn’t face working out.’
This disruption to her routine hit Kelly hard but she knew for the sake of her unborn child she had to slow down. ‘You have to listen to what your body is saying.’
Since then, Kelly has found new, alternative ways to stay active – for instance, when her car broke down a few months ago, she decided not to replace it and, instead, has been walking everywhere. ‘I’ve been doing lots of walking to school, walking back… just walking around,’ she says. ‘Then I got a Fitbit and saw how many steps I was taking each day, and it was amazing! I’m doing an average of 22,000 most days.’
Being able to track her progress has been hugely motivational for Kelly, as she has the ability to connect with friends who also have Fitbits and share – and compare – their progress.
Ultimately, Kelly’s success comes from never seeing herself as having limitations. ‘You just have to have this “never give up” attitude,’ she says.
And it’s this attitude that’s made Kelly so resilient – something she has to remind herself to be grateful for. ‘I’ve always taken my body for granted because this is just me, but then, when I stop and reflect, I think, “Oh my God, my body is amazing!”’