The Top 12 #DamnGood Esthetician-Formulated Skincare Products For Every Step of Your Routine, Tested!

Summary

Breaking Beauty Podcast: Episode Summary Title: The Top 12 #DamnGood Esthetician-Formulated Skincare Products For Every Step of Your Routine, Tested!
Hosts: Jill Dunn and Carlene Higgins
Release Date: January 1, 2025

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Introduction

In the kickoff episode of 2025, Breaking Beauty Podcast dives deep into the world of esthetician-formulated skincare products. Hosts Jill Dunn and Carlene Higgins share their expert insights, testing, and reviews of the top 12 products designed to optimize every step of your skincare routine. Focusing on authenticity and efficacy, this episode is a treasure trove for skincare enthusiasts seeking professional-grade solutions.

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The Rise of Esthetician-Led Brands

Carlene Higgins [02:26]:
"When we started this podcast almost eight years ago, there weren't as many esthetician-led brands on the market. It was just a few, like Dermalogica and Kate Somerville, leading the charge."

Jill and Carlene discuss the increasing presence of esthetician-led skincare brands, highlighting how estheticians leverage their hands-on experience and celebrity clientele to develop trusted product lines. Social media has further empowered these experts to share their formulations and skincare philosophies with a broader audience.

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Cleansers: Setting the Foundation

Jill Dunn [06:07]:
"SA Medicate is a clinically proven British skincare brand known for its age-defying results. Their liquid peptides smooth fine lines and wrinkles in just seven days."

1. SA Medicate Liquid Peptides

   • Price: $XX
   • Key Benefits: Reduces expression lines and deep-set wrinkles, hydrates, and plumps the skin.
   • Quote: "I love how plumping and hydrating it is for my skin." [06:07]

2. Eve Lom Cleansing Balm vs. Living Cleansing Balm

   • Eve Lom: Pioneer in cleansing balms; a cult favorite but not the hosts' top pick.
   • Living Cleansing Balm: Modernized version with a scoop for easy application, suitable for all skin types without leaving an oily residue.
   • Quote: "This has a modern scoop—you don't have to get your fingers in there." [10:12]

3. Jan Marini Bio Bioglycolic Face Cleanser

   • Price: $48 US / $62 CAD
   • Key Benefits: Non-foaming, suitable for all skin types, keeps pores clear without stinging.
   • Quote: "Anyone skin type can use it, and even though it's glycolic acid, it does not sting." [11:04]

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Toners: Refining and Hydrating

1. Biba Glycolic Lactic Toner

   • Price: $38 US
   • Key Benefits: Combines AHAs for gentle exfoliation, glycerin for hydration, and aloe vera to alleviate dryness.
   • Quote: "The combo of the AHAs together is really gentle and powerful to get that cell turnover." [15:25]

2. Monastery Hydrating Floral Essence

   • Price: $120 US
   • Key Benefits: Botanical ingredients inspired by Hideaways Resort in Belize, rose water for calming, orchid, and orange bitters oils.
   • Note: Slightly perfumey due to natural ingredients, excellent for hydration without irritation.
   • Quote: "It feels like you're walking through a tropical garden in Belize." [19:05]

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Serums: Targeted Treatments

1. Sophie Carbonary S Serum

   • Price: $316 US
   • Key Benefits: Vitamin C for daytime use, hyaluronic acid for plumpness, Centella Asiatica for calming, black cumin for antioxidants, and argan oil for moisture.
   • Quote: "It's almost like a refreshing oil or a gel oil." [23:19]

2. Peach & Lily Glass Skin Serum

   • Price: $39 US
   • Key Benefits: Niacinamide for refining texture, yam extract for suppleness, hyaluronic acid, peptide complex, and Centella Asiatica derivative.
   • Quote: "It introduces the notion of glass skin to North America." [25:11]

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Exfoliators: Renewing the Skin

1. Kate Somerville Exfoliate Intensive Treatment

   • Price: $79 US / $107 CAD
   • Key Benefits: Combines enzymatic, physical, and chemical exfoliation in a two-minute treatment to reduce pore size and refine skin texture.
   • Quote: "It's hitting three different types of exfoliation in one two-minute treatment." [28:35]

2. Tammy Fender EPI Peel

   • Price: $95 US
   • Key Benefits: Multi-use peel acting as an exfoliator, face mask, and all-in-one peel with spearmint and rosemary for detoxifying.
   • Quote: "It's really detoxifying and you notice your pores are more refined the next day." [30:02]

3. Tracy Martin Enzyme Exfoliant Mask

   • Price: $90 US
   • Key Benefits: Pineapple enzymes and volcanic minerals with AHAs and BHAs for dull skin and fine lines.
   • Quote: "It's been dubbed the 15-minute facial in a jar." [31:27]

4. Jade Complexions Crystalline Marine Facial Polish

   • Price: $70 US
   • Key Benefits: AHAs and BHAs with organic, fragrance-free ingredients for spot treatments and exfoliation without micro-scratches.
   • Quote: "It's an old-school idea with a modern twist, ensuring no micro scratches." [33:11]

