Home Care for Sensitive and Dry Skin

When it comes to home-care, before making any recommendations, I like to conduct a client consultation, to analyze my client's skin. For anyone with dry, and very dry skin, I always recommend to start with a moisturizing milky cleanser twice a day. This can be a cleanser based on Aloe Vera, Chamomile, Calendula, Sage, and Vitamin E. Choose a cleanser that doesn’t irritate the eyes, and also removes make-up well. By starting with a milky cleanser, you know that all steps in your daily routine are designed to hydrate. The face, neck and décolleté are exposed to the sun, wind and cold weather, and must be all cared for in the same way as the face during the professional treatment and at home. The delicate neck and décolleté area is often ignored when it comes to application of moisturizers and sunscreen, and is easily susceptible to dehydration and sun damage. 

Most of us take very good care of our face, but often ignore the neck, décolleté and bust. Taking care of the neck and décolleté is no different than taking care of the face. To achieve a lifting effect, estheticians should start the cleansing and exfoliation routine upwards from the décolleté and continue to the face. At home, one should cleanse that whole area with cleanser daily, and exfoliate with scrub or enzyme mask once in three days. This is the only way to achieve an even transition in color and texture from the bust to the face. Décolleté products should not be too harsh, since the skin is thin in that area. It's also preferable to have fragrance-free, hypoallergenic products, to avoid any reaction. I dislike using mechanical equipment on the chest, or by the thyroid, to avoid stimulation of the lymphatic system.

When it comes to moisturizing the skin, a serum always comes first. Choose serums based on Hyaluronic Acid containing Peptides that reduce wrinkles and rejuvenate skin. As we all know, ingredients are listed on the label starting with the most prevalent to the least prevalent. It’s important to choose a product which is water-based, and has peptides in the beginning of the ingredient list – this way you can be assured of the amount of peptides in the formula. You may also consult the manufacturer, and ask what percentage of a given peptide is used. Usually, 10% of each peptide is sufficient to give great results, if there is a blend of 3 or 4 peptides in a formula. 

Avoid peptide combinations that are mixed with hydroquinone, parabens, and other toxins that can irritate the skin, and don’t forget to nourish your skin with Vitamin C. Three of the most potent forms of Vitamin C available on the market today are Ascorbyl Glucoside, Sodium Ascorbyl Phosphate, and Magnesium Ascorbyl Phosphate. This powerful antioxidant combination in a serum fights free radicals, stimulates collagen production, nourishes the skin, reduces the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles, and brightens skin tone while keeping stable. Remember, a true serum has a watery, oil-free formula that is easily absorbable by the skin. This type of product is ideal for application around the delicate skin if the eyes, and the nasolabial folds. Most serums tend to be ionizable, and can be penetrated with a galvanic machine while the client is getting a facial. This is a great way to get the best results from the active ingredients in the product! You don't need any big professional equipment - there are a number of hand-held units available on the market, that work as well as the large machine, and sometimes even better! 

I also love collagen! Marine collagen is a form of collagen that derived from an assortment of sea algae species Laminaria and Padina. This marine collagen polypeptide is designed to stimulate type III Collagen deep down within the skin. Collagen is a large molecule that alone cannot penetrate into the skin - so scientists found that polypeptide technology can actually stimulate the synthesis marine collagen in the skin. This new technology allows the skin to open up and allow the collagen through, because the regular molecule is too large to get in. Combination of marine collagen with polypeptide technology, will help our skin by stimulating collagen production, and elastin collagen thickening, encouraging skin renewal and minimizing muscle contractions, reducing the appearance of deep wrinkles and fine lines, helping provide long-term improvements in deeper wrinkles, helping prevent collagen and elastin breakdown to firm the skin.

After applying a serum, it's best to apply a creme. The reason for this is that a creme creates a barrier that helps keep the serum from evaporating. Since serums don't have oil, they penetrate quickly, but don't feel like they are moisturizing enough. Most of the time, serums leave a tight feeling on the skin. After application of creme, the skin will feel softer, more shiny and moisturized. This is especially beneficial during the wintertime, since most of us feel dry and chapped. For cremes, I recommend looking for a hyaluronic acid base with Peptides, Apricot Kernel Oil, Squalene (from olives, not shark liver), and Jojoba Oil. There are also some great new ingredients specifically designed for the wind and cold, such as Antarcticine. This ingredient helps the skin retain water, preventing cutaneous dryness, stimulates fibroblast adhesion and keratinocyte growth, regenerating tissues and enabling a faster healing of wounds, and increases collagen type I and IV, as well as elastin, resulting in a restructured skin and a reduction in wrinkles. This active ingredient also reduces the depth of wrinkles, especially on the forehead and around the eyes.

To complete the daily skincare regimen, use sunscreen daily, regardless of season, since the sun shines on us every day of the year. I recommend a sunscreen which is non-comedogenic, and non-toxic. Remember to choose a sunscreen with physical blocks like Zinc and Titanium dioxide, as opposed to chemicals which will enter the bloodstream and cause long-term damage in the long run.