Sean Garette Pt 2

Summary

Podcast Summary: Naked Beauty – "Sean Garrett Pt 2"

Release Date: June 16, 2025

Hosts: Brooke DeVard Ozaydinli
Guest: Shawn Garrett, Esthetician, Creator, and Founder of Shawn Garrett Skin

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Introduction

In the second part of her engaging conversation with skincare expert Shawn Garrett, Brooke DeVard delves deeper into the complexities of hyperpigmentation, effective skincare routines, and the personal journey that has positioned Shawn as a revered figure in the beauty industry.

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Hyperpigmentation: Understanding and Addressing the Concern

Brooke DeVard initiates the discussion by highlighting hyperpigmentation as a prevalent skincare concern, especially among people of color. She summarizes her research, noting that hyperpigmentation arises from excessive melanin production triggered by inflammation, UV exposure, or hormonal changes.

Shawn Garrett affirms the significance of this issue, emphasizing its impact on Black and diverse skin tones. At [01:23], he explains:

"With black skin, our skin actually holds on to trauma a lot more. So, when we pick or undergo aggressive treatments, our skin responds by producing excess melanin to protect itself, making us more prone to hyperpigmentation."

This underscores the need for tailored skincare approaches that address the unique challenges faced by different skin types.

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Shawn Garrett Skin Studio: A Personal Haven

Brooke inquires about Shawn's journey in establishing his own skincare studio. Shawn shares his experience of opening his first studio in New York in 2020, right before the COVID-19 pandemic, which limited its initial operations. He further elaborates on reopening his studio in December after deciding to part ways with Dior Beauty:

"I knew I was planning to leave Dior... I wanted to reconnect with my original roots and remember why I love beauty and skin." [03:18]

This move signifies Shawn's commitment to his passion and his desire to make professional skincare accessible to a broader audience.

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Effective Skincare Routines for Hyperpigmentation

The conversation transitions to actionable skincare strategies. Shawn emphasizes the importance of consistent chemical exfoliation over physical methods to combat hyperpigmentation effectively. He recommends balancing exfoliation techniques, especially for men with facial hair, to prevent razor bumps and ingrown hairs:

"You need something that's going to physically lift the hairs up off of the skin and release them from the pore, along with a chemical exfoliant like mandelic or salicylic acid to lighten pigments." [04:00]

Recommended Exfoliants and Products

Shawn highlights specific products that have proven effective:

• The Eighth Day Tonic: Praised for its efficacy in treating hyperpigmentation rapidly.
• Prequel's Mandelic and Lactic Toner: Appreciated for its moisturizing properties and blend of AHAs suitable for sensitive skin.

He advises integrating these exfoliants after cleansing to ensure optimal absorption and effectiveness.

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The Crucial Role of Sunscreen

Sunscreen is a pillar in managing hyperpigmentation, safeguarding the skin from further UV-induced melanin production. Shawn discusses common misconceptions about sunscreen application:

"We say like two fingers lengths or like a fourth of a teaspoon. But really, you want to make sure that your skin is coated in the sunscreen. If it feels like it's too much, it's enough." [06:41]

He recommends several sunscreens catering to different skin types, including:

• Ultra Ultraviolet SPF 50
• Summer Fridays Mineral Sunscreen
• Prequel Solar Shade

These products are noted for their effectiveness in protecting the skin without causing dryness or irritation.

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Common Mistakes in Treating Hyperpigmentation

Shawn identifies prevalent errors individuals make when addressing hyperpigmentation:

1. Over-Exfoliating: Believing that more exfoliation accelerates results, leading to skin barrier damage.

   "Most people want to exfoliate every day with multiple products, but it's entirely too much. You need to choose one or two exfoliating products and allow your skin to recover." [08:15]

2. Picking at Acne: This habit exacerbates hyperpigmentation by causing additional trauma to the skin.

   Shawn advises providing clients with appropriate treatments, such as mandelic or sulfur-based products, to discourage this behavior.

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Shawn Garrett’s Top Tips for Glowing Skin

Wrapping up the skincare discussion, Shawn shares his number one tip for radiant skin:

"Hydration and exfoliation. Those are truly the two steps." [09:45]

He emphasizes both external hydration through skincare products and the importance of maintaining a healthy lifestyle, despite personal challenges like a hectic schedule and irregular sleep patterns.

