Clarifying Toner Pads...perfect for teens

Today I'm going to discuss my favorite skincare product for teens dealing with troubled skin. Skin Scripts Clarifying Toner Pads (formerly known as Blemish Control Toner Pads). Same great product just a new name. These pads are only $17. I love the effectiveness and simplicity of these pads. Teenagers, especially boys are the hardest to get on a good skin care regimen. These pads are so quick & simple, teens love them. These pads are also great for adults. I rotate these pads with Skin Scripts Glycolic/Retinol Pads (posting about those soon). 

These Clarifiying toner pads contain 2% Salicylic Acid, 2% Glycolic Acid and Tea Tree. 

Functions: 

Assists in cellular turnover bringing oil and debris to the surface of the skin; Salicylic then dries the uplifted oil. Tea tree calms & soothes the skin. Relieves breakouts while improving the quality & clarity of the skin. 

Recommended for: 

Oily & Acneic skin (great for teens) 

How to use: 

After cleansing, apply to skin 2-3 times per week. Adjust usage based on skin sensitivity or dryness. 

Ingredient Breakdown: 

Glycolic Acid: Reduces wrinkles and promotes resurfacing. Dissolves dead skin cells. 

Salicylic Acid: Penetrates into pores to dissolve impacted sebum (oil). Exfoliates and reduces redness and inflammation. 

Tea Tree: Provides antiseptic properties to reduce spread of infectious material to cause acne. Reduces oil production. 

Make sure to always use sunscreen daily, especially when using products that make you more sun sensitive. 

If you are interested in trying these majic pads out contact me at 859.619.2155 or email skinstudiobymegan@gmail.com 

Do I really NEED a toner?

Do you really need a toner? That is a good question. Some toners in skincare lines are completely useless and can even be irritating. With a million things on our to do lists...a long skin care routine is the last thing we need. With previous lines I have used, I was never impressed with their toners, until I tried Skin Scripts. This toner makes me take the extra 3 seconds a day to give my face a nice spritz. 

Let's discuss toner and their benefits. Most toners help remove extra dirt, oil & makeup residue left behind after cleansing. Some toners are designed for certain skin conditions and ingredients to benefit each condition. My problem with lots of toners on the market is they are full of fragrances. Fragrance is a huge NO NO in skincare products and I always stay away from them. They irritate and clog the skin. Another issue with most toners is they are full of alcohol, "astringents" are what they are usually labeled. These dry out the skin and can cause irritation. 

I use to say just skip the toner...then Skin Scripts blew me away (again) with their Cucumber Hydration Toner. The smell is amazing and it has no fragrances. The cucumber extract gives this product that amazing smell. Every time I spritz this on a client, they always comment on how nice it smells. I can't forget to mention Skin Scripts is an all natural professional skincare line with amazing results. 

Functions: 

Re-hydrates the skin while improving cellular function and absorption of ingredients. Cucumber soothes and cools irritated skin. 

Recommended for: 

All skin types including dry and dehyrdrated. Provides probiotic support to skins acid mantle to support acneic skin. 

Benefits: 

-topically reduces discomfort and irritation

-assists in boosting hydration levels 

-balances surface lipids 

Active ingredients: 

 -heavy water: has a high molecular weight to deliver moisture into the skin, preventing trans-epidermal water loss & is hydrating

-cucumber extract: soothe and cool irritated skin

-hyaluronic acid: binds moisture to the skin 

-sodium PCA: boosts moisture to the skin

-borago officinalis seed oil: high concentration of gamma linolenic acid, an omega 6 essential fatty acid, anti-inflammatory 

How to use: 

AM & PM after cleansing spritz onto skin. Either spritz directly onto skin or apply with cotton ball. 

Tips & Tricks: 

-keep in the fridge for a cool spritz 

-use after applying makeup to set your foundation 

-spritz while at the pool, lake or traveling for a refresher 

Take home Skin Scripts Cucumber Hydration Toner for only $20 for a 3.3 oz bottle! 

BENEFITS OF A FACIAL

Many clients who come in for microdermabrasion or other services will ask, what are the benefits of a facial? Well tonight's post is all about the benefits of a facial. A facial is a professional service to improve and rejuvenate the skin. Facials maintain the health and correct certain skin conditions through deep cleansing. The skin is the largest organ in the body, take good care of it.

