Summer is just around the corner and I don’t know about you, but just the words bathing + suit will send me to the gym a little more than usual! So, I sat down and interviewed Ole to get his special pre/post-gym beauty tips – and I’m going to let you in on all of his special secrets!

Q: Are there any skin recommendations you would give to people prior to their exercise?

A: “Yes. Cleanse your skin prior to a work-out. You never want to exercise with a face full of foundation and heavy make-up. Always exercise with clean skin, a thin layer of eye cream and moisturizer to allow the skin to glow and breathe."

Q: I’ve always wondered, does sweat have any correlation to acne?

A: “No. Acne and perspiring—there is simply no correlation, contrary to popular belief! When you eat a clean and healthy diet and drink plenty of water, you will perspire cleanly and no blemishes will form."

Q: How would you suggest a woman on the go fixes her post-gym hair?

A: “The secret is to always sleek your hair back with a hair gel and pull it back with a little hair tie. The best part about a work-out is that you are left with that beautiful, healthy glow on your skin—that should be the focal point. Your hair may be messed-up, but when you sleek it back the focus will be on the skin. “

Q: Do you lose moisture on the skin from sweating?

A: “You really don’t lose moisture on the surface when you perspire - if anything the perspiration seals in more moisture. But, you will want to get rid of that sticky mantle left on your skin! Splash your face with cold water and that will remove the uncomfortable feeling. Then you’ll want to mist your face with pick me up face tonic and apply a thin layer of moisturizer.”

Q: What do you recommend for dry, oily and combination skin after a work-out?

A: “Here’s what I would recommend:

Dry Skin typically doesn’t tend to perspire as regularly when working out, but gets uncomfortably sticky. All you’ll maybe want to do is mist with african red tea face mist and then apply herbal day crème or skin insulator crème – both with SPF.

Oily skin should always splash the face with cold water, apply grease relief skin tonic with a cotton swab because they tend to have more of a greasy mantle, then apply sheer transformation crème because it’s oil free and extremely light in texture.

Combination skin should be splashing with cool water as well – mist your face with pick me up face tonic followed by herbal day crème.

For all skin types, splashing your face with water is key and so is misting with a toner!”

Q: What are your tips for maximizing fat-burning and toxin release?

A: “The greatest way to maximize toxin release and to burn fat is any kind of cardio-based exercise that increases your heart beat such as: Running, dancing, jumping rope, roller-blading, or making love.”

So, there you have it! Those are some of Ole Henriksen’s insider tips on how to keep you looking your best - both while you’re at the gym and after your work-out all summer long! Do you have any special things you do? We’d love to hear them!

There’s truth to the term “beauty sleep.” Most of us know that sleep is crucial to our mental and physical health, but it doesn’t stop there. Lack of sleep has a powerful affect on our skin. “Sleep is vital in order to regenerate and recharge every organ in the body including the skin,” says Ole. “You simply don’t function at your optimum level.” Luckily, you can do something about it! Read on for Ole’s tips for better sleep and better skin!

1. Go to bed early and give yourself a consistent bedtime. “If you don’t allow yourself the time to get proper rest, you will tend to feel more fatigued and more on edge during the day,” says Ole.
2. Always eat balanced, wholesome healthy foods. “Learn to make amazing meals and when you eat out, pick foods that are good for you and taste good,” he says. “This will help the renewal process of your skin from the inside out.”
3. Keep alcohol consumption at a minimum. “If you have a glass of wine it’s not a big deal, but as with everything, moderation is key,” says Ole.
4. Exercise daily, even just a little bit. “You need to use your body during the day,” he says. “If you are getting lots of oxygen each day, you pass out and sleep really well.”
5. Have a nice soothing warm drink before bed. Choose caffeine free drinks like African red tea, chamomile or even warm milk with some honey.
6. Express your gratitude every night. “As part of expressing gratitude for being part of this world, send out a little prayer to your god or to the universe,” he says. “Just be thankful for all the blessings you have.” Check out Ole’s tips for being more grateful.
7. Never take pills to go to sleep. If you think you need pills, ask yourself what you might need to change in your life to feel more rested and rejuvenated each and every day. Choose natural treatments and improve your routine instead.
8. Remember your nightly skin care routine. Make skin care a necessary part of your bedtime routine. Like brushing your teeth, your skin care regimen is an absolute must. Don’t have a routine yet? Find your personal skin care routine and read more about how to get healthy skin in your sleep.