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Masks: Intensive Care

1. Renee Rouleaux Triple Berry Smoothing Mask

   • Price: $88.50 US
   • Key Benefits: Hydrating mask with non-gritty beads that refine pores and provide a brilliant glow.
   • Quote: "This gives my skin a brilliant glow." [35:27]

2. Joanna Check Skincare Bio Cellulose Sheet Mask

   • Price: $150 for five masks / $220 CAD
   • Key Benefits: Bio-cellulose with hyaluronic acid, sunflower seed oil, coconut oil, and bentonite clay for hydration and detoxification.
   • Quote: "It's hyaluronic acid and beninite clay make it exceptionally hydrating and detoxifying." [36:09]

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Acne Treatments: Targeted Solutions

1. Sophie Pavitt Mandelic Clearing Serum

   • Price: $54 US
   • Key Benefits: 8% mandelic acid for smoothing, hydrating, and protecting, ideal for darker skin tones due to minimal pigmentation risks.
   • Quote: "This is transformational around the chin especially." [39:04]

2. Renee Rouleau Anti Bump Solution

   • Price: $49 US
   • Key Benefits: Treats deep, throbbing zits by shrinking pimples without flaking, recommended as an emergency treatment.
   • Quote: "It's like 911 emergency versus the Sophie Pavitt, which is everyday." [40:31]

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Aging Treatments: Combatting Signs of Time

1. Shani Darden Retinol Reform

   • Price: $89 US / $120 CAD
   • Key Benefits: Lightweight retinol serum designed for consistent use without over-irritating, effective for pigmentation and fine lines.
   • Quote: "You will keep using it. It's not the most powerful retinol, which is a good thing." [42:09]

2. Angela Caglia Cell Forte Serum

   • Price: $395 US / $568 CAD
   • Key Benefits: Contains peptides and exosomes using patented human-derived stem cell technology for healing properties, targeting wrinkles and pigmentation.
   • Quote: "It's all about using the body's own healing mechanisms to heal itself." [43:46]

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Moisturizers: Locking in Hydration

1. Joanna Vargas Twilight Overnight Cream

   • Price: $116 US / $215 CAD
   • Key Benefits: Hydrating night cream with botanical epidermal growth factor (EGF), hyaluronic acid, and antioxidants to plump and rejuvenate the skin.
   • Quote: "EGF is like a healing ingredient, helping to heal after lasers, retinol, and AHAs." [48:02]

2. Sarah Chapman London Skin Insurance SPF 50

   • Price: $89 US / $110 CAD
   • Key Benefits: Tinted moisturizer with SPF 50, providing hydration and sun protection with a refined, non-sweaty finish.
   • Quote: "It's like a more refined take on that Supergoop super glow." [49:24]

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Beauty Tools: Enhancing Skincare Routine

1. Skin by V Gua Sha Cryo Sticks

   • Price: $175 US
   • Key Benefits: Stainless steel cryo sticks with rubberized ends for sculpting and snatching without slipping, ideal for TMJ relief and sensitive skin.
   • Quote: "They're sculpted shapes, perfect for rosacea or sensitivity." [50:31]

2. Georgia Louise Cryo Sticks

   • Price: Not Specified
   • Key Benefits: Classic globe-shaped cryo sticks that stay cold longer without refrigeration, suitable for travel and regular use.
   • Quote: "They stay cold even without a refrigerator." [50:37]

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Conclusion

Jill Dunn and Carlene Higgins wrap up the episode by reiterating the importance of choosing esthetician-formulated skincare products tailored to individual skin types and concerns. They encourage listeners to share their favorite products and engage with the podcast’s community through their blog, social media, and private Facebook group. The hosts emphasize the value of professional expertise in developing effective skincare solutions, making this episode a comprehensive guide for anyone looking to elevate their skincare routine with trusted, tested products.

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Notable Quotes

• Jill Dunn [06:07]:
  "I love how plumping and hydrating it is for my skin."

• Carlene Higgins [15:25]:
  "The combo of the AHAs together is really gentle and powerful to get that cell turnover."

• Jill Dunn [39:04]:
  "This is transformational around the chin especially."

• Carlene Higgins [42:38]:
  "If you're serious about wrinkles and pigmentation, this might be one to reach for."

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Final Thoughts

This episode of Breaking Beauty Podcast serves as an essential resource for skincare aficionados, offering a curated list of top-tier esthetician-formulated products backed by professional insights and real-world testing. Whether you're tackling acne, aging, or simply seeking to refine your skincare regimen, the hosts provide valuable recommendations to help you achieve radiant, healthy skin.

Transcript

[Carlene Higgins]

The following podcast is a dear media production.

[Jill Dunn]

Welcome to Breaking Beauty the podcast.

[Carlene Higgins]

All about the breakthrough people, products and moments in beauty.

[Jill Dunn]

We're your hosts, Jill Dunn and Carlene Higgins. Welcome back to Breaking Beauty podcast, everyone. Happy 2025. We are in your feeds with a brand new episode on the very first day of the year. We're really happy that you're joining us. Hey, Carlene.

