Charlotte Palermino
The Protocol: Charlotte Palermino
Our series featuring the daily routines, expert advice, and beauty tips of industry insiders (read: those who’ve got it down to a science). Because we should all have a Protocol.
From sometime-beauty writer to early TikTok adapter to skincare brand CEO and cofounder, Charlotte Palermino is unarguably one of the most influential—and credible—voices in the beauty world.
After growing up between Bordeaux, France and New England in the States, Charlotte spent years building brands at media companies and social media platforms (including Snapchat Discover), while contributing to Elle and other beauty outlets. Did we mention she’s also a licensed esthetician?
In September 2020, she launched Dieux with clinical cosmetic chemist Joyce de Lemos and brand and community expert Marta Freedman with a single ultimate mission: to “stop people from having to take a leap of faith with beauty.”
Here, Charlotte shares her some of her trademark skincare savvy with us, along with her morning-and-night routines, beauty idol, and the habit that changed her life:
What’s the first thing you do when you wake up?
Coffee. French press with some sort of a non-cow milk. When I learned caffeine is a stimulant and a powerful drug, it explained a lot of my tendencies around the liquid. I now limit myself to one a day. Excess caffeine can wreak havoc on the mind and skin. Moderation is key.
Describe your morning and evening skincare routines.
In the morning, I splash my face with water and then go in with Dieux’s Deliverance, a calming serum; Auracle Reviving Eye Gel; Instant Angel Moisturizer; and SPF. I keep it easy in the morning, as I sometimes wear makeup and need to get out the door.
At night is when I have fun with skincare. I usually use retinoids a few times a week and a resurfacer or peel. I love U Beauty’s Resurfacing Compound. It's an original. Followed by Deliverance again and an eye cream.
I’ll then go in with Instant Angel and sometimes put a balm over that. Love playing with masks and layering lots of skincare, as it’s winter and my skin drinks everything up.
I'm OBSESSED with The SUPER Body Hydrator and all The PLASMA Lip Compound Tints.
What’s your diet like on a typical day?
I have a dog and went from feeding him kibble to cooking for him (he’s 13) and the transformation in my baby’s health is wild. His limp is gone, his coat is shiny; he is doing so much better.
This is a long way of saying I eat terribly half the time due to travel and a newly developed garlic allergy about four years ago that runs in my family. Eating when you travel and not being able to eat the most commonly used ingredient in food is challenging.
Food is everything, and I’m figuring it out. Cutting back on alcohol has been extremely helpful in trying to maintain a semblance of balance.
What's the last thing you do before you go to bed?
Meditate! I started meditating about eight years ago and it changed my life.
Who’s your beauty idol?
My marraine. That is French for godmother, but it also kind of sounds like “ma reine,” which is my queen. She was impossibly chic, beautiful and so, so kind, and I miss her every day.
What’s the most high-maintenance aspect of your beauty protocol?
Consistency. I never wake up or go to bed without doing at least a few things.
What’s the best piece of beauty advice you’ve gotten?
You’re going to get old; enjoy it. Celebrate it.
What’s your 24-hour plan for getting ready for a big event or photoshoot?
All the hydration, eating things that won’t upset my stomach, no drinking, lots of sleep, and usually an edible the night before to relax.
I love microcurrent and layering all the hydration and locking it in. That morning, always a chemical peel to have a good base for makeup.
What do you do when you want to reset, regroup, or detox?
Get a book and lock my phone and computer away. I am a person of extremes, so it’s the only way to reset and regroup for me.
