Ooops! I broke the rules, now what?
Some rules are meant to be broken! Rules our estheticians give us are NOT meant to be broken...but it happens. So what can you do after you forget the SPF, over-itch that bug bite, or pop that pimple that wasn't ready? Don't panic. There are some remedies for when you've had a beauty blunder. Over-tweezed your brows? We can help make it better, not worse. We've also got some tips on what to do when you feel you've screwed up your spray tan. Let's get started!
One of the number one no-no's is picking or popping your pimples, leave that to your skin care technician. Sometimes we try our hardest to ignore and cover up that pesky pimple but we just can't help but to pick or push at it. Now the blemish is more inflamed and noticeable than it was before. What's the next step? Most will try picking or pushing further in hopes of extracting more or completely pulling it off the skin.
scrub me secret: pushing or picking at a pimple may be causing damage underneath the skin. Larger, inflamed blemishes can rupture underneath the surface when agitated. This can lead to scarring or more blemishes. Your esthetician will know which pustules to extract and which to leave alone.
If the damage has been done and you've now got a small sore, scab, or inflamed area, the first thing to do is stop messing with it. Any further agitation will make it last longer and potentially cause scarring. If you've created an open wound you should first treat it with peroxide or tea tree essential oil to rid the area of any bacteria from fingers or nails. The main goal is to reduce as much of the inflammation as possible. Inflammation is the main cause of scarring and dark marking after a pimple. Believe it or not, hydrocortisone or soothing products containing 1% hydrocortisone are great for treating angry red blemishes. Lavender, chamomile, and litsea essential oils are also great for decreasing inflammation; just always make sure to use these ingredients combined with a carrier oil like jojoba. Essential oils should never be applied directly to facial skin as they could cause sensitivity.
scrub me secret: Clay or salicylic spot treatments may be your go-to product to help treat a pimple that just isn't going away. While these products initially help clear up excess dirt and oils they will not be super helpful when trying to get rid of a blemish you have already squeezed or picked at. Healing and anti-inflammatory products are better options. Try our powder mask/nourishing serum combo as a spot treatment.
Dark marking and scarring caused by inflamed breakouts.
Sometimes swelling and irritation aren't the big issues. Scabs and scarring are a result of picking and peeling off skin as you try to extract a stubborn breakout. In this case healing and brightening products are what you need. Vitamin C will be your best friend in this situation. Vitamin C products help nip scarring in the bud by diminishing pigment and protecting skin from further environmental damage. Try cleansing daily with our clarifying treatment bar containing lemongrass essential oil. Or use a citrus essential oil blended with a carrier oil like jojoba or shea and apply as a daily spot treatment. Other ingredients like vitamin E and rose will help heal marks and strengthen skin. Do not pick at scabbing or try rough exfoliants as this could cause permanent damage. Remember, less is more! The less you mess with it, the better.
That same lesson goes for bug bites. The rule is: don't itch, touch, or agitate the bite and it will diminish quickly. Who are we kidding? That's tough to do! Everyone makes the mistake of rubbing or itching a mosquito bite and after that it seems like you just can't leave it alone. Time to break out the calming and anti-itch products! The worst possible thing to do is keep scratching.
scrub me secret: can't fight the urge to itch? carry hydrocortisone or an anti-itch cream with you at all times! We like to combine lavender, peppermint, and chamomile essential oils with shea for an anti-itch remedy. any time you feel like scratching, just apply the product instead.
Lemongrass & calendula butter can help heal scabbing or sensitive skin.
If you've itched bites to the point where they are now scabbing it's time to start using healing serums and ointments. Shea has naturally occurring vitamin E that is very healing. Our whipped butters contain lots of shea! Use the lemongrass and calendula butter for extra healing benefits. Also oils like argan and avocado are great as healing ingredients. Like we stated in the previous section, never pick or pull at scabs as this could cause scarring. Keep applying your healing products and you'll be repaired in no time.
Forgetting sun protection is quite more damaging than popping a pimple or itching a bug bite. SPF is so important and long amounts of time in the sun without proper protection can cause irreparable damage. Mistakes happen and sometimes we end up with a nasty sunburn. First things first, cooling the skin and stopping any further UV damage is most important.
scrub me secret: When skin is burned by the sun the damage doesn't stop once you have covered up or gone indoors. UV rays absorbed by the skin can continue to affect the cells. Immediately cooling the area or using soothing products can help draw the heat from skin and stop further damage.
