Am I Doing Enough Skincare?

The answer to this will depend on your lifestyle and the investment you are willing to make in your skin. Skin is the same as any other interest you take. The more you put into it, the more you will get out of it. Patience, consistency, and diligence are going to give you results – nothing else. Especially nothing that you see on the internet offering fast fixes. Here is an honest overview of what to expect with how many steps you choose. Remember, even one small commitment makes us happy! 

1 Step = Protect 

If there was only one product you use, it would absolutely be an SPF every morning. SPF is the number one anti-aging product without a close second. The sun damages your skin daily even with mild exposure. The before and after pictures from only using sunscreen are amazing. Since it’s the one product you use, opt for a higher quality sunscreen without irritating ingredients like those found in drugstore sunscreens. Also, if there’s only one product you can commit to using, make it a 2-in-1 combining SPF and moisturizer. 

Our picks: Dr. Esthé Ultra Repair Cream and Face Reality Daily SPF 30 Lotion

2 Steps = Balance

Time for two steps? Naturally, the next product would be a cleanser. Get another 2-for-1 by using a cleanser with an alpha hydroxy acid like Mandelic Acid Wash so you get some exfoliating, pore clearing, and skin brightening benefits too. So with an active cleanser and an SPF moisturizer, those are basically four products in two. This will get skin on a good track. Some visible improvements will be noticed, but no major goals will be met with just cleanser and moisturizer alone. Think of it as adding in a morning stroll a few times a week vs daily workouts. 

Our pick: Mandelic Acid 3-in-1 Wash 

3 Steps = Treat

Ready for step three? The third step to add is a treatment serum. This is where the momentum starts to build and skin changes happen. It’s likely that the best treatment serum is going to be vitamin A (also known as retinol) because there are multiple strengths to choose from and it will make the most changes in your skin by increasing cellular turnover. Regular chemical exfoliation is really what it takes to make skin fresher, brighter, and clearer (when done safely). The wrong retinol (especially drugstore options) will oftentimes either not work or irritate skin. It’s important that one of our aestheticians analyze your skin to  pick the right level for you and teach you how to use it on your skin! 

Our pick: Derm-A-Renew for beginners, Derm-A-Gel for young acne patients and those with dry skin, Exfol-A for more resistant or oil-rich skin 

4 Steps = Skin Goals Met! 

Are you a skincare believer?! Ready to give up self-diagnosing and TikTok hunting and let an aesthetician provide you with a unique and specialized regimen?! Then you are probably approaching the four-steps category. 

This is when we see life-altering changes in the skin. If you are serious about achieving your skin goals (and fast!) with four products, consistency, and ditching old products that aren’t doing you any good – we can pretty much guarantee results. This is the equivalent of joining the gym. But please actually use your membership, though!  People often ask if they need a toner, which is hard to answer because you don’t NEED one, but you do WANT one. A toner is the fourth addition that will tie it all together. Plus, it takes about 15 seconds to tone – just FYI ;) 

Our pick: Skin Nourishing Toner for gentle toning or 3% Mandelic Acid Toner for more active toning 

5+ Steps = Skin Envy

This may not be the place to start if you are a skincare newbie – it’s like running a marathon without training first. But when you're ready here’s what to expect – 

We don’t love to use the word “flawless” because EVERYONE'S skin has minor imperfections, but flawless is how you can feel and look to the naked eye if you take really good care of your skin. This also means focusing on healthy living because your skin is your largest organ! Once you’ve mastered the cleanse, tone, treat, and protect – it is time to add in more treatment products. This looks like an antioxidant serum in the mornings, hydrating serums, peptide serums, eye creams, and weekly treatment masks. 

We love a good skin compliment (actually, we live for them!), and this is what you get when you really put forth the effort. Whether you want to keep us a secret or share the love, just make sure you tell your people the right picks aren’t your specific products but the ones recommended for their skin type. 

Our “skin envy” picks: Pure C+E Serum,  MGF Renewal Ampoule, Raspberry Resurfacing Peel, Peptide Eye Serum 

Can you have too many steps or too many products? Yes and no! 

Imagine skincare like cooking. The order and way in which you follow a recipe or put together a meal is important. If you use too few ingredients, then your food might be bland. But if you use too many, then things can get ruined. 

Bland food is better than a meltdown in the kitchen and ordering pizza, but what does this mean for skin? Too many ingredients can lead to irritation, reaction, clogged pores, and unwanted product pilling on your skin. Also, this usually means expired products and wasted money. Keep it simple and let the regimen grow with you! Learn more about the dangers of too many products here.