Though these days Alexandra Wagner, founder of Alexandra Wagner Skincare, treats clients out of Abbot Kinny Spa in Venice Beach, CA, the celebrity esthetician first got her start as an esthetician in New York City, meaning she is no stranger to cool falls and colder winters, and has seen first hand what a harsh change in seasonal temperatures can do to a client's skin.
"Fall and Winter are especially important for exfoliating skin," says Wagner. "Skin is most in need of moisturizing and serums at this time of year, but a buildup of dead skin cells laying on the surface of the skin makes it difficult for treatments to penetrate and do their job."
Here, Wagner shares six tips on how to better take care of you and your client's skin this winter:
- Wash your face to remove makeup and environmental toxins. You don’t want to grind these into your pores. Rinse with warm water to soften skin.
- Use a gentle exfoliator or gommage to loosen and remove dead skin.
- Use gentle circular movement with fingers, moving up and out; or the same motion with a very soft brush to loosen old cells, but not so much that you’re actually damaging skin.
- Rinse face with lukewarm water, followed by cool water to close pores.
- Spray with a toner or rosewater to tone and keep skin’s PH in the correct range.
- Follow with a nourishing serum, and moisturizer to complete the process.
Wagner notes that after the age of 26, cell turnover slows dramatically which makes the task of exfoliating much more important. She recommends clients exfoliate two to three times weekly.
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