Hey, there My Skin Salon and Derma Bright Clinic fans, and anyone interested in skincare!
Today I want to share thoughts on the importance of clean skincare, which for me is something that goes back 10 years to when I started Derma Bright Clinic, in 2012. The actual inception of my business began in 2011 through a series of coincidental events!
I have written in previous posts about my journey with proactive health practices that included a series of tests including heavy metals, food sensitivity, and hormones. The heavy metals test showed that I was off the charts with lead in my body which came as a shock. This prompted me to research this issue. While doing this research, I came across the book “Not just a pretty face; The ugly side of the beauty industry.”
I read this book in great detail as the test results I received earlier were troubling me. I wanted to find out everything that I could about heavy metals in the body. While reading this book I found out that a lot of products that women and men use on a daily basis are not healthy in terms of the ingredients used to manufacture them.
The more research I did, the angrier I got as I discovered that many companies used these harmful components knowingly, for instance, lead-in lipstick from top-notch brands like YSL.
Coincidentally at the same time, I was making this discovery, I was doing marketing work for an esthetics manufacturer/distributor and learned all about non-invasive skincare technology. I saw this as wonderful technology and it had personally helped me with some melasma I had around my face. That is when it clicked on me! This could be a business! I saw it as a great opportunity as I could start my own business, create my own hours, and while being a single co-parent I could be involved in my child’s life as I would have flexible hours.
Fortunately, the doctor I was doing the tests with had a spare room I could rent and place my machine in. Fast forward to 10 years, that doctor moved away several years ago and my skincare clinic now occupies all 6 rooms! A fun message here is about sticking to what you believe in and what you are passionate about!
I am passionate about health and well-being and the services that we offer at Derma Bright Clinic. Later My Skin Salon was my next business with the premise of offering clean skincare online so I launched that in 2017 as a way to educate and market professional grade, clean and effective skincare products.
Please note that what you put on your skin goes into the body so what you buy needs to be healthful and not contain problematic ingredients that can include things like parabens, phthalates, harsh chemicals, etc. What I usually advise my clients is to come up with an annual skincare budget (so figure out what you are willing to invest in skincare), and work with professionals who can guide you with what products you actually need. At Derma Bright Clinic we offer free consultations, including online, to assist with this!
Not everybody needs everything, that’s why it's important to have an esthetician you can work with who gets to know your skin and who will understand how things like seasons, hormones, stress, etc can affect your skin. It is always important to have a professional opinion on your skin journey as mixing and matching product lines without professional advice can end up with poor results.
We have core suggestions that everybody needs such as a good cleanser and exfoliant. It's especially important to exfoliate your skin regularly if you have acne. We love the Bamboo & Honey Exfoliant from Clayton Shagal as the honey is anti-bacterial and the bamboo is natural. One also needs a good moisturizer from an anti-aging perspective.
Vitamin C is very important for brightening if you have issues with hyperpigmentation. Retinol is also beneficial for anti-aging and doesn’t have to be used every day. And of course, a clean sunscreen is vital. There are all sorts of other things that you can build into a skincare routine but the ones we have discussed above are the core products that I recommend. I also recommend that people take time to invest in and do their research into the brands they want to use.
The EWG operates the Skin-Deep Database which has gone through and rated over 85,000 skincare products on a scale of 0-10. If you are using name brands, they’re probably in that database. Take the time to check out this database and see where your products are in the rating system. You don’t want anything that is over a 5, you want to work with brands that are coming in under 5. It is also very important to note that every country has different standards around what kind of ingredients the products have.
As an example, the ingredient HOT LIST in Europe is 2,000, in Canada, it is 500, and in the USA, a paltry 11! So where your products are manufactured is important!!
If you are truly interested in great skin, commit to an annual skincare budget and invest in products that are professional, effective, and clean!
Estrellita Gonzalez is the owner and operator of Derma Bright Clinic & MySkinSalon.com
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