An Esthetician’s Guide to Hydrated, Radiant Skin

Posted by Granite Bay Cosmetic Surgery on January 6, 2023

Woman with healthy, hydrated skin after appointment with esthetician at Granite Bay med spa

For many of us, maintaining healthy, hydrated skin can be a challenge—especially in the winter! There are a number of things you can do to give your skin a nice glow, such as drinking lots of water and using a humidifier. But if your skin still needs a boost and you find yourself looking to step up your hydration game, look no further: in this post, our Granite Bay medspa team is revealing our esthetician Emilee’s secrets for hydrated skin.

Hydration + exfoliation = glowy, smooth skin

Your skin is the foundation of your appearance. It can make you look healthy or tired, young or old. If you want to achieve a more natural and healthy complexion, it’s time to take your skincare routine to the next level with the secret weapon of all estheticians: hydrated skin.

To have supple, healthy skin, you need to incorporate two kinds of care into your skin regimen:

Exfoliating: Exfoliating treatments slough off the outermost layer of skin, either in a medspa facial treatment or with potent at-home products used several times per week. Exfoliating is as critical as moisturizing for achieving a beautiful glow and hydrated complexion—and it has added benefits for skin tone, texture, and signs of aging.
Hydrating: Proper hydration with proven ingredients is absolutely critical to achieving your ideal complexion! Today’s gentle, medical-grade moisturizers go far beyond your grandmother’s Vaseline to heal the skin barrier and give you balanced moisture levels. (Don’t forget the cleansing step, swapping any product that strips your skin’s barrier for a gentle, moisturizing option.)

Here are our tried-and-true methods for exfoliating and hydrating, both in our medical spa’s aesthetic treatment room and at home.

Esthetician treatments

A custom-picked facial treatment with an esthetician is an excellent method for improving the overall health and appearance of your skin. These treatments can help improve your skin’s hydration, texture, and tone while also providing deep cleansing and exfoliation. If you are concerned about fine lines, wrinkles, age spots, or dull skin, then the same treatments can also help to improve these concerns!

While gentle treatments like Hydrafacials or peels are not a one-and-done operation, in just a few short treatments, you can see a noticeable, impressive difference in the appearance and health of your skin. And these skin treatments can address a variety of issues, from age spots to enlarged pores. Here are 3 of our go-to skin treatments for a brighter, more radiant complexion:

1. Hydrafacial

The Hydrafacial is a quick treatment for an instant glow—it’s gentle, relaxing, and you’re unlikely to see any side effects (other than gorgeous skin), so it’s perfect to prep your skin for an event! Hydrafacials use gentle suction and a continuous jet of water to cleanse and exfoliate the skin, removing dirt, oil, and dead skin cells. A series of Hydrafacials can improve…

Red, irritated skin
Oiliness or congestion
Acne on the face and back
Hyperpigmentation
Fine lines and wrinkles
Rough or unwanted texture
Sun damage

If your skin needs an extra boost, we can add a “pump” of one of the Hydrafacial boosters—for example, we can add on peptides to promote firmer, more youthful-looking skin, or brightening serums to address sun damage and discoloration. You can also upgrade to a Hydrafacial Platinum for extra steps like red light therapy to boost collagen! Each treatment covers the face, neck, and decolletage.

2. Chemical Peel

A chemical peel uses chemistry to refresh your skin. Acids peel away the outermost layer of skin, revealing a new, healthier layer underneath. In addition to improving your skin’s hydration and overall tone and texture, it can help improve…

Acne
Age spots
Sun damage
Fine lines and wrinkles
Enlarged pores
Uneven skin tone
Dullness or lack of brightness

At GBCS, we offer a range of chemical peel levels from light to deep (depending on the severity of your concerns), with ingredients that are tailored to your skin’s needs. Some of the ingredients used in chemical peels include:

Alpha hydroxy acids (AHAs) – exfoliate the skin’s surface layer and improve its texture
Beta hydroxy acids (BHAs) – penetrate deeper into your pores to flush out impurities and help reduce breakouts
Retinoids – stimulate collagen production to soften the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles

3. Jelly Masks

For hydrated skin and a pampering facial, we love jelly masks! Their unique, cohesive jelly texture makes them feel silky soft while providing benefits to your skin. Your hydrating mask can be customized with ingredients like retinoids for anti-aging, anti-inflammatory ingredients to soothe irritation, or Vitamin C for brightening. Once applied, they create a vacuum seal against your skin to ensure the products are well-absorbed. You’ll rest while the mask dries and infuses your skin; then, we’ll peel it off, give you a final cleanse, and apply skincare to top off the experience.

