It’s been seven years since Neada Deters launched her skin-care brand, Lesse, and in that time she has learned that you need to be resolute in your vision but flexible in your approach. It’s a business philosophy she lives by: being clear about the space she wants to occupy and how she wants people to experience her products while being open to how that vision comes to life and maybe taking a slightly different path than anticipated. She appreciates that her journey is constantly evolving.
What also becomes increasingly clear—the more you speak with Deters—are the parallels between the founder and the brand. Her streamlined approach, focus on carefully chosen ingredients, and thoughtful packaging mirror how Deters shows up in the world. “Lesse is clinically advanced active-botanical skin care, centered on efficacy, simplicity, and integrity,” she tells me over Zoom from her home office in Fort Greene, Brooklyn. In looking for solutions to heal her own acne, hyperpigmentation, and sensitivity, which she struggled with for more than a decade, she finally decided to create her own line of sustainable and organic cosmetics—leaning upon “incredibly high-quality, uncompromising formulas that are grounded in a scientific basis and have clear evidence behind them.” The brand’s moniker, she explains, flows from her less-is-more philosophy, “evident in both my lifestyle and my approach to beauty.”
Polished simplicity, which serves to improve her focus and limit distractions, is the through line between her life and work. “A uniform in terms of the way you’re approaching both your style and beauty really aids in removing the complexity of the everyday,” she continues. “Having a very clear, ritual approach to skin, makeup, and hair and then a very uniform approach to style just helps remove any of those distractions.”
And as a founder, CEO, and formulator for Lesse, distractions can be plenty. In working between her home office and WSA (the Water Street Associates building, a members’ club and creative workspace where many of the industry’s creatives gather), she often goes from nonstop meetings to intense quiet-focus time, reviewing packaging and samples, or attending events. Her schedule “is always in flux,” she admits.
Whether it’s her favorite matcha to start a busy day, her three-step makeup routine, or a wardrobe that empowers her, Deters knows what she likes and chooses each item in her personal ecosystem with care. “I really understand what I want that to feel like in my everyday, but I’m always open to trying new things,” she says. “I’m constantly questioning what’s missing, what could be better, within my ritual to get me to where I’m really feeling like my best self.”
Being an entrepreneur, Deters says it’s important to find time to just be. “Researching, reading books, looking through magazines, getting out into nature is a big deal for me, even just our morning walk [with her husband and dog] makes such a difference,” she says. “We live in a world where there is just so much information being thrown at us constantly, and that amount of processing really does take away from our ability to be creative and innovative. So taking time out, away from the noise and all the asks and approvals, is really where I find time to tap into that creative side.”
Finding Her Ease
Deters loves to ground herself in meditation first thing in the morning. “It’s so important to set the tone for your mind and how you’ll be mentally approaching [the day],” she explains. “Obviously, running a business, a lot of days can be chaotic. You’re not sure what you’ll be facing day to day, so really focusing on easing your mind is a great way to set the tone.” To wit, her mornings are intentionally kept slow.
After years of being chronically stressed, it took being diagnosed with an autoimmune disease for her to prioritize her health and wellness. Since then, she has completely reimagined her lifestyle and approach to rest so that she can function at 100%. This involves not only slow mornings—complete with Chinese herbal tea by her friend Natazia Stolberg, matcha with Par Olive’s collagen powder, and breakfast—but also strengthening her immune system. This is where her go-to Wellness Formula and vitamin C powder sachets come in.
She emphasizes that winding down at night is equally important. Another sip of herbal tea, a bite of Sakara Life’s Serene State stress-relieving gummies, a bath, and the Lesse Bioactive Mask give her some much-earned R&R.
Out-the-Door Skin Care
Deters is unsurprisingly particular about her complexion ritual. “I always start with the Lesse Calming Cleanser, and I really take my time to actually apply that while practicing some facial massage just to get the circulation going,” she says, followed by the antioxidant-rich Lesse Regeneration Mist. Brightening comes from the Ritual Serum, followed by her Essential Moisturizer to lock in hydration.
Like any good Aussie, she applies sunscreen each morning without fail. “It is the best thing you can do to prevent damage to your skin, the breakdown of collagen, hyperpigmentation, and a compromised skin barrier,” she explains. “I always have sunscreen with me, even as the weather changes.” The Lesse Every Tone SPF 30 is a sunscreen of dreams, powered by 100% mineral non-nano zinc oxide and Australian botanicals to safeguard against UV rays and provide antioxidant protection (not to mention it blends into skin undetectably—a rarity among physical sunscreens).
Makeup, Simplified
Great skin care primes the face for minimal makeup. A full glam has never been a big part of Deters’s life, but as she enters what feels like a new personal chapter, she’s enjoying the idea of experimenting with her look a bit—even just subtle enhancements for an important meeting or glamorous dinner.
Day to day, she keeps it simple. A little Tower 28 concealer imparts lightweight coverage while veiling dark circles and delivering a cake-free skin pick-me-up. “It really just looks like fresh skin, which I love,” she says, adding that she uses Ilia’s translucent setting powder. For eyes, she’s fond of Anastasia eyebrow gel and the Shiseido eyelash curler, which she calls “the best one.” A touch of cream blush and several strokes of Fara Homidi’s lip liner give her visage added polish. “I just smudge the lip liner and then use our Lesse Soothing Lip Balm to give a really natural finish.”
Low-Maintenance Hair Care
The moment when Deters is in the bathroom each morning, taking care of her skin and combing her hair, is the ultimate moment of self-connection that sets the tone for her day. “That whole practice is really important for how I’m able to show up for others because I’m showing up for myself,” she says.
In lieu of an elaborate hair routine, she likes to invest in steps that make her regimen seamless. “A good haircut allows me to just run a comb or brush through my hair and walk out the door, and I try to use really high-quality products that allow that ease in the morning.” In fact, she doesn’t even own a hair dryer.
The Lesse wide-tooth comb is her daily essential to detangle wet or dry hair. Immediately after, she reaches for a brush by Crown Affair. “I have thick hair and a lot of it, so it means it needs constant combing and attention.” Deters doesn’t rely on stylers, either. A leave-in conditioner and dry shampoo, both by Crown Affair, are utilized when necessary for refreshing and tailored treatments. Otherwise, it’s Sandor’s Grounding Oil to the rescue, applied to the ends of her strands to keep them hydrated between washes.
A Minimalist Uniform
Deters has uniform dressing down to a tee, though she tends to put on one outfit and then change to another at the last minute. “I don’t know if that’s the case for everyone else, but it’s almost like if I don’t completely change what I’m wearing once, the morning isn’t complete,” she says with a laugh. This process, as silly as it might be, is part of Deters’ ritual. In a way, it reaffirms her style choices.
Her outfit today—high-waist pinstripe pleated trousers, a thin wool top, and a long black suede trench coat—is very typical of what you’ll catch her wearing out and about: ’90s minimalist suiting.
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