[Carlene Higgins]

Hi, Jill. Happy new Year.

[Jill Dunn]

Thank you. Happy New year to you too.

[Carlene Higgins]

You as well.

[Jill Dunn]

So what we have learned in eight years of doing this podcast is that our audience loves skincare content and in particular episodes that feature estheticians. And I, I can understand why because there's always so many tips, tricks, takeaways and product advice from people that are just touching people's faces all the time. They have those hands on hours that really lend itself so well to providing educational content.

[Carlene Higgins]

Yes, absolutely. And we've had some amazing estheticians on our show that truly, you know, whether they're getting celebrities red carpet ready or we have real like problem solution estheticians who are just like transforming people's skin.

[Jill Dunn]

Yeah.

[Carlene Higgins]

Life changing, you know, without the use of drugs, like when it comes to acne and, and pigment and stuff like that. So, so much respect for. And they're largely women, I will say as well. Now the other types of episodes that do well in our history are damn goods episodes.

[Jill Dunn]

Right.

[Carlene Higgins]

Where we kind of check out the landscape, we test about a bazillion products and then we edit. That's what we do as two former beauty editors turned beauty podcasters. Indeed. And we deliver our edit of what we think is hashtag dam. So we're smashing both of those ideas together today. We're smashing them together. And we're doing a roundup of the absolute best esthetician developed skincare products in our opinion. So we're doing a top 20, I think somewhere around there. We're going to have to go a little faster than usual, everyone, because there are a lot of products to go over.

[Jill Dunn]

Yeah.

[Carlene Higgins]

But really, when we started this podcast almost eight years ago, there weren't as many esthetician led brands on the market. It was, it was just a few really that you'd find at Sephora that really led the charge. Like Dermalogica, Kate Somerville. I mean those are probably the goats, but we've seen so many more now that, you know, the barrier to entry is a little bit lower.

[Jill Dunn]

Yeah. If you're trusting your face in someone's hands. Right. On a regular, semi regular basis, if they are using certain products on you in the treatment. Well, it kind of makes sense that an esthetician would then be compelled to make their own line because they're selling you product anyway. Typically. And then with social media, you can. Estheticians can show how they're using the product when they're not in the treatment room. And I just think it's incredible all the way around.

[Carlene Higgins]

Well, let's not forget also when they have a celebrity clientele.

[Jill Dunn]

Yeah.

[Carlene Higgins]

And they've done somebody for the red carpet. You know, if Hailey Bieber's your client and she's constantly getting compliments on her skin and you're doing her skin every single month or whatever, then it's a compelling argument to want to start a line. So anyway, we have tried so many and. But I think the other thing I just want to add really quickly is there is, I think also a camp of people who will be. Who will gravitate toward dermatologist developed skincare brands and some people who will follow more facialist, esthetician developed beauty brands. If you guys want us to do a roundup of the best dermatologist created beauty products in the future, let us know because we can do that too.

[Jill Dunn]

Yeah, I already have a few favorites on that camp. We need to say off the hop that I have oilier skin.

[Carlene Higgins]

I have normal skin.

[Jill Dunn]

Normal.

[Carlene Higgins]

But it is quite sensitive and rosacea prone. So my biggest issue is typically redness. And then because I'm in my 40s, I'm also dealing with that.

[Jill Dunn]

Right.

[Carlene Higgins]

Jill, you are typically about more.

[Jill Dunn]

Definitely more oily, sensitive, breakout prone. So keep that in mind when we are reviewing these products. Certainly. Because, and you know, we, we're talking about certain brands. I'm sure there's a big. For every esthetician out there, there's probably a protocol and there's so many lines to choose from. So these are just the ones that we happen to get our hands on. But if there's like one that you need us to know about, I want to hear about it. Our DMS are open.

[Carlene Higgins]

I definitely want to hear in our Facebook chat room. I think we should drop some favorites that have been Skin Transformers.

[Jill Dunn]

Yes.

[Carlene Higgins]

And on our Instagram as well. You know, we always post when we drop an episode and you can drop it in there. So. Because we want to know. But our other. Our listeners also want to know.

[Jill Dunn]

Yeah. Okay, so the roadmap, as it were, for today's episode, we're going to give you suggestions in each category. Cleansers, toners. So there's exfoliating toners, there's hydrating toners. We're going to be talking about serums, beauty tools. I even have an SPF recommendation. And I do want to say, I just have to say very unfortunately, I did not get to try Caroline Hiron's line which is called Skin Rocks. And she's like the most iconic esthetician on social media, I would say, and also a podcaster now. So I do apologize that we, we didn't get a chance to give hers a go.

[Carlene Higgins]

But yes, is it available in North America yet?

[Jill Dunn]

It's, it's harder to get right.

[Carlene Higgins]

It's hard to get ships. Yes, we do want to try it. And she's a past guest on our show as are most of the estheticians we're going to be talking about today. We'll link to some of those episodes as well in our show notes. So here we go. Our top aesthetician created skincare products after the jump.

