To DIY or Not To DIY… That is the Question!

To DIY or Not To DIY…That Is The Question!

We live in a DIY era.  Everyone wants to save a buck while unearthing the “it was there all along” home remedy.  I’m quite sure that these amazing DIY home renovation projects & Pintrest recipes will save you labor fees and a restaurant bill.  But when it comes to DIY skin care, I cringe!  As an esthetician, I am trained on ingredients and their benefits to the skin.  Keeping this knowledge to myself is useless, unless shared with my patients.  For this reason, I want to make you aware to BEWARE OF DIY SKIN CARE!  In a later blog titled “Skin Care: Fact or Fiction”, I lightly touched on a few DIY subjects.  In this blog, I am dedicating its entirety to informing my readers of dangerous DIY skin care treatments and providing a safe, effective solution.

First, the DIY SEA SALT and SUGAR SCRUBS.  I’ll be honest, they aren’t terrible for your body.  In fact, they can be beneficial if used correctly & blended with an essential oil that coincides with your body’s individual need.  Our skin cell turn over slows down as we age, so exfoliating is a great way to speed it up!  Exfoliating can firm, cleanse, tighten, & provide a blemish free appearance!  Exfoliating properly is important.  While these harsh sea salt & sugar scrubs are beneficial to our body, our face requires a less aggressive approach.  Why?  Take rosacea, for example.  Harsh scrubs & vigorous exfoliation can aggravate rosacea and may worsen the condition.  Rosacea is a chronic skin condition that can surface and affect the patient in different ways: redness, red bumps & pimples, skin thickening around the nose, & eye irritation.  According to The National Rosacea Society, over 16 million Americans have rosacea – and some of them don’t even know it!  Scary!  I have also noticed DIY skin care for acnetic patients!  Acne patients have bacteria present in the form of pustules.  Harsh scrubbing will expose the bacteria and spread it to the once unaffected areas of the skin.  What if you don’t have rosacea or acne, are these scrubs ok to use?  The answer is, no.  These scrubs can cause inflammation, enlarge the pores,  & cause microscopic damage that can worsen in the future.

Bottom line, you may save a trip to your esthetician by trying these DIY scrubs, but you’ll definitely have to pay for a dermatologist later!  I suggest you treat yourself to a regular microdermabrasion treatment at my office.  I am licensed by the state of LA and certified in the microderm machine, Imagederm,  that I use on my patients.  I am able to carefully monitor the level of exfoliation and ensure my patients achieve the result they desire!  I also offer many other alternatives to exfoliation.  ZO Skin Health & Medical offers two AMAZING scrub options…Dual Action Scrub & Exfoliating Polish.  Dual Action Scrub is a better choice for Normal to Oily skin & Exfoliating Polish is great for Normal to Dry skin.

Another common DIY skin care treatment are the DIY FRUIT MASKS & FRUIT PEELS.  Sure, its fun to whip up a mask from your refrigerator, but knowing your ingredients is key!  Instead of relying on Pintrest to explain ingredients, call or message me.  It would be my pleasure to share my knowledge on food ingredients and their skin benefits.  For now, lets discuss fruit.  Fruits smell great and can have a cooling or tingling effect when applied.  What you don’t know is the sensation you are feeling is your skin’s pH barrier being disrupted!  Keeping your skin balanced is essential in good skin care.  Acidic fruits have a pH of 3.0-3.3.  Our skin’s pH is normal at 5.5.  When our skin’s pH falls below the norm, bacteria will flourish, skin becomes irritated, dry, peeling can start, and dehydration can set in.  If you absolutely have to make a mask at home, try a simple yogurt & honey mask.  The lipids in yogurt are soothing and moisturizing.  Honey is an antibacterial & antioxidant that will give the skin a nice glow.

If you don’t want the hassle of robbing your kitchen, researching ingredients, or the wait time of at-home masks, come see me!  My patients are in love with the Domina Alginate Mold Mask.  The mask is included in a treatment we call The Italian Facial!  This treatment exfoliates, tightens, hydrates, & improves the skin’s texture & tone!  Patients notice an improvement immediately!

If a good peel is what you are after, you’ll love The Perfect Derma Peel!  This peel is offered in my office with minimal downtime.  The results have been incredible!  Contact me to see patient result images, patient reviews, or for more information.

What about DIY OIL TREATMENTS?  I actually had a patient ask me if I’ve heard of using motor oil to draw out impurities and hydrate! I almost fell out!  PLEASE do not ever consider motor oil for ANYTHING in or on your body!  Sheesh!  Now, there are other oils out there being used at home to hydrate or repair the skin like coconut, almond, & olive oil.  Keep in mind that these oils CAN NOT penetrate the skins first few layers.  So, if its only affecting the outer layer, whats the point?  I won’t completely dismiss this idea.  Patients who are severely dry or dehydrated may experience some relief with these oils.  Consider using a serum first to penetrate and work the layers below the surface.  This way, the oils can give some relief to the surface.  For all other skin types, these oils are on some level comedogenic.  Meaning, they will clog the pores & cause breakouts.

What have we learned today? DIY Skin Care may save a dollar today, but may cost a fortune to your wallet and skin in the future!  Curious about another DIY skin care treatments not discussed in this blog?  Let me know and I’ll be happy to give you my professional opinion or research and discuss with other skin care professionals.   I am here to help my patients by sharing my skin care knowledge. providing treatments based on that knowledge, & delivering results!  And guess what, MY SKIN CONSULTATIONS ARE FREE – beat that DIYs & PINTREST!   Your skin is the largest organ in the body – give it the attention it deserves!  Make your free skin consultation today by contacting our office at 985-893-6073.

See you soon!

Your Esthetician,

Sam