Agathe Martin: a beauty routine that works in harmony with her hormones

As Brand Director at Equilibrist, a dietary supplement brand specializing in women’s wellness, Agathe Martin embodies the brand’s vision, image, and voice. At the heart of her work is making hormonal balance more understandable and seamlessly integrating it into women’s daily lives.

A mother of three boys, passionate about cosmetics and curious about everything related to the female body, she advocates for a holistic approach to well-being, in which the skin, emotions, lifestyle, and hormones are never considered in isolation.

What kind of relationship do you have with your skin?

For a long time, I was pretty hard on my skin, and I probably mistreated it quite a bit: lengthy skincare routines, constantly testing new products, and spending time in the sun without always protecting it properly.

Over time, I've learned to see it differently—no longer as something to fix or perfect, but as a reflection of my inner balance. Today, I try harder to listen to it, understand what it needs, and treat it more gently through targeted, personalized care.

How do you get people interested in talking about hormones?

By taking them out of a purely medical, complex, or anxiety-inducing context. Hormones are part of our daily lives: they influence our energy levels, our mood, our sleep, our skin, our digestion, and even our desire. Yet many women still experience these fluctuations without necessarily understanding what’s happening in their bodies.

At Equilibrist, our goal is precisely to make this topic more accessible, more concrete, and also more appealing. We discuss it seriously, but without sensationalizing it—with an educational approach, a lot of active listening, and, above all, without taboos.

Talking about hormones isn't about confining women to their symptoms. On the contrary, it's about helping them better understand their bodies and regain control over their well-being.

What does our skin reveal about our hormones?

The skin is particularly sensitive to hormonal fluctuations. It can become oilier at certain points in the cycle, and then drier, more prone to inflammation, or more reactive at other times. Breakouts localized to the lower part of the face, for example, can sometimes be linked to hormonal changes.

It can also reflect the effects of stress, lack of sleep, or major life transitions, such as stopping birth control pills, the postpartum period, or perimenopause.

I really see the skin as a messenger. It doesn't tell us everything, but it often invites us to look beyond what is visible and to reflect on our overall well-being.

What's your current skincare routine?

My skincare routine changes regularly because I love discovering new products, testing different textures, and seeing how my skin reacts. However, I stick to a few basics: double cleansing, thorough moisturizing, targeted active ingredients based on my skin’s current needs, and, above all, daily sun protection.

These days, I try not to use too many products for no good reason. An effective skincare routine doesn't have to be endless. I prefer to use just a few products—ones that are well-chosen, pleasant to use, and truly suited to my skin's condition.

Right now, I'm really loving PERS's 10% Vitamin C Serum, Rich Cream, and 0.3% Pro-Retinol Serum. I also use my LED mask every day and sleep on a silk pillowcase.

Every time the seasons change, I also do a course of our Indispensable Detox. I’m also a big fan of our evening primrose oil regimen. We developed one in collaboration with Émancipées: it’s sort of the Swiss Army knife of women’s wellness, especially for supporting skin health, premenstrual syndrome, and perimenopause.

Internal care, topical care: How do you combine them?

In my view, they are completely complementary. Topical skincare acts directly on the skin: it hydrates, protects, soothes, and supports the skin’s natural functions. Internal skincare works more on the body as a whole, particularly by supporting hormonal balance, combating oxidative stress, and addressing certain nutritional deficiencies.

I don't believe in pitting skincare against dietary supplements. The skin is both nourished by what we apply to it and influenced by what we put into our bodies.

It’s this holistic view of well-being that interests me. Beautiful skin never depends on just one product. It’s also linked to sleep, diet, stress, hormonal cycles, and, more broadly, our overall lifestyle.

What does "feeling good about yourself" mean to you?

Feeling good about yourself isn't about having perfect skin. It's about accepting that your skin changes as you age, with your menstrual cycle, your emotions, and the different stages of your life. It's about learning to feel at peace with yourself.

Feeling good about yourself ultimately means feeling freer, more in tune with yourself, and confident enough to no longer let an imperfection, a wrinkle, or a bout of fatigue define how you see yourself. And, to be completely honest, I think I’m only just starting to truly feel comfortable in my own skin as I approach 40.