A client recently came to see me. She was concerned about her skin but she had no experience with skin care. The following is a fairly common scenario:
– They have washed with soap and water for most of their lives.
– They have been baked in the sun, usually using baby oil and possibly iodine to “tan”.
– They have never used anything on their skin like moisturizers or exfoliants.
– Now they are noticing some lines and pigmentation and want to do something about it.
I would say the above describes at least 4/10 women who come to see me for facials and consultations.
And 4/4 of them are surprised I don’t send them home with as many skin care items as I can.
This is the reason why:
– Most people can easily and successfully make changes in their lives, but only small changes. Bigger changes are more difficult and are likely to backfire over time.
– Routines take about a month to set up. The easier and simpler it is to start the routine, the easier it will be to stick with it and ultimately add something else to it.
– These clients will begin to see major changes in their skin after one or two very easy changes. Adding products later, creating more positive changes, keeps them excited.
– A customer is much less likely to feel buyer’s remorse if they just got a few “products to try” and walk away. If they feel guilty, they most likely won’t come back or buy anything else.
– Let’s face it, skincare can be intimidating if you’ve only used soap all your life. Too many products to get started makes it more complicated than it needs to be.
So if you’re one of those women who are interested in looking your best, having healthy skin, and possibly fighting the signs of aging BUT these days you only do more than wash your face with soap once a day, here’s what I recommend. :
First, get a facial from a licensed professional. You’ll learn about your skin type, find out what to wear, and have a chance to ask questions. Plus, the exfoliation step will make a world of difference to your skin. This removes some of the dead skin cells, making your skin look fresher, younger, brighter, and less dull. The products you buy will be much more effective if they don’t have to penetrate that thick layer of dead skin cells. In addition, you will feel much better with your skin. Your esthetician should give you a realistic view of what is possible with home care and professional treatments.
Next, buy two products. Start with a facial wash. Get out of the habit of washing your face with soap, which can be irritating and drying. Follow your esthetician’s advice on when to wash, generally for most skin types, once in the morning and once before bed. The second product should be a moisturizer (humectant) with a built-in SPF. You will put it on every morning before you leave. Eventually, it will also add a non-SPF night moisturizer, but for now this is the most important product. Sun damage is one of the biggest “aging factors” and can lead to many types of skin cancer.
In a month or so, after you get used to washing your face twice a day and moisturizing it every morning, add a night moisturizer and an eye cream. Since you’re already used to moisturizing in the morning after washing your face, the night moisturizer will be easy to integrate. The eye cream is also a very easy step. Some use it only at night, but there’s no reason why you can’t also use it during the day for maximum effect. Get another facial right now if you can afford it. The facial specialist should give you good feedback and tell you about the positive changes in your skin.
In another month add a scrub. This is an easy once-a-week step that only takes a minute or two. Small pieces of a mildly abrasive substance such as apricot kernels or loofah are gently rubbed in (here’s the key: follow the instructions your facial person gives you) after washing your face. Then he rinses his face. This helps remove dead skin cells. If you can add this step earlier and feel like you won’t be overwhelmed, go ahead and do it. Toner is a daily addition to be used directly after washing your face, usually at night.
Early next month, on your journey to a lifelong healthy skin routine, you’ll likely need to shop for more cleansers and moisturizers with SPF. Most full sizes in most product lines last 3-4 months, some longer, after which it’s out and you’ll need to replace it. Try not to be completely without anything so as not to break your routine.
In short, add things in this order unless otherwise noted:
– Cleanser and Moisturizing Cream SPF
– Night moisturizer and eye cream
– Weekly Scrub and Tonic
– Sera
Your skincare routine will end up looking like this:
Morning:
– Facial Cleansing
– While still wet, apply any serum and allow to soak in
– Apply a very small amount of eye cream.
– Apply SPF moisturizer
Afternoon:
– Facial Cleansing
– Use toner to add extra nourishment and remove anything you may have missed in your cleanse
– Apply any serum and let penetrate
– Apply a small amount of eye cream.
– Apply moisturizer at night.
Weekly:
– Add the exfoliating step once a week (and only once a week) after cleansing
Monthly:
– Pick up any product you are going to run out of within a week
– Get a professional facial if you can afford it (don’t exfoliate the week before your facial)
It’s much better to spend your money on household products than on monthly facials if you must choose. Think of it this way: we treat your face once a month with our products; you address the face thirty to sixty times a month. Using home care after your first facial will be much more effective than using nothing and having a facial once a month.