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Personal Reflections and Fulfillment

Shawn articulates his sense of purpose and fulfillment derived from helping others achieve healthy skin:

"I feel the most beautiful when I'm seen by my community... It's super fulfilling and gives me a sense of joy to help people." [10:22]

This connection with his community validates his efforts and reinforces his dedication to the beauty and skincare industry.

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Conclusion

The episode concludes with Brooke expressing admiration for Shawn's journey and contributions to skincare, acknowledging the impact he's made over the years. Shawn reciprocates the sentiment, underscoring the mutual respect and shared passion for enhancing beauty through informed and compassionate skincare practices.

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Note: The latter part of the transcript includes promotional segments and advertisements, which have been intentionally excluded from this summary to maintain focus on the core content of the podcast episode.

Transcript

[Brooke Devard]

Hello. Hello. This is Brooke Devard, and you're listening to the Naked Beauty Podcast. I am so excited about my guest today because he is a true skincare expert. Let me tell you all about Shawn Garrett. Shawn Garrett is an esthetician creator and the founder of Shawn Garrett Skin, a facial studio based in New York City. Shawn began creating skincare content because he believes everyone deserves access to quality information about their skin. Again, one of the big inspirations behind this, this podcast is making skincare information more accessible. So we have so much to get into. In 2020, Shawn was named as Fenty Beauty's first global ambassador. And in 2021, Shawn joined Dior Beauty as their resident skincare expert. So luxury beauty, accessible beauty. Shawn really does it all. The proof of Sean's skincare mastery is his flawless skin. And I am here in studio. Flawless, shining, gleaming, beaming from across the room. You all had a chance to hear from Sean on our Met Gala recap episode where we did a deep dive on all the fashions and all the beautiful skin and. And beauty looks we saw on the carpet. But now we're really going to get into burning skincare questions. Okay, Sean.

[Shawn Garrett]

Yes.

[Brooke Devard]

One of the biggest, biggest skincare concerns for everyone, but especially for people of color, is hyperpigmentation.

[Shawn Garrett]

Yes.

[Brooke Devard]

And that's something you said you are an expert in.

[Shawn Garrett]

I am.

[Brooke Devard]

So why is hyperpigmentation something that you focus on?

[Shawn Garrett]

It's something I focus on because it's something that black people, especially just anybody of color, really suffers from. Because with black skin, our skin actually holds on to trauma a lot more. I mean, go figure. So, like, when we do something like we pick or we do a treatment that's too aggressive, or we're over exfoliating, our skin's response to that is to create excess melanin to protect the skin. And so we're more prone to hyperpigmentation.

[Brooke Devard]

Yes. I did a little research before this on just what causes hyperpigmentation. So hyperpigmentation happens when the skin produces too much melanin. And that's the pigment that gives skin its color. And it can be triggered by three things. Inflammation or trauma. As you're saying, post inflammatory hyperpigmentation. Pih, which is like, probably what you see a lot as an esthetician, things like, like acne, eczema cuts, or even bug bites, can cause skin to darken in the affected area. Number two, skin exposure UV rays stimulating melanin production, often making dark spots more pronounced and then hormonal changes. So, like melasma Birth control can cause issues.

[Shawn Garrett]

Cos.

[Brooke Devard]

Yes, pcos. Okay. So I see you're an expert in all of this. And it's just more common in dark skin because the melanocytes, which are melanin producing cells, they're more active in darker skin. So any inflammation or irritation tends to leave. Find more pigment.

[Shawn Garrett]

Yes.

[Brooke Devard]

So how long have you had your studio or clinic? What do you call it? It's clinic.

[Shawn Garrett]

I call it studio.

[Brooke Devard]

Studio.

[Shawn Garrett]

Yeah.

[Brooke Devard]

Shawn Garrett skin Studio.

[Shawn Garrett]

It's like my little beauty cave. Yes.

[Brooke Devard]

You've been seeing people for how long?

[Shawn Garrett]

So I had my first studio in New York in 2020.

[Brooke Devard]

Okay.

[Shawn Garrett]

And I actually opened it right before COVID So I had it for like a couple of months. And I didn't get to really do all I wanted to do with it because we all had to clothes. And then by April, I was working for Rihanna, so it was hard to have a studio and work for her insane self. So I opened this one back in December, and it kind of was like a spur of the moment thing.

[Brooke Devard]

Yes.

[Shawn Garrett]

I knew I was planning to leave Dior. I knew I didn't want to stay in my contract. And so I was like, I want to have my own. I need to connect back to, like, my original roots and remember why I love beauty, why I love skin, and why I started this because I started to lose that a bit.

