Skin Care 101

Beyond the Treatment Room

OK, so you’ve just had a really great Dermalogica® facial and your skin is refreshed, renewed, and glowing! Of course you want it to look like that every day, right? Well, here’s how!

Great skin begins with great products, and by choosing Dermalogica you have made a serious investment in your future skin. Home care is vital to keeping skin looking like you’ve just had a professional skin treatment. It will require a little time and mastery of a few simple steps, the rewards are well worth it.

The most important and basic daily skin care includes these three steps:

Step One: twice daily cleansing (morning and evening)

Step Two: toning and moisturizing

Step Three: applying sun protection during daylight hours regardless of the amount of sunshine.

Step One: Because the skin is an organ of elimination, we detoxify through the skin while we sleep, which is why it is important to cleanse the face in the morning. During the night, our skin also goes through a cycle of regeneration and repair (as do all vital organs). Removing dirt, debris, and makeup before bed can improve skin health, and by applying moisturizers or specialized treatment serums you can help further protect and restore vitality to the skin.

Step Two: A hydrating toner at the very least prepares your skin to more effectively absorb moisturizer, and some are also formulated to provide additional benefits such as antioxidants and active botanicals that help heal sensitized skin. After cleansing, spray on a skin appropriate toner and follow it with your prescribed moisturizer. Moisturizing in the morning adds a layer of protection to the skin, and replenishes critical hydration while locking in moisture. At night a heavier moisturizer may be required.

Step Three: Think of sunscreens as your “daylight defense”. Sunscreens protect the skin from UV (ultraviolet) damage and can help prevent skin cancers as well as premature aging.

The 5 step Home Facial

After mastering the basics, you may want to treat yourself to home facials. Two to three times a week you’ll be adding two simple steps to your basic 3-step routine. After cleansing you will exfoliate your skin and follow it with a masque.

The objective of exfoliation is to remove dead cells from the skin’s surface resulting in skin with a fresh, healthy glow. Over time, regular exfoliation will increase the skin’s capacity to absorb moisture, reduce fine lines and diminish acne. There are many types of exfoliants ranging from microfoliants that can be used every day, to gentle scrubs, or hydroxy acid masques meant to be used one to three times weekly.

Masques are great for balancing specific skin conditions and can help regulate oil production, clarify and refine the skin, nourish with antioxidant vitamins and active botanicals, replenish lost hydration or moisture, or soothe sensitive skin and calm redness. Masques should be applied immediately after exfoliation, left on for a prescribed amount of time, and then removed. Toner and moisturizer/sunscreen are applied after your masque.

The Professional Facial

So, why get professional facials if you can do them at home? Professional treatments not only feel great, and help you de-stress, the advanced technologies utilized at Mirabella, coupled with Dermalogica’s professional strength serums, masques, and exfoliants will give your skin an additional boost. For instance,

Ultrasonic cleansing gives you a deeper clean than you can get at home as it safely peels away dead surface cells

The higher degree of bio-activity available during a professional exfoliating treatment speeds up cell renewal causing new skin cells to turn over at a faster rate

Microcurrent iontophoresis improves the permeability of new skin cells so that serums and specialized ingredients actually improve the cell environment, meaning that new skin cells will be better hydrated, brighter, and healthier overall. Iontophoresis can also “push” products deeper into the skin, to the dermal/epidermal junction where new skin cells are born

Your skin is thoroughly analyzed to provide the best possible individualized treatment and recommendations for home care

Professional treatments are a great way to amplify your skin care regimen and are more than a simple luxury. If time and/or money are a concern, home care is more vital than ever. You may also consider scheduling shorter duration professional skin treatments that focus specifically on the face, using proven technologies to enhance product effectiveness and further improve the health of your skin.

Why Choose “Prescriptive” Skin Care?

The cosmetics industry is one of the fastest growing in the world, and the seemingly endless choices confronting the consumer can be confusing at best, and sadly, in some cases even harmful to the skin.

Understanding your skin is the first step towards a lifetime of skin health. Skin is influenced by many factors. In addition to genetic skin type, conditions such as dehydration, sensitivities, acne, or Rosacea can affect skin health.

A skin therapist (licensed aesthetician) with specialized understanding of ingredient chemistry can offer expert guidance and take the guesswork out of choosing which products are right for your skin.