11+ Tips for Investing in Skincare – My Daily Routine, Product Recs & Treatments

March 20, 2022

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if you’re like me, you want to make major moves and ready to invest in skincare.

The problem is that so many folks are so dang LOUD – and it’s hard to know who to trust!

Working as a plus size model and influencer, people stare at my face a lot. And, working as a coach and educator… people stare at my face a lot.

I’ve been going to an esthetician since I was a teenager [thanks, Mom!], and I invest in pretty high quality products.

Buuuut, my commitment to using them ++ having an actual daily skincare routine and investing in a skincare system – ehhhhhh, not so much.

Investing in Skincare

So, when ringing in the new year, one of my major goals in January was to sit down with my esthetician, Jana, and develop a skincare routine based on my skin type.

I realized that I needed a consultation session, one where we could talk about my skincare, my goals and develop a plan. In the past, I’ve tried to lump in my skincare questions before or after getting a treatment and that just didn’t work. [Stay tuned for a blog post detailing my schedule of needling, microdermabrasion, chemical peels and derma-planing].

I realized I needed a dedicated skincare consult. Asking questions before or after a treatment didn’t work.

How-To Guide for Investing in Skincare

In this blog post, I share:

How I found my esthetician
How I work with my esthetician &
How I prepared for my skincare consultation with my esthetician
The questions I asked during my skincare consult
The specific skincare products I use + my daily routine

Finding An Esthetician – Skincare Investing

Heads up, you’re probably not going to learn everything you need to know from beauty and skincare bloggers! In my experience working in influencer marketing, those folks are seeing estheticians!

Put another way, in order to seem more “relatable,” many skincare and beauty bloggers don’t hare that they also drop $$$$$ on services with a licensed esthetician.

If you’re serious about investing in skincare, then you’re going to want to meet with a licensed esthetician, or a dermatologist who works at a Med Spa. I note a dermatologist who works at a MedSpa, because there are different focuses for dermatologists.

Tip #1: Serious about investing in skincare? Get an esthetician.

I’ve been working with Jana for years, and we actually met when she was getting her esthetician license. I would go and get services at a local esthetics school – and we connected there! [Real talk, my mom connected with Jana, lol.]

How to Find an Esthetician:

I do NOT recommend going to an esthetics school to get treatments, as I’ve heard a lot of horror stories. I have a few myself! Instead, if you’re looking for an esthetician, you can contact a local school and get a list of their recent grads.
You can search Instagram via hashtag for providers, making sure to include a city. #SaltLakeEsthetician or #UtahEsthetician
You can post on social media and in Facebook groups
You can reach out to a local professional modeling agency, to see who they recommend
Message a few bloggers, models or influencers in your city and ask for recs!
Make sure to ask everyone, “What treatments did you get with this esthetician? How many times have you worked with them?” Some people will recommend an esthetician they have never worked with! SMH!!

Tip #2: Make sure to ask everyone, “What treatments did you get with this esthetician? How many times have you worked with them?”

Note on licensing and laws: In Salt Lake City, I can get treatments from Jana in her home – but she can’t do skincare treatments that require a doctor to be present.

With her license, she is able to sell me Glymed Plus products [more on those in a moment], which fits my needs pretty well.

Back in skincare treatment land! 🥳

Last week, I did micro needling + a Vitamin A chemical peel.

For micro needling, my licensed esthetician numbed my skin (face, neck and décolletage), and then use a a “pen” with tiny needles to prick my skin —> generating new collagen. pic.twitter.com/iOQayJtGBa
— 💥 C-Suite Professional Branding ❤️‍🔥 (@the_huntswoman) January 26, 2022

Preparing for My Consultation with a Licensed Esthetician – Investing in Skincare

Ok, so heads up – when meeting with a professional, be it an esthetician, trainer or someone who is gonna detail your car – it’s important to do some pre-work to identify what you want.

It’s important to take a good 20 minutes to think on this!

Don’t just show up!

