Many people get confused about the forms of vitamin C because L-ascorbic acid is the same as sodium ascorbyl phosphate and the names are often used interchangeably.  Magnesium ascorbyl phosphate, L-ascorbic acid, sodium ascorbyl phosphate and ascorbyl glucosamine are all various forms of Vitamin C considered to be effective and stable antioxidants for the skin.  The percentage of actives may vary and that is why using a professional brand will typically provide more noticeable results.  Years ago, when topical vitamin C products were first brought to market, the stability was an issue.  Today, with new cosmetic chemistry advances, the pH levels of these “bio-available” forms of vitamin C make it much more compatible for even the most sensitive skin types.

It is important to remember that vitamin C can block tyrosinase.  Tyrosinase is an enzyme important in the production of melanin (which gives our skin it’s pigment).  By using the Crystal C Serum  or Lactic C Firming Cream once or twice daily, on clean dry skin you help reduce oxidative stress and may potentially destroy free radical activity produced by the sun’s UV rays.

Sometimes it is hard to know what to use on your face with all the choices we have.   Regardless of all the choices, if you are at a plateau, outdoors during the day, noticing some new pigmentation, or just need a change, consider incorporating vitamin c topicals into your daily routine whether in a serum or moisturizer prior to applying your sunscreen as a preventative measure that you can notice now, but enjoy for a lifetime.

I find it’s more like a balm, I put a pea-sized amount on my fingers, rub it between my hands to emulsify it for an easier application and I press it into my cheeks, chin and the sides of my nose. I am a firm believer of pressing, not rubbing, your skincare.  I use an upward almost rocking motion.

Share with your wee ones

Have your little ones help with your beauty routine.  Children as small as four years old can be taught to help with every day beauty tasks. Share a face mask with your kids, let them apply it on your face and make it a fun beauty ritual you can do together. Or you can apply the mask before your child’s bath time so your mask can work while you are.

Recommended Product: Balancing Thermogel Mask. Offers up deep concentrated hydration at its most soothing and nourishing.

Restore Nightly

You may not be getting 8 hours of sleep a night due to a busy schedule but you can still maintain the health of your complexion each night.  Your skin is rejuvenating itself while you sleep, so nighttime is an ideal time to apply more intensive moisturizers. Simply taking a few minutes to cleanse and hydrate your skin before you hit the pillow will help restore your skin overnight—and you’ll wake up looking refreshed.

Recommended Products:  Anti Wrinkle Face and Neck Cream. This cream can be used as a face, neck, eye and chest cream.  It can be applied quickly, which is a perfect solution for someone with limited time.

Don’t leave home without it

Always carry a bottle of sunscreen with you in your purse. Sunscreen will be your best protection from sun damaged and aging skin, so we recommend using it every day and reapply as needed. You may not think you are getting much sun if you work in office or at home, and may not see the need for sunscreen application, but it is crucial. Sun damage is cumulative and you need to think about all the daily activities you do which can cause damage through sun exposure.  Walking to your car, driving (think about that left arm hanging out of the window!), taking your dog for a walk, and even getting the mail, are all necessary daily routines but result in cumulative exposure to the sun. If you have a sunscreen handy, you can reapply through the day.

Recommended Products: Oil Free Sunscreen SPF 30.  Offers broad spectrum UVA & UVB protection without leaving a greasy film. Contains aloe vera and antioxidants to help soothe and balance the skin.

Get Back to the Basics

Your skincare regimen does not need to be a complicated, multistep process. Using a cleanser, toner and moisturizer each morning and night that is suited for your skin type will help maintain skin health.  Sometimes simple is better (and quicker)!

While we all “engage” our customers via social media, and hear about Facebook’s staggering billion dollar IPO, nothing beats face to face contact in business.  Social media will never replace personal interaction and kindness.  Social media will never replace a clean work space, a welcome smile, the aroma of good cooking, essential oils at the spa or a great meal with associates.

How does this equate to you the spa owner or entrepreneur?  Even while growing your business and customer loyalty via social media, continue to ask yourself how you can create “southern hospitality” to your business.  As we all know, “the devil is in the details” Never underestimate these few tips below that, whether you know it outright or not, endear yourself to your valued customers:

Maintain a very clean retail area.

• Merchandise the inventory on the shelf so it makes customers want to look at it.
• Provide a mirror so if a customer can try something on or can see.
• Have a magnifying glass to read the ingredients on your products.
• Offer something to drink
• Hire and train knowledgeable front desk person(s), who even if she/he is on the phone, knows to friendly acknowledge customers and can help push retail sales by educating customers about your spa products.
• Place nice aromatic diffuser or light candles, so when a customer enters your spa, they feel like they are being transported and can start to relax.
• Train your estheticians to remember to limit their personal life stories when working with a customer, and monitor this.
• Always have clean, fresh reading material in the lobby (not year old People Magazines).

At the end of the day, your business is like a home and it should make customers feel relaxed and comfortable.  It reflects your philosophy and communicates your values whether you know it or not.

