Episode Transcript
[00:00:00] Speaker A: Foreign.
[00:00:20] Speaker B: Hello everyone, this is Lacey with smartcast and I'm here today with Gracie, one of our retail specialists here at Smart Skin Med sponsor. And we're going to talk to everyone today about retail and skincare and what works and what doesn't work and kind of where to get started. So thank you so much for joining me today, Gracie. Yeah.
So you are kind of a lover of ingredients and what makes skincare products worked and for who. So tell me a little bit about like how you got started in your passion for skincare.
[00:00:52] Speaker A: Well, basically I got started pretty much through working at Smart Skin, just having a passion for aesthetics in general and then having the opportunity through trainings to just really dive deep and learn a lot more and talk with brand reps one on one about like what their products are about and how do they compare with other brands. And that just really interested me.
[00:01:18] Speaker B: So, yeah, so before you worked at Smart Skin, you were young. I mean, I think you were 20 when you started with us.
What kind of skincare regimen were you personally using at that time?
[00:01:29] Speaker A: Pretty much just drugstore, like what I thought was high end drugstore, basically like a decent cleanser, gentle cleanser, SPF moisturizer, but no vitamin Cs yet, no retinoids or anything like that just yet. But I probably didn't need to do that myself because I would need the expertise. But yeah, yeah, very simple.
[00:01:53] Speaker B: I can remember growing up and, you know, obviously there's a lot more information out there for young women and men today. Definitely. I feel like my children and their friends are much more well informed now than we were growing up myself, especially because I'm significantly older than you. But I grew up using like Aveeno and things like that and thinking that that was like really good stuff and it's not terrible stuff, but it's definitely not what, what probably would have been the most beneficial for my skin. And so I think that it's such a really good thing, but also kind of a scary thing that there is so much access to information, especially if you're listening to the wrong voices.
So tell me a little bit about kind of some of the things that you hear from patients at the front desk and some misinformation or some things that you kind of have to set the record straight on.
[00:02:48] Speaker A: Maybe misinformation, like things that they come.
[00:02:53] Speaker B: In that they've heard on TikTok or they've heard from, you know, skincare influencers that maybe is not correct.
[00:02:59] Speaker A: I feel maybe sometimes like certain people can think medical grade skincare could be a gimmick just cause they don't realize like the effort and the testing that these products go through and like the vetting it goes through. And you know, I'm educated to be able to tell them these things, but I kind of was on the skeptical side too. I'm like, is it just like a money, like you could get the same thing but you know, like for example, the Ordinary, I don't know if I can say that, but like that you would think is a really good brand but it just doesn't compete with medical grade that's been tested.
[00:03:39] Speaker B: And yeah, they think because they see vitamin C or retinol or hyaluronic acid that it's the same thing as physician dispense skincare product. But what products like the Ordinary or things that you can get over the counter at Sephora or CVS or Target or any of those places, they can make claims of whatever they want. So they can have one ingredient that has had studies that say it's going to do something and they can say our product does this. But they're not testing on vinyl formulation and they don't have to prove what their claims are because they're not physician dispensed to where Skin Medica and Skinbetter and all of those products that are pharmaceutical grade products.
If they say that their product does something, they have to prove final formulation that does in fact do that thing. And it is efficacious in the way that they're claiming that is. So it's just very different in like vitamins and things like that. They're not fda, you know, approved and so they can make all those claims. And it's the same thing with over the counter skincare products.
[00:04:41] Speaker A: Yeah, and also they can't guarantee like that that specific ingredient has been stabilized. Like it needs to be like, you know, brands like Skin Medica or Skin Better Hydrinity they can do because they have certain airless pumps that you can't unscrew and these products are never exposed to air.
And you know, just down to the packaging it makes a huge difference.
