Esthetician Insider: Choosing the Right Products for Skincare Treatments
Some insider info is coming your way! I thought it would be fun to do a little “esthetician behind the scenes” blog post and give a little insight into how I carefully choose what skincare items are used in my skincare studio. I’ve recently reviewed and updated certain skin care products in the studio to give my facial guests the best skincare treatment possible; so this is the perfect timing for this topic.
scrub me secret: this information is useful for both professional estheticians and self-declared skincare enthusiasts 🧡. I aimed to provide useful tips that estheticians can use and implement in their own practice. I also think this is helpful information so anyone can feel more informed or comfortable going into their next facial.
How to choose the best products for your skincare studio:
Here are 5 important things to consider when choosing skincare products to use for facial treatments. Providing radiant, healthy, clear skin for all clients is the goal of an esthetician. These 5 tips will result in happy, glowing facial guests!
Make sure the product line has ingredients you approve of as an esthetician, don’t sacrifice quality or standards.
Choose a skincare line that you use or will start using the products on your own skin. You need to love and believe in the products.
Choose a skincare line that covers all bases for all skin types and skincare needs (hydrating, skin clearing, calming, pigmented, aging, etc). You need to be ready for each unique facial guest.
Think of your most frequent customers and your overall customer needs when choosing a product line. Are your guests mainly looking for antiaging treatment? Help with acne? Do you mainly have facial guests with sensitive skin? Whatever your main type of customer is, stock up on products that treat their needs.
Choose a product line that you believe you can work with for years to come. It’s great to have reliable products that your customers can depend on and skincare you feel really comfortable with to use for facials.
My philosophy behind shopping for and picking out skincare:
I always have my eye out for different types of skincare, new skincare lines, and products that appeal to me. I like to choose skincare that is free of fragrance oils and perfume. Essential oils are fine because I know that when used correctly they can have great benefits. I also stay away from possibly toxic or skin-irritating ingredients (I give more info on this in my scrub me secret below). I choose skincare lines that are intentional about the ingredients they choose and have a clear explanation of why and how they formulate their products. I am drawn to vegan skincare items but I don’t choose solely vegan products. I look for key ingredients that I like, like niacinamide, hyaluronic acid, L-ascorbic acid, papaya, marshmallow root, and CBD, just to name a few. Because I have a wide range of knowledge of skincare and ingredients I have a long list of ingredients I do like and a list of ones I don’t.
scrub me secret: In my blog post “tips to navigating your product label” I list ingredients I deem as red flags on your skincare product label and give helpful tips on how to shop for and choose the best skincare products for your skin.
A secret to being the best esthetician you can be:
Like most estheticians, I first began my work at a spa that carried and used a couple of different skincare lines. At this business, I didn’t have input into what product lines were chosen for facials but I did have control over which of the skincare items (out of the ones they provided for me) I chose to use for my clients. I gravitated toward one specific skincare line because of its ingredients and results. This is where I first began work and education with PCA skincare and continued to use it in my treatments for the next 10+ years. I still use and love certain PCA items but have since grown to love other skincare lines. If you work somewhere and don’t have control over what product lines are used, do your best to educate yourself on the products you have to work with so you can make thoughtful choices about what products you use for facials. You can find and choose specific products that work really well for your facial customers' skin. Being thoughtful about each product used during a facial is what makes a great facial with great results.
New Josh Rosebrook items at scrub me skin care studio:
I fell in love with the advanced hydration mask from the Josh Rosebrook skincare line a couple of years ago when I purchased it for myself at a clean beauty store. I loved the ingredients and the results so much that I would purchase the mask from Credo Beauty and use it for my facials for dry skin. Then I started trying other items from this line, like the hydration mist and herbal facial oil. My skin loved these items and I really liked how plant-based and purposeful the ingredients were. I had already been recommending some Josh Rosebrook skincare items to some of my customers over the years, for their at-home routine. I decided to apply for a partnership so I could use all of these amazing, trusted skincare items for my facials and also retail items in my studio. So here we are! I love that I found an effective and broad facial care line that has a skincare philosophy that aligns with my own.
scrub me secret: I used mainly PCA skincare items for about a decade. things change over the years and product formulations change or get updated. I want the best for my skin and my client’s skin so I decided to move away from some of the PCA items and replace them with new items. I still love and work with certain PCA products.
