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1 A. Skin Preparation – Using a Lactic Pumpkin Extract blend; moisten hands with warm water. Place Pumpkin Cleanser in palm of hands. Begin facial cleanse; steam may be used. *NOTE: This all-important first step must be thorough. Massage skin with cleanser for about five minutes and remove thoroughly with wet, warm gauze pads. B. Second-Phase Cleanse and Balancing – Apply Phyto-Nutrient Toner (Raspberry Lotion) to skin. This begins the infusion of important nutrients for cellular support and clears the pathways at the stratum corneum level for better penetration. Let Raspberry Lotion remain on skin. *NOTE: Do not get in or near eyes.
2 A. Preparing Enzyme – Remove three teaspoons of Pepsin & Papain Enzyme; add one teaspoon of an organic herbal compound blended with salicylic and ursolic acid (Italian Herbal Peel). Stir mixture until creamy. Place protective pads on eyes. B. Enzyme Application – Apply an even layer of enzyme mixture to face and neck using a soft brush. First Heat Wrap – lay two 4x4 damp gauze across upper and lower face and wrap face with a steamed towel. C. Enzyme Removal – Let enzyme remain on skin for 10 minutes. Remove towel wrap and begin removal of enzyme with the gauze that is on the face. Rinse several times for complete removal. Blot skin dry. Skin will be stimulated and slightly pinkened.
4 Finishing Mask – A custom blend with the actives Cocoa and Milk to add free radical defense, calming and soothing elements, and additional nutrients. Mix equal parts of Milk Mask and Chocolate Antioxidant Mask and whip together. Apply evenly to skin with a soft brush. Keep on skin for five minutes. Lay a dampened 4x4 gauze on face and neck. Roll chilled Ice Globes across face and neck for five minutes or more. Remove gauze and remaining mask mixture.
1 The area to be sugared is first cleansed using Presept Skin Cleanser - an anti-microbial solution to remove excess oils, makeup, lotions and debris. After all you would not do black head extractions over makeup… so the same applies when extracting hair.
2 After a thorough cleansing, Essential Tonic, an anti-inflammatory tonic, is applied to act as a catalyst. It has a soothing and calming effect on the skin. One of the key ingredients actually helps to open the cuticles of the hair shaft allowing the sugar paste to grip the hair even better!
3 The area to be sugared is then covered with a very thin layer of Vertal-6 Drying Powder to ensure that the skin is completely dry. Sugar paste is water-soluble and will not adhere to anything with moisture so keeping skin dry is important.
4 Once the area is prepped, the sugar paste is applied against the direction of hair growth. This type of application allows the sugar paste to coat all the hairs and seep down into the skin coating and lubricating the hair on the inside of the follicles as well.
5 The hair is eased out of the skin and is removed using hands and a special “flicking” technique in the natural direction of hair growth. Sugaring is repeated until hair is completely removed from the area.
7 The Essential Tonic is then re-applied to the skin to keep the follicles free of bacteria preventing pustules that can accompany skin that is post extracted of hair and left to the elements.
8 The treatment is completed with an application of Restore Hydrating Lotion that clams the skin and restores the moisture balance leaving the client’s skin feeling soft and clean.
7 Using a pair of sanitized tweezers, pull out enough gauze saturated with Bio Jouvance Paris Bio Matrix Booster Gel (BMTX-1006-P) from the jar to cover the forehead and cut with sanitized scissors. Then, apply the gauze over the forehead where the serum was previously applied. Continue covering the face with gauze saturated with Bio Matrix Booster Gel until face, neck, and décolleté areas are completely covered. * At this point, you may use either an ultrasound or LED machine for three to five minutes per area.
It still amazes me how many of us are out there that avoid all contact with "equipment" in facial and body procedures. I know what you're thinking; I've heard it all before… "Nothing beats human touch… I can do a better job with my hands." I wouldn't disagree, but what I am urging you to do is to take a moment to simply look at things from a different point of view (my fiancé absolutely hates when I say that to him!). But seriously, this month's focus is on Tools of the Trade, and a multi-function machine is one basic piece of equipment that can offer oodles of variations to your skin care services.
Selling retail is an essential part of a well run spa. This is true not only because the additional revenue is so crucial to a spa's bottom line, but also because prescriptive home care is the necessary second step to the professional care given to a client in the spa. While mastering the retail sale can be difficult from a team or individual perspective, there are methods for making your spa’s retail routine hum.
Your Spa's Style
Oftentimes spas try to sell a bit of everything in an attempt to accommodate everyone. This can be a fatal error. The more fragmented your retail mix the more clients and staff will be confused. There must be a driving force behind your spa philosophy. Are you primarily a spa focused in on medical skin care, contouring services, water therapies, or all organic non-ablative therapies? Before you can determine the best retail mix for your spa, you really need to dig deep and understand your theme, focus, and primary therapeutic offerings. Moreover, remember that if you can’t get the product on them in the treatment room—there is a much smaller chance that the client will be taking the product home with them for further use when not at the spa. Integrating the treatment experience with the retail experience is crucial. When determining your retail mix, be cognizant of your client. Do you primarily offer clinical services or is your treatment mix somewhat more “fluffy†or gift-oriented?
Traditional dictionary definitions of the word 'ethnic' refer to those who originate from non-western cultures. The word has also been used to describe people from cultures or nations different from where they reside. The U.S. is unique in that we are genuinely a melting pot. As a result, using the color or Fitzpatrick skin type of a patient to identify ethnicity may lead to incorrect treatment selection. Understanding the intricate variances that exist between the structure and function in the skin of people from differing geographic regions in the world is one important key to a successful treatment.
I am often asked the question, “What equipment should I invest in?”, by colleagues who are new to the industry or those trying to decide what piece of equipment they should add next to their current inventory of modalities. My response is always, “What do you want to achieve?” Our equipment choices should be based on how the chosen equipment will support the treatment offering that we provide. What is the main focus of your business? Is it high tech and clinical or wholistically based? Who are your clients and what are their skin concerns? How do you differentiate your business from the competition?
In the aesthetic industry, we have been fixated on two principle manifestations of aging: wrinkles and gravity. We address wrinkles through a variety of methods including laser and light technology, dermabrasion and microdermabrasion, chemical peels of various strengths and types, botulinum toxin, and daily skin care regimens. Gravity has been the traditional territory of plastic surgeons that lift and pull until the sagging skin and muscles return to their desired youthful position. The problem with this paradigm is that it fails to incorporate one vital element in the aging process, the loss of soft-tissue volume.
Hopefully when you decided to become an aesthetician, your main deciding factor was your passion; Passion to help others look and feel better. It’s no secret that having passion for what you do is a major factor in an overall success formula. And, when you combine passion with skills, your chances for success are even greater, but your formula remains incomplete. You need a solid investment program - an investment into the future of your career path, and what better than continuing education and advanced education. In the ever changing face of beauty products and beauty systems, it’s become even more crucial today for aestheticians to stay on top of their game.
More than one million Americans are diagnosed with skin cancer each year. Many more are diagnosed with pre-cancerous conditions. These numbers continue to increase, not only in the U.S., but worldwide. Despite the alarming increase in skin cancers, especially in the teen and young adult population, people continue to believe that a tan is healthy. The notion that sunscreen is an occasional summer-only accessory is still prevalent, yet mistaken. Several factors are responsible for the alarming rise in skin cancer. The continual erosion of the Earth’s ozone layer due to pollution has led to a decrease in the amount of ozone protection than was afforded previous generations.