Many people say if they could change something about the past, they would change how they cared for their skin. Specifically, the earlier and better you start proper skin care, the kinder it will treat you. It’s never too late to get started loving your skin, and Palo Alto Laser and Skin Care has all of the products you need with easy online shopping and customized recommendations. Book a complimentary consultation to start building a treatment plan today to battle under-eye wrinkles, dry or dull skin, skin discoloration, and so much more.
It’s easy to get overwhelmed by all the products available. Does a more expensive product automatically make it better? Do those commercials with celebrities really deliver the best results? What’s the difference between medical-grade skin care and other products, anyway? Let’s take a look at how you can differentiate a great product from a mediocre one, and what makes a skincare product be considered medical-grade—along with some common mistakes.
Skin Trivia
Before we delve into how and why to care for your skin, how about a refresher course on what exactly our skin is? For starters, it’s the body’s largest organ and, on average, is about two square meters. It makes up 15 percent of our body weight and has over 11 miles of blood vessels. Most people have around 300 million skin cells, with 19 million cells plus 300 sweat glands per square inch. Our skin renews itself every 28 days and is always shedding dead cells. In fact, we shed around 35,000 dead skin cells every minute, which equates to nine pounds per year. Here’s another fun fact, around half of the dust in our house is actually dead skin cells.
As you can see, our skin is very busy. No wonder it deserves some much-needed TLC. With the average person having over 1,000 different species of bacteria on their skin, it requires individualized attention when it comes to cleansing, rejuvenating, and protecting. In-office treatments are great for more aggressive care, but your daily routine also makes a big difference.
Choosing the Right Skin Care Products
You may have noticed that the brands available at your medispa clinic aren’t household names. You’ve probably never seen them in a commercial or an advertisement. There’s a good reason for this. These are medical-grade brands and the manufacturer’s attention (and resources) is dedicated to research—not branding and getting celebrity endorsements. Simply put, medical-grade products are the only products that can include the highest level of active ingredients. You don’t need to use nearly as much product because these products don’t have to use “fillers.” It might seem like medical-grade products from brands like SkinCeuticals, Alastin, Obagi, and SkinMedica (to name just a few) cost more per ounce than what you find in drugstores—and they certainly do. However, when it comes to actual use, you’ll find that medical-grade products last just as long if not longer than non-medical skin care products. A little bit goes a very long way when fillers aren’t part of the formula.
You may have also heard of the famed 11-step Korean skin care routine. In reality, nobody likely needs or benefits from 11 different products. This is another case of trying to make up for lack of quality by excessive quantity. Your unique skin care needs can be determined by a professional who will recommend no more and no less than what will be truly beneficial to you. In most cases this means a cleanser, moisturizer, skin protection, and perhaps an eye cream.
Don’t Make This Skin Care Mistake
During a complimentary consultation, you will learn which skin care products are best to achieve your goals for your one-of-a-kind skin. You can shop from the comfort of your home with our online store or pick-up products in person during an in-office treatment. Morning and evening regimens are often recommended, but when it comes to your nighttime routine be careful to steer clear of one common mistake: applying products right before bed.
It might seem like putting on that rich product is the best approach, but you could actually be wasting precious product. Skin care products need some time to sink into the skin and actually get to work. Applying a product right before bed often means most of it ends up on your pillow or in your hair. When layering products, it’s also important to allow some time between each application (this is often between 30 seconds and five minutes, so you don’t have to wait long).
Plan to complete your evening regimen at least 30 minutes before laying your face on the pillow to allow for optimal results. Consider it some much-deserved pampering and make a delectable ritual of it. For more tips on skin care and to start your customized regimen consultation, connect with Palo Alto Laser and Skin Care today.