You only get one. Your skin, as much as we all know it’s an organ, we often tend to overlook it. Either that or you care so much about your skin that you’ll try any flashy bottle or tube that promises baby smooth wonderful goodness. Right? Like, how the heck do you know what to pick? How do you know what you’re trying to combat? Which acid is good for what, and why are we using ACID on our FACES? I’ve connected with my good friend, Desiree, who lives and breathes skin care. She lets me do whatever new skin treatment on her face and i love it! Here are some questions i came up with to ask her, read everything!
What is the one thing you recommend everyone have in their skincare regimen? It’s really hard to chose just ONE thing that someone needs in their routine, a proper exfoliant is your best bet to getting clean pores, decongested glowing skin and to help the rest of your skincare products work best .
What are the different acids you find in skin care and what are they for?
The most common way you’ll see exfoliants describes is AHA or BHA. AHA stands for Alpha Hydroxy Acid, these include Glycolics, Lactics, Citric, Malic, Mandelic and Tartaric. These acids increase cell turnover by dissolving the surface layers of dead skin. BHA stands for Beta Hydroxy acid which in the cosmetic world is Salicylic Acid this is used to combat inflammation and oil buildup in the pores of those who are acne prone or have congested skin.
How often should someone get an actual facial? In a perfect world, I’d recommend going for a facial once a month but more realistically for most people at least every 3 months and doing your own mini facials at home on the regular for maintenance.
Do you ever use sheet masks? If yes, What’s your favourite? I love a good sheet mask! Especially when my skin is super stressed out and dehydrated. I have a few I turn to in my times of need but my number one pick is the intense care snail gold 24k hydrogel mask from Tony Moly. I’m not going to lie it feels kind of gross sliding onto your skin but after 20 minutes in that bad boy your skin is soft, dewy and glowing.
TIP: never wear a sheet mask for longer than 15-20 minutes depending on the delivery system (cloth or cellulose) once the mask starts to dry onto the skin you actually start to reverse all the great benefits you were trying to get form the mask in the first place because it starts to suck all the moisture it just put into your face right back out as it dries on top.
if I didn’t have the budget for an extensive skincare regimen, what is one super economical product you’d recommend, and one splurge you’d strongly advise to use? This again is a tough question because your face is the only one you have so I highly recommend making the investment in taking care of it. That being said, if I had to chose, I’d say skip the high price tag on a cleanser. This of course doesn’t mean subbing in a bar of soap or just using a facial or baby wipe and calling it a day it just means looking for the active ingredients you like at a more friendly price point. My splurge will always be hands down the Dr. Dennis Gross Peel pads. Those little suckers pack a ton of power into a little wipe that will totally transform anyones skin. Plus the come in 3 strengths so anyone can use them from the most sensitive to a seasoned skincare junkie.
At what age should women start using anti-aging products? You are never too young to start. Your very first line of defence against aging is SPF which every one young and old regardless of skin tone type or texture should be using every single day! In terms of more aggressive anti-aging products, everyone over the age of 25 should be using a vitamin C serum in the daytime to keep their skin tone even and protected against free radical damage/pollution, and a retinol serum at night to keep the cells turning over at an optimal rate. This keeps the pores free of dead skin buildup and prevents lines and wrinkles. It’s much easier to prevent the signs of aging than it is to reverse them.
Favourite procedure you like having done for your skin? My personal favourite is a lite microneedling followed my a BB Glow treatment. The microneedling helps keep my skin plump and free of fine lines and scarring texture from past acne, while the BB Glow keeps me even and cuts my makeup routine down to almost nothing because my complexion has already been perfected.
I have a crazy idea — i want to do a joint instagram LIVE with Desiree where she can answer all of your skincare questions. What do you think? Would you watch? Comment below with your skincare questions!