I never thought I would be saying the words “third lockdown.” The first lockdown was unexpected, drastic (so we thought at the time) and surreal. And yet, here we are again.
I have been coming to the spa daily to catch up on projects and for curbside pick-up. While I’m here, I can’t help thinking about the services we would offer to our clients this time of year. When it comes to facials and home skincare, we recommend in-spa peels and increased exfoliation at home in the spring. With the warmer weather coming, we need to stimulate the skin to shed any build-up of dry, dead cells to reveal brighter, more luminous skin underneath. Our exfoliating and brightening facials will help boost your skins’ cell turnover to increase glow and minimize the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles. We all want that radiance back after the cold, dry winter. The good news is there are some excellent options available from Yonka and GM Collin that will help you achieve extraordinary results at home.
You may be wondering why you should change your skincare routine at any time of the year? Our skin is exposed to colder temperatures and less humidity in the winter months; it becomes drier and more dehydrated, often leaving it feeling rough and dry. You might notice that when the seasons change, our skin’s needs change as well. As the temperatures warm up and humidity increases, it often benefits our skin. If you are on the drier or dehydrated side, you may prefer switching to a lighter moisturizer after using heavier, richer creams throughout the winter. If your skin is more oily, you may notice it feels oilier in the warmer months. Heat increases circulation, thereby stimulating our skin’s functions to produce more oil. Each skin type has its challenges, but one thing that remains the same is the need from time to time to perform deeper exfoliation, whether in the spa or at home, to boost cell renewal.
Most of us use weekly exfoliants such as scrubs and enzyme exfoliants to help keep our skin feeling fresh and improve the absorption of our daily serums and creams.
Did you know there are combinations of treatment serums, creams and masks that will exfoliate and can be used as a “cure” for 30 to 60 days as needed? We call it a “cure” because we introduce products with more active ingredients that increase cell turnover, producing faster, more noticeable results. You will use these on a short-term basis, a few nights, a week or month, 2 – 4 times a year.
Today I will feature star performers from YonKa. Depending on your skin type and condition, it will determine which exfoliating treatment is the best suited to your needs. While I will give suggestions here, I highly recommend that you request a free virtual consultation. While the spa is closed, I can offer this service to you by video or phone. I’m happy to answer any questions you may have. Feel free to email me on our Contact page to start the discussion.
Yonka has two exfoliants that we recommend using every week.
Gommage is a gel-based exfoliant that is exceptionally gentle and an excellent option for any skin type, especially if you have any sensitivity or redness. This soft gel peel can be used three times a week, or if you are too sensitive for a “peel,” you can use it daily for two weeks to give your skin glow, hydration and brightness.
Guarana Scrub is a creamy exfoliant containing microbeads composed of guarana seeds and brown rice. This scrub will leave your skin feeling silky and smooth, clean and fresh. It is best suited for normal to oily, combination skin.
Next, we have a monthly option. Using a combination of products that work synergistically can help achieve enhanced results as the ingredients interact, improving effectiveness.
Alpha Peel and Alpha Fluid can be your go-to products in the spring and again in the fall for achieving brighter, smoother, softer skin.
Alpha Peel is a gel-textured concentrate that you apply at night. It contains botanical AHAs, peptides and hyaluronic acid.
If you have hyperpigmentation, fine lines, and large pores, this product will target those conditions. The AHAs will stimulate the exfoliation of dead cells triggering new cell growth. Peptides are amino acids that stimulate fibroblast cells to produce collagen and elastin. And hyaluronic acid will increase hydration. You use Alpha Peel every night for 30 days. In that time, you will notice your skin’s improved texture, tone and decrease in pore size. Apply all over the face except the eye area and around the lip area.
Alpha Fluid is added to your regimen as your daytime moisturizer containing a blend of fruit acids, peptides and hyaluronic acid that will exfoliate, regenerate and hydrate throughout the day.
Add the Alpha Contour eye gel with renewing fruit acids to smooth fine lines and soften wrinkles around your eyes and lips.
Use this duo as your 30-day skin renewal program in the spring to rejuvenate dull, tired skin.
The newest member of the YonKa collection is Glyconight 10% Masque. I am pretty excited about this new treatment that can be used overnight to gently exfoliate the skin while sleeping. Easy, right? This mask contains 10% glycolic acid that will smooth wrinkles, apricot kernel oil and brown algae to increase radiance, natural polysaccharides and vegetable glycerin to soothe and hydrate, and YonKa’s well-known quintessence. You can use this mask every other night for one week as a refresher or nightly for 30 to 60 days. You can also apply this mask to your neckline to smooth away wrinkles. Apply this mask after cleansing, and always remember when adding an acid-based treatment to your regimen to introduce it slowly, every other night for the first week. Avoid using this in combination with retinoic acid or if you are sensitive to glycolic acid. For more information on using AHAs or peels, please contact me at the spa, and I will happily share tips and advice on how to add these products to your existing routine.
The last item and the most important in your skin renewal program is sunscreen! You will see me write about this a lot. Please do not skip this critical step. When using any exfoliating products, if you are not using sunscreen daily, you risk hyperpigmentation forming. Please find a sunscreen that you enjoy using daily. It is the most important anti-ageing product in your skincare collection. I can’t stress this enough. It’s never too late to start. Are you having trouble finding a sunscreen you like? Email me at the spa. I will happily help you sort through the countless options to help you find the best fit for your lifestyle.
Watch for more Spring Skin TuneUp articles on the blog, including my favourite spring and summer products for skin, hair and body. Until next time remember your skin is 90% of your selfie.