Applying a cooling aloe, a cool compress, or even taking a cool shower will help draw heat from the skin. Do your best to be gentle with the area, do not aggressively rub lotions or aloe or agitate with loofahs or towels. Immediate cooling can help prevent the area from peeling. Sometimes peeling skin after a sun burn is unavoidable; if this happens the best way to remove dead skin is by lightly rubbing with hands or gently washing with a loofah using very light pressure. We don't want to pull off or pick skin. Keep the area nourished with a moisturizer or hydrator. A product with antioxidants is a plus, these ingredients can repair skin more quickly and mend damage to protein cells.
scrub me secret: collagen and elastin are proteins of the skin. at a certain age (25-30) our body does not produce any new protein cells. A sunburn or even just tanning can kill remaining collagen and elastin that is irreplaceable. over time this can cause deep lines and wrinkles.
Nourishing the skin from the outside isn't the only thing you can do after sun damage. Drinking lots of water and having some vitamin-filled veggies can help your body bounce back from excess sun. Just how antioxidant products can do wonders for your skin on the outside, antioxidant-filled veggies can do the same for the inside.
Hydrate with lots of water after a sun burn!
Speaking of sun exposure, the best way to avoid a burn is not being tempted to soak up the sun at all! Sunless tanning can help with that. Here at scrub me we are huge fans of a good spray tan. Sometimes the process doesn't go as smoothly as expected and that can cause some frustration. The color of your tan really depends on the product you're using; there is no way to change the color of your tan after is has been applied.
scrub me secret: if you really hate the color of your sunless tan and wish to remove it do not just start soaping up and scrubbing vigorously at it. this can cause irritation or sensitized skin. first, thoroughly rinse yourself with just water, reevaluate the color now because it will sometimes fade. if you still want it off, cover yourself with body oil, coconut oil, or shea butter in a thick layer. Then start removing by firmly rubbing off with a washcloth or towel. This may take a couple sessions and it is best to take a little time in between to let skin calm down.
Don't fear if your spray tan smudges! Wait until the initial coat soaks in for a few hours before rinsing off. Everything should blend in.
We like SunFx spray tan and St. Tropez foam for at-home tanning. Both give natural color and never seem to turn orange. Most sunless tans require some down time where you cannot shower, sweat excessively, or get wet after your initial application. If this does happen and you make a mark in your color the best thing to do is to leave it alone. Many think that rubbing the area will help blend but you will just end up making it worse and more noticeable. Wait your allotted time before you rinse off and your color will darken a bit in that time. Then, when you rinse a light layer of sunless tan will rinse down you and blend any imperfections. After showering, apply a lightweight hydrator to lock in color. Avoid any rubbing of the tan as the friction can rub the color off. To ensure this doesn't happen, always remember to avoid using a shower scrub or loofah, pat yourself dry after showering, and avoid clothing that rubs a lot on skin. If you do have issues with fading you can use a bronzer to blend and even out color. If you wear socks and gym shoes or sports bras often ask for a lighter tan on feet and chest, the heavier the tan the easier it will rub off.
Another esthetic 'no-no' is over-tweezing or -waxing your brows. Gone are the days of pencil-thin brows, hooray! Full, natural brows are where it's at and we hope it stays this way. There have been moments when we or our esthetician can accidentally overdo the shaping a little and take too much off. Every hair that makes the shape of the brow is crucial and we can't afford to lose them. It is better to leave the mistake as is than to try to correct it by evening out brows or tweezing more hairs to make a new shape. Try trimming the brow hairs and combing them to hide the spot better. If you want, fill in the brow with a powder or gel while you wait for the hairs to grow back. It can take as little as a couple of weeks or a year for hair to grow back depending on age and genetics. Everyone's hair-growth time is different. Older people (especially women) experience thinning of the brows or the hair growing more slowly than before. Combing a nourishing oil through brows nightly will help remaining hairs stay strong. Pumpkin seed oil is said to help stimulate hair growth but not provide drastic results. When your hairs start growing back you will want to get your brows cleaned up to see their shape better. Inform your esthetician you are growing in your shape and want to keep some of the fresh hairs growing in. If you do not vocalize this they might assume that you want those hairs removed. Follow these steps and you'll have your shape back in no time! Patience is key.
We all have beauty blunders but it's good to know that there are remedies. Don't let mistakes get you down and don't let yourself make them worse. Have a beauty or skin care issue we didn't address? We have a licensed esthetician to field your questions 24/7! Just ask in the comment section below or send us a private message in our feedback section of the website. "Everything you need and nothing you don't"