Talked to a 30-year esthetician about hydration products and it made me rethink my whole routine

Ran into this older esthetician at a supply shop in Portland last week. She said most of us are over-exfoliating and under-moisturizing, and that our hydrating serums are basically useless if the skin barrier is shot. Made me wonder how many clients I've been accidentally irritating with my recommended routines.

3 comments

3 Comments

jadej501mo ago

Hasn't anyone ever stopped to think that maybe the real issue isn't what we're putting on our face, but what we're not taking off? I mean, think about how many times you've layered a toner then a serum then a moisturizer and then a sunscreen all on top of each other without giving your skin a real break. Idk, maybe the esthetician's point is we don't need half the products we buy because our skin already produces what it needs if we just left it alone once in a while. Like maybe the answer is just washing your face with water some nights and using a basic moisturizer instead of a ten step ritual. That lady probably sees people's faces as a pile of expensive irritation rather than anything hydrated at all.

gavin4691mo ago

Wait, are you telling me my 17 step routine isn't what's keeping my skin from looking like a dried out sponge? Because I was pretty sure slapping on four layers of acid was the only thing between me and turning into a raisin. But seriously, the esthetician probably sees our faces and thinks "yep, that's thirty bucks worth of irritation right there." I'm half convinced my skin just gives up and accepts whatever I throw at it at this point. And honestly, water and a basic moisturizer sounds like a cheat code nobody told me about.

leo_black761mo agoMost Upvoted

Isn't it crazy how we do the same thing with everything else too @jadej50...