[00:05:05] Speaker B: Yeah, it all plays a role together. And you know, like you were saying, not all ingredients play well together. So I mean just because you have several ingredients that have studies on them, you can't just throw them all in a formulation and say you're going to get these great benefits from it because a lot of those ingredients actually will counteract each other or make one of the ingredients not work at all. And so when Skinmedica goes into their R and D and they're preparing to create a formulation.
They're going through hundreds of thousands of different types of formulations before they finally get that perfect formulation that's going to give the end result that they're claiming that it makes because they have to prove that that final formulation actually works.
So I think it's really important for people to understand that and understand how much research and development goes into creating these skincare products.
So. And I think one of the misconceptions too is that you have to be on a 10 step skincare regimen and that's not necessarily the case. And so you have to really take into consideration the person's lifestyle and what they're trying to achieve and what their age is and what their skin type is. So if you were going to put somebody on a new skincare regimen, walk me through that process and kind of like where you get started with them. Yeah.
[00:06:30] Speaker A: So basically if it was somebody just brand new to skincare, obviously they have an interest there in smart skin.
I ask them what's their main concern.
And it can sometimes be just like hydration or discoloration. And I kind of hone in on that and I recommend like a serum that would target that one concern because you don't want to overwhelm, especially to someone who's new. And then I'm like, well, do you have a good cleanser? This cleanser will be great for this product.
Do you have a good spf? You'll need an SPF to protect what the product's doing.
And then just like if they're interested in learning more, like adding in just the foundation. Yes. And then. Yes. Getting them in with an esthetician, doing a skin scan, doing treatments that are going to help with their main concern and concerns they might not even be aware of, like a lot. Like hydration for a lot of people isn't a main concern. And then you do a treatment and you have hydrated skin and you're like, wow, like that made a huge difference.
[00:07:32] Speaker B: Yeah.
[00:07:32] Speaker A: Me for example. Yeah.
But yeah, like, I like to just start slow because like, obviously you don't want to introduce too many products at once and it can be a lot. But once people start using stuff and seeing the change and after being consistent, they always come back for more.
You know, whether you let them like sample something.
And I like to work with estheticians to like always get their opinion on like what's recommended and.
Yeah, yeah.
[00:08:03] Speaker B: So I think that too, like even starting out, just a really great Retinol and SPF can make all the difference in the world for somebody. Absolutely. Like, especially if they're working on anti aging. Yes. So, I mean, that is always, like, my go to is making sure that they've got a really great SPF that's protecting their skin from blue light, from environmental defense. And there's. SPF has come such a long way now that it's got this cosmetic elegance that you can layer it with your makeup or you can have, like, our color science Flex Eyewear is a makeup. So it's SPF 50, but it's got that coverage that I need. So I don't even need to wear a foundation or a traditional makeup anymore. So, I mean, a lot of people were like, oh, my makeup has SPF in it? Well, I mean, not really. It's got, like, SPF 20, and it's not really doing what the SPF 50.
[00:08:57] Speaker A: And it's clogging your pores.
Yeah.
[00:09:00] Speaker B: It's got binders, and it's got all.
[00:09:01] Speaker A: Of these suffocating your skin.
[00:09:03] Speaker B: Yes. So I think that a lot of our patients are really loving the either Elastin hydro tent that's got SPF 36 in it with added benefits, or even our Pavise that's got the diamond core technology in it. And it's doing all these other incredible things for your skin, and it's working kind of like a primer for your makeup or just giving you a really pretty luminescent appearance to your skin. And so it's not just an SPF to protect you from the sun. It's actually doing a lot of other really great things for your skin as well.
So, I mean, skincare products and SPF have come a long way. I mean, especially, like, retinols, you don't have to have that traditional tretinoin pilling, redness, irritation. Now, all of these trets and these retinols are in a lipid barrier system. So it's able to penetrate deep down into the dermis of the skin and then release time, release into the skin so that you're getting the benefit where it needs to be without irritating your skin barrier.