[Jill Dunn]

SA Medicate is one of our show partners this week. I became a convert to a new skincare brand in 2024. I do not know why it took me so long to try this brand, but it's Medicate and Medicate is a clin proven British skincare brand known for its age defying results. It's founded by two scientist brothers over 15 years ago now and their mission really was all about simplifying your journey to achieving great skin. And all Medicaid products undergo rigorous clinical testing and deliver incredible before and after results. Plus their dermatologist. Recommended. And like many of you, I've been hearing so much about peptides recently. It's like this new holy grail ingredient for aging skin. And a favorite of mine is Medicaid's best selling liquid peptides. It's clinically proven to smooth the look of fine lines and wrinkles in just seven days. And it's formulated with 10 powerful peptides in just one bottle. And liquid Peptides reduces the appearance of expression lines and deep set wrinkles. And it's a serum that comes in a dropper and I just love how plumping and hydrating it is for my skin. Yes, it gets rid of those lines and the texture, but also my skin just looks juicy and plump, which I love. So want to try Medicaid's liquid peptides for yourself? Visit Medicaid us for 20 off your first order with code Beauty at checkout. That's M E D I K the number 8 us and code beauty to save 20%. We'll link to this offer in our show notes and on our website. Now back to the show.

[Carlene Higgins]

I need you to tell me what you. I need help.

[Jill Dunn]

You ain't gotta worry?

[Carlene Higgins]

Cause girl I'm here. I'll tell you what it's giving.

[Jill Dunn]

I'll tell you what it isn't.

[C]

I'm Whitney Adebaya. You may know me from Love island, but it's time to know me from a little island called life. My podcast, what's It Giving? Features my sister Lizzie, as well as special guests getting into all the things life, love, laughter. I'm not saying tea will be spilled, but I'm also not saying the floor will be dry. Send me a DM on Instagram if you have any dilemmas you want be answered on our podcast. Watch or listen to what's It Giving? Wherever you get your podcast every Wednesday, Be there or be square.

[Jill Dunn]

All right, Carly. I think with cleansers, we want to start with talking maybe about a first step cleanser or cleansing balm.

[Carlene Higgins]

When we're talking about cleansing balms, of course, I think we need to give a shout out to Eve Lom.

[Jill Dunn]

Right.

[Carlene Higgins]

For creating or at least popularizing this category in North America. I believe she's from the uk.

[Jill Dunn]

Is she not actually like eastern Euro? It's like, it's like your people.

[Carlene Higgins]

Right.

[Jill Dunn]

It's like Czech Republic.

[Carlene Higgins]

So that's.

[Jill Dunn]

Or the former Czechoslovakia. Like, that's how long she's been doing it.

[Carlene Higgins]

Right? Yeah. So that's kind of an icon that I just want to. Hat tip.

[Jill Dunn]

Yes.

[Carlene Higgins]

However, in this day and age, I wouldn't say it's my absolute favorite in this category. So then I met you, Liv. Living cleansing balm is currently my favorite when it comes to cleansing balms. It's 39 US and the founder is Charlotte Cho of SoCo Glam. She's a trained esthetician, maybe not in practice. So I don't know people. Maybe people are gonna argue with me on this one. But it is an award winning cleansing balm that is great for all skin types. And I think that's the point of difference. Aside from the fact that it smells lovely, like so fresh and like grapefruit. So you can use it in the morning and it looks like sorbet. It feels like sorbet, but it's good for all skin types. Right. Whereas Jill, like, I know you love this product. You have oily skin.

[Jill Dunn]

Yeah.

[Carlene Higgins]

Do you find it leaves a residue or anything?

[Jill Dunn]

No, I don't. I don't. But I also appreciate that it is a more modern take on it. Like, it's not like get out the muslin cloth and put it on your face. Like, I'm just not going to be the person that's doing that. Even though I love the idea of being the flannel girl, it's. This has modernized it. Yeah, it has a little scoop. You don't have to get your fingers in there.

[Carlene Higgins]

Yeah. I just like that it doesn't leave that, that oily skin.

[Jill Dunn]

Yeah.

[Carlene Higgins]

Feeling afterwards. So you can still move ahead with your subsequent skincare routine.

[Jill Dunn]

Yeah.

[Carlene Higgins]

But it is still getting off the. Because of the oils, the sunscreen and the makeup and all of that. While it has a lovely scent, there's less than 1% synthetic fragrance in, so it's non irritating. You know, she again, because she has been trained as an esthetician, she knows what's up.

[Jill Dunn]

Yeah. And I think she's a little busy these days running her brands and being a mom of two. So I doubt she's logging many hours in the treatment room. But the point being that she has that hands on experience working on people and she's tried a lot of product too.

[Carlene Higgins]

Exactly. So what about step two, Jo?

[Jill Dunn]

I wanted to shout out the Jamerini Bio Bioglycolic face cleanser. It's $48. 62 in Canada. I think this brand is a bit of a sleeper hit amongst consumers, maybe.

