How to keep your skin healthy and beautiful: the precious advice of our esthetician Emma

We only have one skin, and caring for it is essential to radiate every day and keep it healthy throughout our lives. Emma, our esthetician at Senteurs d'Ailleurs, shares her advice and must-haves to adopt in our beauty routine in order to have a skin that is close to perfection...

Emma, can you tell us about your training as a beautician and your choices in terms of products?

I have been a beautician at Senteurs d'Ailleurs for 10 years, certified as an expert by the Dermalogica training. In the cabin, we work with two brands of facial cosmetics (Dermalogica and La Mer) and one body brand (Mansard).

Depending on the desired care objective, real skin care or relaxation for example, by the client, we will choose one or the other brand.

For very specific skin care, we always recommend and work with the Dermalogica skin care range.

"Dermalogica is medicine for the skin, it's between cosmetology and pharmaceuticals."

Before starting, we always carry out a skin analysis, so that we can offer a tailor-made and personalized treatment. A 60-minute cabin treatment already restores your skin's radiance. If you feel that you have very congested pores but still want to enjoy the pleasure of a facial massage and an arm massage, it is best to choose the 90-minute treatment.

If the client is looking for a moment of relaxation, then La Mer treatments prove to be perfection. In this case, it is a treatment that will essentially work on the radiance and hydration of the skin and not a deep cleansing. Exfoliation is more superficial and there is no extraction of blackheads. But the benefits will be just as appreciable. A moment of pure relaxation.

More than the face, the whole body is put in the spotlight. In the case of a body treatment, we work with the Mansard brand. Used in high-end professional spas and institutes, this French brand has its professional version and for individuals. This makes it possible to prolong the benefits of body care at home. La Mer also has its own body range. In addition to the face treatment, we offer a luxurious 2h15 body treatment where body and face are cared for and pampered with divine products.

What are the characteristics and main categories of skin?

Before discussing skin type, it is important to distinguish between skin condition and skin type. The skin type corresponds to the skin as it is when we are born and the skin we will stay with throughout our lives. The skin condition is the skin type added to the external and internal conditions. The skin can therefore be affected by hormones, sun, diet, weather, heat, stress, disease...

Know your skin type

It's by working the skin that you can really see what type it is. This is why an in-cabin analysis is always recommended. After this analysis, we can prescribe the products that will give the best effect on the skin. This is called a beauty prescription.

Skin types...

Coming back to skin types, there are 4 main categories:Dry, oily, sensitive, acne-prone skin and combination skin a little apart.

Dry skin does not contain enough sebum. It therefore needs a lot of water (like all skin types) but also a lot of oil, i.e. products containing fatty substances, otherwise known as "lipids".

Oily skin, unlike dry skin, contains too much sebum. It therefore needs water, but above all no oil or other greasy substances.

Sensitive skin is characterized by its reactivity to temperature changes. It has this red appearance due to the capillaries on the surface of the skin. Sensitive skin does not change, but it can be improved by moving the capillaries further down the skin. To do this, it is advisable to use highly moisturizing products, containing a lot of water, which will remove heat from the skin. By reducing the heat, the capillaries will then go back down and this red aspect will be reduced.

Acneic skin is caused nine times out of ten by hormonal variations. Here, the pores will fill with sebum and mix with dead cells. They will then become congested with this excess sebum and dead cells, and this will cause an infection that will result in the appearance of a pimple.

Combination skin is not a clean skin type. It is characterized by areas with an oily appearance in places, and other areas with a drier appearance. It is the skin condition that causes combination skin.

What routine should you adopt to ensure beautiful skin for longer?

To have beautiful skin over the long term, adopting a beauty routine and sticking to it is essential. It may change over time and with age, but the daily routine remains essentially the same.

The basis consists of daily facial cleansing. Then exfoliate two to three times a week, very gently, in order to eliminate dead cells. When the skin is well cleansed, the application of a serum treats the lower layers of the skin. Finally, a moisturizing cream nourishes the surface of the skin. For total protection against external aggressions, conclude with a layer of SPF (sun protection factor).

To learn more about our beauty routine, see our article the steps of a beauty routine for the face.

What are the "must-haves" in terms of products for moisturized and beautiful skin?

Dermalogica takes care of your skin and helps to restore its radiance. The brand offers different ranges specific to each skin type, but here are our ‘must-have’ products suitable for all skin types:

Skin cleansing

"Special cleansing gel" cleanses the skin deeply without damaging it. It is a transparent foaming gel that can be used on all skin types.

Exfoliation

"Daily microfoliant". To be applied on the cleansed face, this enzymatic exfoliant will foam and turn into a creamy emulsion that will melt all the dead cells. The skin will thus be exfoliated without being aggressed.

Hydration & serum

"Skin hydrating booster. This serum contains hyaluronic acid which is a mild and natural acid that the skin produces itself. It will help restore moisture balance and reduce the appearance of fine lines.

"Skin smoothing cream is effective on all skin types to restore moisture and suppleness. It is also very effective on dry acne-prone skin.

Protection and finishing touch

Finally, cover your skin with a thin layer of an SPF such as "Invisible Physical Defense SPF 30" to provide maximum protection against external aggressions, especially the sun's UVA and UVB rays.

In cosmetics, questioning, understanding and getting information from experts allows to take into account concrete and technical information about products and their components. The effect of a cosmetic product can vary from one person to another, so it is important to take into account your skin type. We regularly offer beauty prescriptions in the shop on Fridays and Saturdays that allow a better understanding of this fascinating world of dermo-cosmetic care.

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Posted in: Cosmetics