Best Practices for Optimal Skin
Photo: Glowbar.com
With summer in full swing, skincare has never been more important. With a stronger & more frequently appearing sun, my skincare routine shifts slightly in the summertime. During my latest treatment at New York City’s newest facial bar, Glowbar, I asked licensed esthetician, Ally, for some tips on creating & maintaining a healthy glow-y complexion - here’s what she said:
Photos: Courtesy of Glowbar
1. Monthly facials
Facials help to deeply clean the skin & remove otherwise unseen impurities. Additionally, consistent targeted treatments will help to alleviate specific skin concerns for good. Ally recommends a facial every month to achieve long term results. More about how often you should get a facial in this post
Luckily for NYC dwellers, Glowbar takes care of all the hard work by exclusively providing custom tailored facials at just $55 per month on the monthly subscription plan ($65 otherwise). You can receive a variety of specialized treatments like dermaplaning, cavitations, extractions, and SO much more.
Photos: @zaynab_issa
2. SPF, SPF, and more SPF!
We’ve already published an article on our dear friend the sun (check it out here), so we know with the good comes some bad - specifically for our skin. Controlling the amount of exposure our skin gets to the sun can be difficult, so sunscreen is an absolute necessity. Ally recommends making sure to include a serum with antioxidants beforehand or an SPF with included antioxidant properties for superior absorption!
Ps, don’t forget to apply down your neck & the backs of your hands, and everywhere else!
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3. Exfoliate
Dead skin sitting on the surface of our skin is one of the main reasons our skin might look dull or uneven. Including a biweekly exfoliation in your skincare regime is the best way to ensure your skin is looking its best + brightest - always.
Ally recommends using a chemical exfoliant 1-2 times a week. If you’re going on a sunny vacation, swap out a chemical exfoliant for a physical exfoliant to avoid sun unwanted sun damage. When shopping for a physical exfoliant, make sure to lookout for gentle wax beads as opposed to something with hard granules.
Always use SPF following any type of exfoliation!
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4. Moisturize
Moisturizing in the summer while you’re sweating might seem counterintuitive, but it’s actually the opposite; If you completely halt moisturizing in the summertime, your skin might overproduce naturally occurring oils to over compensate, resulting in even oilier skin. Instead, include a lightweight gel moisturizer if you have oily skin or a lightweight oil for drier skin types.
Ally recommends NEVER using coconut oil to moisturize the skin no matter the skin type. Since coconut oil is a solid oil at certain temperatures, it has the potential to clog pores - no thank you!
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5. Serum
Serums are an essential, and are highly specific depending on your skin type and specific concerns, so there’s lots of options to consider in this category. Here are some general recommendations Ally made:
Start the day with an antioxidant serum, like vitamin C, to help strengthen the skin and protect it from free radical damage.
“Vitamin C + SPF work really well as a duo because they can help fight against environmental damage throughout the day. ”
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Targeted treatments work best in the evening to allow undisturbed absorption.
For Acne prone skin:
Ally recommends iS Clinical Active Serum to help keep pores clean.
For drier skin types:
A serum with hyaluronic acid like the Dr. Barbara Sturm Hyluronic Serum is ideal for rehydration.
To prevent anti-aging at any age:
incorporating Vitamin A , also known as Retinol, into your routine will be beneficial in so many ways. Ally recommends Environ’s AVST or Cquence Cream because they provide a gradual introduction for first time users. Vitamin A is a key ingredient to balancing and stabilizing skin concerns (acne, pigmentation, etc) so it’s always a great addition!
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While these recommendations were given with summer climate in mind, they’re also great practices to consider for any time of year!
Photos: @zaynab_issa