[Carlene Higgins]

Yes.

[Jill Dunn]

But in the esthetician world, people worship Jan Marini. She is an incredible educator. She's been researching ingredients forever and she's actually an innovator in the sense that she was the first person to bring glycolic acid to commercial use and beauty.

[Carlene Higgins]

Oh, wow.

[Jill Dunn]

So she, she said at the time, in 1994, when she invented this product range, glycolic acid was not used. It might have been used in treatment rooms, but for commercial use at home, it was not used. So the fact that this product came out in 1994, so it's what, 31 years old since we're in 2025. Is that right? And Kendall Jenner just used this in her like Vogue Get Ready with Me video. And I think really what makes it stand out is that any skin type can use it. And even though it's glycolic acid, it does not sting.

[Carlene Higgins]

Right.

[Jill Dunn]

I think you should try using it. This is the cleansing, cleansing gel. I'm sorry, Technically better for, I would say oily skin, but it really keeps your pores clear because it's that flash contact of an exfoliating ingredient. And so far I've been really liking it. It's, you know, I'LL be honest, nothing special to look at.

[Carlene Higgins]

Yeah, yeah. No, it's a workhorse brand.

[Jill Dunn]

Yes.

[Carlene Higgins]

It's, you know, and it's. I think it's meant more for professional sales and you know, you sort of. It gets recommended to you by your esthetician. Then you buy it. You're typically not going to find it at the shot on the shelf of, you know, a even blue Mercury.

[Jill Dunn]

Right, right.

[Carlene Higgins]

Type of thing.

[Jill Dunn]

And it's non foaming as well, which I also wanted to bring up because a lot of glycolic acid based cleansers are foaming right.

[Carlene Higgins]

Now you mentioned flash contact, which I do think is great for people like me with sensitive skin because then it's not sitting there for a long time. So it's one way to kind of use the ingredient without.

[Jill Dunn]

Right.

[Carlene Higgins]

Overdoing it.

[Jill Dunn]

Yeah. I would still say 60 second cleanse. That's the rule that I still use when I'm using something like this.

[Carlene Higgins]

Happy birthday. While you wash your face.

[Jill Dunn]

Exactly. At least once, if not a couple times. We need a timer in the shower. We should invent that, the Breaking Beauty timer. And just like turn it upside down.

[Carlene Higgins]

Absolutely.

[Jill Dunn]

Anyway, after like really getting my hands on this and using it, I was like, we need to have Jan on the show because she is like, she has a warehouse, Carlene, full of product that's not her own. That's product from other brands.

[Carlene Higgins]

Yes.

[Jill Dunn]

And she said because she came up before the Internet, this was how she would research product she'd go out and buy.

[Carlene Higgins]

Right. I think there's probably still a lot of developers who do that.

[Jill Dunn]

She has the original La Mer. It was called Cream of the Sea from Max before he sold it commercially to anybody. So she's got like a frigging archive.

[Carlene Higgins]

We need to go do a roving.

[Jill Dunn]

Reporter and I'd be curious to see what has stood up. But anyway, she's a fascinating person and I will continue to use this.

[Carlene Higgins]

Okay.

[Jill Dunn]

When it comes to toners. And by the way, I will say I'm a skin cycler. I'm not putting all of this on top, all of these actives on top of my skin every single day. But a glycolic toner that I discovered from an esthetician brand that I really like is From Biba, Biba D'Souza, who was recently on our show. She works with Billie Eilish, she works with Rosie Huntington Whiteley. She created a toner called the Glycolic Lactic Toner. And what I really appreciate about this one is that it has glycerin in there, so it actually, when you put it on a cotton pad and put it on your face, you don't get stinging at all. And I think the combo of the AHAs together is really gentle and powerful to get that cell turnover. So you're not. You're getting that gentle glow. It also has one of your favorite ingredients, aloe vera leaf juice extract in there, hyaluronic acid. And it has. Those are all designed to alleviate the skin dryness. It's oil controlling, I would say.

[Carlene Higgins]

Yeah, that makes sense.

[Jill Dunn]

So if I have, like a big event or I really think I'm going to. My face is going to eat my makeup, something like this is a good first step for me.

[Carlene Higgins]

Yeah, yeah, it's true. I. We can never forget that step of using an exfoliating toner before putting on your makeup for a great event, because your makeup just goes on so much better. Yeah. That was always kind of the lore about The Biologique Recherche. P50.

[Jill Dunn]

Yes.

[Carlene Higgins]

Although that was not created by an esthetician, so that's a sidebar.

[Jill Dunn]

But I also wanted to mention it's 38 US dollars for this product, so it's pretty reasonable.

[Carlene Higgins]

Yeah.

[Jill Dunn]

To get the same toner that probably ha. Hailey Bieber uses on her face, you know.

[Carlene Higgins]

Absolutely. Or Billie Eilish.

