Spring Skin Care: An 6 week program to get your skin ready for exposure

It's almost the end of our famous New England winters and our Aesthetician Alexis, would like to get everyone ready for Spring Skin with some easy steps. Now is a good time to rejuvenate your skin by following these basic steps: Exfoliate, Cleanse, Nourish, Tone and Moisturize. Start your ‘New Spring Skin’ regime about 6-8 weeks before you plan on ‘exposing all’ to the world to give your skin a chance to renew itself…in the process, you’ll feel fresh and revitalized within and without.

Come in for a treatment and Spring Skin Outline specifically for your skin-type by making an appointment, call 413-253-2214. All products mentioned below are available at the office. Samples are available as well.


1. Cleansing

Cleansing lotions are gentle but effective and can be used daily to remove make-up and the grime that accumulates on the skin during the course of the day.

 

2.Exfoliation

Exfoliation in itself is a great way to not only remove layers of old dead skin that have accumulated during winter but to also stimulate the circulation in the skin and the production of new skin cells.  Microdermabrasion is one of the most effective methods of exfoliating, as well as one of the most sucessful.

Exfoliation can be done in a variety of ways: dry or moist, using a luffah mitt or a natural scrub of some kind or a combination of these approaches. When choosing your exfoliation method, you need to consider the part of your body you are working on: facial skin and skin in more ‘sensitive’ areas should not be too vigorously exfoliated, especially if you have a sensitive or delicate skin type.

Exfoliating scrubs that contain natural abrasives, such as fine ground rice, oatmeal, tea tree bark and pumice have been found to give good results, although pumice is not recommended for the face, neck and delicate skin areas.

Your scrub can be of a foaming type with a ‘soapy’ base or a creamy base type – in either case, the base provides lubrication to make use of the scrub more easily.

Exfoliation can be done daily if a very gentle scrub is used but generally it is recommended that exfoliation be done every second or third day to avoid irritating the skin. Also, exfoliation is best done BEFORE applying your toner, nourishing cream or moisturizer.



3. Tone and Calm

After you have completed your exfoliating and cleansing steps, it is time to tone and nourish your skin. Toning used to be done with alcohol-based toners but this practice has largely been discarded due to the drying effect that alcohol has on the skin. It is now more usual to use botanical-based products, Witchhazel, aloe vera, rosemary extracts and apple cider vinegar have a toning effects but be wary; if you feel any dryness discontinue use and ask your Aesthetician for a recommendation. Essential oils like chamomile or a Vaso-Tonic can also be used in toning preparations for an anti-inflammatory effect.

Toning helps to ‘calm the skin down’ and restores the acid mantle to the skin after exfoliating and cleansing.

4. Moisturize and Nourish

The final step to your ‘New Spring Skin’ is the application of nourishing and moisturizing creams, lotions or serums to the skin.

These products are formulated to retain moisture in the skin and to protect the skin from the effects of external factors.

Nut and seed butters and oils are commonly used as bases or carriers of other ingredients such as essential oils and have the added benefit of providing a protective waterproof layer to the skin surface. Inclusion of fruit extracts, botanicals and micellised vitamin preparations provide the nourishing component in this important step and also address the needs of particular skin types or skin problems.

Moisturizers should be used daily after cleansing and toning and especially after exposure to the sun, bathing or showering, to replace the natural protective oily surface layer to the skin.

The use of moisturizers in this way helps to prevent premature skin aging and other types of skin damage.

 

5. Protection/Nutrition
Sun screens are necessary to prevent and reverse aging skin and prolong young and healthy looking skin.
Remember, the sun is the number one aggressor to the health and appearance of our skin.