Why You Should See a Licensed Skin Professional

Are you always looking for the 'next best thing' to combat your wrinkles, age spots, sagging skin, general aging or acne?  Are you someone who will try something because your neighbor, friend or 'everyone' is using it?  You should keep reading!

The skin is our largest organ.  It protects our internal organs from invaders and injury.  You should treat your skin with TLC, using products specifically created for your type of skin and your specific skin concerns.

A Licensed Esthetician (LE) is trained specifically in how to treat different skin concerns, product ingredients & how they help these concerns/conditions.  The most common skin concerns people have are:

• Pore Size
• Fine lines & Wrinkles
• Deep Wrinkles
• Sagging Skin
• Redness/Sensitivity
• Acne/Breakouts
• Blackheads 

Not everyone has all of these concerns/conditions. Everyone's skin is unique and your skin care routine should be unique and customized for you as well.   There is a large array of skin care products out there.  They fall into 3 catetories: 

1. Over the Counter (OTC)
2. Professional Grade 
3. Medical Grade 

The differences lie in the active ingredients, the amount of active ingredients allowed in each level, and the delivery system.  The delivery system is important as these are the ingredients that allow the active ingredient to penetrate the upper most layer of the skin.  They also control how deep a product can go into the epidermis or dermis to effectively treat concerns.  

Medical grade products have prescription levels of active ingredients and can only be administered by a doctor or a medical spa with a medical director overseeing product prescriptions.  

Professional grade products have higher levels of active ingredients than OTC products, but less than prescription strength.  These can and should only be administered by a licensed esthetician trained in the product line(s).  Your LE can analyze your skin, discuss your concerns and recommend the proper professional grade products (or medical grade if in a medical spa) that will address your concerns.  They can monitor how your skin reacts to these products and make necessary adjustments. 

If you buy OTC (which includes anything you can buy without seeing a doctor or LE), you may be getting less active ingredients which may address your concerns, but could take longer to see results.  You will also not have the added value of a licensed professional to monitor your routine, consult with about your skin concerns and address any adverse reactions.

You only get one skin!  Please take care of it by seeking out licensed pros who are trained to guide you!  There is no One Size Fits All in skin care!