Skin Nourishing Balm – This emollient, aromatic balm is the ultimate healer!  Place the balm in your hands and rub until it melts like butter. This can be used all over the body including knees and elbows to relieve dry itchy skin. Also, try rubbing some on your upper chest before you go to bed and breathe in the aromatic essential oils as you drift off into your beauty sleep.

Calming Balm- After you get your eyebrows or lips waxed, the skin can be red and irritated. Apply this soothing facial moisturizing gel to help calm and hydrate the skin. Keep cold in the refrigerator and use as needed.

Sensitive Skin Enzyme Mask – It may be called a mask but that does not mean you can’t use it on other areas of the body. This creamy, clay mask doubles as a skin polisher and brightener.  In addition to your face, this mask is also great for dry hands and arms.

Anti Wrinkle Face and Neck Cream – This is an all in one wrinkle fighter. The benefit of this multifaceted cream is itcan be used as an eye cream, face cream, neck cream and declote’ cream. Great for those of you that just wants one cream for everything and don’t have time for several steps in the morning and/or evening.

Cucumber Bead Cleanser – Cleanse with cucumbers all over the body. Works well as a luxurious body polish or as a facial pre-shave. Use this aromatic exfoliating cleanser in your shower for a spa-like experience from head to toe.

Share how Control Corrective Skincare has helped make your beauty care regimen fully functional by leaving a comment below.

Being physically active is important to keeping fit and healthy. Did you know it can even affect the condition of your skin?  On the plus side exercise increases blood flow and body temperature which in turn helps oxygenate and bring more circulation to the skin.  This further increases lymph flow, and overall skin vitality.

On the flip side, if you exercise regularly it can take a toll on the skin’s surface without even being aware of it.   From dehydration, and photo damage when exercising outdoors, to dry hair, nails, feet and skin when swimming or sweating, to breakouts when touching the skin too much or from pressure and friction caused by exercise gear that rubs such as hats, helmets, exercise equipment, tight undergarments, or other occlusive clothing.

Unknown to most of us, infections are the most common cause of skin problems in athletes, according to Dr. Brian Adams, associate professor at the University of Cincinnati School of Medicine, Dept. of Dermatology.  It is important to use hand sanitizers, wash hands frequently, and follow some of these simple skin saver tips.

1. Invest in soft, 100% cotton washcloths. Simple as it sounds, what you use to wash with and rub on your face makes quite a difference in skin sensitivity. Using the softest, cotton allows you to cleanse the skin without over stimulating it.  For very sensitive skin, get  cotton“baby diapers” to use as washcloths.  Believe it or not, they are they softest most gentle fabric we have found.

2. Cleansing your face after playing a sport is very important, but it is important to use a non-soap cleanser. This will keep away dirt, oil, bacteria and surface debris, but not over dry the face. Our Gentle Face Wash rinses away surface pollutants, grime and makeup without even a hint of irritation.  Follow with a hydrating toner such as our Balancing Tonic and of course moisturizer to give the skin the healthy, hydrated glow.

3. Select the right sunscreen for your skin type. When dealing with skin that is dry, rough and or acne prone, it is important to know your skin type and to determine if it is dry, oily, or a combination. Control Corrective offers a variety of non-comedogenic (non pore clogging)  sunscreens for all skin types. Because we have many more sebaceous glands on our face than our body, do not assume that the “cheap” body sunscreen works well on your face

4. Tie your hair back during work outs or use a headband. Hair styling products can irritate the skin resulting in clogged pores and acne breakouts. If you do tend to get more breakouts due to sweating while you exercise then you can apply our Sulfur Calming Mask. This creamy comforting mask helps to reduce inflammation and decongest pores. If you breakout in your scalp with small bumps or flakes, try using our Salicylic Wash 2% prior to shampooing your hair.  (It can be left on 30 seconds, then rinsed out – very effective and simple to add).

Becoming more aware of how you can help your skin retain it’s moisture, reduce breakouts, sun damage and dryness by implementing several small shifts during your fitness routine will definitely help you look AND feel healthy over the years.

I have worked on many women over 35, concerned with wrinkles, but also experiencing micro-comedonal congestion, whether from hormones, cosmetics, pressure and friction or simply not using the right products.  These are the perfect clients to recommend using our Salicylic Wash 2% three to five times per week.  It is often all that is needed to gently loosen and exfoliate the skin, without over drying.

For acne-prone skin, whether oily or dry, the benefit of combining salicylic acid with glycolic acid provides a stronger keratolytic effect that is often necessary for chronic acne conditions, very oily “resistant” skin.  The key is to blend these actives in way that does not over-dry the skin.  The Control Corrective, Acne Spot Treatment, which can be used once to twice daily on the affected area, will do the trick for most.  It will not only help clear up the blemish, but will help lighten the residual dark spots.