Benefits of facials:

• Deep Cleanses
• Exfoliates
• Increases Circulation & Detoxifies
• Slows down pre-mature aging
• Treats skin conditions such as dryness, oiliness, breakouts.
• Softens wrinkles & aging lines
• Clears up blemishes & minor acne. 
• Relaxes the senses, nerves & muscles.
• Speeds up the cellular turnover rate.
• Promotes collagen production. 

So what exactly does a facial include? All of my facials are customized to each skin type. I use Skin Scripts products, a natural skincare line that provides amazing results. Ask me about a gluten free facial.I recently switched up my facials and clients are loving it. My facials typically include:

-Skin Consultation: After reviewing your client intake forms, we will discuss your skin concerns & expectations. 

-Deep Cleansing: Using a treatment cleanser, I cleanse the skin of dirt, oils & makeup. This allows me to analyze the skin and determine the best products and treatments for you. 

-Steam: Steam softens the skin and hardened oil in the pores, it is also hydrating. 

-Enzymes: Depending on your skin type & conditions, I will choose an enzyme tailored to your skins needs. Enzymes are mild, natural, and great for sensitive skin. Enzymes are ingredients designed to dissolve keratin proteins on the surface of the skin, resulting in exfoliation and softer, smoother skin. I love skin scripts enzymes. They are fruit based enzymes that smell amazing.

-Exfoliaton: Speeds up cell turnover, dead skin cells shed naturally every 28 days (this process slows down as we age). This helps rid the skin of the dead cells to reveal healthy fresh skin. Exfoliation is done manually through a scrub or microdermabrasion or chemically with a chemical peel, depending on your skin. 

-Ultrasonic Skin Scrubber: This little tool is amazing. Check out my blog post here ULTRASONIC SKIN SCRUBBER BLOG 
                                                    Here is its three functions:

1. Soft Peel & Cleansing Mode: During the first step, the machine is loosening dead skin cells.The peeling step of this process pulses water quickly into the skin to bring out trapped dirt and oil.

2. Nutrition Mode: During the second phase of ultrasonic, the skin scrubber penetrates product deeper into the skin. This allows the product to reach deeper into the skin than it normally would. 

3. Firming Mode: During the final step of ultrasonic, the machine allows the esthetician to tone and lift the face. This results in elasticity to the skin, eliminates fine lines & wrinkles, and shrinks the appearance of pores.

-Massage- Facial massage is relaxing and increases circulation.

-Mask: Lowers the temperature of the skin, reduces redness, hydrates & delivers key ingredients. 

-Products: Customized to your skin type, eye creams, serums and a moisturizer will be applied.

-Protect: You will always leave with sun protection at Skin Studio By Megan.


After the facial we will discuss recommendations for future skin care treatments and products. Remember good home care is necessary for optimal results. One facial is not a miracle in an hour, but it will promote healthy, glowing skin. I recommend a professional exfoliation treatment (facial, microdermabrasion, chemical peel) every 4-6 weeks. As I stated earlier, our skin cells shed every 28 days, this helps remove dead skin cells and rid the skin of impurities. 

I found this on pinterest and shared it on my facebook page awhile back & I just love it. 

NEW Refine & Renew Duo Review

Let me start by saying I LOVE Skin Scripts products so when I found out they were launching a new duo I was thrilled. I was even more thrilled this duo is safe for all my expecting clients...pregnant ladies need good skin care too. This duo is safe for all skin types and is an excellent daily exfoliant without over stripping the skin. Check out  how you can over strip the skin on my older blog post. Now let's chat about these two new products. 

Raspberry Refining Scrub: 

This scrub smells SO good I want to eat it. Massage this onto the face, neck & chest for 2-3 minutes. Rinse and follow up with the serum. 

Benefits:

-polishes & refines the skin

-anti-inflammatory

-lightens discolorations 

-safe for eczema & psoriasis 

Functions: 

Polish and energize the skin with the antioxidants raspberry and marionberry which brighten the skin and provide anti-inflammatory like benefits to soothe skin irritations. Jojoba beads and blue corn meal gently exfoliate to remove surface build up provides physical exfoliation while exfoliating and lightening ingredients work in tandem to promote a clear, healthy skin tone. 