I know that skin barrier is another really hot topic right now. People are getting, you know, they're getting dermatitis, and they're getting all of these, like, weird skin rashes. And it's because they're disrupting their skin barrier because they're using these really bad ingredient skincare products, and they're disrupting and irritating their skin.
So sometimes too much of a Good thing. Not a good thing, Right. So protecting your skin, making sure that you're, you know, protecting that skin barrier and you're using your SPF and you're consulting with your licensed skin care professional to help guide you in the skincare products that you're using on a daily basis and just kind of reevaluating, because what you need in this season may change in the next season, and then where you are in your lifestyle right now might change between now and next year. So it's really important that you stay in communication with your skincare professional and make sure that you're still on the right track and you're using the products that are best suited for you and not your best friend and what your best friend loves, necessarily, but what's right for your skin.
So that's another thing that we kind of deal with is like, we'll have someone come in and be like, oh, my friend does this treatment, or my friend uses this product and she loves it. And I want to get that, too. And while it may be a good fit for you, it's not always the best fit for you.
So that's what we're here for, is just to kind of do those consultations. We offer complimentary consultations. We do virtual or in person. If you do in person, we have skin scanners so that we can track your results.
But it's just really important that you're making sure that you are getting your advice from people that are qualified to give the advice and that they're qualified to give the advice for you and your specific concerns and your specific skin type, because everybody's got different skin.
So what are some of your favorite skincare products that we have here right now?
[00:11:56] Speaker A: That is such a hard question. I. Okay, I think my number one is probably the HA5 hydro collagen by Skin Medica.
I feel like that just brightens up my skin. It makes me look like I just had a fresh facial. And it's also stimulating collagen. I'm hydrated for 48 hours after I put that first application on. I love that product. I just have, you know, red, dry skin. I feel like. So that is my best friend.
I love the Elastin C radical defense. It's the most gentle vitamin C that I've used. I love Alto advance, but so I go in between those two.
That just brightens my skin. It helps keep it nice and bouncy and bright.
And then I've been loving. I mean, I've. I've been stuck on the Elastin hydro tint. So, yeah, love that. And the glow, the color science glow, that's new to me. And I love pretty.
[00:12:52] Speaker B: It's.
[00:12:53] Speaker A: Yeah, it just likes you. It's a glow. Yeah. Who doesn't want to glow?
[00:12:57] Speaker B: So what about cleanser? Do you have a favorite cleanser?
[00:12:59] Speaker A: Right now I'm liking skin betters foaming. Is it the refining foam wash? Yes. Oh, I love the foam. I like to put it on my little microfiber cloth. It just feels so good. And then my pores are just so clean. And I have issues with like my T zone and getting just congested. And having a cleanser that can, like, take care of that in between facials is amazing. And I just love the foam. It's not too much for my skin. And I also love the Barrier Pro by colorescience.
That one, you know, when the, you know you've been exposed to too much sun or maybe you've just disrupted barrier. That's a great cleanser to keep your skin in check.
[00:13:40] Speaker B: Yeah. Well, the cool thing about cleansers today too is that it's not just removing your makeup. Like, that's not just the only cleansers today. They actually are serving a purpose like this. The Hydrenity Prelude is basically like a detox for your skin. It's going in and it's detoxing, you know, all of that dirt, oil, makeup, cleaning out your pores. And it's just doing so much more for your skin than just a basic cleanser. And like you said, the Barrier Pro is reestablishing that barrier protection in your skin. It's a single cleanse. You don't have to double cleanse with it.
The Aha BHA is one of my favorite cleansers. It doubles as a basically a exfoliating mask and a cleanser with the Aha Baja in it. And then it's got the jojoba beads, and so you're getting that mechanical exfoliation and then you're also getting that chemical exfoliation as well. I also like to use that kind of as a mask on kp on my arms, which is really nice, and on my chest and my back as well. So, like when I'm deep conditioning my hair, I'm using the Aha Baja cleanser on my face as a mask. So I just love that cleansers are not just cleansers anymore. They actually are dual purpose and they have so much more power behind them, which is really cool. I know that.
