The Roadmap to Beautiful Skin

The products. The advice. The Insta-experts. The influencers. The YouTube videos. The promises. The changes. And...the dreaded decisions to make!

A few generations ago, skin care was all about cold cream. Now, cold cream is a rarer commodity on the bottom shelf at the drug store. There are serums, moisturizers, boosters, misters, creams for this and lotions for that, five thousand different masks to choose from. Ever feel like, "All I want is beautiful skin – why does it have to be so confusing?"

Let’s get this out of the way. A single at-home treatment is never going to replace the benefits and care of a consistent, healthy skin care routine. As Jim Rohn has said, "Some things you have to do every day. Eating seven apples on Saturday night instead of one a day just isn’t going to get the job done."

Today, we dive in! What does it look like – from an esthetician’s training, research, and experience?

The Products

Finding the right products for your skin can feel overwhelming. Whenever possible, seek the advice of a professional. Did you know that your skin can be oily yet dehydrated at the same time? If you have sensitive skin, have you been able to identify what is triggering a reaction? Take your products to your esthetician and get an expert’s opinion!

If you’re not able to go to an expert and something’s not working, but you’re not sure what, go on an "elimination diet". Change or eliminate only one product at a time for a week. Write down how your skin looks and feels every day. If nothing changes, then keep eliminating/changing products one at a time till you find the culprit.

And always watch out for products that can aggravate...like those delicious smelling moisturizers with the word "parfum" in the ingredients list. Gulp. Basically, look for products with as natural an ingredient list as you can find that still delivers results.

The Morning Routine

Whether you like to wake up to a bracing shower and cup of coffee or prefer to end your day with a shower and begin it with a cup of tea, our morning wake-up needs to include caring for our skin. And, yes, this list is in the best order of steps:

• Cleanse. Choose a gentle cleanser that doesn’t strip your skin of natural oils.
• Tone. Yes, this step is still important even if it’s not popular on Instagram! As with your cleanser, look for something gentle that doesn’t strip your skin. If it leaves skin tight and irritated, then find something else!
• Eye Cream. These vary depending on age and skin needs, but that delicate skin needs the extra protection to stay elastic and youthful as long as possible. Don’t skip it!
• Serum. What is your main skin concern? There are serums that multi-task and others that are more focused. They are a powerhouse of hydration and healing.
• Moisturizer. Seal in that delicious hydration and protect your skin for the day!
• Sunscreen. Don’t walk out the door until you are truly ready to face the sun! Apply a 29 SPF or higher for daily use, but definitely higher if you’re headed to the Hawaii beaches.

The Evening Wind-Down

Yes, we know it’s been a long day and you’re tired. But hold on for just a little longer. You will thank yourself later when you look ten years younger than your peers!

• Makeup remover. It’s tempting to rely on your cleanser to remove makeup; however, the ingredients and composition of makeup remover not only eliminate the pulling and tugging of trying to remove every bit of makeup, but they also do a deeper and more thorough job.
• Cleanse. Twice. Are you shaking your head in disbelief? You want every last bit of the day, pollution and makeup out of your pores, so yes, we really do mean twice.
• Tone. You know that cleansing twice thing? You might find that you still have a little makeup hanging around when you wipe the toner over your face.
• Eye Cream. Moisturize those tired eyes and give them lovely healing ingredients to combat the stress of the day. (Why do the eyes have to show the stress first?)
• Serum. Use the same serum from your morning routine, or maybe change it up a little bit. Some serums are a little too heavy to go under makeup, but their healing benefits are so incredible. They make a fantastic addition to your evening routine!
• Moisturizer. Seal it all in and know that you’re holding on to all the goodness as your skin recovers during the most healing 8 hours of every 24.

The Weekly "Treats"

Even with the best daily care, our skin needs some periodic extra attention.

Now, before we go any further, it’s tempting to use a "strong" product during weekly treatments because it’s getting rave reviews in the beauty magazines. Don’t give in! Know your skin and treat it gently – yes it renews, but some damage is long lasting or even permanent. Avoid overly drying or harsh products with salicylic acid, AHA, and benzoyl peroxide that can dry out the skin. If your skin is irritated, tight, or dry after a treatment, then it’s probably not safe.

• Exfoliating. Gently, gently, gently! Harsh products, treatments, or ‘scrubbing’ can actually put tiny cuts in the skin that have to heal (and boy can they sting!!). The goal of exfoliating is to remove built up dead skin cells, but the good news is, they come up to the top, so you don’t need to remove a few layers of living skin to get the job done!
• Clarifying Mask. This is more for those with oily skin or acne-prone skin. Look for a product that is not overly-drying or harsh (catching a theme here?) and follow the directions. If it’s only intended to be on skin for 5 minutes, please don’t leave it on for 10! Anytime you use a clarifying treatment, follow up with a hydrating mask, preferably water based if you are prone to oil or acne.

The Twice-Weekly Soothers

Serum masks are the ultimate in at-home spa-like treatments! Light a candle, turn on some soothing music, relax in a bath... Okay. Sorry. Dream fantasy over, back to advice. They hydrate so deeply and make the rest of your routine so much easier. If you’ve just had the Picosecond Whitening Treatment or the Erbium Laser Treatment, we recommend you use these three times a week.

When to Use...

We are often asked when to use our healing EGF Capsules. These powerhouse pearls are epidermal growth factor, a polypeptide that speeds healing and wound recovery (including burns!) by stimulating skin growth at the cellular level. Perfect for both oily and dry skin types, incorporate them into both morning and evening routines before your serum. If you’ve recently had a laser treatment, we highly recommend using them morning and evening for 10 days.

There it is in a (rather large) nutshell! A skin routine that will serve you and your skin well and keep you glowing and defying age for a long time. As new science breakthroughs and products come, we will keep you updated!

Have a question about a product or when to use something? Leave us a comment! We would be happy to help.