A Step-by-Step Guide to Gorgeous Skin

Are you asking yourself what skin care steps do I need to achieve healthy looking skin? Do you feel you might be missing something to achieve that goal or maybe you might not know where to start altogether? I’ve made your own monthly facial routine guide to help you with that goal.

This is the order in which your skin care routine should be used:

Cleanse (am/pm) Depending on your skin type choose the right cleanser for your skin.  Cleansing helps to remove makeup, dirt, grime and oil.  It also helps aid in the cell renewal process.

Exfoliate (1-3 times a week) Improves the texture and appearance of skin by removing dead skin cell layers to make dull skin look more vibrant.   It also helps to penetrate active ingredients deeper into the skin.  Do not over-exfoliate because it can lead to an over-production of oil or can irritate the skin.  Our skin undergoes natural exfoliation, so that’s why you should only exfoliate a couple of times out of the week if so.

Tone (if necessary) Another step that depends on your skin type.  You should definitely tone daily if you have oily or acne prone skin.  Other than that a quality cleanser should do the job at removing dirt, grime, oil and makeup.  If you can’t seperate from your toner,  just remember ingredients like alcohol can do more harm than good.  Rose water is a good and safe choice.  Read this blog entry to learn more.  Is toner necessary?

Treat (if necessary-am/pm) If you have any skin conerns like blemishes or hyperpigmentation there are spot treatments for these problem areas that should be put on the skin before any other product to get the full benefit.

Serums (am/pm) This is a form of liquid with active ingredients and antioxidants that can treat dehydration, excess oil and fine lines.  It is chemically formulated with smaller molecules so it penetrates deeper into the skin.

Moisturize w/sunscreen (am) Invest in a daytime moisturizer with sunscreen, so you don’t have to buy a moisturizer and a sunscreen seperately.  Protect your face daily against exstrinsic factors such as the sun, wind and pollution. Yuck!

Moisturize (pm) Ingredients in moisturizers help retain water in your skin.  Advanced ingredients help skin optimize normal cell and collagen production.

Masks (weekly) Apply a mask to benefit from certain skin concerns.  Oily skin?  Clay masks help detoxify skin and remove unwanted oil while preventing and clearing up blackheads.  Dry skin?  Revitalize it! By using a hydrating mask it helps put moisture back in your skin.  There are many face masks for different skin types!

Facials (monthly) Ahhh!  Unwind yourself  into a relaxing  facial while helping your skin concerns.  Basically this is what a facial consists of: cleansing, steam, exfoliation, neck and shoulder massage, face massage(so tranquil!), face mask, and application of a moisturizer and sunscreen.  Learn from the esthetician what ingredients are best for your skin and what products benefit your skin type the most.

Doing this will help YOU achieve your skin care goals!

Is toner necessary?

Cleanse.  Tone.  Moisturize.   Have you ever read or been told by someone that this is what your at-home-regime should consist of?  Well, lets see if  a skin toner is really necessary or if it’s just an unecessary expense…

Skin toners are said to remove makeup, dirt and help restore your skin’s pH level.  That’s good…right?  Of course it is, but a high quality cleanser should do the job for that too.  Also, depending on your skin type this may be an uneccessary step.  Read on:

 According to Jeffrey Dover, MD, associate clinical professor of dermatology at Yale University School of Medicine, the only people who really should use toner are: “extremely oily or acne-prone skin and those of us who want extra cleansing after wearing a lot of makeup.”

This is what he says and many dermatologists agree that skin toner is an unecessary expense with the exception stated above.

Many estheticians would disagree and say that toner is a necessary step in a skin regime.  As an esthetcian as well, I would’ve disagreed also, but after reading about toner I feel it should be optional for certain skin types and used once daily for oily skin and breakouts.  Here’s why:

Toners that contain alcohol can strip the skin and daily application causes dehydration and impaired skin barrier function.  The tingling and tightness that follows a traditional toner is an indication of dryness and irritation, not cleanliness.  If you have oily skin and tone too often or too aggressive you may cause an overproduction of oil.  Also daily use can exacerbate certain skin conditions.  Skip toner if you are trying to control the following skin concerns:

• Visible aging
• sensitive skin
• rosacea
• dry skin

Most toners found in drugstores have a combination of alcohol, fragrances, dyes and preservatives, which are NOT beneficial for your skin.  If you continue to use toner just make sure you read the ingredients and avoid toners with alcohol.  Witch  hazel is another option for toner, but it can be drying and irritating to the skin as well because it’s made up of 70-80% alcohol. 