Beta-Carotene/Papain Renewal Serum: 

This serum feels amazing and light weight. It glides on the skin. Use nightly after the scrub. Reduce usage of flaking occurs. 

Benefits: 

-improves skin barrier integrity by balancing surface lipids 

-exfoliates to reduce visible wrinkles 

-anti-inflammatory

Functions: 

A mild exfoliation serum for sensitive skin.  Beta Carotene is a natural form of Vitamin A. Enhances cellular renewal and assists with collagen stimulation....bye bye wrinkles. 

I love how big the products are and the duo can be yours for only $60! You can also purchase them individually. If you have any questions on these products feel free to contact me at 859.619.2155 or skinstudiobymegan@gmail 

Are you over stripping your skin?

Over stripping your skin is SO easy to do. This is the number one skincare mistake I make...and I accidentally do it often. Being oily, most clients & myself want to wash away all the oil. When we break out we tend to try and scrub away our problems. This is only doing more harm then good. Once oil is stripped from the skin, the natural barrier(acid mantle) is compromised. The acid mantle protects the skin from environmental factors. Once the skin is stripped it can lead to acne, dehydration and sensitivity. This happens because when skin is missing oil, it wants to over compensate and produce more oil. 

Over stripping leads to:

-more oil

-more blemishes

-dehydration

-sensitivity

Ways you can over strip the skin: 

-over cleansing

-over exfoliating

-over using products (combining too many exfoliating products in your regimen) 

Make sure you aren't going crazy with the clarisonic ladies & gentlemen..this can definitely over strip the skin. 

Ways to help compromised over stripped skin:

-Skin Scripts Cacteen Balancing Moisturizer: this is one of my favorite moisturizers ever. It is so lightweight and amazing. It helps normalize water/oil balance & soothes irritated and sensitive skin.

-Facial: Get a nice hydrating and calming facial

-Skin Scripts Ageless Hydrating Serum: This stuff is the best. Ideal for all skin types. This helps improve the skin's barrier function. This product was just featured in Skin Inc for this exact reason. It improves hydration, balances surface lipids, reduces visible wrinkles, improves cellular respiration, and plumps the skin. It is 60% hyaluronic acid. 

Next time you are having extreme oiliness or breakouts, remember cleansing and scrubbing excessively will do more harm then good....trust me. If you have questions about over stripping the skin feel free to email me at skinstudiobymegan@gmail.com

Latisse & Long Lashes

Let me start by saying I LOVE LATISSE. You know those people with amazing natural lashes? Well I am not one of those blessed beauties. My clients always ask me a billion questions about Latisse so I thought I would clear up some confusion in a post. Here are my most frequently asked Latisse questions. I have used Latisse on and off for years. 

Here is a 4 week before & after of my lashes with Latisse. It's not the greatest before & after but you can see those lashes growing. Side Note: my mascara is super clumpy...I was using cheap mascara (yikes)

Won't that change my eye color? 

The answer is NO. This impression is from when Latisse was originally used for Glaucoma patients, it was injected directly into the eye. Since Latisse has been used externally for lash growth, there has been NO changes in eye color of patients. 

Do I have to get a prescription?

Most med spas or plastic surgeons offices will just have you sign a consent form before purchasing Latisse. 

Do I have to use it forever? 

Yes. Lashes have a growth cycle and do fall out. Once you stop using Latisse & the lashes that grow in will be your regular lashes. However, after I use Latisse for awhile and get my lashes the length I prefer, I only use it every 3 nights to save some product & money. 

If I use it twice a day will they grow faster?

No. However I have heard people swear by using it twice a day the first week. The rep for Latisse told me when I first got into the medical field that it will not make them grow faster. 

How long will it take to see results? 

Most people start to see a change around week 4. 

It is so expensive... how long does it last? 

The 3 ml bottle lasts me anywhere from 6 to 8 weeks. I have learned a few tips & tricks to save my precious prescription.

I always put the one drop of Latisse into the bottle cap. Then I dip my brush into the solution. I swipe over both eyes on the top lash line. I use the same applicator for both eyes to make my applicators last longer. I would NOT advise this if you have any kind of eye infection. 

