August 11, 2020

Healthy skin is happiness.

One of the best investments I have made in myself has been getting serious about my skin care. My knowledge peaked in aesthetics and the science of skin and I decided to go back to school to become a Licensed Aesthetician. Since then, I have completely changed the way I care for my skin. I saw a fresher, more naturally beautiful version of myself emerge and this newfound health gave me happiness and confidence that I didn’t have before.

1. Know your skin condition vs skin type.

A lot of dermatology advice given will relate to your skin type and skin concerns. I think this can confuse a lot of us who don’t quite know what our skin “type” is or what can be considered a skin concern. Here’s the deal. Your skin is constantly changing! It is a living, breathing organ that interacts and reacts with the external world. Skin is our first physical line of defense against microorganisms and bacteria as much as it is our main protector against UV rays and physical injury.

Your skin type is your skin’s genetic code. This code is written in our DNA and gives our skin a road map of how to behave as well as predisposed tendencies. This can range from our risk of sun damage and skin cancer to skin that is prone to breakouts or dryness. In order to know your skin you have to understand that your skin “condition” is not necessarily your skin’s natural, consistent, predisposed state of being.

Skin condition is the current state of your skin – this may or may not be related to your skin’s natural way of being, aka skin type. Consider your condition to be more of a short term issue to address while your skin type is a long term balancing act. Example, your skin may become dull and dry because it is dehydrated – so drink lots of water and eat colorful food with antioxidants, this will improve your skin “condition.” However, if your skin is consistently dry and tight, this could be because it is your skin type and it naturally lacks moisture, which means you need to add some seriously moisturizing products to your long-term skin care regimen.

2. Use products to address your skin condition, AND products to maintain balance for your skin type.

Now that you’re more familiar with condition vs type, assess your skin. Have you always had clear skin? Do you experience consistent breakouts or occasional flare ups? Does your skin become patchy or dry in certain seasons? Have you noticed wrinkles or age spots forming? Is your skin uneven in tone or texture? Do you wish you had a brighter, more youthful skin appearance?

For example, you may be experiencing current breakouts and consistently have dry skin. Your first concern would be addressing the condition of the breakouts and getting them under control and cleared up. At the same time, you need to address the dryness with hydration and moisture. While the condition of the breakouts will clear up and you may not need products for acne treatment any more, if you might have a naturally dry skin type meaning you will always have to keep moisture as a top priority in your skin are routine.

Once you figure out the condition your skin is in you can select products that clear up current concerns to reveal a clean slate. That means clearing blemishes, patchy dryness, eczema, or irritated skin. When you have a clean slate, you can focus on keeping your skin balanced and add in treatments for long term goals like anti-aging, texture smoothing, or brightening.

3. Seek professional help.

I would highly recommend that you see a professional dermatologist or aesthetician to help you figure out your skin at first. They are trained to see things you may not notice and can help prescribe products that are helpful and effective in addressing concerns or simply maintaining and improving skin in the long run. It really is worth the money and effort to see a good skin professional at least once or twice (or more) to get yourself on a good plan. A skincare professional can also give you insight on products that really work and help save you from wasting money on some that don’t!

I wish you every bit of luck on your new skincare journey! This is the first step in the right direction, and it will only get easier once you have a plan of your own!

With love,

Ashley Jo