The Most Asked Q’s in Skincare Answered

I’m a huge believer in there is no dumb question. The following are the top 5 questions I’ve explained to clients and because I love educating people on skincare I’m happy to break it down over and over. These are not in any particular order as they are all valid and important. What other questions do you have? Let me know at angela@amazingfacespa.com

1. How often should I wash my face?

The simple answer is twice a day. Washing your face with a gentle hydrating cleanser in the morning works well for most people. It’s a way to start the day with a fresh, clean canvas. From there you would apply your morning products, ideally a hydrating toner, vitamin C serum, moisturizer with SPF and last makeup if doing so. If you were to say to me, “But Angela, my face is already clean because I washed at night and didn’t put anything on.” I would reply by first questioning your lack of moisturizing at night, but since you didn’t, it’s important to know that your skin is now thirsty for moisture so starting off with a gentle cleanser followed by applying at least moisturizer is appropriate to feed your skin.

2. How often should I get a facial?

The million dollar question – most new clients ask me this after their first facial. One, because it was so great and they want to pamper themselves in this way more often, or two, because they now understand the importance of regular facials. My answer to this is if you can budget a monthly facial, then yes monthly is great! Otherwise, every 6-8 weeks is better and quarterly is minimum. Now if you are trying to treat a specific skin condition such as acne, more frequent treatments are recommended, such as twice a month. If you are serious about regular facials and want to budget for it see my tips on How To Budget For Skincare post here.

How To Budget For Skincare – read more.

by Angela Miles

3. What should I use to wash my face?

With an oversaturated market of skincare products available it can be quite confusing on what brand or ingredients to use. Some things to consider when choosing a cleanser may be price, and should definitely be ingredients. A good rule of thumb here is not bar soap and not body wash or shampoo. Also avoid products with fragrance, I typically stay away from perfume brands that create skincare products. Do not swipe your skin with alcohol based pads and ditch the makeup wipes as a form of cleansing. I will say that again. Ditch makeup wipes as a form of cleansing, even the packages that say facial cleansing wipes. If you must use them to remove stubborn mascara but that’s the only exception. Double cleansing is a great method for first removing surface debris followed by an active cleanser for a deeper cleanse. Cleansing tools have gained popularity recently such as silicone scrubbers and devices like Foreo or Clarisonic. These can assist with a physical type of exfoliation in the case of Clarisonic as it uses brush attachments. Silicone is much gentler and simply adds a stimulating experience. I do enjoy a skin scrubber face spatula as these aid in shaking up dirt from the pores, but absolutely not necessary for cleansing properly.

4.What products should I use?

It’s okay if you are completely confused or overwhelmed with trying to figure out what products to use; many people are and this is a widely popular question I get. There are so many great brands and formulas available. I always recommend a professional product over a retail product but retail products seem to be more easily accessible. What’s the difference you ask? Professional products contain high quality ingredients that are known to have proven results with clinic studies. They are also made in smaller batches to insure those actives are fresh and effective. So when you are looking at a product at Target for example, it may say vitamin C on the label but it’s not always a quality form or appropriate amount to be effective. I love vitamin C and it’s one of my top recommendations for my clients, as well as SPF and retinol. Other products to consider using should be planned out with a professional skin therapist who will get to know your unique skin type and what exactly your skin may benefit from. The essentials include a cleanser, a gentle exfoliant, a morning and night time moisturizer; these are non-negotiable leaving room for things like toners and serums. Experimenting with different products can be fun but if you’re easily annoyed with constantly trying new things then best to stick with the essentials.

5. Why am I breaking out?

Breakouts can occur on anyone, at any age. Our lifestyle and habits play a large role as well as genetics and health. Depending on the severity of the breakouts can determine the triggers. Perhaps you’re under a lot of stress at work, you eat poorly and don’t sleep well. It would not be a surprise if your skin were showing signs of those stresses. Do you only wash in the morning and not at night? This comes full circle back to my other most asked question about “How often should I wash my face?”. Not washing at night prevents your skin from rest and recovery. You’re trapping in the days dirt, pollution, and products and this suffocates the skin, not allowing the cells to renew and shed off. When the skin cannot desquamate properly the dead skin cells get stuck on top of each other thus creating breakouts. There are many other reasons why breakouts occur, managing them with proper skincare products and a consistent routine can reduce the breakouts. See a professional skin therapist for guidance.

If you live in the Phoenix, AZ area and need guidance, please reach out to Angela at Amazing Face Spa, consultations are complimentary. 480-359-6079

article post written by Angela Miles. copyright Angela Miles – All Rights Reserved