Lisa Bova, Founder of Arcadian Winds Beauty, March 2019
Having recently lost about 50lbs, the correlation between fitness and skincare has never been more evident to me. While I usually use poker terminology to compare most of life's scenarios, I must say there is no better example for skin health than physical fitness. See if this sounds familiar:
You want to get in shape and lose weight. You get yourself all psyched up with brand new super cute workout outfits and shoes. You get your motivational play list ready with "eye of the tiger" queued up to number 1. Day one feeling pumped, you cut out all carbs, sugars, fats, and anything white. Day 2 slightly less pumped as fatigue and sugar withdrawal set in and daydreams of bread distract any chance of productivity. By dinnertime on day 3 you're palming pizza in one hand and a doughnut in the other, taking ravenous bites in between sobs of self hate.
Going full throttle on day one with a bad plan can easily lead to burn out or worse yet, an injury from trying to do too much too fast, delaying progress before it even begins. This is where the comparison to skincare comes in. Be it a goal to take better care of your skin or to get your body in shape, you gotta baby step into that shit. Baby steps everyday become bigger steps until routine and consistency take over. Add the integral element of time, and you've got the perfect recipe for change.
Improving your skin is no different from improving your body. The couch potato with a sedentary lifestyle will risk serious injury if he was to all of a sudden attempt to run a 5k. If I ran, ever, in my life I could probably give specifics here, but surely something will be torn, pulled or broken right? Same goes for the acne sufferer who purchases a 70% glycolic acid peel off of Amazon having never used more than a basic face wash most days. That's just asking for a burnt off face with possibly irreparable damage. The trick to improving your skin, just as your body, is CONDITIONING. A couch potato must first walk, then walk briskly, then jog, and then run. A 70% chemical peel must be preceded by months of gentler enzyme peels and topical exfoliation before graduating to a very mild 10% acid peel then a 20%, and so on.
When you finally admit you just can't get into shape on your own and need a jump start, you call up a personal trainer. They are professionals at getting people into shape. They know nutrition, they know health. They will slowly guide you into a routine that works for you and stress consistency. They will keep you accountable when you fall off track and be the support you need to get back on track. An Esthetician is a personal trainer for your skin. She will assess and examine your skin very closely. She will customize personal treatment plans for each visit according to concern. She will increase the intensity of your treatments from month to month, conditioning your skin for further treatments. She will ask about diet, medications, lifestyle, stress levels, as all of these may or may not be affecting your skin. She will recommend products for you to use at home to keep those in-treatment benefits continuing. And finally she will schedule future visits to continue the progress. There is just one problem. Much like your personal trainer, you can't take your Esthetician home with you. Your success depends on only one caveat. And that is you, being consistent.
Consistency is the hard part as we all know, otherwise we'd all have bangin' bodies and glass complexions, right? The real work comes in forming routines and nailing them until they stick and become second nature. For example, all Estheticians know that clients with compacted follicles are typically inconsistent with their cleansing. Sleeping with makeup on is a guaranteed way to develop comedones, breakouts, and bumpy uneven skin. "I wash my face before bed, like 4 nights a week, but my skin is still so bumpy" the client exclaims, genuinely frustrated and perplexed. Imagine telling your personal trainer that you can't understand why you are not losing weight, despite eating "really healthy 4 days a week, but kinda going rogue the other 3." This kind of inconsistency will never give you the results you desire. Not with muffin top and not with healthy skin.
The absolutely beautiful part about getting your skin in shape is that it is painless! There's no physical exertion involved. No gym, no sweat, no sore muscles! It's literally just consistency. Wash your face every night. Wear your retinol. Exfoliate. Apply your concentrated serums(preferably those from Arcadian Winds Beauty with loads of nutritive dense ingredients). Moisturize and apply SPF. See your Skin Care therapist monthly if possible. She will be your personal skin savior. She will maintain your skin health and really get to know it. She will take note of how it reacts to heat or certain ingredients and how it heals. She will keep a watchful eye on its appearance, look for any changes or suspicious growths. Can that super rushed 3 minute annual dermatologist visit accomplish this? Sure facials are relaxing, but they go beyond that. With the array of advanced modalities now utilized in treatment rooms, there really is a treatment for all skin concerns.
Gorgeous skin can be achieved by all. Whatever the concern, be it acne, aging, tone or texture. Consistency and time will get you there.