Allison McNamara was pretty much born to shine—or in her case, glow. Mara Beauty founder Allison McNamara chose to name her clean-skin-care line after the last four letters in her name. mara means “sea” in Gaelic. She was inspired by Sea of Marmara in Istanbul, hence the brand’s #SeatheGlow tagline that can be seen on everything from her packaging to social media.
But it’s more than just clever marketing that has garnered the brand plenty of celeb devotees and makeup artists. The algae-infused line is sustainably sourced via wild collecting in France and Ireland and is the closest I’ve found to bottling that just-from-the-spa glow that we all seem to be searching for. In fact, it’s why I named Mara’s latest launch—the Algae + Zinc Sea Kale Sunscreen Serum—one of the best beauty picks of 2021.
And yet, becoming the CEO of a skin-care brand wasn’t McNamara’s plan growing up, or even during most of her 20s. Mara was born to a University of Southern California grad who was a producer, TV host, and a beauty and fashion journalist. This experience, unbeknownst she at the time, helped to lay the foundation for her success in the future.
“We have an upper hand as journalists because we are shown so many different products that you try and test, but I also approach formulating the same way you would approach doing research for a piece you’re writing,” McNamara tells Glamour. “And I do think that helps set our products apart. There’s a lot of thought that goes into the formulation process, and I own every formula.”
Back in 2018 that formula led to Mara’s first product—the Universal Face Oil—which McNamara says was a gamble, even though it paid off. “It was risky, looking back, to launch with one hero product, but I think it was really the beginning of the trend we’re seeing now, which is a more curated approach to beauty.”
McNamara uses a minimalistic, less is more approach to skin care. She also has Botox in her forehead once every six months with Sari Hoban, a board-certified physician associate. “It’s nothing crazy and I let it fully wear off [before going in for more]. I think that’s the biggest mistake people make—they put all new filler, new Botox, new whatever, over old work.”
She also swears by Emma Goodman’s chakra cleansing facials as well as Vivace MicroNeedling at Skin Five, which she does twice a year. “It’s a specific type of microneedling that I love. That’s why I got into the derma roller at home. It’s a pricey treatment, but I see amazing results with it, and it’s not as invasive as others.”
However, treatments can only be effective if you have a solid foundation. McNamara certainly has that foundation. For Glamour’s latest Drop the Routine, she fills us in on her skin-care mainstays that have taken her from “dry as the Sahara” to combination skin that glows from within.
My cleansers
Mara Algae Enzyme Cleansing Oil & Tata Harper Regenerating Cleanser. I’ll be honest—washing my face is probably one of my least favorite skin-care steps. I knew that if I created a product I liked to use, I had done something right. I wanted a cleansing cream that could remove all trace of makeup and give you a fresh foaming cleanse. And I actually don’t wash my face in the morning unless I’ve done a really crazy workout. I wash my skin in the evening. I think people overwash their faces. It’s often a source of a lot of breakouts for people because they’re overcleansing the skin. So on days where I’m wearing a lot of makeup on screen, I will use the Mara Algae Enzyme Cleansing Oil in the evening. And for days where maybe I didn’t leave the house at all or put on as much makeup, I love the Tata Harper Regenerating Cleanser. It’s so soft. It’s usually used one to two times per week.
My toner/essence
Tata Harper Brightening essence is what I use in the morning. I love brightening essences, especially those that are water-based products with a slight tinge or actives. Agent Nateur Holi (water) is my favorite because of its smell. I love this step because it hydrates my skin and allows me to penetrate the next steps. I think it’s especially important to have some form of water or moisture to make sure your skin is damp in the morning if you’re not cleansing your face so you can actually receive the serums that you’re going to put on next.
My serums
Mara Sea Vitamin C serum is my go-to for vitamin C. Farmacy Honeymoon Glow AHA Reveal Night Serum is my acid. Our Sea Vitamin C Serum is a wonderful way to get a strong dose of vitamin C. It has 15% THD Ascorbate, along with 14 forms of natural Vitamin C. This makes it more like a 20% vitamin C combination. It’s so great for brightness, hyperpigmentation, glow, sun damage. It’s my go-to every morning. The Farmacy Honeymoon Glow AHA AHA is the acid that I use the most. Sunday Riley Good Genes All in One Lactic Acid Treatment is also a favorite. I love an acid step because I think it’s so great for resurfacing and for that extra amount of exfoliation that you don’t get with a retinol. While retinol increases the cell turnover, it doesn’t actually exfoliate everything, so it’s kind of nice to have that. I use an acid about once a week.
My moisturizer
I actually don’t love cream-based moisturizers. It’s a really hard sell for me to love one, but Weleda Skin Food The Original Ultra-Rich Cream I love because it’s more of a serum hybrid. It’s the most hydrating, amazing product. But I would be wary if you’re someone who is prone to breakouts with this product. It’s similar to a Vaseline-type product in a way because it’s got lanolin in it, but it’s super hydrating if you’re in the pits of winter and your regular moisturizer just isn’t cutting it.
