Skincare FAQs: Part 1 of 2
Tarrah Bouts
I am back today to answer your commonly asked questions about your skincare routine!
Wait.
You are saying you have an awesome routine and you don’t have any questions?
Are you sure?
I mean really really sure?!
I don’t mean to patronize you! And perhaps you do have an amazing product lineup! But are you 100% certain that you are applying your products in the correct order, layering them based on desired outcome and proper molecular weights for the purpose of absorption, and you are dispensing them correctly? (I’ll give you a moment to re-read that last run on sentence, just to decide if you should continue reading!)
I actually find it to be very common, that I can send a client home with a rocking skincare regimen, and when they return to me in 3 to 4 weeks for a follow up, their skin is looking much better! But we know that realistically, your products need a full 3 months to render a great result (and if you didn’t know that before, you do now! So keep using your products!)
You return at the 2 month mark, and I double check how your product is holding up. 9 times out of 10, I’m met with “Oh! They’re fine! They are lasting a long time!” Great! After all, we are 2 months in, and many medical grade products will last 2-3 months, but your first purchase of actives should almost ALWAYS last between 3-4 months! (“Why is that?” you might be asking. The reason your first batch of products should last longer, is because it is rare that we start you out using active serums at their full “dose” 2 times per day. Your skin needs a period of acclimation, where you will either use less product, use the product with less frequency, or both!) So. I don’t question these 90% of clients who are “still good” on their products only 8 short weeks into a new routine.
Then month 3 rolls around. I end the appointment asking again, “How are your products holding up?” I’m again met with “they’re fine!” Ok. And I remind you that you will most likely run out before I see you again in a month! So be certain to have the Guest Experts at the front desk look at your product history when you come in to replenish before I see you next month! Let’s stay the course for now, and you agree! (By the way, I am not asking because I am being pushy about selling you a product. At this point, I am your accountability coach to what you expressed at your initial consultation, which was trying to get your skin on point! And I am also aware that with normal usage, you should be running low on an item or two! I truly just want to save you the trip back in, or spare you from having to use some gross product on your skin that you’ve been working so hard to change! i.e. bar soap!)
Month 4. Before my day starts, I have already looked at my schedule, your service history, any notes I have made about your progress, and looked at any photos we have taken so far into your skin’s journey to looking fabulous! I am fully vested in your progress! It is here that I also notice that you did not come in for any replenishment products. I am not going to scold you. After all! It is your skin, your goals, your journey, and your investment! I’m the expert on how to get you there, and the coach, and the cheerleader! At the end of this session, though, you may find me phrasing it a bit different. “Which products did you need to pick up today?” Now. If you tell me you are still good, I am failing you. (Side note that you should know about me as a person, I am hyper competitive, so I do not fail! LOL!)
I know that something in your routine is now not clicking, being overlooked, and/or is not being “dosed” correctly by you at home. That falls back on me! I have not communicated it effectively enough to you somewhere! So I immediately need to figure out what it is, get you on track, and then achieve the desired result you are looking for! I know that if products are not layered correctly, or not dispensed correctly, you cannot achieve the expected outcome that I know we can!
This is only part 1 of a 2 part series! (Click here to get to part 2!) I want to be sure that this information can be broken down and fully absorbed by you, to ensure you get your desired results! After all, that’s why we are working together through this journey! (And thank you, by the way, for letting me be your guide! It is so humbling to have you choose me; and as your friend, I do not want you to lose your trust in me and my abilities!)
Quick recap of what I hope you (secretly) learned today:
Products have to be layered a certain way.
Products have to have a proper dosage to achieve desired outcomes.
Your skin will take upward of 3 months on a great routine to really start seeing the difference.
Your FIRST purchase of actives/serums will last you longer, because you need to acclimate with my guidance!
Thereafter, your active products should last between 2-3 months (this will also help you budget ahead!)
We are in this together and I do want to see you hit your skincare goals!
I do not like to fail or quit. (Ok. That one is more about me, but that’s why only certain clients allow me to work with them! LOL!)