[Jill Dunn]

And I think what's important to know about. Or which. What's important to think about is like. Yes, I'm saying ingredients you've probably heard of before, but I think it's really about, like, the recipe that these estheticians are able to. Because they're used to kind of playing with professional products and putting them together in a strength quote, unquote, that will work for skin and get you the best results with no irritation. I think that that's. She's bottled that.

[Carlene Higgins]

Yeah. And Biba is also, in case you didn't listen to that episode, she is a big believer in non comedogenic ingredients. So you can be sure that any product in her line is non comedogenic. For real.

[Jill Dunn]

Yeah.

[Carlene Higgins]

Because that term, everybody has a different interpretation of what that means or how they test it. She actually has an ingredient checker on her website, or clogging checker, I think, or clogging checker. And so you can copy and paste the ingredient, list your product, your favorite product, to see if there is a sneaky ingredient in there that is clogging pores. So that's just something good to know because she is a bit of a acne fixer.

[Jill Dunn]

Yeah.

[Carlene Higgins]

Is what she's probably best known for. So I. I don't doubt that. That's probably, like, triple A in this category.

[Jill Dunn]

Yeah.

[Carlene Higgins]

Yeah.

[Jill Dunn]

Love it.

[Carlene Higgins]

Now, not everybody is looking for acne products or to exfoliate in their toner, of course, as a whole different category, which is hydrating toners.

[Jill Dunn]

Yeah.

[Carlene Higgins]

And, you know, unless you're talking about K Beauty or Japanese toners, there are some great ones from estheticians where they're really using. They tend to be botanical ingredients, these types of mists. They're refreshing. And I find usually it's about not only hydration but calming ingredients. Like, usually it aims to reduce inflammation, that kind of thing. So I want to tell you about one that I recently discovered. I quite like it. It's Monastery. Have you heard of this brand?

[Jill Dunn]

Yeah. Rachel Goodwin was talking about it on our show.

[Carlene Higgins]

Yeah. So I. Or.

[Jill Dunn]

Or Molly Stern, one of them.

[Carlene Higgins]

Yeah, I think it was Rachel Goodwin, and I had not heard of this brand until.

[Jill Dunn]

It's beautiful.

[Carlene Higgins]

It's absolutely stunning. It is so up my alley in terms of, like, aesthetic in the backstory. So I'm gonna just tell you very briefly because we have so much to. But the founder, her name is Athena Hewitt, and she's a master esthetician. She has 20 years of study and training, and she has a studio in San Francisco, Monastery Studio.

[Jill Dunn]

Right.

[Carlene Higgins]

And she created this line because, like, we've talked about a lot of products she had been using in her back bar were still irritating her clients and creating problems. So that's why she created this. Now, this hydrating floral essence, you can. You can smell it here. Jill was created as a collaboration with Sophia Coppola. No.

[Jill Dunn]

Yeah.

[Carlene Higgins]

Like, how chic is that? So it was created. It's called Hideaways, and it was inspired by Hideaways Resort in Belize. So it uses all, like, local ingredients. It does smell very beautiful, but I will say it is a bit. It might be a bit perfumey for some people, a bit floral, even though they say that it doesn't contain any added fragrances. So I think it's just the ingredients themselves. It really does feel like you're walking through, like, a tropical garden in Belize. The main ingredient is rose water, so that's really what you're smelling if you love the smell of rose water, which we know is calming as well. And then it also has orchid oil, orange bitter oil. So if you're not an essential oils person, this product is not for you. But one thing that I do think is worth mentioning is her no. No list of ingredients. So the products she does not use. No alcohols. That's to be expected. No. No petroleum, no shea butter. Jill, you would appreciate that because a lot of sort of all natural botanical brands use that, but you find that to break you out. No cinnamon oil, no salts, no coconut oil, no squalane. Oh, no, wait. No squalene. Right, that makes sense, because that's not vegan.

[Jill Dunn]

Correct.

[Carlene Higgins]

No fillers of any kind, no parabens, no salicylic acid, no sulfates, and no tea tree oil.

[Jill Dunn]

Okay.

[Carlene Higgins]

Why no salicylic acid? Is that.

[Jill Dunn]

Well, that can be irritating. I mean, it's still exfoliating to a degree. It may be irritating to some.

[Carlene Higgins]

Yeah.

[Jill Dunn]

But it's also in a glass bottle, everyone.

[Carlene Higgins]

It's a mist.

[Jill Dunn]

It's a mist. Yes.

[Carlene Higgins]

It's in a burgundy bottle.

[Jill Dunn]

I'm spraying around, spritzing.

[Carlene Higgins]

And everything in this line is just absolutely stunning. Like, so picture it like Sofia Coppola creative directed this line. Like, that's how chic it is.

[Jill Dunn]

Yeah, it's. It really is very special.

[Carlene Higgins]

If I didn't mention it. This is $120 US okay? And yeah, the whole line is. Is in this kind of like. Like botanical. Super relaxing.

[Jill Dunn]

So lovely in terms of how you used it in your routine. Like an essence. It's an essence versus a toner.

