Cult-Loved Knockout Beauty Opens a Rare Outpost in Dallas

If you like your skincare thoroughly researched and science-backed, you’ll be a fan of Knockout Beauty. That is, if you aren’t already a follower of Cayli Cavaco Reck, a true-blue industry insider (her parents have each held fashion director and editor roles at Vogue, Harper’s Bazaar, and Allure) who’s been methodically detailing her skincare routines for years on Instagram. Following a recent expansion of Knockout Beauty to Aspen, Colorado, Reck’s retail and service concept has officially opened its doors in Dallas in the form of a petite retail boutique and beauty treatment room within O2 Studio in The Terminal.

This marks the brand’s sixth brick-and-mortar location, with other outposts in Los Angeles, New York City, Bridgehampton, and Locust Valley, New York. 

Known for a selective collection of efficacious skincare products (current labels include Dr. Lara Devgan, Environ, and U Beauty) and customized facial treatments (the “Signature” starts at $365), Knockout Beauty is as much a space for education as it is for esthetics. It tracks, then, that leading up to the Dallas opening, Reck taught a series of skincare masterclasses out of a newly completed condo in The Terminal. 

Ahead, we’ve detailed a few of the most illuminating insights Reck shared (of which there were a staggering amount) during one of her coveted classes. 

5 Skincare Insights from a Knockout Beauty Masterclass

Always Wash Your Face on Dry Skin

“Water creates a barrier between your skin and the product,” Reck shares. “So you want to take the cleanser right to your dry face in order to pull out the impurities, the sunscreen, and the free radicals.” 

She also noted that “the recommended amount of cleanser — usually a quarter — really isn’t enough to get enough slip going.” Reck recommends something more like a half-dollar.

Why Toner Matters

“The acid mantle [a light layer that covers the surface of our skin] likes to live at about a 5.5 pH,” Reck notes. “Cleansing can take it to a pH of 10 and it can take hours to naturally return to a happy pH point. Toner helps it return right away.”

Be Gentle With Your Face

“Pat your skin gently when applying skincare — don’t rub it,” Reck says. “Being too aggressive activates the skin’s nervous system. It’s like you’re giving your skin anxiety. Give it a hug instead.”

Also, avoid washcloths, which tend to be too abrasive for the skin.

Our Skin Talks Back

“When we apply our skincare, our skin tells us what’s going on inside. We should use that as a map,” shares Reck. “For example, if it isn’t soaking up moisturizer, it doesn’t necessarily mean you need to change your moisturizer. You may need to exfoliate more.”

Your Hands Were Made for Facial Massage

“Your foot uniquely fits from your wrist to your elbow,” Reck shares. “Your jawline also uniquely fits [between your pointer and middle finger].”

Reck asked the class to make a claw with our pointer and middle fingers, then sweep our jawlines, starting at the chin, for lymphatic drainage. You can use the same method on cheekbones as well, always starting at the center of the face and sweeping outward. (Also, always make sure there’s enough slip so you aren’t tugging at the skin!)