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Avoiding Skincare Gimmicks

If you have difficulty with your skin, it can seem like there’s a new magic solution every time you log into Instagram. There’s always a new treatment, skincare gimmick or shiny new gadget that promises to give you the skin of your dreams. It’s easy to be persuaded by a marketing campaign for a new product. Who doesn’t want the answer to all their skincare problems!

We are constantly researching breaking new skincare developments to provide the best results to our clients. But sometimes, a new treatment is just a gimmick or a trend that doesn’t work. We want to ensure you’re getting effective, well-researched skin care that won’t waste your time or money.

We’re going to talk about three current trends that we see that should be avoided:

1. Seasonal Facials
At certain times of the year, all of a sudden, a facial will appear that makes use of seasonal ingredients. (Do we really need Pumpkin Spice everything?!) We’ve seen advertisements for winter facials with peppermint or orange cloves, even pina colada-themed facials for the summer. While most of these are harmless, if an ingredient was truly a breakthrough treatment, it would be on the menu all year round. These are usually just nice-smelling, generic facials that won’t help you meet your skin goals. We recommend you light a candle instead or maybe just get a refreshing beverage!

2. Oxygen Therapy
A new celebrity trend is using oxygen as part of a facial treatment, usually using a machine that pumps air onto the skin. It’s supposed to help your skin be bright and healthy. And let us be clear – we’re big proponents of oxygen! But here’s a secret: Oxygen molecules are too big to be absorbed by the skin by blowing on it! You may have a temporary boost, but it only lasts for a very short time. No research supports using oxygen as therapy for any skin condition. In short, we’ve much better treatments that can give you bright, healthy skin that will help it stay that way.

3. Dermaplaning
This is a popular exfoliating treatment that uses a blade to scrape the top layer of skin. Many people use it to help them get rid of hair on the face. But we can’t recommend this treatment for several reasons. Dermaplaning strips the skin of its natural protective acid mantle. While it can get rid of vellus hair, the tiny, light hairs that cover our body, that hair serves an essential purpose. It helps sweat and oil exit our skin follicles. Dermaplanning also leads to very short-term results. Excessive use can lead to skin damage, such as scarring, irregular skin pigment, and ingrown hairs. If excess hair is a concern, there are better alternatives!

We don’t want you to waste your time and money on short-term fixes or ineffective treatments. Many of the glowing reviews from bloggers or influencers come from people who have only had one treatment and are paid for their endorsement. They don’t post about the long-term results or the negatives!

Our focus at SPA Melissa Allen will always be long-term skin revision. While we want you to feel amazing when you leave our estheticians, we also want those results to last. We want beautiful skin for a lifetime!

Want to see what treatments we recommend? Use the consultation tool on our website or book online to schedule your first step toward healthier, more beautiful skin.