My client's skin barrier recovery made me rethink my whole approach to actives

She came to me in March with redness and that tight, shiny look after overdoing a new retinol serum. I had her stop everything and just use a gentle cleanser and a ceramide cream I keep in the back room. After six weeks of consistent, boring care, the change was night and day - the redness was gone and her texture looked plump and healthy, not stripped. I used to think pushing through with actives was key, but now I see the foundation is everything. How do you guys talk to clients about scaling back when their barrier is shot?

3 comments

3 Comments

the_sam3d ago

Honestly the hardest part is getting them to buy into the boring phase. People want a fix, not a waiting game. I frame it like healing a sprained ankle, you wouldn't run a marathon on it the next day. Gotta explain that healthy skin absorbs actives better anyway, so this slow road is actually faster in the long run. What's your go-to way to make that click for someone?

ray_miller843d ago

Honestly that ceramide cream in the back room is a solid first step, but it's not a full repair routine.

tylerj223d ago

Wait, what else would you add to it then? I'm curious what a full routine looks like to you.