Rather than paying for a monthly gym fee, Ole prefers to stay in shape by working out against his own body weight. “People think you need a trainer or a gym membership, but you don’t,” says Ole. “I live in the Hollywood Hills and I see major movie stars out running with their dogs. Even the rich and famous stay in shape without expert help.”

Depending on his schedule, he prefers to do a 20-40 minute workout on a consistent basis.

“As an adult, I’ve learned exercise provides new energy of our health and our looks,” says Ole. People of any age or body type can pick up his easy to maintain work out routine that involves a lot of stretching and doing push ups and sit ups to tone your muscles. What does Ole do for cardio you may ask?“I put on my favorite music and dance!”

Healthy skin doesn’t have to be hard work. You can actually repair your skin with clever advice from the skin care guru himself, Ole Henriksen. While protecting your skin during the day is important, you can give your skin a boost by adding the following tips to your nightly routine.

•    Use a separate night crème from your day crème. While many crèmes can be used for day and night, it’s a good idea to find a regular night crème that will repair your skin while you’re getting your beauty rest. Ole’s express the truth crème, nurture me, sheer transformation and pure perfection face crèmes are especially designed to hydrate and firm your skin overnight.

•    Use an adequate amount of moisturizer. Use a generous amount of moisturizer while you sleep to provide your skin with a healthy, vibrant glow. After you’ve applied your moisturizer, slip your hand across the skin. It should feel dewy to the touch if you’ve applied enough. When you wake up, your skin will be soft and smooth for the day!

•    Fall asleep naturally. Avoid under eye darkness and tired looking eyes with a good nights sleep. If you are having trouble sleeping, taking medication to aid sleep is not the answer. Instead, Ole recommends choosing the natural way with a soothing cup of caffeine free tea like African red tea or chamomile with some honey to help you drift off to sleep.

•    Get regular exercise everyday. If you are active during the day, your body will be prepared for a good night’s sleep. Not only will your muscles be tired, but keeping the body fit and taking in plenty of fresh oxygen will help your circulation and keep your energy levels balanced.

If you spend most of your day staring at a computer screen, you no doubt have suffered from an achy back, tension headaches, wrist pain or sluggishness. Banish stress and exhaustion with this simple trick from Ole. “To fight stress throughout the day, I get up from my workspace and stretch,” says Ole. One of his favorite ways to relax can be done without getting out of your office chair.

Begin by sitting tall in your office chair. Close your eyes and take a deep inhale as you raise your arms up over your head so that your finger tips point towards the ceiling. As you exhale fold forward and touch your palms to the floor. Focus on constricting your stomach muscles while continuing to breathe steadily. Hold this position for a minute, then keeping your back flat, bring yourself to an upright position as you inhale and reach your fingertips towards the ceiling

It’s also a good idea to have something green on your desk to bring the peaceful outdoors into your office. “Bamboo is a wonderful choice, because it’s beautiful, sculptural, and grows in any kind of light, or lack thereof,” he says. If the weather is nice, skip your afternoon coffee fix and take a walk outside your workplace for some fresh, energizing air. Sometimes nature is the best cure for workplace stress.

The key to great legs is beautiful texture and well-defined calves. To give your legs a luminous sheen, exfoliation is key. First, work an exfoliator like our rub n’ buff salt scrub into damp skin with firm circular motions to polish the skin. Rinse with warm water and apply a tiny amount of body oil like lavender on damp legs to highlight and smooth skin.

To enhance your radiant texture, pay special attention to cleansing and shaving your legs on a regular basis. If you can’t have a professional waxing done, be sure to thoroughly shave your legs going with the grain of the hair. Use a shave gel enriched with natural extracts of aloe, cucumber and eucalyptus like our clean shave gel for a smooth shave.

To tone the calves, try these great exercises from Ole:

    1.    Take the stairs instead of the elevator whenever possible to exercise and tone the legs. Defending on your attire, you can even take two steps at a time to intensify the exercise.

    2.    Stand behind a chair for stability, placing your feet apart with your toes pointed out and lift your body so that all the weight is on your toes. Tighten the calf muscles for 30 seconds then relax back onto the soles of your feet. Repeat 20 times. You’ll tone up your calf muscles in no time.

    3.    These tips, couple with a great pair of heels and a well tailored skirt will make any pair of legs look phenomenal!