Skincare Tips from a Future Esthetician
Meet Alexis, a future esthetician at the University of Aesthetics and Cosmetology. Her passion and drive for the industry is evident and it’s clear she already has a wealth of knowledge. On her Instagram page, you’ll find skincare insights, haircare tips (she has gorgeous natural curls), and beautiful #MOTDs. It was an absolute must to have her spill some secrets + tips!
I am thrilled to have Alexis on The Brunette Blend today sharing three skincare tips.
Photo from Pinterest
Three Tips from a Future Esthetician
Exfoliate
Exfoliating is so important for so many reasons. It helps with cell turnover, product penetration, deeply unclogs pores, prevents acne, and evens skin tone.
Cell turnover rate is the process by which our skin produces new skin cells. The cells travel from the lowest layer of the epidermis to the top layer and then sheds off the skin. As we age, this process slows down. When we are teenagers, your cells turnover rate is still very fast. If you do not exfoliate, the old dead skin cells can sit on top of the skin. Exfoliation is important because it sloughs off those old skin cells that can trap dirt, oil, sweat, and bacteria that can cause breakouts.
However, should you exfoliate everyday? Absolutely not. Side effects of exfoliating every day is stripping the face of the natural oils. If you already have dry skin, this can make you even more dry. If you have oily skin, this can cause your oil glands to overproduce oil.
Can I exfoliate the rest of my body? Absolutely! Exfoliating is not just for the face. It is also very important for shaving and/or waxing. If you suffer from ingrown hairs or dark spots in the areas where you shave or wax, try exfoliating. This will prevent the hair from getting trapped under dead skin cells and can help lighten the dark area that were a result of shaving and waxing.
Recommended: Bioderma’s Sebium exfoliating gel (The beads are BIODEGRADABLE and does not cause microtears on the skin.)
Cleanse BEFORE Cleansing
Not washing your face properly can contribute to breakouts, excessively dry or oily skin, pigmentation and aging. Want to really boost your skin care regimen? Before using your regular facial cleanser, start cleansing with a dissolving cleanser or a micellar water. This will break down not only makeup, but also SPF, bacteria, pollution, sweat and sebum (oil). Then when you go in with a facial cleanser, it gives the pores a deeper clean.
Recommended: My favorite first cleansers: Vichy Micellar Water and Bioderma’s Sensibio H2O.
SPF
What is the main culprit of skin cancer and aging? The SUN! What’s the best way to protect ourselves from the sun? USING AN SPF!
SPF stands for Sun Protection Factor. It’s used to measure relatively how long sunscreen will protect the skin from UVA (ultraviolet AGING) rays and UVB (ultraviolet burning) rays. UVB rays have a higher frequency, so it mainly affects the epidermis through burning. However, UVA rays have a lower frequency. Which means that it penetrates into the dermis and slows down the collagen and elastin production. The result of slow elastin and collagen production are wrinkles. 90% of aging comes from UVA rays.
A tan is visible cell damage. It can cause mutations in the cells, which can result to skin cancer. For more info on skin cancer, please check out skincancer.org.
So what should be the cornerstone of your skincare regimen? Moisturizer with SPF! It is very important that you incorporate this every single day of the year. Rule of thumb: if the sun has risen, use a moisturizer with SPF!
Recommended: CeraVe Ultra light-weight SPF moisturizer with a matte finish
Follow Alexis on Instagram for more beauty and skincare tips.