Are You Happy With Your Skin Care Results?

Here are some tips just for you!

As we age, skin regeneration slows drastically. What once was a 6-week cycle of skin cell regeneration can easily turn into 12 weeks and longer and that's with being consistent.

When it comes to skin care products and devices, it’s all about safety, consistency and keeping up a regular routine.

Most of the changes that take place in the skin when we are using skincare products and skin care devices are very subtle. That is why it's so important to track your progress with photos. This is a great way to see those improvements!

Once a week is a good timeframe. These photos are for your eyes only so don't worry about what they look like!

We live minute by minute with ourselves, looking in the mirror and not always seeing our beautiful face in a good way, so tracking by writing down or marking on the calendar our skin care accomplishments will give us hope and some satisfaction about our progress.

True Story...

When I was treating clients as a micro current technician, we would take a before and after photo to track the clients progress. You would be surprised how many clients would say that they aren't sure if they are seeing much of an improvement in their appearance after using and finishing the micro current sessions. That is until we took the after photo, then they were absolutely amazed with their results!

I remember one client that came in for micro current treatments because her husband let her know (a lot) that he was tired of looking at her "old face". Boy did I have to bite my tongue off when I heard this! Anyway, we did the before and after photos as usual, then she brought her split screen photo copy back to her husband to show him her results, needless to say HE was very happy. But you know what I was impressed with? This client told me she was happy with herself either way!

How long will it take to see new changes in my skin?

This will vary with age, lifestyle, diet choices, skin care products and devices.

I obviously will always recommend to you the Dr. Lucy products because they are fresh, natural, potent, toxic free, safe, tested, tried and true for you and your skin!

I will also recommend to you a couple of "Boot Camp" skin care devices that I use and know work amazingly well. Plus they are safe for you to use. See devices at end of this article.

Some of those subtle changes you can track when using your skin care products and devices...

Many see small changes in fine lines first.

Skins texture and or flakiness is starting to improve.

Skin tone improvement.

Skin around the eyes look more lifted.

Irritation and inflammation calmed.

Less puffiness under eyes.

Skin appears a bit brighter.

The jaw line might start to look a bit more defined.

Here are some "middle of the road" time line averages for your skin improvements...

Cleansers: Immediately to one month
I will always and forever recommend a crème cleanser like Dr. Lucy's Gentle Crème Cleanser. Right after cleansing your skin should feel soft and smooth; not dry, greasy, or tight. Keeping your skin balanced and not stripped of important and essential skin oils is key to beautiful skin!

Toners: 1-2 weeks
Toners like Dr. Lucy's Balance and Refresh with added benefits like added hydration and nourishing nutrients.

Retinol: 4-6 weeks
I personally do not recommend pharmaceutical retinol's. In the long these retinol's actually "thin out" your skin. The goal is to thicken our skin through time, not to thin it out.

I prefer recommending the natural route like our Revitalizing Face Oil with natural retinoids.

Serums: 6-8 weeks
My preference is to use a gel serum like the Dr. Lucy 2-in-1 Hydrating Serum. Why? Gel has a lighter weight consistency with smaller molecules for deeper penetration. Gels also do not have added humectants like cream serums, which have a tendency to sit on top and the skin and weigh down the thin tissue around the eye area. Just say YES to nutrient dense, lightweight gel serums!

No eye creams: 4-8 weeks
Same as the 2-in-1 Hydrating Serum definition above. Creams just have too many humectants and not enough penetration.

Face moisturizers: 1-2 weeks
Consistently using a nutrient dense face moisturizer like Dr. Lucy's Ultra Moisturizer morning and evening is the key to seeing softer, plumper more hydrated skin quickly.

Hydrating masques:
Immediate results. Hydrating, nutrient dense masques with Atlantic sea kelp like Dr. Lucy's Luscious Rose Equalizer Hydrating Masque will deeply nourish your skin, leaving it soft, smooth, cleansed, hydrated, calm and balanced.

