Skin Cycling, PRP Treatments and Digital Perms: The Real Routine of Tower28's Amy Liu
July 7 | 4 minute read
Words by Izzy Wight
Growing up on the California coast, Tower 28 founder Amy Liu is no stranger to the world of experimental beauty and wellness experiences. But after battling eczema throughout her adult life, she realised the industry was missing products that truly catered to sensitive skin. So, she created them herself.
Now, as an entrepreneur and mother of three, Liu embraces a less-is-more approach to beauty. From red-light therapy and meditation to the skincare staples she swears by, scroll on to discover everything she does in the name of beauty.
Soothing Skincare
“In the morning, I keep my skincare very simple. I don't cleanse – instead, I go straight in with our SOS Daily Rescue Facial Spray. And then I do try to use some kind of a vitamin C, and always moisturiser and SPF,” Liu explains.
In terms of treatments, Amy swears by regular red-light therapy: “I have a panel light, and I really do notice a difference. I find it soothing, so I’ll put it on a timer and try to fall asleep with it on. And I try to exfoliate at least once a week – truthfully, we’re working on our own exfoliator formula right now, so I’ve just been using the lab samples for that.”
Little Indulgences
Once a year, Liu will visit her favourite LA med spa for a PRP treatment (that’s ‘platelet-rich plasma’ for the uninitiated – also known as a ‘vampire facial’). “A massage is also one of my favourite indulgences,” she says. “I’ll just head to the Thai massage place around the corner from my house. Oh, and I always have my nails done. It’s the simplest way to feel really put-together. “
Liu’s long, shiny hair would suggest a meticulous 10-step routine – but as it turns out, she’s surprisingly minimalistic: "I got a digital perm in Korea [Editor's note: a thermal and chemical hot perm that creates loose, natural waves], so I don’t really have to blow-dry or style my hair that often,” she explains. “I try to avoid heat damage. I use a good shampoo and conditioner, a hair milk and a hair oil, and I love Crown Affair The Dry Shampoo between wash days.”
With a packed travel schedule, Liu tries to prioritise sleep (despite saying she’s “not very good at it”). “I’ll usually bring a supplement – magnesium or melatonin – to help me readjust my sleep schedule if I’m dealing with jetlag. I drink a tonne of water, and I bring an eye mask – specifically the Slip one, with the eye cutouts to protect my lashes,” she says.
“When I’m at home, I try to go to wind down around 10:30pm every night. Actually, Jo [Horgan, MECCA’s founder and co-CEO] just gifted me this thing called a Sensate. It’s this small, pebble-shaped thing. Basically, you place it on your chest and connect it to the app and put your headphones on. It calms your vagus nerve and vibrates to sound bath-like music. I find it puts me in a much calmer state.”
The Key to Happiness
“I go on a walk every morning. Roma [head of international and Amazon at Tower 28] has been trying to encourage me to do it without listening to anything... ‘embracing the boredom’, as she told me. I did it this morning and I didn’t like it,” Liu laughs. “I want to do it in theory, of course, but it’s hard for me. My son just took this class on happiness and told me the trick to happiness lies in doing hard things. A life of ease does not make a happy person!”
