Do you REALLY know whats in that product you saved money purchasing online??

We are all guilty for making those online purchases because we can get a great deal.  If we spend $XX we get either FREE shipping or a gift with purchase.  How can you resist???  

Well I am here to tell you WHY buying online isn’t all that it’s cracked up to be.

Being an Esthetician, I trained & learned about the skin & how the skin works with certain products.  I also understand skin conditions & how certain products can make or break the desired results of your skin.  I understand that I can suggest a product to you & you can turn around & purchase it cheaper online.

Here are 5 reasons why you should take my advice and purchase through a trained professional...

#1 MOST PRODUCTS PURCHASED ON AMAZON OR EBAY ARE EXPIRED!!!!!!!! 

This is why products are sold so cheap!!!  You can be buying expired products, which means that the active ingredients are no longer effective.  Also bacteria can begin to grow because the preservatives begin to lose their effectiveness. 

Or worse yet, you're NOT getting the product that you actually bought, because it's been repackaged!

#2 HAVE YOU HEARD OF DUMPSTER DIVING??

Some people have even gone to extremes and sit outside of Sephora or Ulta or the malls waiting for expired, damaged or already opened & returned products to be tossed and they grab them and turn around & sell them online!

This is really scary, again because even if it's packaged as the product you're buying, it may not be that product!  If a product was damaged, they can replace it as something else.

#3 I WILL SAVE YOU MONEY OVER THE LONG-TERM: 

Here's a great example that I hear a lot in my spa..."I just bought this amazing serum because my friend told me her wrinkles are gone!".  Being a trained professional, I immediately begin to ask questions.  What kind of skin does your friend have?  Are her skin care concerns the same as yours? How does YOUR skin feel when you use it?

I see it constantly, most of us are using the wrong products that just don't work for our skin.  Most OTC product lines carry specific lines, such as anti-aging, acne, rosacea or treatment of dark spots.

By using a professional line and getting the help from a Licensed Esthetician, you will be using a product that works and you won't have to waste your money trying all these products that can dry you out, strip your skin of oil or even cause breakouts!

#4 YOU CAN TOUCH, SMELL & FEEL PROFESSIONAL PRODUCTS!!

Most spas & Estheticians offer FREE skin care consultations that INCLUDE a Cleanse, Exfoliation & Moisturizing treatment.  We also have you bring in your current products to see what you’re using to ensure nothing will irritate or create a negative effect in your skin.

Again, being licensed in Skin, we can understand if something is not working and we can get you in a product that will work.  

#5 YOU ARE IN THE BEST HANDS (NO PUN INTENDED)...

When my clients come in, the first thing I do is touch their skin & feel it before beginning any service.  This tells me the current condition of your skin and can help guide me to ask questions about products or your current regimen.

I then base my facials to fit specific needs at that time and re-evalute your at home products and adjust at the end.  

Estheticians are your personal skin care consultant.  Find one that you love and stick with her, because your skin WILL Thank You in the end!

Importance of Good Home Care

The Media is flooded with Beauty products and every magazine has the latest and greatest anti-aging product to make us look 20 years younger. 

But do you REALLY know what you're putting on your skin??

And just because XYZ magazine's beauty editor said that this great new ABC cream is awesome, does it really work for YOUR skin's specific needs??

Then we find ourselves at a department store beauty counter, Sephora or Ulta or even CVS just to pick up that amazing cream the beauty editor said would make your skin look and feel great.  

We leave with that product and a few others, because we just need to get rid of those wrinkles or acne or even out those sun-spots.

Suddenly, are skin is left with a feeling of dryness, the wrinkles may have diminished but we are now breaking out or our pores look bigger or the spots got darker, etc.

Whatever the reason or the problem, unfortunately, most of us are NOT fixing the problems we had to begin with, because we are using products that are WRONG for our skin.

I see it all the time with my clients.  Every new client that comes into my spa, gets a full-skin analysis and that includes them bringing in their current beauty products and we go through EVERYTHING they're using.

Honestly, almost every client I see is using something that is not only wrong for their skin, but they are damaging the skin and creating more harm or causing the aging process to worsen.


Here are 3 reasons WHY we end up using the Wrong products for our skin...

Reason #1: While reading our favorite magazine, the beauty editor told us that ABC cream is amazing and got rid of her wrinkles!

Beauty editors are just that, an Editor of a magazine who happens to work in the beauty area.  Manufacturers send boxes of products to them (for free) to try out and write about in their upcoming articles.

They know nothing about the science behind skin and rarely, if ever, mention what skin-type they are.

And they are just basing their information on the way the product feels on their skin, not on how the active ingredients are meant to target specific skin conditions.

Reason #2: We open up another magazine and see celebrities with flawless skin on the advertisement for our favorite beauty brand and attached is a coupon!

I can guarantee you that most celebrities do NOT use the OTC products they are PAID to promote.  Again, manufacturers spend millions of dollars on celebrity endorsements to sell their products.  

Unfortunately, the quality and amount of active ingredients are NOT high enough to make a difference.  Plus, they make such large quantities of products at once, they need more preservatives to keep the shelf-life longer because they can sit on the shelves in warehouses for 6months to 1year before even hitting the shelves in stores!

Reason #3: The information you're getting is NOT from a Trained Professional!

This is my biggest pet-peeve!!!

Estheticians spend between 400-1000 hours (depending on their state) getting educated in Skin.  We understand the basics of skin, the biology of how the skin functions and how products are absorbed or not.  

We also learn science and spend many hours learning products and the science behind ingredients and how to use the products to achieve results in the skin.

Most importantly, we are trained that your home care routine is the MOST important aspect of skin care, because YOU are in control of your skin everyday!  We only can do so much in the little time we spend with you each month.

We recommend products that are customized to your skin's needs.  Based on your current skin concerns, we can see what you're using or not using that needs to be added to your routine and truly care about seeing you happy and confident with the way you look and feel about your skin.

My biggest recommendation is to find a good Esthetician who is passionate about skin and understands and continues to educate herself (or himself) to be up to date on the latest information and beauty trends.

Call the spa and ask to speak to the Esthetician prior to booking your facial and bring in your beauty products so you both know what's being used on a daily basis.  A good Esthetician will fill in the spaces that need to be filled and add to your home routine so you can get the best results.

Lastly, by using the right products, you will actually SAVE money, because you won't be spending money on products that don't work and end up sitting on your shelf (collecting dust) or even thrown away because your skin reacted negatively or just isn't happy with that product.

If you have any questions, please feel free to reach out to me, I'm happy to take a look at your skin.  If you don't live in the Chicago area, I'm happy to look at your skin via Skype or FaceTime.

My website is a great resource to help guide you and get my contact information.