Amanda Newman (00:00):
Do you need to wash your face every morning? Which in-office treatments are best for smoothing fine lines? Should you use this secret ingredient on your face or leave it in the kitchen? All that and more on this episode of The Healthiest You.
(00:14):
Today we're talking about ways to save on skin care, which treatments and products are worth the splurge, and what you should skip altogether to avoid any mishaps.
(00:25):
Welcome back to another episode of The Healthiest You podcast, where we focus on women's health and wellness. I'm your host, Amanda Newman. Whether you're on your way to work or enjoying a cup of coffee, take this time to focus on your health. Here to talk about all things skin care is medical esthetician, Karissa Wolf, with Lehigh Valley Health Network, part of Jefferson Health. Karissa, welcome to the show.
Karissa Wolf (00:51):
Thank you so much for having me.
Amanda Newman (00:53):
Starting off with the basics of skin care, what should be your non-negotiables in your daily routine?
Karissa Wolf (01:00):
Starting off with the basics, there's really four things that you should have included, which is definitely a gentle cleanser, a targeted serum, a moisturizer and an SPF. And the key with that is really to just stay consistent. So that is kind of your core four right there.
Amanda Newman (01:16):
OK. That's what I'm doing.
Karissa Wolf (01:16):
Good.
Amanda Newman (01:16):
To wash your face or not, though, what do you recommend doing in the morning? There's some debate about this.
Karissa Wolf (01:23):
So it really depends on the person. Most people really only need to wash their face one time per day, usually more so at night. Splashing with water in the morning will do you just fine unless you're somebody who exercises in the morning, sweats a lot at night, or if you're super oily. But other than that, you don't want to overstrip your skin.
Amanda Newman (01:43):
That's what I do right now too. And I just use ... I do double cleansing in the evening, which I find really helpful. But in the morning, just splash some water on, put the moisturizer on and ready to go.
Karissa Wolf (01:54):
You're good to go.
Amanda Newman (01:55):
So which skin care products should you avoid using at the same time?
Karissa Wolf (02:01):
Retinol and vitamin C should be avoided using together for people with eczema or rosacea. It can throw off the pH balance of your skin and it can kind of disrupt the barrier. Another thing would be just using too many actives at one time can really dry your skin out and irritate it.
Amanda Newman (02:19):
Could you give us some examples of actives?
Karissa Wolf (02:21):
Yeah. Glycolic acid, salicylic, mandelic. A lot of those are good for acne too, but you don't want to overdo it. Sometimes less is more.
Amanda Newman (02:31):
Because it can end up drying your skin out more than we want. All right. Now, which products may cause UV sensitivity?
Karissa Wolf (02:39):
Any sort of retinoids thin out the skin. So when your skin is thinner, it's going to be more sensitive. Same thing when you get more invasive procedures done, such as dermaplaning. Since you're removing the first layer of the skin, it leaves it more vulnerable to the sun. So you just need to be more mindful and definitely use an SPF.
Amanda Newman (02:58):
OK. So when you are using those targeted treatments, should you apply those in the evening then?
Karissa Wolf (03:05):
Yeah, I would definitely recommend doing that in the evening and then the SPF in the morning.
Amanda Newman (03:09):
OK. So we've talked about some skin care essentials as well as products that provide targeted treatment. When can you save money and get drugstore products? And which higher-end products are worth the splurge?
Karissa Wolf (03:22):
So it really depends. A lot of it is clinical trials and background, which is what's going to be different. Usually higher-end products have about like 72 percent proven, while drugstores only around 35 percent or less. So sometimes you can end up paying for higher-end packaging, so you can save there. So you really just need to look at key ingredients. A good way to do that would be looking at the first five ingredients on the back of the product. You can easily just Google those. That's what's going to be the highest concentrate in the product. So sometimes with higher-end products as well, the concentrate is higher. So that's the main difference of what is different there. So it really depends on what your skin needs. If your skin is dry, you might want to splurge a little bit more on a better moisturizer and things like that.
Amanda Newman (04:12):
But that's a great tip though. I didn't know. So you should look at the first five ingredients. OK?
Karissa Wolf (04:17):
Yeah.
Amanda Newman (04:17):
So when it comes to reading skin care labels while you're out shopping, what ingredients should you look for?
Karissa Wolf (04:25):
It depends on what your biggest skin concern is. For something like fine lines and wrinkles, you really want to look at those retinoids and vitamin Cs. Again, don't use them together, but separately you want to really look for those in ingredients.
Amanda Newman (04:38):
What about hyaluronic acid?
Karissa Wolf (04:40):
Hyaluronic acid is really a great product for everybody. It can never hurt you. It's great for keeping that moisture in, especially for people with acne since the other actives can dry you out. For acne, good things to look for is like salicylic acid, glycolic acid, mandelic, lactic, all of those active ingredients. Benzoyl peroxide too.
Amanda Newman (05:03):
Well, that's great. Is there anything else you'd like to add?
Karissa Wolf (05:04):
For skin concerns like redness, niacinamide is really great, or you can look for products that are green tinted. Green cancels out the red. So it helps minimize that redness effect. For dry skin, petroleum is very good and ceramides. So those are some key ingredients you want to look for for that.
Amanda Newman (05:24):
What about aloe vera?