HA5 hydro collagen is going to be launching their new foaming face wash.
[00:15:04] Speaker A: So I'm pumped for that instant. I'm sold.
[00:15:07] Speaker B: Yes. I got to do a little demo of it before they pulled it back. So they were experiencing some pump much like skin better experience and pump issues. And they had to pull it back and relaunch it again too. So, you know, again, like you were saying, it comes down to even the mechanics of the applicators that the skincare product is in. The packaging is so important in the way that the delivery of these products are being exposed to your skin. And you know, a lot of them, like TNS for instance, has to have a specific type of chamber that it's in and the way that it's dispersed so that it can keep that product stable. And so that way, from the first pump to the very last pump, you're going to get that efficacious result no matter what. And it's not being oxidized by the air in the sun.
[00:15:55] Speaker A: Product isn't being compromised because you've had it for longer.
[00:15:58] Speaker B: Right?
Yeah. So I just think it's really cool that there's so many different skincare products that are going to be customizable to each person's individual skincare needs. And you don't have to stick to one brand.
[00:16:12] Speaker A: Right.
[00:16:12] Speaker B: You don't have to have all Skin Medica or all hydrenity or all skin better. Like, you can mix and match if you need to and then layer those products in the way that obviously your esthetician will help guide you. And what's the best order of application so that you can make sure that those products are getting down into the dermis in the way that they need to to be to give you that best result.
But I, I love to mix mine too. Like, I'm using the Skin Medica TNS right now. I'm using the skin better, even intensive for discoloration. I' the HA5 hydro collagen I'm using. I just started on the Lumaviv again. I'm obsessed with it. My skin is glowing. It looks so good. I'm loving that. I was using the Elastin C radical, which I really do like too, because my skin's very sensitive to vitamin C.
But the Lumaviv is not a vitamin C. It's going to be environmental defense. It detoxes your skin at night. It preps your skin to be able to do all of the healing that it needs to do at nighttime. And then the daytime product is going to protect your skin from the Environment and pollution and blue light and all of those things. But it works in the same way that a vitamin C does. But it's not a vitamin C, so it's really cool. It's like a new age version of a vitamin C. And then I use the Hydrenity eye product and the hypochlorous acid from Hydrenity too.
[00:17:40] Speaker A: Hydrinity's Ironyu Complex is my favorite. Just for, well, for the most, the wide, the widest range of people.
I feel like, you know, if someone's just really curious as far as eye creams go, they are going to like the Eye Renew complex. And if they want to try their things, by all means, but.
[00:18:00] Speaker B: And if I'm feeling lazy, I'll just use my HA5 hydro collagen as my eye cream and my lip balm because it's super hydrating.
And then I love the Elastin neck product because it just kind of like gives you this pretty glow and it tightens the neck skin and it just like snatches everything, which is really nice.
[00:18:15] Speaker A: The Neocutis neck product is.
[00:18:17] Speaker B: Yeah, that one's really popular too. Yeah.
[00:18:19] Speaker A: I haven't really like used a lot of neck stuff. I just kind of like bring my product down to my neck.
But we got to try it at the training and I saw the like, because I have the neck bands, I saw like an improvement just like in the 24 hours that I had it on their eye cream.
[00:18:39] Speaker B: The Lumiere Firm is really a, a popular eye cream.
[00:18:41] Speaker A: Oh yeah, people.
That's a cult favorite.
[00:18:45] Speaker B: Yeah. You know what I've just started to using too. That has changed my skin on my body.
Is the skin better Alpharett overnight body cream?
I was getting like KP on my legs, like my upper legs on the front and the back and then of course on the backs of my arms. And I've been using the Alpharett overnight body and within two days, like probably an 80 improvement. It's incredible. Like really, really, like shocked me at how much of a difference I was able to see in the skin quality on my legs and my arms from that. That's crazy because it's super hydrating even though it's an Alpharett overnight. But it's just helping to gently exfoliate the dead skin off and then hydrate the skin at the same time.
