Q: With access to great skincare products, why would I get a facial? 
A: No longer just sitting on the skin's surface, skin care products have come a long way with sustainable ingredients, new technologies, and manufacturing processes that do much more now to improve skin types and conditions. Consistent use of a result-driven regimen twice a day will maintain and enhance skin health. So why get a facial? Think about this. We go to the dentist between 2-4x a year for dental cleanings and treatments, unlike what we can do at home. You can brush, floss, and rinse with mouthwashes, but to get those pearly whites and gums bright, clean, and healthy, visiting the dentist is necessary for good oral hygiene. So, in line with maintaining the health of the body, your skin as your body’s largest organ should follow suit.

A well-executed, professional facial is customized based on your skin type. Some estheticians only use steam towels, but to effectively achieve deep cleansing, actual steam is best. It softens the top layer of dead skin cells, sebum, and dirt, making it easy for exfoliating products to remove accumulated build-up. Combining professional-level exfoliation and steam facilitates extractions and increases circulation, giving your skin the perfect environment for treatments to penetrate the skin. For best hygiene and results, getting a “classic” or “standard” deep cleansing facial every 4-6 weeks is the ideal frequency. This timing synergistically works with your skin’s natural cell turnover rate, helping to maintain it clean, moisturized, and smooth so that it radiates a healthy, vibrant glow.

Q: I thought clays were drying, so I avoided masks that contained them. Can you explain why Kaolin and Bentonite Clays are good for the skin?
A: Kaolin and Bentonite Clays are widely used in cosmetic preparations, mainly for their “absorbing” benefits. However, unbeknownst to most people, like many ingredients within formulations, Kaolin and Bentonite have multiple benefits. Kaolin Clay is a white, mineral-rich, porous clay. It binds to sebum, absorbs excess oil, and mattifies the skin. Because the skin’s barrier is a mixture of sebum, sweat, and cellular debris, Kaolin absorbs these components, leaving behind an oil-free, smooth skin surface.

When formulated properly, it can have mild exfoliating benefits and help soothe discomfort and redness in lower percentages, making it a positive choice for irritated or sensitized skin. Bentonite Clay possesses similar benefits, like absorbing excess oil, promoting mild exfoliation, and reducing irritation. But this clay does so much more. Derived from aged volcanic ash, it is rich in minerals, including calcium, magnesium, silica, sodium, copper, iron, and potassium. When applied to the skin, these minerals help strengthen and rejuvenate the epidermis by restoring the skin’s equilibrium. Another noteworthy benefit of Bentonite is its high cation exchange capacity, which means it has a negative charge and can attract positively charged ions. This enables it to act as a delivery vehicle, binding and encapsulating the other actives in the formula.

Q: What’s the deal with day vs. night cream? Is it okay to use day cream at night?
A: The day vs. night cream division arose from the fact that natural changes in our body’s internal clock increase the skin’s ability for absorption at night. This internal clock, known as the circadian rhythm, informs the body when it’s time to sleep. During sleep, the skin goes through several repair processes that alter how several skin components function. These include cell turnover, blood flow, DNA repair - especially to counteract damage from UV exposure, and the skin's outermost layer (stratum corneum). Research shows that cellular growth of skin cells peaks between about 10:00 pm and midnight due to circadian rhythms. Using skincare ingredients, like alpha hydroxy acids that increase cell turnover, will boost this process, especially once it becomes sluggish due to aging. Also affected by this biological clock is the skin’s blood flow, which increases at night, causing vasodilation. This brings oxygen to the skin and improves circulation, which has been proven to aid product absorption.

Today we know that excess sun exposure causes accelerated aging and DNA damage. But did you know that the cells that create that bronze-tanned skin (melanocytes in the epidermis) still undergo DNA damage for up to three hours following exposure? DNA repair performs best during a good night’s sleep, signaled by our circadian rhythms. Lastly, the skin has “channels” regulated by our biological clock that can contribute to deep water loss, known as Transepidermal Water Loss (TEWL). When the skin experiences increased water loss, it may become irritated or itchy at night. Applying a lipid-based product in the evening will help increase barrier protection, reducing the amount of water evaporation.

So, can you use one cream for the day and one for the night? Yes! However, based on the results you are looking for, choose a skin care cream in the AM with moisturizing benefits that will complement your skin type and an SPF 30 or higher. For your evening application, choose products with repairing and rejuvenating ingredients like antioxidant Vitamins A, C, and E, Retinol, and Hydroxy Acids.