The #ITGTopShelfie interview series focuses on the beauty routines of Into The Gloss' lovely, accomplished, and loyal community of readers. Submit your own on Instagram—post your Top Shelfie (tag us @intothegloss!) and include the hashtag #ITGTopShelfie for a chance to be featured on ITG.

"My name is Michael Joerres (@michaeljoerres). I live in LA, and I’m a Creative Coordinator at the agency The dFm. Basically, I help to produce events for brands, everything from dinners to major product launches. When I want to relax—at the risk of sounding like every basic in LA—I’ll go for a hike or go to the beach. Long drives listening to a podcast or a good playlist also do the trick for me, despite the traffic. Also, nothing beats reading a book with my cat in my lap. But a big moment for me was when I had my first facial and realized it was my favorite activity ever. There’s nothing more relaxing to me than a facial. NOTHING.

In my everyday routine, I stand by a tried-and-true cleanser—Cetaphil Daily Facial Cleanser. It’s just the right texture for combination skin. It leaves my skin feeling super clean and prevents breakouts, without drying me out too much. After washing my face with with that in the morning, I’ll saturate a cotton pad with Glossier Solution and do a quick swipe. This is the latest addition to my cabinet, and which Glossier sent me to try before it launched. It quickly became a favorite of mine when I realized that it was doing its job to clear my skin, without irritating or drying out it out. I’ve been using it for more than a month now and my skin is way clearer and super glowy. It also happens to have the best packaging, and I am such a sucker for nice packaging. Next, I spray Caudalie Beauty Elixir to balance everything out. My serum for daytime is Drunk Elephant C-Firma Day Serum which, besides being super effective, leaves a really glowy texture to the skin. I moisturize my dry skin with First Aid Beauty’s Ultra Repair Cream Intense Hydration. It’s the kind of thick, creamy texture that my skin loves. I tend to put A LOT on. Sometimes less is more, but in the case of this moisturizer, more is more for me. Then I layer on a bit of Tata Harper Illuminating Moisturizer to finish. It’s not hydrating enough for me to use alone, but it’s a peachy, salmon-y color that evens out redness and has just a bit of shimmer that catches light in a natural-looking way.

I might do a double cleanse in the evening if I’m feeling grimy, so before Cetaphil, I’ll massage my face with an oil cleanser. One of my favorites is Tatcha’s Camellia Cleansing Oil. My next step is to apply my prescription Retinol cream from my dermatologist. After that, I put on La Mer’s The Eye Concentrate and Creme de la Mer and finish with an oil from Sunday Riley called Juno Hydroactive Cellular Face Oil. Honestly, I wish I had before and after pics from the time I discovered that La Mer Concentrate. It’s the only eye cream I’ve ever tried that truly gets rid of my dark circles—it's literally magic. It has my favorite smell of all time. I also can’t get enough Kamill Hand and Nail Cream. It’s far and away my favorite hand cream and it’s criminally inexpensive. I put it on my hands constantly, all day long at my desk. It kind of makes you smell like a grandma but it is so worth it.

My absolute favorite mask, which would on my list of things to bring to a desert island, is Glamglow Supermud Clearing Treatment. It’s so effective that you can see it working—it literally sucks the excess oil out of each pore, leaving my angry skin clear and balanced. If I go for a week without using Glamglow, my skin definitely pays the price. On the other end of the spectrum, if I need to hydrate my skin, there’s nothing better than Dr. Jart+ Hydration Lover Rubber Mask. It’s a one-use mask, so it’s definitely a splurge, but this mask is one of those products that actually feels like it changes the texture of your skin, as opposed to just sitting on top of your skin without a lasting effect.

I’m growing my hair out from a buzz cut, so I’m just getting used to taking care of it again. I’m still using Aveda stuff, like the Damage Remedy Restructuring Shampoo, from my time as a bleach blonde. After I run a comb through hair, I add a dollop of Baxter of California’s Cream Pomade and I’m all set for the day. It has just enough hold and a natural finish.

I think beauty, like health and wellness in general, is not about looking your best, but about feeling your best. Beauty is about taking care of yourself and taking pride in your efforts. I take care of my skin not with the goal of achieving a flawless complexion, but because my lengthy routine allows me to take the time at the start and at the end of each day to turn my music on, light a candle, and slow things down."

—as told to ITG