[00:19:28] Speaker A: Unclog those pores.
[00:19:29] Speaker B: Yes.
[00:19:30] Speaker A: I use the peel pads on my arms and those help a lot, but I don't use that as often as you would use the body cream. So I need to try the body cream.
[00:19:38] Speaker B: Yeah. Do the body cream at nighttime, you'll love it. I use the pill pads on my face too, like once or twice a week if I need to, and then I use it. But the same nights that I do my clearing serum, which has got salicylic acid in it, my skin loves salicylic acid, so I have issues with my skin exfoliating on its own. Very well. So that clearing serum is super gentle without irritating my skin, but it just gives me enough exfoliation to keep my skin bright.
[00:20:07] Speaker A: Love bright. And glowy face.
[00:20:09] Speaker B: Yeah. So in combination of doing treatments, what are some treatments that some of our patients do here that you're just like, oh my gosh, you have to pair that treatment with this at home skincare product?
[00:20:23] Speaker A: Definitely. If anyone's treating discoloration, they need to be on some type of like melanin inhibitor brightener, brightening serum.
That's going to take their treatment so much further and it's going to help them kind of like have an everyday accountability at home because you come once a month but you have every single night at home.
And yeah, it's just going to take those treatments so much further and it's.
[00:20:53] Speaker B: Going to make your treatments like IPL and laser treatments so much safer too, because it's working on all five pathways of the melanin cycle and it down regulates all of that, all of that to be able to be safer to do the treatments. Because you're going to be less risk of having pih. So if you're down regulating that melanin production, then you're going to be less likely to have that spike in the melanin after a treatment from the heat and everything. And so being on a skin lightener and brightener while you're doing an IPL series or a laser treatment is going to enhance your overall results and make it much more efficacious and safe too. Yes.
[00:21:33] Speaker A: And you'll probably get to where your, your goal faster.
[00:21:37] Speaker B: Yeah, yeah. So I mean, you don't need to be necessarily on like a. Why am I going blank?
What is it?
[00:21:46] Speaker A: Prescription hydroquinone?
[00:21:49] Speaker B: Yes, on a hydroquinone.
Because the hydroquinone you can only use for three months and then you have to come off of it to where these melanin inhibitors are safe for pregnancy. They're safe year round. You don't have to come off of it, you can stay on it every day all year long, which is really great.
[00:22:06] Speaker A: And those are why you come speak to a professional, because we can take all of that into consideration and think about like your lifestyle if you are pregnant, if you're, you know, obviously if you're pregnant, you wouldn't want to be doing these treatments, but ipl, right? But yeah, things like that.
[00:22:25] Speaker B: There are things that are going to spike whenever you're pregnant. Like you're going to have a little bit of melasma potential if you're pregnant. You're going to have just some more discoloration sometimes if you're pregnant. But being on a melanin inhibitor is something that you can do while pregnant that's still safe for you to do while you're limited on the skin care products and stuff that you can use and the skincare services that you can do.
So any last minute tips for our listeners about skincare or where to get started.
[00:22:56] Speaker A: Call us, schedule a consult.
[00:22:59] Speaker B: You know, you can do the virtual consults too. So if you're not in the area or you are limited on your time, you just want somebody to kind of go over your skin and kind of what you're experiencing, give you a plan. We can definitely do that by virtual consultation. And then whatever skincare products that you need are available for purchase on our website.
We can send you links, help you get that started and then those companies will mail it right to your house. And you'll still get with especially Skin Medica, your ally points and stuff too, which is great. So colorescience has a reward program and Skin Medica has a rewards program and Neocutis does and Elastin does. So they really like to try to give back and incentivize you to be able to stay consistent with your skincare regimen. So we can definitely help get you set up for those as well.
Thank you for joining us on today's episode of smartcast. And we'll see you next week.