So, before meeting with an esthetician to create your Skincare Investment Plan [woot], write down the answers to these questions!

Questions to Prepare for a Skincare Consult

What is my current skincare routine? What products do I use regularly?
How much time in the morning and/or evening do I take for my skincare routine? [# of Minutes]
What skincare products have I bought that I like?
What skincare products have I bought that I do not like? What didn’t I like about them? [Scent, feel, effect on skin, etc]
What areas of my skin do I feel self-conscious about?
What skincare issues do I want to work on? [Acne, discoloration, pore size, etc]
How does my skin behave in the seasons?
Is there a relationship between the time of the month and how my skin is doing // feeling?
How good am I at wearing sunscreen? [Be honest!]
What is my monthly budget for skincare products?
Do I want to work with an esthetician on an area besides my face/neck/chest?

As you go through this process, it’s CRITICAL to be HONEST with yourself and your esthetican!

It doesn’t do anyone any good to say you have a 17-step skincare routine that you do 2x a day – when you really use 1-2 products a few times a week! No one expects you to be perfect, but the esthetician does need you to be able to objectively look at what you’re doing.

Don’t answer these questions as your “ideal self.” Answer these as your real self in this moment!! You’re meeting with an esthetician because you want to level up, babe. <3

Tip #3: Don’t answer these pre-work skincare questions as your “ideal self.” Don’t BS yourself! Be real!!

Going to the Consultation – Investing in Skincare

Ok, so quick note! When having a skincare consultation it’s normal to have to pay a fee. I didn’t pay a fee for mine, because Jana has worked with me before, and she knew that I would be probs buying a lot of product.

If I were looking for a new esthetician, I would be wary of estheticians who DO NOT have a fee. Like a financial advisor, I want people to share their honest recommendations – and it’s hard to do that if they need to make a certain amount of money in commissions!

I shared my info and goals with Jana [from the prompt above], and then we started talking about products.

As we got started, Jana asked me a great question:

“Do you want to talk about over-the-counter options, or do you want to focus at the professional products?” Jana asked.

In 2022, I’m investing majorly in my skin – so I shared that I wanted to focus on the professional products.

Tip #4: Go into the appointment knowing the amount of $$$ you are ready to invest every month in skincare.

During our talk, Jana got out products to show me how they smelled and felt [testing on the back of my hand], and she shared her recs. I trusted Jana to recommend products only I needed.

During the consultation, I took copious notes. I’ve learned in appointments like this, I need to have my laptop out and type. Jana patiently waited for me to finish taking notes as we talked about different options.

Another option is to record a session [with permission]. I really would not recommend trusting your memory on this one!

Some estheticians will do a write up after an appointment!

The questions I asked during my skincare consult:

I am confused about what products to use when, specifically when alternating products every other day
What products should I *not* use after getting a chemical peel or other treatment?
How much product [pumps or amount on hand] should I use?
How do I combine anti-aging or “Aging Solutions” products with products to treat acne that pops up around my cycle?

My New Skincare Routine| Specific Products

Ok, so now after ALLLL. of that – let’s talk about products!

I alternate products based on day [I told Jana I was cool with a more complicated system], so I’ve labeled days “A” and “B”.

Note: All products listed are from Glymed PLUS, and those products can only be bought if you have a license. Glymed PLUS has shared that there are fakes on the market, sold by online retailers. Those products are *not* the same as what you get from the brand, and many can be dangerous!

Do not buy Glymed PLUS products online from big box retailers! If you’re looking for someone who has a license, you can email the Glymed PLUS folks on their website! <3

Products listed online can be *fakes* – you must have a license to buy real Glymed PLUS products.

Morning Routine – A

Micellar – Removing mascara from shower
Cleanser 1: Pre-Treatment Foaming Cleanser [2 pumps]
Cleanser 2: OXYGEN Deep Pore Cleanser [2 pumps]
Eye Cream: Anti-Wrinkle Eye Cream
Moisturizer: Derma Repair Cream – Gold Moisturizer [3 pumps]

Night Routine – A

Alternated with below routine. I’ve italicized the differences between the two after 30 skincare routines.

