My role as your esthetician is to inform and educate you to help you improve the health of your skin. It's a jungle out there with consumer advertisements on TV and magazines touting "revolutionary" skin care ingredients and products that deliver "miracle" results. These products, with few exceptions, are OTC products (over the counter) which are sold at drug stores, discount and department stores, through multilevel sales, and on the Internet. All are sold without the recommendation from skin care professionals and are rarely scientifically proven to deliver on their promises. Don't be fooled by fancy labels that list certain features because the quality and percentage of ingredients is the most important in determining if the product will actually benefit your skin. Professional product lines puts it's money where it will most benefit the clients - in quality and results-producing ingredients, and in training professionals, like me.

It is of utmost importance to have a home care regimen that supports your professional treatments. Skin care products are limited in what they can do to improve your skin because in order to be effective the must contain "active" ingredients that penetrate the epidermis (top layer) to reach the dermis (2nd layer). To reach the dermis a product must feature a base ingredient (the first one on the ingredient list) proven to absorb into the skin. Many products are water-based but, contrary to popular belief, skin does not absorb water.

Skin that is well cared for will naturally look more beautiful. It is important to have realistic expectations for what our skin should look like given our age, medical history, genetics and past behaviors. By implementing a proper skin care regime using high quality products that cleanses, exfoliates, moisturizes and protects your skin, you can optimize normal skin function and stave off some skin care damage. More importantly, you will help to improve the overall health of your skin.

We are fascinated with the newest, biggest, fastest and the best especially when it comes to our desire to look youthful. This can be challenging - but if you are willing to depend on scientific proof rather than the most compelling commercials or marketing claims you will gain the ultimate positive outcome - more youthful looking skin.

To your skin health,

Linda Lopez