[Carlene Higgins]

Well, it's a toner. Toner. Essence. Again, I feel like an essence is a non exfoliating toner. Really very hydrating, but you can use it as a mist so that you can use it throughout the day as well. That's really the significance of a mist. Okay, so moving on, our next. Next category is best serum.

[Jill Dunn]

Oh, okay. Such a tough one. There's a lot of good serums out there, Carlene. I think you might have gotten an import.

[Carlene Higgins]

Yes, I. This is my favorite product of the day.

[Jill Dunn]

Okay, great.

[Carlene Higgins]

That I'm showing to people.

[Jill Dunn]

And it's probably the hardest to get, too.

[Carlene Higgins]

It's actually not.

[Jill Dunn]

Okay, good.

[Carlene Higgins]

Sophie Carbonary, the s serum. It's 316us okay. Not inexpensive. It's available at Moda Operandi in the US And I believe they ship to Canada as well.

[Jill Dunn]

Right.

[Carlene Higgins]

So this was a new to me product, and I actually got it from the Moda newsletter. That's how I discovered it, and that's how I learned about Sophie Carbonari. Turns out that Sophie is Paris's most wanted facialist.

[Jill Dunn]

Okay.

[Carlene Higgins]

Which. Which I didn't realize. And she has clients like Caroline Demigre, Lou Doyon, Naomi Campbell, and Rihanna.

[Jill Dunn]

Okay.

[Carlene Higgins]

Her studio is in Palais Royale in Paris.

[Jill Dunn]

Beautiful.

[Carlene Higgins]

She is known to create the glow. So she created this product. I believe this is the only product in her line, in her OEMS line at the moment. And it's really an all around hydrating and balancing serum. It's said to be good for all skin types. I would say it's a daytime serum. It has. Because the main ingredient is vitamin C, which we know works really well during the day under a sunscreen. It has hyaluronic acid that's going to give you that plumpness, that stewiness. Centella Asiatica. That's wound healing. It, you know, that's really great for calming.

[Jill Dunn]

That's in a lot of K beauty as well.

[Carlene Higgins]

Exactly. Black cumin, which is another antioxidant, anti inflammatory vitamin C for moisturizing. And Argan oil.

[Jill Dunn]

So it's in a dropper, everyone.

[Carlene Higgins]

It's in a dropper. And it looks almost like it's going to be a face oil, but to me it's almost like a hybrid. It's like a. Almost like a refreshing oil or a gel oil.

[Jill Dunn]

Okay.

[Carlene Higgins]

And it has just a little bit of gold luster in it, so it feels so quenching on the skin and it just looks really beautiful even on its own. I think this is really that French girl aesthetic where, you know, maybe they're not wearing any makeup.

[Jill Dunn]

Right.

[Carlene Higgins]

But I watched a video where she was talking about it and she actually recommends you can put it on even after makeup on the tops of your cheeks for a bit of glow. Do you want to try it?

[Jill Dunn]

I'm not wasting a drop.

[Carlene Higgins]

Well, she sent me two bottles, so.

[Jill Dunn]

Oh, my gosh.

[Carlene Higgins]

Here's my holiday gift to you.

[Jill Dunn]

It is made in Korea.

[Carlene Higgins]

Yes. Oh, yes, it is made in Korea. I just. Yeah, I.

[Jill Dunn]

So that's why this bought it.

[Carlene Higgins]

Yeah. So designed in Paris, made in Korea. So it really has that beautiful texture. Whereas I find a lot of other of these kind of like botanical organic brands are. So you get that oil where you can really only wear it for before bed. So I just feel like this is a very special, unique product and I could also tolerate the vitamin C quite well, which usually I can't tolerate vitamin C at all.

[Jill Dunn]

Right.

[Carlene Higgins]

Again, it's like she knows what she's doing. Like they're not going to. She's not going to do anything that might potentially irritate the skin.

[Jill Dunn]

Yeah. Glycerin also in there.

[Carlene Higgins]

I will also say that this is a black owned brand and I think in the esthetician space. We don't always see so many like commercially successful skincare founders.

[Jill Dunn]

Right.

[Carlene Higgins]

So I think that's also another. Another item of note for sure.

[Jill Dunn]

So, speaking of K Beauty, I'm going to talk about a serum that gives you glass skin. This is the Peach and Lily Glass skin serum. It's US$39. It's available available at Ulta. And of course, the founder of this brand is Alicia Yoon. She's been on our podcast. She is an esthetician. She grew up in Korea. I'll never forget on our show when she gave us those like facial exercises that she does that basically like strengthen the whole face. Like she. It's like yoga for your face. She really knows the ins and outs of skincare and taking care of your skin holistically as well as topically. This product is so huge that one bottle is sold every two minutes.

[Carlene Higgins]

Wow.

[Jill Dunn]

And it really introduced, I think, the whole notion of glass skin to North America. Yeah, it's really all about refining skin's texture. So your pores aren't as pronounced, giving you that glass, even tone of the skin. It's got niacinamide in there. It has yam extract, which helps to create more supple skin and reduce flakiness. It has hyaluronic acid complex. It has a peptide complex. It also has a centella Asiatica derivative and that's known to help us help skin and reduce.

