“Take care of your skin now, your future self will thank you.”
Ah, skincare… The challenge, the myth, the legend… The penultimate concern of my teenage life.
When I was fourteen years old I went on a whirlwind weekend to Arkansas with my parents. My mother decided facials would be a nice treat and took me along. At the end, the esthetician touched my cheek and said, “Your skin is gorgeous.” My shoulders rose up like I was a flower in the sun.
I had that same, clear skin for exactly one more year. Then I turned sixteen. We’ve all been there. Unless you’re fifteen. I thought about linking a photo but apparently I do still have some pride.
The Reality
I fell into a familiar trap. Feeling like I was doing enough for my skin because I spent thirty minutes in the aisles of the health food store staring at the products until I settled for one that seemed like the best without any real information, just the uncomfortable passing of uninformed time.
I’m sure it doesn’t come as a surprise that that was not an effective manner of reducing breakouts and minimizing dryness, even thought that’s what the cool toned bottle backs promised me. So I was trying to get in touch with routines, but I could not really make the connections to actually invest in my skin. Luckily for me, when I was only twenty one years old I started working here at the Academy of Hair Design where I met excellent estheticians and started asking a lot of questions. I was getting regular facials and I learned a few valuable things in the spa.
Tips and Tricks
- Your skin won’t magically become flawless after your first facial, or your second one either.
- You should be asking questions about what is going on your face throughout your time with the esthetician. That way, if you have a strong reaction for better or for worse, you’ll have a good idea of what’s causing it.
So now I’m in the spa.. taking care of myself.. I have it all figured out. Right?
Wrong.
3. How you care for your skin at home, that elusive routine, is the biggest component to healthy skin.
Now, I was concerned by this news, but then I had a conversation with one of our esthetics educators. I quickly realized that my fears were misplaced. Amanda set me up with an amazing skincare routine using the company that we utilize here at Academy of Hair Design: Bioelements. Amanda evaluated my skin and found it to be a case of fairly textbook combination. A mix of too dry and overly oily. After establishing that, she gave me the following regiment.
The Routine
Morning
Wash with Decongestant Cleanser
Apply Moisture x10
Moisturize with Absolute Moisture
Last, apply Ray Defense for sun protection
Night
Wash with Decongestant Cleanser
2x a week use Pumice Peel
Apply Skin Editor
Finally, moisturize with Crucial Moisturizer
Well I genuinely wish I could tell you I saw no change at all, that this somewhat detailed routine barely effected my skin.
And I wish I could say that I’m not hopelessly devoted to skincare now.
But, those would just be lies.
My skin was absolutely transformed. The only product I didn’t fall in love with was the Ray Defense. I phased out my use of that product as it tended to make my face oiler than it needed to be. Not only did I love the feel of my skin, it cleared up and evened out like never before.
So, you don’t believe me? Check out this first, mid and last day photo comparison.
The Result
The last day! No face make-up.
Day one after my first night routine
Mid-way through the month!
Needless to say, my concern switched from what kind of routine I should use, to how I can keep from ever running out of these products again?! When I found that perfect blend of at home care and regular spa facials, my skin evened out and has me feeling like a supermodel.
That’s right, 16 year old Ameran. You finally figured it out.
Passionate about skincare? Already know these things? Apply for our esthetics program here!