Karissa Wolf (05:26):
Aloe vera is really great for everybody. People with acne, it can help calm down inflammation. Dryness, it's really good for everybody. Can't go wrong.
Amanda Newman (05:36):
So we've talked about what ingredients you want to look for, but what ingredients should you avoid in skin care?
Karissa Wolf (05:43):
Aluminum and parabens are two. While they won't harm you in small amounts, using those over time or in high concentrate can definitely disrupt your skin. So you want to make sure to avoid those.
Amanda Newman (05:57):
What about fragrance? What are your thoughts on that?
Karissa Wolf (05:59):
Fragrance really varies by person. And again, the concentrate amount. If it's a minimal amount of fragrance, it usually is fine and doesn't bother people. But people with higher sensitivity and acne prone should definitely be more mindful with that as it can kind of disrupt your skin a little bit too.
Amanda Newman (06:17):
As a medical esthetician, how do you create a personalized treatment plan? What can someone expect when they come to see you for their first appointment?
Karissa Wolf (06:25):
During your first appointment, we'll start with a thorough consultation and we'll go over all of your history, your skin goals, what you're currently using at home and everything about your lifestyle. Then I'll do an analysis of your skin. We'll look at texture, pore size, pigmentation, all things like that to see where your skin currently stands. And then we'll create a plan for you. Not only just a treatment plan, but also an at-home plan. Both of those together really create a powerful duo. And then I also like to educate my clients so they feel included in their skin care journey.
Amanda Newman (06:59):
I love that. I've never had a professional esthetics appointment and I feel like I need to do this and treat myself to this.
Karissa Wolf (07:06):
Yes.
Amanda Newman (07:07):
Oh, I'm excited.
Karissa Wolf (07:07):
I would love that.
Amanda Newman (07:08):
Yes. Well, could you talk about some of the custom facials you offer as well? Because I need ideas.
Karissa Wolf (07:16):
So all of the facials are custom to you. We have anti-aging, brightening. We have dermaplaning 30 minute and 60 minute. We have an acne facial, a pigmentation facial. There's really one for everybody.
Amanda Newman (07:30):
What would you say is the most popular one that women are coming in for?
Karissa Wolf (07:34):
The most popular currently – it's always changing – but a lot of people really like the dermaplane service or the anti-aging facial. Sometimes they combine those two.
Amanda Newman (07:44):
Good to know. I've never had a facial, either, so I need to make this happen.
Karissa Wolf (07:49):
Yes.
Amanda Newman (07:49):
And you mentioned dermaplaning, which is perfect because what we're going to get into next is the differences between professional dermaplaning and at-home dermaplaning. Which one is better?
Karissa Wolf (08:02):
Definitely professional, please. This is one where you need to splurge the money and don't do it at home yourself. When you come in to get a professional treatment, we use a professional scalpel to remove all of the vellus hair on your skin and boost the collagen turnover. At home, if you use the wrong angle, it can cause irritation and even spread bacteria if you're not doing proper sanitation. And you also risk cutting yourself too, and nobody wants to do that.
Amanda Newman (08:28):
No, especially on your face because then you're trying to cover that up with foundation and it just ends up not turning out the way you want it to. And you're going to get better results coming into the office for this kind of procedure.
Karissa Wolf (08:41):
Dermaplaning really helps to allow better product-penetration for those products applied after, so you want to make sure you're using professional products then as well.
Amanda Newman (08:50):
Great tip. So we all want to feel confident and good in our own skin. Which in-office procedures are most effective for smoothing those fine lines and wrinkles?
Karissa Wolf (09:01):
So of course each person is unique, but I definitely recommend the chemical peel or microdermabrasion. Sometimes patients like to rotate them back and forth. Every other appointment, we can switch. It really, really is a good combination there.
Amanda Newman (09:16):
Can you walk me through more of that chemical peel process? So there's four different layers. What all does that entail?
Karissa Wolf (09:22):
Yeah. So each person, it depends how sensitive their skin is, and we'll do a preparation beforehand. We'll do a good cleanse. We'll tone the skin, and that'll tell me how sensitive you are as well. And then we'll do the first layer of the peel. And I'll fan your skin. You may feel some tingling. It won't hurt, but you may feel some tingling. And depending on how you rate that, a one through 10, we'll determine if we can proceed with a second layer. And we'll do that up to four times, if your skin can handle it. Most people are usually around two to three.
Amanda Newman (09:52):
Is there any downtime after a chemical peel?
Karissa Wolf (09:55):
There's not necessarily downtime. You're not going to be red and flaking off, but the more layers we do, the more your skin will be dry and flaky. But your whole face isn't going to peel off.
(10:10):
So you just need to be mindful and stay out of the sun for probably 24 hours and make sure you're wearing SPF.
Amanda Newman (10:17):
Now, what is the most common question you get asked about skin care?
Karissa Wolf (10:22):
Most common question I get is when to start anti-aging products. And my answer to that is there is no specific age. A lot of people like to start prevention in their mid-20s and then really start diving in more in their mid-30s and 40s.
Amanda Newman (10:38):
That's great advice. This is good for me to know. It's never too early to start, then, with anti-aging products. OK. Wow. All right.
(10:46):
Well, since there's more to talk about, we'll be continuing our conversation in Part Two of our podcast series where we talk about what's trending in skin care. Thanks for joining us today and stay tuned for Part Two coming soon.
