Rachel & Christina share their favorite products, skincare myths and more!
Our in-house licensed estheticians, Rachel and Christina, help patients feel gorgeous in their skin with a wide range of spa services and treatments. Below, they share what drew them to skincare, a few favorite products and even their celebrity skin crush. Read on for more and if you haven’t met them yet, do yourself (and your skin!) a favor and make an appointment with one of Charlotte’s best estheticians this summer!
What’s the best thing about your job?
R: I love building relationships with my patients, listening to their concerns, and establishing a skincare routine and treatment plan to help them achieve beautiful skin.
C: I love connecting with my patients and guiding them through the steps to take to heal their skin and boost their confidence.
If you could only recommend one skincare product to your clients, what would it be and why?
R: That’s a tough question because great skin requires much more than a single product but one of the most important is daily sunscreen for sure. I prefer mineral sunscreens with zinc oxide and antioxidants like Vitamin C+E as they are safe and effective. Antioxidants help boost photoprotection by reducing oxidative damage. A few of my favorites are Elta MD UV Elements SPF 44, SkinBetter sunbetter TONE SMART SPF 75 and ISDIN Photo Eryfotona Actinica SPF 50+.
C: JUST ONE!? The three products I would always recommend are:
1.) Vitamin C. My personal favorites are from iS Clinical: Pro-Heal Serum Advance+ is great for sensitive skin or acne patients. I also love their Super Serum Advance+ because it has anti-aging benefits with peptides, vitamin C and pigment-fighting properties.
2.) Vitamin A is a formulation of retinol or Tretinoin. I love the Tretinoin gel from Obagi. Vitamin A is the holy grail of skincare. It will improve texture, tone, fine lines and wrinkles, heal acne and helps promote skin cell turnover as we sleep.
3.) Last but not least, SPF! My personal favorites are from EltaMD and Revision Skincare.
What celebrity has the skin most of your patients ask for?
R: Most patients realize celebrity photos are typically touched up or they have excellent makeup artists to cover any flaws. Celebrities have real skin issues just like the rest of us and look much different without makeup. Having said that, there are a few celebrities with beautiful skin that look like they’ve never been touched by the sun like Nicole Kidman and Taylor Swift.
C: Jennifer Lopez!
What’s the biggest myth in skincare?
R: “Drinking water will hydrate your skin”. While drinking water is essential for our body to function properly it does not directly hydrate the skin. A diet rich in essential fatty acids (Omega 3, 6, and 7) helps to promote optimal skin hydration and protection….foods like salmon, vegetable and plant oils, nuts, and leafy vegetables. And no amount of water can hydrate the skin like moisturizers containing ingredients like omega fatty acids, hyaluronic acid, ceramides, and glycerin. A few of my favorite moisturizers are SkinBetter Trio Rebalancing Moisture Treatment, Revision Skincare D·E·J Face Cream and Epionce Renewal Facial Lotion. They provide natural moisturizing factors and barrier support without feeling heavy or greasy on the skin–great options all year round but especially during the summer.
C: “Using a retinol is bad for your skin during the summer.” We experience SO much sun damage during the summer. Your skin needs retinol the most during this time to help reverse the damage in the evening. Retinol can cause your skin to be more sensitive but there are ways to help avoid irritation/dryness and to help protect your skin while using retinol consistently in your routine.
You can make an appointment with our estheticians by calling us at (704) 375-6766.