Cleanser 1: Pre-Treatment Foaming Cleanser [2 pumps]
Cleanser 2: OXYGEN Deep Pore Cleanser [2 pumps]
*Exfoliant: Enzyme Mask
DermaPigment Skin Brightener
Eye Cream: Anti-Wrinkle Eye Cream
Moisturizer: Derma Repair Cream – Gold Moisturizer [3 pumps]

Night Routine – B

Alternated with above routine

Cleanser 1: Pre-Treatment Foaming Cleanser [2 pumps]
Cleanser 2: OXYGEN Deep Pore Cleanser [2 pumps]
*Exfoliant: Ultra-Hydrating Enzyme Mask [2 Quarter Size]
DermaPigment Skin Brightener
Eye Cream: Anti-Wrinkle Eye Cream
*Moisturizer: Treatment Cream

Initial Skincare Investment in Products – $500

All in all, I spent $500 on the above products. I got some of the products in a larger size [back bar size], as I knew I’d use more.

While it can be tempting to roll one’s eyes at my vanity [it’s ok, I’m super vain and know it!], it’s also important to remember the following:

Your skin is an ORGAN. Taking care of your skin is just as important as taking care of your heart!
People see your skin. While I’m not here to judge people on their skin issues [that’s not ok!], it is important to note that people *see* your skin. Investing in your skin is an investment in yourself.

Note on “Double Cleanse”

I have heard beauty influencers and my besties talk about doing a double cleanse, but, uh, real talk I did not dive into that!

“I recommend double cleansing,” shares Jana, “because the first cleanse will serve to remove the pollution of the day + sweat from your beautiful face! The next cleanse actually gets to your skin.”

Let’s talk about double cleansing

How to apply skincare product + how to put it on your cute face

During my consult with Jana, I approached the interaction as if I knew nothing about skincare – including how to wash my face.

Jana told me to put product on my middle and ring fingers, so the application is more gentle. “You shouldn’t be scrubbing your face like you scrub your counters or dishes,” she shared. “It should be gentle!”

Jana also advised me to use circular motions – going over my face 3X with each cleanse.

Investing in Skincare – TREATMENTS are critical!!

Ok, so now that we’ve done a big old post on finding an esthetician and products – let’s talk about treatments.

In my experience, I need to get regular treatments in addition to having high quality skincare products.

Skincare is great – buuuuut it only permeates so far! Treating scarring, discoloration and cystic acne is hard, no matter how stellar the skincare is.

For this reason, I also get microneedling and Jesner chemical peels done.

Every Month I:

Get microneedling on my face, neck and décolletage [as well as the back of my neck!]
Get a Jesner or Vitamin A Chemical Peel on the same areas

Now, during summer, I may lay off the chemical peels. Sun exposure after a chemical peel can mess up your skin – and ruin the impact of your skincare investment!

I created this treatment plan with Jana, because I am AGGRESSIVE. We’ll probs switch things up in the summer. <3

Extra Tips – Investing in Skincare

Ok, so there’s a TON of info! I wish I had found a blog post like this when I was doing my research, so here we are!

Now, let’s talk about extra tips:

Sunscreen: I keep sunscreen in my purse, at my desk, as well as in a bag in my car. I reapply every 2-3 hours. It’s critical to do this! I reapply whenever I get into my car, as well as when I get to my desk after lunch. I’ve trained myself to just automatically apply it.
Headbands: Life is so much easier with one of these velcro headbands. Jana [my esthetician] uses these for treatments, and one day I had a moment where I was like, “WAIT! I can use these?!”
Check your HSA: Some HSAs [Health Spending Accounts] will reimburse you for skincare purchases or services!
50% is better than 0%! Some nights, you may not have the energy to do your full system! That’s ok! Do what you can – in my opinion, washing your face better than nothing. Don’t let perfect be the enemy of the good!