Skincare Products: How do you Choose?

When you visit a day spa, sometimes people harbor anxiety over potentially being “talked into” changing their skincare product line. In fact, for this very reason, women sometimes avoid having a facial altogether! But maybe you are ready for a change, you notice that your products just seem to be sitting on top of your skin, not penetrating the layers. What about spa skincare products – how do you choose?

1) Have a professional facial at the spa using the products the esthetician chooses for you to repair your skin issues.

Having a professional facial is a wonderful way to see if your skin is favorable towards the ingredients and you can tell if it seems to make a difference. True, it’s only one facial, but many people have seem dramatic results using a professional grade spa line over what they may have used at home for the last few years. If it makes that big of a difference in just one facial, imagine if you used the products on a daily basis?

2) Make sure you talk with the esthetician to inform them of any allergies or issues you might have with specific ingredients.

Tell the esthetician ahead of time things they need to know. It helps them to eliminate items that might react with your skin. Many times (like 80%) clients instruct the esthetician that “I have sensitive skin”. Well, most likely your skin is is dry and dehydrated and “mad” so yes, it is sensitive. What it really needs is to be taken care of with a great daily regiment! A thorough exfoliation is totally going to happen during this visit. Calming skincare products will keep things mellow, but in the future – don’t be afraid of using a more serious approach to your skincare. If you are super freaked out about upsetting your skin, you will end up with products that are recommended to you that do no more than a splash of water on your face. Once you have exfoliated your skin and super-hydrated it, you can start to introduce anti-aging serums and masks that will make a huge difference in your skin tone, wrinkles and brightness. Don’t be afraid – trust your esthetician!

Skincare products – how do you choose?

Carefully. Listen to the esthetician explain why they have choosen this for you. If you loved it – don’t hesitate – buy it. If you are not sure, that’s fine -just be sure to ask for a 3 day sample to give it a try. Don’t always go by smell. Do you need a chemical fragrance in everything? Not really, try to not let the smell influence your buy.

Look at the ingredients. Check to ensure that the ingredients are good and non-chemical laced. A little bit of preservative is good. A large amount is bad. That usually indicates that they make huge batches of products and then store them – so the product you purchased – it was manufactured exactly when? Last year? Two years ago? Beware of these tactics. Only put fresh, naturally active ingredients on your skin for the best results.

Choose wisely and have a daily skincare routine.

As with shopping in the grocery store, look for the freshest products on the shelf at the day spa. That may mean you pull from the back of the product display. Spa owners need to move their inventory just like the grocery store so it is possible you will buy a fresher product when you pull from the back. See if there is a sticker on the bottom – can you figure out the date of manufacture?

Be sure to get the advice of the esthetician – not the receptionist, unless you feel they are extremely knowledgeable. And please be careful when purchasing a series of products like the cleanser, exfoliant, moisturizer, serum and masks – don’t immediately go home and use them all at once! Remember, you just had a deep cleanse with the esthetician. So go easy on your skin for at least a week. Cleanse and add a serum and moisturizer only during that time. You can be a bit more aggressive after your skin has calmed down a bit. (And don’t feel the need to “use up” the old, dated product line on your shelf . . . do not put it on your face again – stay with the new fresh product line.)

I hope this information has assisted you in your quest for a new skincare product line. Listen to the advice of the esthetician, throw out old products, clean your make-up brushes and commit to a daily routine and you will have a bright, even complexion!