Beautiful skin has lots of secrets, but also some myths that need to be dispelled. That's why we regularly sit down with the best estheticians in the industry to discover the latest trends and most effective techniques for beautiful skin.
This time we had the pleasure to talk to well-known esthetician Priscilla, owner of Smooth Complexions, a beauty treatment centre that adopts a holistic approach to skincare.
She revealed a ton of secrets and holistic skincare routines that are guaranteed to reveal your beautiful skin, from the Inside out. Spoiler, ice globes are the icing on the cake! Here's more:
1. Tell us about yourself, what do you do?
My name is Priscilla, I am the owner of Smooth Complexions and a licensed esthetician with half a decade of experience. I'm also proud to say that I'm an advocate of holistic skincare. With this mission in mind, I perform holistic facials and treat various skin concerns and conditions from acne to rosacea.
Since I dealt with problematic skin myself, I decided to specialize in treating acne prone skin. Throughout the years, I managed to perfect my treatments to the point that my clients don't need a dermatologist anymore. There's nothing more rewarding than seeing how happy my clients are when they finally achieve clear and beautiful skin.
2. How did you get started as an esthetician?
Funny story, I actually started in the makeup industry! I graduated from Makeup Designory in Manhattan, and I worked in fashion, and bridal.
That's when I noticed that many of my clients had problematic skin. Since good makeup depends on great skin, I decided to study esthetics. Needless to say, I fell instantly in love with treating skin! It became my full-time passion.
3. What do you feel is the most surprising aspect of your esthetician job?
What's most surprising is that there are many different aspects to consider when treating skin conditions. For example, in my procedures, I incorporate topic skin treatments, but I also tackle the inner aspect with healing crystals.
My belief is that great skin depends on both a consistent beauty-regiment, but also on inner health. And I'm confident it is so, because my clients always leave glowing on the outside, but also feel amazing on the inside. I give them "a Zen feeling".
4. What are the most common myths about skincare?
Oh, there are so many myths when it comes to skincare! I think a lot of people don't realize that it takes time to see results. It's not one session and puf! Plus, results also depend on how consistent people are with their home regiment.
Also, many people wrongly believe that to see results, they have to limit themselves to a single brand. False. Mixing and matching products according to one's skin type work much better.
Another myth is that exfoliating more will reduce breakouts. Again, false. I always tell my clients that exfoliating once or twice a week is more than enough, because over-exfoliating actually produces more bad oils and thus leads to more breakouts!
5. Why is a skincare routine so important?
Because no facial will yield results without consistent at-home skincare. I always tell my clients that a skincare routine makes up 80-90% of the results. It's like dieting and working out. You need to do both. Once you are consistent and you use the right products, you will achieve your skin goals!
6. What are your top 5 favourite skincare products for 2020, and why?
My top 5 favourite skin products are:
- Saint Jane CBD Luxury Beauty Serum, because I simply believe CBD serums should be part of everybody's skincare routine, no matter the skin type. CBD can help with a variety of things from problematic skin to ageing skin.
- OLEHENRIKSEN Banana Bright Eye Crème, because it has made such a difference for my clients who needed brightening under their eyes. Plus, it stimulates collagen production.
- SkinCeuticals C E Ferulic, because it is definitely one of the best vitamin C serums on the market. Since it's a medical-grade skincare company, the serum is not as holistic as my other choices, but the results are almost instant.
- SUNDAY RILEY Luna Sleeping Night Oil, because retinol is yet another ingredient everyone needs in their regimen, especially if you're over the 25. That's when collagen production starts to decrease by 1% each year. Still, by introducing retinol in our regimen, even if it's something as gentle as this retinal oil, you'll wake up glowing, one wrinkle less at a time.
- The Ordinary Niacinamide Serum, because as I tell everybody, niacinamide are the Holy Grail of skincare. They are even safe for pregnant women, and they help build a stronger skin barrier while balancing oil production. Who doesn't want that?!
7. How did you hear about Fraîcheur Ice Globes? What do you think about ice globes?
I follow a lot of famous estheticians and I started noticing more and more of them using facial ice globes. I thought it was such a different approach to facial massages and I instantly thought it would be a great idea for me to incorporate them in my facials.
I absolutely love using the ice globes! They add an extra layer of benefits and they're such an essential part of a facial. I find them extremely useful, especially at the end of more invasive treatments such as microdermabrasion, as they help decrease any inflammation or redness.
8. What do your clients say about ice-cold facial massages?
They love them! As soon as I touch their face with the ice globes, they immediately say "Oh, my goodness! What is that? It's amazing!"
It always takes them by surprise, in such a pleasant way. Most of them are used to heat, steam and hot towels, as these are commonly used in facials. But the cold facial is a refreshing surprise and they savour every moment of it!
9. Please pass on your most important beauty tip for people who want to have healthy skin.
The most important advice I can offer to anyone who wants healthy skin is to be consistent and to treat their body right!
It's so easy to get lazy and put your regimen off for one night. Then, one night can become two nights and so on.
A trick I also share with my clients is to leave some skincare products in the shower. Since everyone showers at least once a day, the products can act as a reminder that your face needs some love too!
10. Do men like facials? Do they care about skincare?
Men absolutely love facials! Even if they don't know it yet, haha!
From my experience, men relax 10 times more than women during a facial. Unfortunately, I think men don't necessarily care about skincare until they experience some type of skin disorder like psoriasis or eczema. But once they start using recommended products and see the difference, they usually begin to invest a little more time in skincare.
11. Is there a big difference between men and women's facials?
To be honest, there really isn't much of a difference. Both require an equal amount of care and products.
All my facials, for both women and men, involve a deep cleanse exfoliation, hot towel treatments and massages. Although everyone's skin is different, and treatments will be customized to each skin type, overall facials follow some basic steps.
However, my facials do have that extra wow factor thanks to the ice globes massage at the end. Clients relax so much and always come back for more!
12. Describe your personal skincare routine?
My personal skincare routine is straightforward yet consistent. Although I have a ton of products, since I suffered from acne during my 20s, most of them are unnecessary.
Over time, I learned that less means more for problematic skin. The secret is not using more products, but having patience and being consistent. A double cleanse weekly exfoliation, a great serum and facial oil is all it takes. And, of course, an ice globes massage!
13. Tell me some of the funniest myths about the skincare that you have heard from your clients.
One of my funniest myths I've heard from a client was that they were using baking soda to exfoliate because they heard it worked wonders! It was a first!
But it was only funny at the beginning because afterwards I noticed just how dry her skin was. She had broken capillaries and an extremely impaired barrier. I was in shock!
Another myth I heard that beaching the skin helps with pigmentation issues. Actual bleach, can you believe it?! It wasn't even funny, it was completely dangerous!
I can confidently say that myths are not the key to good skin, haha.
If you want to learn more about ice globes and how they can advance your skincare routine, our video from the UK TV Show "This Morning" is a great place to start.'
You can reach out to Priscilla on her Instagram