Highlighting some of my favorite Josh Rosebrook products! The entire facial line can be experienced at scrub me skin care studio.
My new favorite vitamin C serum:
I use a vitamin C serum daily and recommend for all my clients to as well, for optimal skin strength and age prevention. I had a tried and true vitamin C serum I used for YEARS, I never found anything else that worked as well…until this one.
This vitamin C serum has the ability to effectivly protect, strengthen, and brighten my skin by using really clean and effective ingredients. 3-O-Ethyl-L-Ascorbic Acid (vitamin C) works together with ferulic acid and vitamin E to deliver the best results. It’s my new favorite vitamin C serum!
Detoxifying & circulation boosting cacao mask:
I brought this mask with me on a long vacation to use a couple of times as a “pep me up” for my dull, congested feeling face that I get during travel. Oh boy, is this mask an amazing boost for skin! It has a great ability to detox pores and bring rejuvenating circulation to the surface of your face/neck using ingredients like cacao, vinegar, ginger, marula oil, rosemary, etc.
I like this mask for multiple types of skin. It is good for those experiencing acne or congestion and also a great treatment mask for dull and aging skin types.
Rich, intensely hydrating mask:
This mask is the key 🔑 to moisturized and hydrated skin. It’s a thick balm mask that gives your skin both water-based hydration and nourishing, moisturizing oils. I love that it has blue tansy and blue chamomile for calming and evening complexion. This mask also contains Indian Senna Seed extract, which is a botanical hyaluronic acid (SUPER hydrating).
I love using this mask on many different types of skin but I mostly use it for sensitized, dry, mature/aging, or dull skin.
Refreshing hydration mist:
Aloe, vitamin E, and evening primrose in a facial mist..yes, please! A hydration mist that has a blend of skin-nourishing ingredients and is free of fragrance and other irritating ingredients is always so exciting to find. I have been recommending this product to people for years.
I like to use this after cleansing and/or exfoliating, before applying serum and moisturizer. I also like to use it to refresh my skin throughout the day if I feel dry. I just mist it right onto my face, over my tinted moisturizer.
Dewy skin face cream:
This mousse-like face moisturizer feels so amazing for dry, aging, or sensitive skin. It has the ability to soften, smooth, and illuminate skin using ingredients like aloe, avocado oil, marshmallow root, vitamin E, sea buckthron oil, and more.
I love using this at the end of an exfoliating, detoxifying, and hydrating facial.
Trusted, staple PCA items I’m keeping for the studio:
There are certain products that I have worked with forever, and I still give my esthetician stamp of approval when it comes to ingredients and results. Even though I made a big product transition I still think it’s good to keep review of items that are still working really well for facial guests. I also like to have a nice little variety of masks, serums, and skincare treatments for my facial work.
These are examples of some of the staple items I’m keeping at my skincare studio. I’ll be keeping a few more trusted items as well!
Hydrating oat milk mask
This is one of my favorites for facial treatments and the product formulation is still as great as it was 10 years ago when I started using it. Oat kernel extract, arnica, and honey are really healing and hydrating for the skin.
I like to use this mask to heal irritated or sensitized skin, reset skin with acne after extractions, and moisturize dry skin.
Resveratrol antioxidant & niacinamide serum
This is a product that is new to PCA in the past 3 or so years but I really like it so much. I find it to be really effective and great for treating a wide range of skin types. It has worked for clearing patchy/bumpy skin, fading breakouts or post-breakout pigment, and creating a glow for dull skin.
Niacinamide in this product is for evening out uneven pigment caused by breakouts, inflammation, or other damage. Resveratrol is a powerful antioxidant that reduces inflammation, brightens skin, and stimulates collagen to firm and plump skin.
Peptide eye cream
Looking for an eye cream that actually works? I’m always going to recommend this one because I know it REALLY works. Collagen and elastin-building peptides plus orange stem cell extract and moisturizing shea firms, smoothes, and brightens the eye area.
I find that continual, 1-2x daily use of this firming and smoothing eye cream gives the best results.