When choosing a peel for acne prone or “rough” aging skin, our professional Beta Peel 22% is a great choice.  This creamy peel contains a strong enough percentage, but will not “over-dry” the skin.  Left on 2-3 minutes, then neutralized, it is a perfect peel for those who have built up a tolerance to AHA peels.  Keep in mind that 2% salicylic acid = 8% glycolic acid in terms of strength, so when comparing a glycolic acid peel to a salicylic acid peel, the percentages need to be converted in terms of action on the skin.

It is also important to note that salicylic acid peeling is not advised for those allergic to aspirin, while on Accutane, when using Retin-A (or retinoic acid derivatives), during pregnancy, on highly sensitive skin, sunburned skin, on clients going through treatment for auto immune disorders, chemo/radiation, or other treatments that make the skin more photo-sensitive.  Always review current medication usage with your clients so you can adjust the facial treatment to best meet their needs.  Watch a video demonstration of our Beta Clear Facial to view how to incorporate this peel into your menu.

Salicylic acid peels and products are credited with great skin improvement for many skin conditions and can be a great way to boost and improve the complexion.

A typical home care regimen for combination skin/acne prone adult:

1. Cleanse with Salicylic Wash 2%
2. Apply Balancing Tonic
3. Apply Acne Spot Treatment on blemishes (1-2x daily)
4. Apply Aroma Matte Day Cream (SPF 30)
5. Apply Oil Free Healing Lotion at night as desired
6. With fingers or fan brush apply Sulfur Calming Mask (as needed- left on blemishes overnight if desired)

Here is what I learned that all business owners can benefit from:

Look up at your ceiling, in the corners, everywhere in your spa or salon.  Creating a “special” atmosphere for your clients is of utmost importance.  I think we can all improve on this after seeing what reminded me of a “diorama” many booths created.  From painted ceilings and floors, many of these brands used EVERY BIT OF SPACE to give the visitor an intense feeling of their brand, and drew us in to be part of the “experience”.

1. Smile and be generous.  I have to give the prize to Moroccan Oil!  They not only handed out the best, most amazing vinyl aqua bags with a few     samples, (I think I heard they handed out at least 20,000 – maybe per day?), they gave you a few extra if you wanted, and they happily did so, even if you came back every day.  Of course, that was costly, but great marketing and now the we in the beauty world will soon become addicted to putting Moroccan Oil in our hair.
2. Add color.  Of course that is what we have done with Control Corrective and I might add, received quite a bit of compliments about our packaging.  But whether you add color in your spa decor, your menu, POS materials, seasonal displays, do so thoughtfully and with impact so it draws your clients in to say, “oh, what’s that?”, “I don’t remember that from last time”.  ”I need some of that…”
3. Lastly, ask good questions and travel.  We learned as much from attendees, as we did from fellow exhibitors and neighbors.  I learned for example that in Russia, the demand for American made products is very high, and that Italy has a “Woman’s Day” every March 8th,  that honors all women in the country and on that day you bring all your female loved-ones Mimosa flowers (beautiful yellow flowers – very delicate).

Hope this puts a little fire under you to get out and do something different to help you grow and be successful.  Visit us in Las Vegas this June at IECSC if you need a good excuse to go to a trade show and keep learning.

Reminder 1

Never forget that the facial experience begins the minute your client walks in the door.  You do not have to be a 5-Star resort to implement simple things to set your spa aside.  Every property we walked into immediately offered us a choice of two key beverages, and beautifully scented wet hand towels.  There was also

Ellen in Cancun displaying Control Corrective

fresh fruit in a basket along with a full cookie tray.  A lovely receptionist smiled, and offered us the refreshments.  It started to relax us right away and the lesson being that the experience really does begin before the treatment, and the front desk should be in charge of “setting the stage”.

Reminder 2

Hire the right attitude.  You can always teach an esthetician how to execute a good facial if you have excellent products and good training materials.  What is more difficult to train is to instill a gracious attitude.  I would rather have a new graduate from beauty school with a positive outlook, a love of helping others and a willingness to work hard over a ten year veteran who thinks there is only one way to be successful, and claims, “the reason the clients come here is because of me”.  Always interview for the attitude.

Reminder 3

How are you creating a memorable experience?  Find something you can do differently than your competition.  I scheduled a massage in our hotel and had no idea what the experience would be like.  I was

Fish Pedicure Treatment

delighted to be led to a small, but absolutely wonderful spa facility.  After enjoying the facilities, the massage therapist led me to a large couch area with spa music piping through and dim lightning, where she put aromatherapy heated mitts on my feet, and around my shoulders and let me enjoy for several minutes before the massage.  I was already feeling the relaxation and nurturing and drifting away before she led me to the treatment room.  I think of this as the “appetizer”….  What type of complimentary appetizers can you offer to create a memorable experience for your clients?  This costs very little in money and the obvious gain is significant…larger tips, client retention, word of mouth, and experience being elevated.

You know it’s a good trip when all I could think about at the Cancun airport was when I can get back to these resort spas that work so hard to create an enchanting experience.