#Flawless: My Facial & Interview with Dermalogica

I hate to admit that it took me until age 26 to become obsessed with skincare, but…I’d be lying to you if I tried to say I’ve always been one to invest the time and money needed to really take care of it.

Hindsight is 20/20, so here I am trying to reverse all the damage done while basking in the sun’s rays throughout high school and college, sans SPF.

If you follow me on Instagram then you probably saw my InstaStory from last week when I stopped into the Dermalogica spa in Santa Monica for an evening facial. If you don’t (you should) never fear…I’ve got the pictures (and interview) to prove it!

I’ve gotten a facial at this location before, and both times I was completely in love with every step (surprisingly, even the extractions) and the products used throughout. The difference from last week’s visit and my first appointment was a $30 Microdermabrasion add-on that is L I F E C H A N G I N G people, and I HIGHLY suggest trying it out for yourself. I have never experienced the glow that I saw in the mirror the day after. I always thought Microdermabrasion was a break-the-bank, wish-insurance-covered-it kinda procedure…but $30? Talk about pleasantly surprised!

After my facial, I sat down with my facialist and asked her every question that popped into my head. My goal was to find out any at-home / low-budget tips & tricks for you (and myself) to implement at home, so I hope you find this info helpful!

Let me know if you have any other questions and I’ll talk to Dermalogica about it and let you know – it’s SOOOO important that we get informed on how to care for our skin NOW, and thank ourselves LATER…because news flash, it’s the only skin we got for the rest of our lives! Might as well start loving on it!

WHAT KIND OF ACNE WOUKD YOU SAY I HAVE?

The breakouts you have may be more from products – think: congestion of the skin from daily makeup – It’s extremely easy to fix with good regimen – stop trying to DIY, leave the picking to the pros. If you can’t get a blackhead or pimple out, it’ll just break off and stick in your skin. Not to mention create redness, damage, dark spots, scars, and sometimes bleeding.

WHAT IS THE BEST WAY TO TREAT DARK SPOTS AND SCARRING AT HOME IF YOU’RE ON A BUDGET?

Sunscreen!! Vitamin c serum every night is also a great practice to pull into your nightly routine. Here at the spa we offer an LED light procedure that will heal the surface of your skin by stimulating collagen, which is vital to skin health. Microdermabrasion – adding this onto your facial can be a huge game changer, and is just $30 extra – consistency in everything is key.

WHY IS SOME ACNE PAINFUL?

If you’re experiencing pain, that means the acne is infected; bacteria may be inside – if there is puss / a white surface, that’s when you know it’s infected. The white color is from good and bad bacteria is fighting each other. Popping this can just make matters worse, and can even cause it to spread. It’s best not to touch the infected area, and let the professionals handle it.

HOW OFTEN SHOULD YOU REALLY BE WASHING YOUR FACE?

Morning and night. If not both, then at least…DEFINITELY at night. Skin cells renew themselves during the night when you’re sleeping and makeup FREE. When you’re wearing makeup, your skin is not in its optimum state to produce new cells.

DOES GOING MAKEUP FREE MAKE A DIFFERENCE?

Definitely. If you can, do it. Every now and then – light, tinted moisturizer is fine…but the more you can let your skin breathe the better.

SERUM? TONER? WHATS REALLY NECESSARY IN A ROUTINE?

The bare minimum would be to start with a cleanser morning and night, followed by SPF during the day and a moisturizer at night. It’s also extremely important to use an exfoliator 2-3 times a week.

LET’S TALK SPF, IS THERE A MINIMUM # REQUIREMENT?

50 is always a good idea – it’s better to be safe than sorry. If you’re going makeup free and you can reapply every 2 or 3 hours, that would be ideal for the ultimate level of protection, especially if you are outside during the day. If you are sweating a lot or swimming, it needs to be reapplied even more frequently.

HOW OFTEN SHOULD WE BE GETTING FACIALS?

Your cell turnover rate is every 4-6 weeks. Your home skincare regimen also determines how frequently you should be stopping in, but we recommend every 4-6 weeks for the average person who pays attention to their skin and sticks to a consistent skincare routine.

EXTRACTIONS, WHAT ARE THEY?

I’m essentially cleaning it ALL out – No tools are used here due to how damaging they can be to the skin, we just use our fingers. If you prep properly and open the pores prior to the extractions, you don’t need any tools. It’s best for us to do extractions for you because we can determine if the pore is completely cleaned out and get it in one swoop. If you’re sitting in front of the mirror, picking at your face before bedtime with 0 prep involved prior-to, you’re just going to damage your skin even more, and usually leave the poor half way clogged still…which just creates a bigger problem. STOP PICKING!!!!

IS THERE A SAFE WAY TO POP PIMPLES/GET BLACKHEADS?

We NEVER recommend you pick at your face…EVER, but if you absolutely must, make sure our hands are clean, cleanse your face with warm water, or do it right out of the shower when your skin is soft and your pores are open from the steam/hot water. This will make it easier to clean out the pore.

HOW DO YOU FEEL ABOUT THOSE BLACK MASKS EVERYONES DOING LATELY?

Even though they feel like they’re doing something, they’re not actually getting deep enough to clear out your blackheads / pores. It’s basically just getting the first layer of skin off, which can cause more irritation and redness than you started with. It’s the same as the blackhead nose strips – it hurts because it’s ripping off your skin and pulling at your baby hairs, not deep cleaning your pores.

HOW OFTEN SHOULD YOU EXFOLIATE?

2-3 times a week depending on the product you’re using. If the beads are micro and gentle, you can do it more often. If you’re using a product with very large, sometimes damaging beads, this could cause more harm than good. Always be sure to cleanse first, and it’s a good idea to follow up with a masque or moisturizer.