Skincare experts share their top tips

To help you take your treatments to the next level, Professional Beauty UK quizzed some leading skincare therapists about the questions they are most asked and what their best advice is

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Having herself suffered from rosacea, Lisa Franklin is passionate about skin and finding solutions to concerns through her treatments and products. The question she fields the most is: “How can I look younger without the use of injections, filler and surgery?”

Her response: “When clients give me and my team the time, we can give them the results. Make clients aware that, just like going to the gym, you won’t see drastic results after one gym class. But if you go consistently, the results will come. Remind clients that investing time in their skin will provide the results.”

Technology also comes into play, as Franklin integrates tech into many of her treatments. “At my flagship clinic in Knightsbridge, we have the latest technology to rival any injection or surgery. We believe in feeding the muscle, not freezing it. All killer, not filler.”

Consistency

For founder of the Black Skin Directory and author of ‘Black Skin’, Dija Ayodele, who has treated skin health for a decade, consistency is the key for getting your clients the best results possible.

Says Ayodele: “My number one tip for anyone getting treatments is to be consistent and regular. You should help your client to build a plan based around having a professional treatment with you every four-to-six-weeks, based on their skin concerns and needs.”

The timeline of treatments helps your client, and you, stay on top of their concerns.

“This means you are working with the natural turnover of their skin cells, which is around 28 days. This consistency is so important, because that is what helps to not only build, but also maintain the results you are looking for,” she adds. “If you slip off the four-to-six-week regime occasionally it isn’t a problem, because the strength you have built up in your skin from your consistency otherwise will tide you over. If you stay outside the four-to-six-week pattern too much however, you will lose the results you have been working on!”

Continued learning

Award-winning aesthetician, skincare and wellbeing expert, author and podcast host, Abigail James, aka ‘The Skin Coach’, believes it is vital to stay on top of new trends and techniques and to never stop learning.

“Invest in your education and continued learning,” shares James, “as the more knowledge you have, the more confident you will be as a therapist and the better you can support your clients.”

The question James is most asked: “I don’t want to look fake or as if I have had anything done, what can I do?”

Her response: “Regular treatments. I tell clients to ramp up their homecare with some results driven skincare and make facial treatments a commitment to the ageing process. They should only be undergoing ‘tweakments’ and treatments if it’s what they want.

“Clients should invest in treatments that are going to give results and shouldn’t feel pressured into fillers if it’s what their friends are doing. Say to them: ‘This is your face and your ageing process’.”

“ ENSURE that the SKIN’S BARRIER IS STRONG AND INTACT, that CELL TURNOVER (and cell function) has BEEN OPTIMISED, sebum production regulated, MELANOCYTE STABILISED, fibroblast stimulated, and that the skin is HYDR ATING ITSELF EFFECTIVELY. ”

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“ I TELL CLIENTS to RAMP UP THEIR HOMECARE with some RESULTS DRIVEN SKINCARE and make FACIAL TREATMENTS a COMMITMENT to the AGEING PROCESS. They should only be undergoing ‘TWEAKMENTS’ AND TREATMENTS if it’s what they want. ”

Treat the skin as a whole organ

With over two decades of experience specialising in skin treatment and rejuvenation, Kate Kerr’s top tip encourages therapists to ‘treat the skin as a whole organ, ensuring each cell type is functioning optimally, rather than just treating client concerns’.

To achieve skin that is strong, resilient and functioning, Kerr recommends the following: “Ensure that the barrier is strong and intact, that cell turnover (and cell function) has been optimised, sebum production regulated, melanocyte stabilised, fibroblast stimulated, and that the skin is hydrating itself effectively.”

She’s often asked why she doesn’t like moisturising. Her response: “When we use a moisturiser, our skin’s surface sends a signal down to its water reservoirs telling it that there is plenty of moisture in the upper layers of the skin and to halt its own production of moisture. This makes the skin sluggish and lacking in moisture, making us reach for more moisturiser, thus exacerbating the problem and then reaching for a richer moisturiser and often balms and oils. A dehydrated skin can cause the skin to over produce oil, which leads to an imbalanced skin, or what is known as a combination skin type.”

Kerr believes it is important to wake up your skin’s natural moisturising mechanisms as this will have a knock-on effect and stimulate other processes within the skinbalancing oil production, brightening the complexion and slowing the rate of skin ageing.

“You need to break that perpetual cycle of reaching for a moisturiser when your skin feels tight, often reaching for a richer and richer moisturiser as time goes on. Once you stop moisturising, this cycle is broken and the skin’s ability to moisturise itself increases over a period of six to 12 weeks. Don’t let that time frame put you off; I normally see client’s skin turn a corner at around two-to-three weeks,” she concludes.

Movement

Su-Man’s background training in pilates, shiatsu and traditional Chinese facial massage has led her to incorporate a lot of movement into her treatments – which happens to be her top tip.

“Our body is designed to move, and it has to have enough movement to function,” she explains, “However, movement is not just about burning calories. Movement balances and stimulates every aspect of our physiology.

“Physical activity can help reduce many age related chronic illnesses as well as improve our physical and mental health and our general well-being. When I’m treating my clients with my facials today, I immediately see the youthfulness coming back to their face as my technique is all about movement, which stimulates the blood flow and the energy Qi flow. This is something I always try to promote whilst teaching my facial, as it’s the key to preserving the skin’s youthful appearance.”

She notes that ageing is inevitable and, even though exercise can slow down the ageing process, it is not the fountain of youth. “You need to combine other measures in your everyday life to live beautifully and age gracefully. Good quality sleep, a balanced and varied diet, maintaining a strong social network, and simply having a good laugh are all keys to maintaining a sense of beauty.”