I’m only two months into my skin care journey and I must admit – I’m seeing changes! I have been religious about sticking to this routine – I have my cleanser, serum, eye cream, and lotions that I use every night and day. I’m getting a facial treatment every four weeks and trying to drink a ton of water. I’m not sure if it’s my new products, the monthly facials or the fact that the Boston dry weather is gone (likely a combination of all factors) but I can see a noticeable difference in the dewiness and overall brightness of my skin. This gets me super excited for what’s to come in my journey as I still have four months to go.
A roundup of my favorite products so far, available on the Brad Duncan Shop…
The Treatment
This month my esthetician, Mara, started off our treatment with her standard cleanse & evaluate. She noticed that I still have some dead skin from winter so she did a full facial exfoliation followed up with some toner. She then did a light lactic acid peel for hydration and brightening. This is where things got fun…she attached my face mask (via paper towels & mini clamps) to an electrode machine to help drive the vitamin-A filled serum underneath the mask. We finished with a moisturizer and I left feeling fully hydrated and vibrant.
Creepy but effective mask! haha
Monthly Q & A
1.What’s most important for our skin as we transition from winter into spring?
According to Mara, the key to keeping your skin looking (and feeling) as healthy as possible during the shift in seasons is to change products. For example, many people change their moisturizer to a lighter version if it feels too heavy. If you live in an overly humid region, a creamy texture may be too much so consider switching to a hydrating serum instead.
2. What if I have a reaction to Vitamin-A?
When using a topical Vitamin-A lotion (like a retin-a that you may get from the dermatologist), it is common to experience redness, flakiness or bumps. This just means that the dose is a bit too strong for your sensitive skin. Mara suggests to back off for a night or two and stop using it until your skin is back to normal. Many people need to start out with only once or twice per week until your skin can handle it. Another great tip is to mix the retin-a with lotion or water to dilute it a bit.
3. What type of sunscreen should I wear daily?
According to almost every skin care expert, sunscreen is the single most important thing that we need to do to not only protect our skin from future damage, but deter anti-aging wrinkles or sun spots. Sunscreen is best to put on last, after moisturizer (a good rule of thumb is that you should put on product thinnest to thickest to best penetrate the skin). Additionally, make sure that your makeup has SPF as well. You can never be too protected!
4. Any tips for keeping skin hydrated while traveling?
As someone who travels often, I totally related to this question. From my personal experience, I know that hydration is one of the many keys to staying healthy while traveling. Another thing is to prepare your face with a hydrating mask before, during or after flying. Mara gave me an incredible hydration-sealing mask that went on clear. I applied it pre-flight (to a clean, makeup free face) and just rinsed it off upon arrival. It was incredible! I didn’t have the “place face” feel that I usually do, especially after a red eye flight.
Thanks again to Brad Duncan for sponsoring this skin care series. While the treatments & products are complimentary, thoughts and opinions are my own.
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