5 Skin Care Mistakes You Might Be Making
O-D on exfoliation
Retinols, AHA’s, peels, scrubs. These are all designed to remove the top layers of dead skin cells. Exfoliating can be addicting but excessive emphasis on this skin care ritual can lead to dryness, irritation and sensitivity. This can happen if clients don’t know key ingredients of skin care products. For example, if you used an enzyme exfoliant after washing your face at night, avoid a retinol treatment right after. Or, if you used a clay based mask, lay off the AHA gel toner that day. Rule of thumb is give your skin the nourishment it needs after exfoliating and leave the deeper treatment protocols to the pros.
2. Not using the right products for your skin type
This is huge. Our skin goes through changes as we age, throughout the seasons and even throughout the month with our hormonal fluctuations. Treat your skin accordingly. Have a blemish? Treat that spot and not the whole face. This might be tough if you once had oily and blemish prone skin or grew up in the era of “oil is evil.” Remember those days?
Have a bit more redness coming up on the skin? Focus on calming and skip the exfoliation or absorbent mask that day. Taking a trip to a desert climate? Be sure to pack a facial oil with you. Not sure what to do? Book a treatment with us and we will guide you in the right direction. This leads us into our next topic…
3. Not letting the pros handle your skin.
You will see results faster while keeping your skin balanced and happy! Also, booking regular professional treatments actually help your home care products work more efficiently. It’s always a great time to get a professional assessment of the skin and audit of your skin care routine at home. Trust us, even us estheticians need a second set of eyes to take a look every so often. Treat yourself to see a pro monthly or at least quarterly.
4. Not addressing problematic issues in time.
It’s never too late to start your skin care journey but save yourself some time, money and effort and address your skin concerns now. Seeing the effects of summer sun on your skin? Book a peel and start protecting your skin with sunscreen. Acne scars not going away on their own? Start resurfacing treatments now and you’ll be smooth and glowing before you ring in the New Year! Skin is looking dull and not responding to your home care products? Try microneedling and a new antioxidant serum. We have so many options depending on what is going on with your skin.
5. Not letting products or treatments have time to work.
Skin care is a marathon, not a sprint. It takes time to see results so being patient is key. Instant gratification is possible in some cases but if you have had a skin condition or environmental damage that has taken years to develop, it may take extra time to correct and balance. Just like a dietary supplement or workout routine doesn’t deliver incredible results overnight, a new product or a professional treatment needs time to make lasting changes. Sometimes it takes a series of treatments or using a product for several months to really see a significant change. Plus, maintenance is necessary with any skin concdern. Maybe you worked hard to get your skin where you want it but trust us, stick with it! Regular maintenance and upkeep is necessary to continue seeing the results you want and we are here to root for you all the way to finish line.