At-home skincare with science-backed ingredients

Especially in winter, you should adjust your morning and evening routines to include potent hydrating products, in addition to antioxidants and exfoliators. Below are our top 4 skincare tips and some of esthetician Emilee’s recommendations from medical-grade skincare product lines we carry in-house (our faves are ZO® Skin Health & ZO®Medical, ALASTIN Skincare®, and SkinCeuticals at Granite Bay Cosmetic Surgery)!

Prioritize hydration

From your cleanser to your serums to your moisturizer, don’t skimp on moisturizing products! Avoid those harsh, soap-like cleansers that strip your skin’s hydration. We ♥ these products:

ZO Skin Health’s Hydrating Cleanser
ALASTIN’s HA Immerse Serum
Skinceuticals’ Triple Lipid Restore

Emilee’s favorite: “ALASTIN’s H.A. Immerse is a pump full of hydration and plumping for the skin during dry seasons.”

Keep using antioxidants

Antioxidants prevent environmental damage, both from the sun and air pollution. Continue using antioxidants to prevent signs of aging and maintain supple, youthful skin throughout the years. Some options we offer at GBCS include:

ZO Skin Health’s Daily Power Defense
ALASTIN’s Restorative Skin Complex
SkinCeuticals’ C E Ferulic

Emilee’s favorite: “SkinCeuticals’ C E Ferulic is a great defense against free radicals and the inevitable aging of our skin with potent vitamin C and ferulic acid.”

Use a gentle exfoliant to remove dead skin cells

Everyone (that includes you!) should exfoliate several times a week to promote healthy cell turnover! This minimizes signs of aging and promotes smooth, hydrated skin texture. Try these crowd favorites:

ZO Skin Health’s Exfoliating Polish
SkinCeuticals’ Micro-Exfoliating Scrub

Emilee’s favorite: “ZO Skin Health’s Exfoliating Polish is a gentle way to scuff off dead skin built up on the skin while also powerfully cleansing with tea tree oil.” (Fun Fact: This is also our whole team’s favorite product, including Dr. Clark herself!)

Apply SPF every day

We can’t say it enough: sunscreen is the key to keeping your skin young. Even the most hydrated skin is no match for wrinkle-causing sun and environmental damage! We offer a variety of fabulous sun protection products that wear beautifully, so no matter your preference—low maintenance, tinted, or targeted at a concern—your sunscreen will have your back:

ZO Skin Health’s Broad Spectrum Sunscreen SPF 50
ALASTIN’s HydraTint Pro Mineral Broad Spectrum Sunscreen SPF 36
SkinCeuticals’ Daily Brightening UV Defense Sunscreen SPF 30

Emilee’s favorite: “ZO Skin Health’s Broad Spectrum SPF 50 offers comprehensive mineral-based protection, sinks into skin, and works as a grippy makeup primer! It’s a great go-to if you are serious about preventing sun damage, and it is safe for dry, sensitive, and post-procedure skin.”

Psst…Not sure where to start? Just set up a consult with Emilee! She’ll hook you up with personalized skincare recs, and can even put together a personalized facial treatment during your appointment.

Visit our practice to shop medical-grade skincare, or shop our ZO Skin Health store online!

Meet your new Granite Bay esthetician, Emilee: When you’re ready to prioritize your skin, contact us online or call (916) 242-2662 to schedule an appointment with our licensed esthetician, Emilee. Offering much more than “just a facial,” she will provide you with a detailed analysis of your skin concerns and craft a treatment plan that is specifically tailored to your needs. Trust us—your skin will thank you!

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