Mathilde Lacombe, the founder of probiotic based supplement and skincare line, Aime, talks to us about the importance of healing the skin from the inside out. After struggling with rosacea, Mathilde finally realized that she would have to take an internal approach in order to heal her skin. The Parisian beauty shares her tips for healing rosacea, as well as other skin issues and explains why probiotics play such a key role in her supplements. Mathilde also tells us about the treatments she offers at her new Glow Studio, which she just opened this past summer in Le Marais.

Mathilde collaborated with us on our (aime) probiotic deodorant, which utilizes probiotics to help prevent odor. It’s exotic infusion of grapefruit, jasmine and neroli oils is inspired by the French Riviera and it’s lauded by Vogue France as “un véritable must”.

Mathilde, what inspired you to create Aime? 

I created AIME because I’ve struggled with my skin (rosacea) for years and it was so frustrating. AIME is for every woman who feels like she’s tried everything but still can’t figure out how to get beautiful and healthy skin. Having a presence on social media, I had so many women coming to me with skin issues (hormonal acne, rosacea, etc.) for years and I knew that I wanted to help them find a solution that was affordable, efficient, and clean. Once you realize it really all starts inside, it changes everything. Mindset, skin, mood, you will notice the difference!

You’ve spoken about your struggle with rosacea. Can you tell us what you found to be the most effective for healing it?

First, what really helped me was to really understand the connection between my gut and my skin. For so many years, it didn’t occur to me that what I was ingesting was having an impact on my skin. It may sound obvious, but to me food was more body related (weight, etc.) and not so much linked to my face. Once I understood, it made such a big difference. I made some changes in my diet, the biggest one being I cut out dairy. Cow milk, especially, is really inflammatory, and I used to eat at least two yogurts a day and cheese at almost every meal (as a kid in France you’re told that milk/calcium is really important). But again, it’s a lot of marketing and I realize that Ican still get my calcium elsewhere (in greens). I don’t need to eat dairy which was triggering inflammation.

French Glow is my holy grail formula. If you have rosacea/sensitive skin/redness you need it! Also, I use a very minimal skincare routine.  I don’t always wash my face in the morning, sometimes I just splash it with cold water. It’s good for the blood vessels and really important to cool down your skin when you have rosacea. Then I apply our Simple Cream (no perfume, no essential oils, nothing that will irritate your skin) and for makeup I use mineral foundation as it provides coverage but still lets your skin breathe. 

You’re a huge fan of probiotics and your supplements and skincare all contain probiotics. Why are probiotics so important?

All our supplements are probiotics based; happy gut, happy skin is our motto! I really see AIME as a skincare brand and not a supplement brand. To me our supplements are just the first step in your skincare journey. The same way you apply your serum every morning, you should take your supplements. I want to help women understand how their skin and body work because I feel like for so many years, marketing and beauty brands have not been transparent about this! Instead, we’ve been told to conceal, erase, etc., but not really to treat the cause of our skin issues. You need to get to the root of the issue if you want lasting results and that’s what we do with our products. 

Can you tell us about The Glow Studio and what kind of treatments you offer?

We opened our brand-new Glow Studio this summer in Le Marais. We wanted to create a place that would perfectly embody our brand. A place where you feel good. You can buy our products, you can do LED, facials, and lymphatic massage. And since then, we just opened Le Café Aime inside the boutique. It’s our Beauty Food & Beauty Drinks corner. You can order a Matcha Glow Latte, a lemon Omega Glow cake, Cacao Glow energy balls, and collagen granola. Everything is prepared and cooked with our supplements. Taking care of yourself and your skin starts with how you eat, so food was always on our mind when we launched the brand. This new step is really what sets AIME apart from the other supplement brands, we have a global approach to beauty. All the food and lattes are gluten and lactose free, and they are delicious and healthy! 

You use LED in many of your treatments. Can you tell us what LED does and why it’s so beneficial to use with your treatments?

LED is amazing if you have any type of skin inflammation. I even invested in my own home device because I see such a tremendous effect on my skin :-). I love LED and I am so happy that we were the first to bring it to the public in Paris. With our supplements we treat inflammation from the inside, and with LED we treat itfrom the outside. LED therapy targets many different skin types and problems such as acne, rosacea, aging skin, dull skin, and sensitive skin prone to redness, scaring, etc. Each treatment uses different lights and intensities which each have specific benefits, including, anti-bacterial, anti-inflammatory, and increased collagen production. While eachprotocol helps with different skin types, the bottom line is, LED therapy is going to stimulate your skin’s natural repair systems (cell regeneration and renewal).

You offer a hair and scalp boost treatment which includes cranial massage and LED. What are the benefits of cranial massage along with LED for scalp and hair health?

It helps stimulate hair growth and blood circulation. We tend to forget that healthy hair starts with a healthy scalp. You can cut your hair all you want; it won’t make it longer/healthier if you don’t take care of your scalp. We have a supplement called Hair & Scalp Boost that we recommend taking for a few months and in parallel you can do the treatments at The Glow studio. Everything has to be approached from an inside/out perspective. 

Jena received an elixir after her lymphatic massage. What is the elixir and why is it so beneficial to take after a lymphatic massage?

I am happy Jena enjoyed her treatment at the Glow Studio! Our Body Elixir is a wonderful liquid supplement that helps for drainage and elimination. During the lymphatic massage, all the lymphatic fluid is moved around the body and drinking the elixir will help you eliminate even more. You’ll pee a lot after this massage and elixir but it’s a good thing, your body is getting rid of toxins and everything he doesn’t need. 

Can you tell us about its ingredients and why it works so well to relieve bloating?

It contains natural ingredients such as green tea, birch and hamamelis. They all play a role in helping the body eliminate toxins. That’s why you can feel lighter and less bloated quickly!