My eye cream
Agent Nateur Eye Cream is great for adding moisture to the area around the eye. I’m very dry, so I like it in the mornings or even in the evenings if I just want an extra step of hydration. It is a gel-like consistency, which I like. But I have never seen—yet—super-dramatic improvement from an eye cream. I definitely think that Botox or Dysport, if you’re really looking to target or have preventative aging around the eyes, is probably your best bet. I make eye creams for a living and many of them contain the same ingredients. [used in other products]Just on a smaller macro. The price is 10 times higher. I get dark circles because I’m so fair, and it’s not like anything’s going to change it because it’s genetics. But if it makes you feel good and it feels as if you’re doing something, then that’s important. I don’t want to hate on people who enjoy their cream.
My face masks
Although masks aren’t an essential part of a skin-care regimen, I love them. That is why I was interested in starting our own. A detox mask is something that I think is very nice. I started formulating ours when I was doing so much travel, or just being in a place like New York City or L.A. where you feel there’s a lot of environmental toxins and pollution. I use the Mara Volcanic Masque twice a year to detox, but many of our clients prefer it twice per week. And then I love the Goop Microderm Instant Glow Exfoliator for resurfacing. It’s so good. I think I screamed a little bit the first time I used it because it was so crazy, but I’ve built up tolerance to it and I just feel like it makes your skin look so nice. And sometimes I’ll even use it in the morning if I’ve got a big meeting or if I’m on camera where you can really see skin texture because I think it gives you a really nice, smooth canvas. It only takes three minutes, so it’s superfast.
My retinol, and my face oil
I use the Mara Algae Retinol Face Oil four to five times a week with evening primrose, green tea, and my skin has never looked so good. The retinol treatment is a step in the process. It isn’t oil, but we put it in the oil because we wanted to deliver a high amount of active without drying out the skin. The skin barrier must be healthy and happy. And that’s how we’re able to get away with these really heavy actives, and high percentages too because 1.2% is not a small load of retinol. It’s not a prescription retinol, obviously, but it is a traditional linear retinol. I like this closest to the skin, but if you’re someone who’s supersensitive, you can actually put on the Mara Universal Face Oil first and then put the retinol on top. But I made them to work together because even though the retinol you might feel is super hydrating, I like to wait like 10 minutes and then apply universal face oil or I’ll apply Weleda skin food or whatever I’m doing that night. However, you do need to add moisture after applying retinol.
My face is a mess
I don’t mist all that often, but I mist with the Tower 28 SOS Daily Rescue Facial Spray spray whenever I’m having a maskne moment because it really helps. It’s amazing for acne-prone skin. It is also great to use before you do the detox mask. I like to have a slightly damp face before I do a mask and then I’ll actually spray on the Tower 28 SOS Spray while the mask is on because you want to keep hydration. The Lilah B. Aglow Setting + Hydrating Face Mist is the perfect mist to make your skin glow. It is a wonderful mist that I enjoy using throughout the day. It just gives you that gorgeous glow.
My sunscreens
Everyday, I use our Mara Algae+ Zinc Seakale Sunscreen Serum Sunscreen SPF 30 layered on the Saie Slip Tint Dewy Tinted Moisturizer sunscreen SPF 35. We forget that there’s a certain amount of SPF you’re supposed to use each day. I want to say it’s like a quarter of a teaspoon to get the full FDA-recommended SPF 30. So a lot of times I don’t want to use just one product for that full amount. Layering is easier and more effective for me to follow the guidelines. So I’ll usually do two pumps of the Mara SPF, and then I love using the Saie SPF 35 Slip Tint. I’ll wait like 5 to 10 minutes in between. I recently discovered the Tower 28 version. It’s a little less glowy, so it’s a nice combo with the Mara SPF, but I usually do try and layer two together because I think it’s a nice way to fully maximize the amount of SPF you’re using. And make sure to shake the Mara Sunscreen Serum before use because you’ll notice it does have separation if you don’t shake it.
My lip balm
Summer Fridays Lip Butter Balm. I’m not a vanilla person, but for some reason I like the scent of this one.
My device
There are many devices that I use but the Jenny Patinkin Rose On Rose Derma Roller is my favorite. It has made a huge difference in my skin’s appearance since I started using it. Hers is like the tiniest little pricks, and I don’t feel that if you use it properly that you’re going to hurt the skin barrier. She also offers some wonderful tutorials. I was very afraid to try a Derma Roller before she showed me, but now I love that device. I also use an LED mask once or twice per week and the NuFace occasionally.
Jessica Radloff is theGlamour West Coast editor. You can follow her Instagram at @jessicaradloff14.
Source: Glamour