March 2022, Q & A

Industry Talk March 2022

March 1, 2022 | by

With Janel Luu, Le Mieux Cosmetics

Feel-good beauty tool soothes dry skin

 

 

What are your tips on soothing dry skin?

The first step in choosing the best way to soothe dry skin is figuring out the cause of dryness or dehydration.

  • For example, wind, chilly air, and low humidity pull moisture away from the skin surface and weaken the protective barrier, so apply moisturizers more frequently and use a humidifier at home.
  • A lack of exfoliation causes a build-up of dead skin cells that prevents the skin from absorbing moisture, so use ultrasonic exfoliation tools or a mild hydroxy acids (such as mandelic) two to three times a week.
  • Hot baths, showers, or long soaks in jacuzzi tubs can break down lipid barriers in skin and lead to moisture loss, so take warm showers, limit the amount of time in water, and apply moisturizer immediately after drying off.
  • Prescription meds, low humidity, or indoor heating may break down skin’s natural lipids, so use skin care products that include humectants and occlusives to maintain the moisture/lipid balance of the stratum corneum.

 

How can we advise our clients to keep the skin hydrated during colder months?

Most clients can add simple steps to their regimen to keep skin hydrated during colder months and prevent dryness and dehydration.

  • Help them make sure that they are using exfoliants properly, so they do not strip skin of its natural lipids.
  • Recommend the appropriate moisturizer for their skin type and age to help maintain the water/lipid balance of the skin’s natural protective barrier.
  • Encourage the use of hydrating skin care products and tools that help transform dryness and dehydration into a dewy, healthy-looking glow.

“Our touch as a professional skin therapist brings forward the personal detail of connection within every facial.”

What are the best ingredients for hydration and moisture?

  • Hyaluronic acid is one of the best ingredients for hydration and moisture. Hyaluronic acid is known for absorbing moisture, expanding it up to 1,000 times, and allowing skin to retain that moisture. Hyaluronic acid at a high molecular weight (such as 800-1,000 kDa) provides extensive moisturization and elasticity. Studies have also shown that hyaluronic acid at a low molecular weight (50 kDa) penetrates the stratum corneum even more effectively for deep hydration.
  • Glycerin and urea are other popular hydrating agents that are part of the natural moisturizing factor (NMF) in skin. Applied after exfoliation, they are well-absorbed and continue to provide hydrating benefits even after the product has been washed off.
  • Sodium PCA and ceramides are also powerful components of skin’s NMF, with strong moisture-binding properties. These popular humectants also create a barrier that reduces the loss of moisture, preventing skin cells from drying out.
  • Honey also pulls moisture from the air and retains it. Honey contains vitamins and minerals such as calcium, copper, magnesium, niacin, pantothenic acid, and thiamin, which help provide nourishment and replenishment to hydrate and balance dry, dehydrated skin.
  • Sacha Inchi seed oil and butter are exotic yet highly effective occlusives, containing up to 85% omega-3 and omega-6 essential fatty acids that deeply moisturize, repair, and maintain the barrier function.
  • Cupuaçu seed butter contains vitamins A, B, and C as well as mineral nutrients (calcium and selenium) that improve moisture retention and promote barrier repair.
  • Abyssinian oil, evening primrose oil, moringa oil, baobab oil, baobab butter, and shea butter are also moisture-sealers.
  • Algae extract can function as a type of “moisture cushion” for dry, stressed skin.

Can you tell us a bit about O2 Infuser and what it does?

Le Mieux O2 Infuser fills in lines, volumizes, instantly replenishes moisture, creates a dewy, “glass skin” glow, and immediately calms irritated skin. This 3-piece system is ideal for not only the face, but for the entire body, too. How does it do all that? O2 Infuser takes up oxygen from the air and then oxygenates and micronizes ingredients that are in water-based skin care. The oxygenated particles are dispensed in a hydrating mist and delivered directly into skin. It’s an easy-to-use tool that fast-tracks active ingredients to targeted areas, so instead of just sitting on the surface, they are deeply absorbed.

What products are used with O2 Infuser?

O2 Infuser has an activator and a serum specifically formulated for it: Oh My Glow Activator and Oh My Glow Serum.

  • Both Oh My Glow Activator and Oh My Glow Serum feature Hya10+ Complex, a revolutionary proprietary blend of over 10 forms of moisture-boosting, volumizing hyaluronic acid at low, medium, and high molecular weights. Both also contain real diamond powder to help create a satiny-smooth texture and luminous “glass skin glow.”
  • Oh My Glow Activator also contains kombucha to shield skin from environmental stress, tranexamic acid to target hyperpigmentation, and manganese to energize skin cells.
  • Oh My Glow Serum features ectoin, the “anti-stress molecule,” to help inhibit inflammation, acetyl hexapeptide-8 to fade away fine lines and wrinkles, and palmitoyl tripeptide-5 to encourage collagen synthesis for volumized-looking skin.

Can you use other serums besides Oh My Glow Activator and Oh My Glow Serum?

Yes, but the products used with O2 Infuser must be water-based only. Products with gums or fillers might clog up the nozzle tip.

How can O2 Infuser be incorporated into existing treatments?

O2 Infuser treatment can be incorporated into other facial treatments to help skin recover from dryness, dehydration, dullness, and fine lines and wrinkles. One popular treatment is Le Mieux Oxygen Detox Gua Sha Sculpting Facial, which uses O2 Infuser and Meridian gua sha techniques to detox stressed skin, re-sculpt facial contours, press away wrinkles, create a “glass skin” glow… and also help clients de-stress during these challenging times.

Who is O2 Infuser ideal for?

Since skin changes according to the season, environment and lifestyle, any skin type is suitable for an O2 Infuser treatment when the ratio of serum and activator is customized.

For example, after the mini-flask on O2 Infuser is filled halfway with Oh My Glow Activator, you would add a certain amount of Oh My Glow Serum, according to skin condition.

  • For oily skin: 2-4 drops serum
  • For dry skin: 1-2 pipettes serum
  • For very dry, mature skin: 3 pipettes serum

Also, O2 Infuser can be used for cooling and refreshing any skin type, at any time during the day, not just during treatments.

Can O2 Infuser be used on the body as well?

Yes, O2 Infuser cools, refreshes, and rejuvenates face AND body, while helping ward off the visible effects of environmental stressors. This oxygenating, hydrating, anti-aging tool is also ideal for incorporating into body treatments, especially moisturizing treatments that also include dry brushing, hydrating skincare products, and full body massage.

What are other ways we can teach our clients to achieve the “glass skin” glow?

“Glass skin” originated from K-Beauty, where plumped, luminous skin has a glass-like quality, described as “mul-kwang-pi-bu,” or “watery glow.”

  • In a K-Beauty regimen, this glass skin glow is achieved by starting with double cleansing. First, an oil-based or micellar water-based cleanser is used for dry, normal, combination, or sensitive skin to lift off dirt and makeup. A cream-based cleanser can be used for oily or sensitive skin. Second, a gel-based cleanser leaves skin clear and hydrated, without stripping away natural oils essential to maintain a healthy skin barrier.
  • Using a hyaluronic acid serum or a botanical-oil-based lipid serum such as Derma Relief Serum can also create glowing, healthy-looking skin.
  • When putting on makeup, clients can mix their foundation or BB cream with a hyaluronic acid serum or a botanical-oil-based lipid serum such as Derma Relief Serum for smooth, even application and a dewy glow that lasts throughout the day.
  • And of course, clients can use the O2 Infuser before or even after applying makeup to maintain a fresh, dewy glow throughout the day.

What is the cost of O2 Infuser and its pairing products?

Read More…


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