I have practiced aesthetics for over 23 years and have been a Certified Nutritionist for 10 years. Early in my aesthetics career, I treated an abundance of acne clients and noticed a direct link between skin challenges and diet. I became curious about how to help my current clients from the inside out, which inspired me to become a Certified Nutritionist.  

Common SkinCare Myths

Interview with Former UAC Member Jean McKoy

Real skin is beautiful

Every person’s skin will have varying degrees of acne, texture, discoloration, and scars; it is just part of being human. Your skin is how you can regulate heat, protect from dehydration and infection, and respond to temperature, pressure, and pain, to name a few. Your skin is constantly working and doing all it can to keep you protected. With that in mind, as humans, we need to be kind to ourselves and know that what is advertised is not always portrayed as “normal” and can be very unrealistic if not unattainable standards to meet. 

Natural skin is “normal,” and all that exists in its natural state before makeup, filters, and products. This is what makes us beautiful and human. When we are constantly bombarded with what we are told we “should” look like, it will affect our view of ourselves and how we think others view us. It can cause extensive effects on our mental health and well-being. Our world seems to revolve around this idea of perfection being labeled as “normal” when it is typically photoshopped—utilized through company branding, advertisements, social media, tv, and movies. The campaigns, social media, and everything in between need to show what real skin looks like to undo the conditioning that having anything other than clear skin is not okay. 

What can we do?

We, as estheticians, must work to help normalize the conversation around this. We need to talk about skin texture, acne, pores, rosacea, vitiligo and much more. This is normal, and it is absolutely nothing to be embarrassed by. The skin is the largest organ and is not one size fits all! Our industry and our world could do a better job setting the tone and helping every individual feel comfortable in the skin they are in. Minor changes are being made to show this, but there is still a lot of work to continue bringing positivity to this topic.

It is important to note that every person should feel free to be confident and comfortable in their skin no matter where they are at in their journey. It is okay to have goals you want to accomplish with your skin but still feel beautiful regardless of where you are at the moment.

Is my Acne a sign of Purging or a Breakout?

TYROSINASE INHIBITORS FOR ALL SKIN

Unwanted pigment is something that affects everyone at one point or another. Some people see it appear faster and easier than others. The general public may know pigmentation as freckles, age spots, liver spots, scarring, or uneven skin tones. Pigmentation is tough to treat and it is an ongoing process. You have to be patient when trying to combat pigmentation as you will not see results overnight.