[Brooke Devard]

Yes. And you get to touch people's face, really see what skincare concerns people are struggling with. And I think hyperpigmentation is so, so.

[Shawn Garrett]

Common, and it's so layered. So hyperpigmentation is hard to treat. But when you have the right tools, it's easy to kind of create a routine to help target those issues.

[Brooke Devard]

So what are the tools and what is the routine?

[Shawn Garrett]

So the tools are really about consistent exfoliation.

[Brooke Devard]

Chemical or physical?

[Shawn Garrett]

Chemical. I think for men, like with beards and facial hair, you need to have a good balance of physical and. And chemical, because a lot of men with facial hair, they struggle with hyperpigmentation from razor bumps, ingrown hairs, things like that. So you need something that's going to physically lift the hairs up off of the skin and kind of release them from the pore. But you also need the chemical, something like a mandelic salicylic, to help exfoliate that dead skin and lighten the pigments of that.

[Brooke Devard]

Which exfoliants do you like?

[Shawn Garrett]

We talked about it earlier. I love mandelic, so I love the Sophie Pavitt one, but I think that's, for me, that's good for like a daily thing, but it's not like a. The strength of it isn't going to really help with hyperpigmentation quick. So if you're looking for something that's going to help quick, I love. Honestly, the eighth day tonic is really, really good.

[Brooke Devard]

Of course you'd recommend a $425 product.

[Shawn Garrett]

No.

[Brooke Devard]

Okay, the eighth day, the one in.

[Shawn Garrett]

The black bottle, because that's what I'm using right now. But everyone knows I'm a stand for polished choice. So I love the BHA liquid. I've been looking at that for probably a decade now. They have a new mandelic and lactic toner, which I absolutely love.

[Brooke Devard]

So good.

[Shawn Garrett]

And I love that because it has the mix of man and lactic, which are two AHAs that are perfect for treating hyperpigmentation. And they're also very moisturizing so they don't dry out or stress the skin out.

[Brooke Devard]

Yes.

[Shawn Garrett]

Which is important. Hyperpigmentation also needs to be treated with hydration. If your skin is dull dehydrated, your hyperpigmentation will be more visible, it'll be more exaggerated, and the skin will just be lackluster. Your skin cannot function properly with dehydration.

[Brooke Devard]

Okay, now in terms of exfoliation, what is the right time to do it? So is it after cleansing?

[Shawn Garrett]

Always after cleansing. So I like to do a cleanse and I like to do a spray of like a hydrating toner to kind of soften the skin. Then I love to go in with a hydrate, an exfoliant so quickly. A few that I love. Two from Paula's Choice, Mandelic bha, the Edum cashmere tonic. Beautiful prequel, super affordable at Target and online. It's a exfoliating milk. And that one has like a great, like glycolic, malic tartaric. So it's great for treating all things hyperpigmentation. And the doctor nurse growth pads, they come in three strengths. You can never go wrong with them. The extra strength will help with aggressive acne hyperpigmentation. Universal. Great for, like, daily issues. And then if you have super sensitive skin, they have the sensitive ones. And that has mandelic and lactic in it. So it's really good.

[Brooke Devard]

And then. Okay, so you. So we've cleansed, we've exfoliated. Sunscreen is a really big part.

[Shawn Garrett]

Sunscreen is super important.

[Brooke Devard]

So are people wearing enough sunscreen? Are they applying? How do you help people? Like, what is the right sunscreen guidance if you're dealing with Hyperpigmentation.

[Shawn Garrett]

So we say like two fingers lengths or like a fourth of a teaspoon. But really you want to make sure that your skin should look be coated in the sunscreen. If it feels like it's too much, it's enough. Like whenever I do videos of me applying sunscreen, people like you put in all that damn sunscreen. I'm like, yeah. And that's why I look like this period. And I don't have hyperpigmentation all over because I'm following the skincare routine and I still struggle with hyperpigmentation. I mean, it's never going to be away forever because I'm exposed to the environment. I'm not always going to be reapplying my sunscreen like I should. I love to vacation and be in the sun and tan. I love to be on a boat. So I'm going to tan and have some hyperpigmentation. I still break out, you know, things like that. But also things like lasers help a lot with helping me maintain my skin texture and hyperpigmentation.

[Brooke Devard]

What are your go to sunscreens?

