The 10 Commandments of Skincare According to a Celeb Aesthetician
One of the perks of working at a place like Galore is that you get to meet beauty and fashion pros and absorb all their secrets.
That’s exactly what happened to me at the Indie Beauty Expo recently and met the conference’s cofounder, Jillian Wright. She’s a celeb aesthetician who’s responsible for the gorg skin of Kristen Wiig, Alicia Silverstone, Ivana Trump, Kim Kardashian, and many more.
So we asked her for her rules.
“I often get questions about ways to take care of skin beyond great products and facials,” she told Galore in an email. “Here is a list of lifestyle changes that everyone can abide by that will help make their skin glow.”
So here they are in her own words.
1. Don’t pick your skin.
This is one of the most important commandments because picking your skin is a sin! It is difficult stop, but doable. You have to WANT to stop this nasty habit. Scarring, discoloration and acne are all results of picking your skin. Give it a try, and after three months of keeping your paws away from your face, you will see a visible difference in your skin. Simply STOP THE PICKING!! Wash your face in the morning. Apply your skincare and light, fresh make up and stay to yourself, “I will not touch my face today until I wash it for bedtime.”
2. Follow a regimen every day and night.
It is not enough to wash your face once or twice a week, let alone once a day. You should be washing your face twice a day every day with the appropriate cleanser. Use one that doesn’t strip your skin or leave behind grim. The Gentle Peptide Cleanser or Congested Skin Cleanser are both gentle yet highly effective in keeping your skin clean. Using the right cleanser will ensure a beautiful canvas for your serums, moisturizers, SPF and make up. You should also have a targeted day and night serum and moisturizer.
Day and night should be different. During the day, you need ingredients that will guard your skin from free radical damage and degradation. At night, you need products that will rejuvenate and replenish the skin during it’s sleeping hours. Optional: a different eye cream for day and night. This is up to you. Exfoliating should happen 1x-3x a week depending on skin type but this is a necessity too. Don’t chince on what your skin truly needs to cooperate and thrive day and night.
3. Drink lots of water.
Water is hydrating and helps to flush toxins from the body. If you don’t like the taste of straight water, try adding freshly squeezed lemon juice. It will taste refreshing and yummy.
4. Get plenty of sleep.
This is when your skin and body replenishes and rejuvenates. It’s so important for your skin to have that time to rest and recover and rebuild healthy skin cells. Your skin repairs itself when you are sleeping. Give it ample time to do so.
5. Eat the colors of the rainbow.
My mother always says ” put out a bowl of fruit or veggies and the kids will eat it”. It is true and you will too. If you cut up lots of colorful food, it is nearly impossible for you and your family not to eat it. We call cucumbers, “cucumber cookies” and if my son is playing, I’ll hand him a yellow pepper. It’s not forced, it’s natural, and if you adapt that mentality into your diet, you are more likely to grab blueberries than a cookie if is it there waiting for you!
6. Be your own skincare detective and keep a journal of your skin functions.
This is very true if your skin is behaving badly. If you write it down, it may come to you why you have a flaky nose, or acne on your skin, or fine lines going across your forehead. When you sit down and think about it, that trouble-shooting will pay off. You can figure out why your skin may be unbalanced by simply thinking about your daily and lifestyle habits.
7. Exercise.
Exercising is amazing for so many reasons, in regards to your skin, it gets blood flowing which brings oxygen to your skin. Oxygen gives your skin the freshness it need to stay vibrant, healthy and youthful. Bacteria doesn’t live in the presence of oxygen so by exercising, you are helping to prevent excessive bacteria.
8. Wear sunscreen every day.
Even when you are walking around under a cloudy sky, or driving to the market, your skin is exposed to damaging UVA and UVB rays. This weakens your elasticity causing wrinkles and fine lines, discoloration age spots and redness. The sun is producing free radicals that damage your skin. It’s much harder to reverse damage than it is to develop good skincare habits now. Wearing an SPF of 30 or higher every day will slow down the aging process.
9. Know your hormonal cycle.
This is one of the biggest culprits of poor skin. If you know your cycle, you can plan for certain activities that may or may not impact your skin’s health. For example, don’t plan a facial a few days before your cycle or ovulation. Your skin is overly sensitive and producing more oil than it normally does. Wait until you’re a few days into your period or after because your skin tends to be less sensitive. Same goes for your ovulation. You’re apt to get cystic acne during this time so don’t pick. You can use spot treatment or mask to help purge your skin.
10. Make happiness and lower stress.
It is very hard to carve out time to just be happy. We have so much going on in our busy lives, from family, friends, work, school, and other responsibilities that take us away from taking care our ourselves. Try to find something to look forward to, that only involves you. Something that makes you truly happy. It doesn’t have to be complicated. Call it your quiet corner. It can be a movie, a pedicure, a good book, massage, a play. Destressing your life will get rid of some of the clutter and will ultimately benefit your skin’s overall health and slow down the aging process.
