Great Women behind Great Products: Anna from FIVE Skincare

ANNA FOUNDER OF FIVE SKINCARE

We love to know who is behind the products that we use. Today we are sitting down with Anna Pfeiffer, founder of the amazing natural skincare brand FIVE Skincare. In this interview she shares not only her skincare routines step-by-step but lets us in on the things that help her wind down and the people who inspire her.

Tell us a little bit about your brand. What does your brand stand for?

I founded FIVE in 2017 after searching fruitlessly for a transparent and easy to understand facial care for my sensitive skin.

Each of our skin care products consists of a maximum of five ingredients, is natural, vegan and climate-neutral. With FIVE, we want to offer essential but effective products for all people who like to know what goes on their skin.

Our range currently includes a cleansing oil, a moisturizing serum, two facial oils and a rich balm. The products are available exclusively through our online store. 

As a founder & CEO you have a lot going on. Do you have any rituals that keep you focused and grounded?

I have a few rituals, but I don't practise any of them as consistently as I do sports. Sport accompanies me almost every day and reliably helps me to leave the daily work routine behind me and start into the rest of the day.

Anyway, I have found that working with my body is the best way for me to ground myself and calm down. I notice this most strongly with winter swimming. Once a week I go swimming in the river in Zurich. This short "brain freeze" works wonders for me and really helps to relieve stress.

I like to start the morning with an invigorating dry brush massage and end the day in the bathroom, where I take a lot of time for myself, care for my skin and listen to meditation music or nature sounds.

How does your current Skincare Routine look like?

In the morning, I wash my face with lukewarm water only, then apply our FIVE face serum together with the FIVE face oil for dry skin. In winter, I also add a little vitamin C, in summer I do not use any additional active ingredients. Depending on my daily schedule, I use a Mádara sun cream on top.

In the evening, I cleanse my face with our FIVE make-up remover and apply it with the Oil Cleansing method. I vary the cleansing ritual: if I'm not wearing make-up or sunscreen, I only massage the oil in briefly. For an intensive cleansing ritual, I cleanse in two steps and first remove the dirt with a washable make-up removal pad. Then I apply a second round of cleansing oil, massage it in extensively and lovingly, and remove the oil with a cloth soaked in hot water. I love this soothing cleansing ritual. The massage and the warm cloth make the cleansing feel totally relaxing and pleasant. Afterwards, I just need some moisture and a very light care for the night. This is provided by our FIVE face serum together with three drops of rosehip oil from Pai Skincare.

 Whats your favourite FIVE product?

I love our FIVE face serum! I wanted to create a perfect complement to our oil-based skincare products that would moisturise the skin. With the FIVE face serum, we have created a product that consists of five ingredients and every single one of them adds moisture or helps the skin to retain moisture. And it smells wonderfully delicate like Damask rose, is not sticky and is absorbed immediately.

What’s your No. 1 tip for healthy and glowing skin?

You might be surprised, it's not skincare. I can’t stress enough how essential a healthy lifestyle is for healthy and glowing skin. I also write about this tirelessly on our blog. Good stress management, a healthy diet and exercise have the biggest impact on our glow. When it comes to skincare, protection from UV light and wind and weather is a must. Any care beyond that is just a nice plus, but of course we don't want to miss it.

What are you currently reading?

I am reading the book Body and Soul by Anita Roddick for the second time. She was the founder of The Body Shop and ran the company with her husband until it was sold to L'Oréal. The book is not new, it was published in 1991 and she implemented her ideas contained in it as early as 1976 with her first store. In the book, she outlines her vision of building a company that could become an engine for social change with natural cosmetic products in refillable bottles. She was decades ahead of her time, did her own thing and was highly successful with it. I find that incredibly inspiring.

Visit FIVE SKINCARE now and get 10% off your purchase with ANDSPIRIT10.

Photo Credit: FIVE SKINCARE

Anna was interviewed by: Isabelle Brockbals, Founder of &Spirit.