[Shawn Garrett]

My go to sunscreens Ultra Ultraviolet just made their land in the US their Australian brand. I love their SPF Serum SPF 50 and they have another SPF 50, which is like a moisturizing kind of fluid. I love if I'm doing a mineral. Love the summer Fridays. One of the most excellent mineral sunscreens. Also heard the ultraviolet one is really good too, but I haven't tried that one. Naturium makes excellent sunscreens. And then also prequel. They make probably my favorite right now. It's called solar shade. It's a great one if you have combination dry skin. So good.

[Brooke Devard]

Okay, my two last questions about hyperpigmentation. What are the mistakes that you see people making most often when it comes to hyperpigmentation over exfoliating?

[Shawn Garrett]

Okay, so people think because the more you exfoliate, the quicker the hyperpigmentation is going to go away. That's not going to happen. Your skin has a cycle. So it naturally exfoliates itself and turns over every like 28 to 30 days. It slows down as you age. So as you age, you do need to exfoliate more often. But most people from like 25 to 35, like our age range, two to three times a week is enough. But some people want to exfoliate every day and then everything in their routine is exfoliating. They want to use an exfoliating cleanser, exfoliating toner. Then they want to do exfoliating mask. Then they want to do an exfoliating cream and it's like, girl, it's entirely too much. Yeah. Just because Caudalie has a beautiful glycolic line, you don't need to use the glycolic serum, the glycolic cream, the glycolic toner. No, you pick one or two. Like, I love an exfoliating cleanser and I like a dedicated exfoliating treatment.

[Brooke Devard]

Yes.

[Shawn Garrett]

And then I like everything else to be hydrating, skin barrier loving.

[Brooke Devard]

Yes. Picking at acne.

[Shawn Garrett]

Picking at acne. Terrible. Terrible. A lot of people do it.

[Brooke Devard]

I know. How do you stop people from doing that?

[Shawn Garrett]

Honestly, I have to show them, like, the tools to get rid of the breakouts.

[Brooke Devard]

Yes.

[Shawn Garrett]

So usually anyone who has acne or hyperpigmentation, I'm offering them some kind of mandelic or spot treatment that they could use or a sulfur mask. Or I'm putting them on, like, an azelaic acid daily because that's really good. I think azelic acid is really slept on as an acne treatment.

[Brooke Devard]

Yes. I love azelaic acid. Before you go, I have to ask you, what is your number one tip for glowing beautiful skin because your skin is truly insane?

[Shawn Garrett]

Hydration. Exfoliation. Those are truly the two steps.

[Brooke Devard]

Internal hydration or external?

[Shawn Garrett]

No. Because I'm dehydrated right now, girl, so I'm never hydrated. Okay. I work every damn day and I sleep late. I go to bed at 3am every day. It's ridiculous. So I'm always dehydrated. So that's why I said earlier, like, my skincare routine makes up for my horrible lifestyle choices.

[Brooke Devard]

Yes. Okay.

[Shawn Garrett]

I love it because I'm still eating the Wingstop. I'm still drinking a tequila.

[Brooke Devard]

I agree.

[Shawn Garrett]

I'm still going to bed at 3am.

[Brooke Devard]

Happiness makes your skin look good.

[Shawn Garrett]

Yeah.

[Brooke Devard]

And when do you feel most beautiful?

[Shawn Garrett]

I feel the most beautiful when I'm seen by my community. Truly. Like, when girls come up to me on the street and tell me I change their skin when they say, like, they save up to come see me in my studio. And that was a big part too, because during the pandemic, like, people were making appointments and coming to see me and they couldn't because I had to close. Now being able to have that experience again with people who followed me from 10 years ago online, it's like, it's super fulfilling and it gives me, like, a sense of joy and also fulfillment to be able to help people. I think, like, as a Virgo. My purpose in life is to help people feel beautiful. And in turn, doing that makes me feel great and beautiful about myself.

[Brooke Devard]

Yes, I love it and I've loved watching your journey.

[Shawn Garrett]

Thank you.

[Brooke Devard]

All of these years.

[Shawn Garrett]

I know you've known me since I was so young.

[Brooke Devard]

So young. And it's just. I feel like you're living your purpose and living your dream and it's really only the beginning.

[Shawn Garrett]

Thank you. I feel the same.

[Brooke Devard]

Yeah. Thank you so much, Shawn.

[Shawn Garrett]

Thank you. I just wanna love you. Love you.

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