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For as long as she can remember, Dineka Young has been a student of beauty.

During her early school days, her mom enrolled her in a school where beauty was quite literally a part of the curriculum. At eight years old, the Mayo Hill School of Modeling put a young Dineka on game for how to always "look presentable" and maintain her "personal beauty" among other lessons. The now 30-something licensed esthetician and nutritionist jokingly says her time there "created a monster."


The Houston native indulges her affinity for beauty through her skincare brand, SKINBYDI where she provides in-person skincare services as well as all-natural skincare products underneath the same moniker. The evolution of her skincare routine and approach to beauty came with time and changes in her skin, understanding what worked for her skin and ultimately letting go of what didn't.

"I used to believe all skincare products were created equal," she explains in our interview. "As a teen and in early adulthood, I had pretty low-maintenance skin, so I could use and try literally everything with no problem. As I got older, [in] mid-twenties, stressed [and] hormones going insane, I learned that was not the case and that it was very important to use products with purpose to help achieve a particular skincare goal."

Dineka went on to explain that trying out various products on her "temperamental skin" was a "no-go." Just like she streamlined the beauty products she used in her arsenal for better skincare habits, the content creator also adjusted her lens to widen her perspective of what is beautiful. "I used to think that beauty was something you put on, you know? Like, 'I’m beautiful because I got my lashes done, my brows threaded, and my hair is done.' Now, I see beauty in myself and others in their natural state. Bare skin, frizzy hair, bushy brows, etc."

"Now, I see beauty in myself and others in their natural state. Bare skin, frizzy hair, bushy brows..."

Nowadays, it's clean beauty and non-toxic ingredients only. "Non-toxic ingredients are non-negotiable." She continues, "I treat my clients’ skin in the treatment room just as I would treat mine. Professionally working with skin has only solidified my stanning of clean beauty. I have had clients come to see me after seeing a dermatologist, being put on topical and oral meds, and seeing no progress in their skin. I have had clients that have totally different skincare concerns or goals and still be put on the same prescriptions. It's wild."

Seeing the way certain prescriptions had a chokehold on clients, whether or not they made progress in their overall skincare concerns fueled Dineka's desire to rep for clean beauty even more. "It’s made me advocate for natural options, while also wanting to educate and bring light to those areas. There’s beauty in patience and giving your skin time to naturally transform or improve. This is what I try to explain to my clients," she shares. "No shade at all to derms because, of course, they are doctors, and they can provide great pharmaceutical relief when absolutely needed."

Keep reading to learn more about Dineka's self-care must-haves and wind-down routine.

Her locs, her beauty: 

"As an adult now that is natural with locs I’ve learned that my hair doesn't have to be silky and straight to be admirable or beautiful. My loc journey is one separate from my skincare journey, and it still has so much impact on my personal beauty standards and loving my entire self."

Her self-care must-haves: 

"A good hydrating mist, one that's extremely refreshing and light. It refreshes your entire day when you use it. Supplements for gut health as well as skin health. A top-tier body exfoliant. I am obsessed with my smooth skin. It's just a necessity. (My favorite is the microcrystal buffing bar from @softservices on Instagram. It’s unmatched.) A stainless steel gua sha because lymphatic drainage is important, and who doesn't love snatched cheekbones and jawlines?"

Her evening wind down routine:

"I typically start unwinding for the night with a good stretch or slow Pilates flow. (I just bought a reformer that I found on OfferUp, and I am obsessed). Then I do my skincare routine, shower, pray/meditate with my husband, have a cup of tea, then go to bed."

For more of Dineka, follow her on Instagram @dinekaa.

Featured image via Dinekaa/Instagram

 

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