Are there side effects? 

Working in the medical field prior I have sold lots of Latisse. The only complaint I hear is some people have redness around the lash line. 

Latisse vs. Eyelash Extensions 

I say Latisse all the way. I have performed and received eyelash extensions. Even with the proper technique the extensions can still be harsh on the lashes. Think about it...they are using a glue and eyelash extension applied to your natural lash. It definitely weighs down on your lash. Many of my clients have come to me for advice to grow lashes after years of eyelash extensions. Extensions are lots  of maintenance people...like getting your nails filled in. I think Latisse is a much safer alternative for long luscious lashes. 

Side Note: Use Latisse to fill in your eyebrows from over tweezing. It works like a charm. 

Contact me at skinstudiobymegan@gmail.com to find out the best deals on Latisse in Lexington. Many places have buy the 5ml get the 3ml free rebate going on currently.  

Chemical Peel 101 & Giveaway

It amazes me how many clients are scared of chemical peels. I think we have all seen the Sex And The City episode where Samantha's skin looks crazy post peel. I blame that episode for the fear in many clients. I also think the name "chemical peel" scares people off a bit. Tonight we are going to discuss different types of peels & why you should try one at your next appointment. I love alternating clients between peels & microdermabrasion...it is good to switch things up! 

                             

Many clients don't understand there is generally 3 levels of peels...light, medium & deep. Being acne prone and working in the medical field I have tried just about every peel ranging from no peeling to my face falling off in sheets. I have found I have better results doing light "lunch-time" peels more frequently rather than a series of deep peels. Not to mention the down time is much better. Let's discuss chemical peels. 

Benefits of chemical peels: 

-improves skin texture

-reveals healthy glowing skin 

-removes dead skin cells 

-preserves youthful appearance 

-increases moisture retention

-improves skin barrier function 

-stimulates collagen & elastin

-reduces surface pigmentation 

-reduces fine lines & wrinkles 

-reduces acne & acne scarring 

Downtime: 

All the peels I perform at Skin Studio By Megan are "lunch-time" peels. They can take anywhere from 15-30 minutes per treatment. Lunch time peels speed up renewal process on top layer of skin. The downtime is very minimal if any. The skin may appear red after treatment and that will fade within 30 minutes to a few hours. No makeup for at least 2 hours. You also may feel tight & dry for a few days. A few of my peels have minimal flaking for 3-5 days. The downtime is similar to microdermabrasion. 

Types of peels: 

Lactic: 

milk-based 

hydrating & exfoliating 

normal-dry

sun damage 

hyper pigmentation 

lightening 

Glycolic: 

-dissolves desmosomes that hold skin together

-normal, oily, acneic & dry

-minimizes poor size 

-mild-moderate acne 

-pigmentation 

Salicylic: 

-normal, oily & acneic 

-resurfaces & refines skin & pores

-dries up oil

-excellent antioxidant 

-inhibits inflammation 

TCA:

-re-texturizing 

-melasma 

-acne 

-hyper pigmentation 

-evens skin tone 

These are just a few popular peels at Skin Studio By Megan

Remember there are tons of different peels out there. Just because you had a glycolic peel at one office doesn't mean it will be the same at another. Peels vary in pH levels & percentages. 

Giveaway: 

I am giving away a FREE chemical peel to one lucky winner. Here is how to enter. Like the giveaway on Instagram or Facebook. Comment which peel you think is best for your skin type. Share this post. (If private comment that you shared so I will know). The winner will be chosen Monday June 15th. Tag a friend on Facebook or Instagram to be entered twice. 

INSTAGRAM LINK

FACEBOOK LINK

Skin Scripts peels are good for all Fitzpatrick types. Most companies peels are not recommended for darker skin types. 

Here are some testimonies from clients about chemical peels.

 "Best chemical peel experience ever! I've always been so scared to get one done but Megan did an amazing job my skin has never looked or felt better!" -Devan W

"I just wanna take the time to give a huge shoutout to Megan Johnson!!!!!!!! Received a chemical peel and different sorts of her fabulous treatment two days ago, and my face already looks and feels so much better! Thank you Megan you are amazing!!!! If you are having troubles with your skin I recommend setting up and appt. with her!!!" -Hannah G