Ladies and gentlemen (and children, too); how many of you are really caring for your skin properly? Yes, we all see the infomercials and we all have “that friend” selling “that product” who thinks she/he is now a skin care professional and have the all-too-believable. I cannot count on my fingers and toes how many brand-new, just invested $600+, “Dr. formulated” MLM skincare sales women I get on my table for facials just before they take their “after” photos. If it seems too good to be true, it probably is. Most sun damage that we see as adults was created between the ages of 2-18; if it took that long to get there, it won’t be all that quick to leave – if it ever does.

You do not need skin care that has been made in the same factory utilizing different labels. What you need is a true, professional facial by a licensed professional who can recommend appropriate at home care. I know you may be thinking, “but my friend knows what she is talking about!” She may know what she is told to know, but she likely doesn’t know much physiology, pathology, or be legally allowed to touch your skin or treat the living layers of your face; only the dead skin.

Wait, my face skin is dead?

Yep, if you didn’t already know, you heard it here first, every bit of (uncut/intact) skin you can touch is 100% dead! Think of your skin like a brick wall, there are bricks (skin cells) and mortar (the glue [desmosomes] that holds the cells together). The top layer of skin has 15 layers of teeny tiny little skin cells just waiting to fall off – think 15 layers of corn flakes. It is this skin that your over-the-counter, multi-level marketing, pyramid scheme, department store celebrity label, and Amazon.com skin care products are “working” on. Who really cares if a piece of dead skin looks brighter or tighter? Not me, it will fall off within 28 days! I want to work on your LIVING tissue as much as possible! That is precisely what a licensed esthetician with professional products containing appropriate pH levels and percentages of active ingredients can do. So, without further ado, here are my top ten reasons to make time for YOU and get a facial every month:

Blythe’s Top 10 Reasons to Get a Monthly Facial:

1. Scheduling a monthly facial means you are scheduling time for self-care! You are guaranteed an entire hour all to yourself to unplug, disconnect, and be cared for By your esthetician!
2. Prevent old lady cleavage! When you’re 98 years old, you can have wrinkled cleavage, I want to prevent that as long as possible! A proper monthly facial treats the face, neck, and decollete (upper chest), brightening old damage, preventing future wrinkles, and softening the tight pec muscles we talked about in the previous blog posts.
3. Increase circulation and feed the face! Our blood is what feeds our skin and our skin is the largest organ on our bodies! Increasing blood circulation with facial massage increases nutrients to the skin, directly stimulates collagen production, and can stimulate lymphatic movement!
4. Your sinuses will love you for it! If you have seasonal (or year-round) allergies, congestion, etc., a facial massage can feel so nice on your sinus cavities and even help open them up!
5. Two words: ear blackheads. Wait, what? We all know you cannot easily see inside of your own ears, and yes, ear blackheads (and whiteheads and pimples) do happen (and I LOVE removing them)!
6. Prevention, prevention, prevention! An extra set of eyes close up to your skin, more frequently than you see your derm, is always beneficial. You may have a mole, spot, or a bump popping up or changing sizes that you didn’t know about or see. I cannot tell you how many times I have sent clients to the dermatologist with skin cancer. No, I have not and cannot legally diagnose, but I can tell when a spot needs to be looked at by someone who can diagnose it.
7. Clogged pore removal. Blackheads, closed comedones, open comedones, and pimples, oh my! I’m a more gentle version of your YouTuber pimple popper. I can help remove them all; safely and ethically.
8. Self-care is essential. You are entitled to an hour of personal time to relax and restore your skin and mind; you are worth the investment. The only person who can take care of you is YOU!
9. Keep your skin balanced. When the seasons change and we turn on and off our A/C and heat, our skin is affected. With changing temperatures and humidity, your skin care regimen must also change. In the summer, we may need to absorb more oil but add more hydration in the winter. Your skin therapist (me!) can identify what you need and keep your skin feeling comfortable no matter what season we are in.
10. Switch it up! Skin care, much like hair care, needs to change with age, stress, medications, seasons, hormonal fluctuations, etc. Monthly facials can help identify what to replace as you get low on your current home care so you do not feel the pressure to identify what you need next on your own or keep using something that may not allow you to meet your skin care goals.

I hope you have enjoyed this post; if you did, please share it!

Up next: why you should never, ever, ever use at-home/box color.

Questions or comments? I look forward to hearing from you!