"My mom never taught me how to take care of my skin!" said my friend Mary. "What do I really need to do? Just wash and moisturize? How often? Help me!"
While some of you may already have a faithful regimen, others feel like Mary, overwhelmed by brands, ingredients and celebrity infomercials. Ladies, please save your money and invest in a visit to an aesthetician first. An aesthetician will analyze your skin and customize your skin care regiment so you avoid buying unnecessary products. She will bring your skin to optimal health, prevent premature aging and address any other concerns.
Growing up I had never heard of an aesthetician and I spent thousands of dollars on products to shrink my pores and control oil. I believed facials were only a luxury and had no idea that I could have a personalized skin analysis with a skin coach to help me make the best choices and simplify my routine. To put in plainly – I wish I knew me 20 years ago!
What is an aesthetician?
An aesthetician is a licensed skin care professional. Each state varies in how many hours a person may need for licensing but all students must take a state licensing exam following graduation. Aestheticians may work in a spa performing luxury facials, become makeup specialists, perform waxing or provide clinical services such as chemical peels and other advanced treatments. Your aesthetician is trained to analyze your skin type, provide corrective treatments and most importantly prescribe a home care regimen to continually treat and nourish your skin. An initial consultation with an aesthetician should result in an better understanding of how to care for your skin on a daily basis and how often you should schedule professional services.
At (un)SPA Skin Treatment Center, I give my clients a trial of home care products to make sure they are seeing and feeling the results they desire and then tweak their home care program if needed to keep dryness or oil under control. I also encourage clients to bring in their current home care products, so they can be evaluated.
How do you choose an aesthetician?
First make sure the person you are trusting your skin to is a licensed professional. You may have friends and family that sell skin care products but it is not likely that they are educated, trained and licensed. While they may be very knowledgeable about the products that they sell , they do not have the same in depth training in skin physiology. Furthermore, they are going to recommend their product line, but on the other hand, an aesthetician should have several lines of products and can really customize what is truly best for you. If you sell Mary Kay, Arbonne, Rodan and Fields, etc. please do not take offense. Those products may work well for some people but aestheticians carry a line of products only available through licensed professionals because the products have more concentrated active ingredients requiring advanced knowledge of the skin. And to top it off, professional products may also be less expensive than over the counter products.
Where should you go for advice?
Spas typically offer facials that are relaxing, complete with soothing music and fragrant candles. Many spas use products that are "good for all skin types" because they are focused more on the experience and not the results. That being said, there are some benefits to this kind of facial: it decreases stress, improves circulation to the skin and provides lymph drainage. Skin treatment centers and med spas are much more focused on corrective measures. The primary focus of a skin treatment center is correction, relaxation is just a bonus. When you call to schedule your appointment with an aesthetician, make sure you ask questions and let them know exactly what you are looking for out of your visit. Review their website and ask your friends.
Donna is the owner of unSPA Skin Treatment Center in Palmyra.