If you remove toner from your regime be sure your cleanser is doing the job of removing dirt, makeup and excess oil.  Also make sure your cleanser is pH balanced(4.5-6.0), which is usually stated on the bottle, if not you can contact the manufacturer and find out.   

In conclusion, oily, acneic and people who use lots of makeup should definitely consider toner in their beauty regime.  Other than that, toners should be optional.  Avoid toners with alcohol, which won’t benefit your face or your wallet.  If you don’t use a toner, make sure you have a high quality cleanser that does the job at removing dirt, makeup and excess oil. 

I have combination skin, so I use Epicuren Enzyme Conditoner as a toner.  It contains a small amount of witch hazel, but don’t worry it’s pH level is 5.5 to 6.5, which won’t dry out your skin.  Another great recommendation is Phytomer’s Rose Visage toning lotion.  This toner is alcohol free and very gentle for all skin types, especially dry and sensitive skin.

As an esthetician please make honest recommendations.  Trust is important with a client, so don’t loose that by recommending something that may not be necessary.  Skin care should be about personal care not money.  Thanks for reading!

Share!  What toner do you use on your skin type?  Do you feel that it helps?

Drop the Soap!

I was a victim to soap.

Before attending esthetician school I had NO IDEA what products were good and bad for my skin. All I knew was that my skin was oily and when I used soap it made my face feel the exact opposite…(for a couple hours.)  I never knew the damage I was causing my skin.  I still continued to use it during school, but when my teacher asked me what I used for for my face she was shocked!  That was a big “NO, NO!” she said.

But WHY?

This is a litmus test strip. As you can see, it was put into something highly alkaline because it turned blue.

So, there’s this diagram called the pH scale and it goes from 0-14.  A pH of 7 means neutral.  Anything below 7 is acidic and anything above 7 is alkaline.  Our skin at a normal pH level should be 4.5-5.5, which means it is slightly acidic and close to neutral.  pH means “Potential of Hydrogen” and is used to measure the degree of acidity and alkalinity in the outer skin layers.   If you have acne, eczema, skin allergies, or easily irritated skin, chances are you pH balance is off.  The importance of skin pH will help better understand which skin care products are best for your face.  Commercial soaps and detergents have an alkaline pH level of 9.5-11.0!  Which means it is very drying and strips your skin of it’s protective acid mantle.

What is an acid mantle?

Your face has a protective layer over it, called an acid mantle. This protective layer is a mixture of sweat and sebum. The acid mantle plays a major role in protecting the skin against bacteria that causes acne and blemishes, viruses that may cause skin allergies and other harmful contaminants that may irritate our skin.   Most bacteria are alkaline(having a pH of 7 or higher), so our slightly acidic skin neutralize these bacteria and chemicals.

What breaks down the acid mantle?

Highly alkaline products cause disruptions to your acid mantle, which can lead to acne, dry skin, wrinkles, bacterial invasion and opens the skin to infections and irritability.  For instance if you have dry skin, your already not producing enough oil.  So if the acid mantle is disrupted, it cannot produce enough sebum to catch up to the additional loss of oil.  If you have oily skin, you are over-producing sebum.  When alkaline soaps strip this type of skin’s acid mantle it leads to an overdrive in sebum production, thus making skin oilier than before and can also exacerbate acne.  With dehydrated and sensitive skins, stripping away the protective layer allows wind, air, and chemicals to draw out even more moisture leading to irritation and wrinkles.  In order to protect your acid mantle, you need to maintain a proper pH balance.

Here are some tips when choosing the right cleansers for your skin:

• Make sure it is soap and detergent free.
• Dry skin should use a milky cream type cleanser because it contains emollients to help soften and smooth skin.  Avoid alcohol based cleansers!
• Oily skin should be careful when using a foaming cleanser or mild soaps because it could be alkaline.  Pick one with a proper pH balance.
• Sensitive skin types should swerve away from cleansers that have problematic chemicals and are heavily fragranced.
• Non-comedogenic cleansers are good for problem skin because it doesn’t clog pores.

If you don’t know your skin type or have any questions visit your local esthetician for a skin analysis.

Share! Have you ever used soap on your face?  How did it make your face feel?  What cleansers do you use on your face?