Face oils are a must!:
Strengthening the skin barrier is a must!: Face oils contain essential fatty acids that help strengthen the skin's natural barrier. They help to lock in moisture, reduce inflammation, can slow down the appearance of aging and fade fine lines and wrinkles. and the list goes on!

So what is your plan?

It's easy math. Anything worth having means we have to be consistent. This includes your skin care products and devises also, so that you will reap mega skin care benefits!

Did I Overwork My Skin?!

Does this sound familiar? You're excited about discovering high performance products and advanced technology you can use at home. You start the skincare journey only to look in the mirror two weeks later and your face looks worse instead of better.

Don't throw out your products and devices. Simply stop and consider you may have overworked your skin in the zeal to do a good job. Listen to what Christine Byer, Master Esthetician has to say in her article, "Did I Overwork My Skin?".

Here's a list of questions to determine if your skin is overworked.

Is it possible your skin is dehydrated?

Excess water loss from the skin can result from: heat, exercise, burns, or skin diseases according to a report by the National Library of Medicine. Remember, when you are using high performance skincare and advanced technology on the skin, you are adding energy and exercise to the skin and underlying fascia and muscle. Dehydrated skin can look dull, feel tight, be overly sensitive, take on a shiny but flaky nature, have dark undereye circles or experience an increase in fine lines. To avoid dehydrating the skin, drink a glass of water prior to using devices, use plenty of conducting gel, and only use devices as directed.

Are you overusing devices?

It's not uncommon to get excited about the possibilities advanced technology can do for anti-aging. It might seem that if a little is helpful, a lot would work wonders. More is not always better in skincare. Consistency is the goal. New collagen growth can take anywhere from four to 12 weeks. It's important to create a consistent routine which balances the use of high performances products and advanced technology, without overdoing it.

Have you started too many new products at once?

It's important to give skin a chance to adjust to new products and devices. A good rule of thumb is to add one new product or device at a time if skin feels overworked. Use it for a week to allow the skin to adjust. This will also help to tell if a product isn't right for your skin, or which combination of products do not work for you.

Remember, there is no such thing as one size fits all skincare.

Shocking your skin with too much at once can show up as white bumps, red bumps, pimples forming under the skin (cysts), blotchy, red patches, dry patches, and clogged pores to name a few.

What lifestyle choices are impacting the health of your skin?

We're investing in the care of our skin but if we don't also make supportive lifestyle choices, we can sabotage our results. Is your diet deficient in nutrition? Do you consume excess caffeine or alcohol? What is your stress level? Are you using low quality makeup? And, is your routine consistent? Our bodies will tells us when something is out of balance. We just have to pay attention and make some necessary adjustments.

How to Reverse Overworked Skin...

The biggest thing to do is, don't panic. After making a few adjustments right for you, your skin will begin to make progress and you'll get results from your investment in self-care with quality skincare products and devices.

Stay on this modified routine for at least one week, longer if needed. You're looking for signs your skin is recovering by seeing less of the overworked symptoms.

Increase your water intake and reduce caffeine and alcohol consumption. Eat a diet high in nutrition with less processed food or fad diets which leave the body lacking in nutrition.
Simplify your routine by starting over with the basics. Choose your gentlest pH balanced cleanser, one serum daily, and one moisturizer. Sunscreen if you're going to be outdoors.
Use LED only 3 times a week with a day of rest in between.
When your skin starts to recover, add only one new product or device at a time.
Incorporate stress reduction of some kind. I.E. Breathwork, meditation, prayer, EFT Tapping, bubble bath by candlelight with soft music, get more sleep (go to bed earlier), listening to your favorite music instead of watching TV, etc.

If you have any questions about this article please contact me!

P.S. I personally would add using a microcurrent home device to stimulate cellular activity, collagen, elastin, tighten skin and diminish fine lines and wrinkles.

P.P.S. Please share this informative article with your friends and family! Merci!

To You and Your Beautiful Skin!
Rebecca