[Carlene Higgins]

Which we can't pronounce.

[Jill Dunn]

Yeah, I can't pronounce it, so you'll have to Google it.

[Carlene Higgins]

That one. It's a derivative. That's all you need to know.

[Jill Dunn]

Exactly. And I just find that it also gives you visible smoothing of lines when you are dedicated to using it. And it kind of does it all. And I understand why it's such a smash hit because a lot of different skin types can use it and see results. So if you're concerned about texture, you can use it. If you're consider concerned about fine lines, you can use it. If your skin is prone to redness or flakiness, you can use it. And I love following her content because she goes to Korea a lot and between her and her sister and her mom, I'm like taking notes.

[Carlene Higgins]

Yeah.

[Jill Dunn]

Because they always have these interesting supplements they're taking. They're always like at the forefront of, you know, skin care and skincare habits. They just dropped a new product. I haven't had a chance to try it, but I need to. It's called Cryo Reset Calming Mask Pads. And these are super Concentrated mask pads that are soaked with cooling mint extract. Calming artismia and azuline. And vitamins B5 and B12 to soothe and cool. Use on cheeks, foreheads or other areas of concern for five to 20 minutes.

[Carlene Higgins]

Yeah.

[Jill Dunn]

To quickly reduce irritation, redness, overheated skin. Is that made for us? Yeah, these are like mask pads. I think you can like stick them anywhere on your face.

[Carlene Higgins]

Yeah, yeah, yeah.

[Jill Dunn]

Interesting.

[Carlene Higgins]

It's a skin fridge. So I mean 2020. Yeah.

[Jill Dunn]

Literally.

[Carlene Higgins]

Okay. Amazing. Now we're going to talk about best exfoliators. There are quite a few.

[Jill Dunn]

Yeah.

[Carlene Higgins]

I feel like exfoliators. The at home peel was kind of in many ways like the gateway. Gateway. One of those terms for estheticians to step in. Because it was like, look, this is how you can get my facial at home.

[Jill Dunn]

Right.

[Carlene Higgins]

I think was the way we saw so many of these products come to fruition. And I think that probably one of the most successful in this category was Kate Somerville, Right?

[Jill Dunn]

Yes, yes. And she's also been on our show, one of our favorite episodes, Kate Somerville. She has her exfoliate intensive exfoliating treatment. It's US$79, 107 in Canada for two ounces. And that's my tip. They have a one that's bigger. You don't get the one that's bigger because it could dry out. And like 2 ounces is enough. Right. Because you're using this like once a week. The reason it was so special is it's kind of hitting on three different types of exfoliation in one 2 minute treatment. So it's got enzymatic, it's got like physical scrub.

[Carlene Higgins]

Yeah.

[Jill Dunn]

And chemical exfoliation. You leave it on your skin for two minutes. It's green. It definitely reduces pore size. And I think it's like really good to do that right before a couple of days before an event.

[Carlene Higgins]

Yeah.

[Jill Dunn]

Like it's more intensive than that daily one I was talking about from Biba. It's true treatment.

[Carlene Higgins]

Yes. Right. And they call it the two minute facial or something. Okay, interesting. I'm going to talk about a similar product because again, I think these kind of came up around the same time. But I think what's unique about that product is it's kind of in a gel, right?

[Jill Dunn]

Yeah.

[Carlene Higgins]

The formula.

[Jill Dunn]

Yes.

[Carlene Higgins]

Like a green.

[Jill Dunn]

It is. But I think the true breakthrough is that it has the three different types totally in the one.

[Carlene Higgins]

Yeah. But I'm just saying it's like a gel because. Yeah, when I think about this category, I have, I have a few that are quite similar here, but the Tammy Fender EPI peel. Okay, okay. That's the one I'm holding here.

[Jill Dunn]

It's in a jar.

[Carlene Higgins]

It's in a jar in a glass jar. It's $95 US. And this is a multi use peel. So it works as an exfoliator, a face mask and a natural all in one peel. So similar idea. It's like three products in one. Ye.

[Jill Dunn]

Yeah.

[Carlene Higgins]

This one is unique to what you're talking about though, because it's in a clay base. So this is the classic, you know, back in the 90s or whatever, you would see those ads with the woman with a white towel on her head and she had like this clay mask, like white clay mask on her face. Right. This is kind of like she could be, she could have been using this. So it has like spearmint, which makes it really refreshing rosemary. But it's really, it's already out mineral rich clay.

[Jill Dunn]

Right.

[Carlene Higgins]

Is really doing that sort of detoxifying and so it's got a bit of that grit to it that is physically exfoliating as well. So this one is a, a classic and it's going to give you that again, kind of like that peel at home. So your pores are more. I noticed that my pores were more refined this morning. I used it last night. It's, it's really quite iconic. So maybe from there we can go right into the masks because. Yeah, I, there's a, there's another one I want to tell you about. This is the Tracy Martin.

[Jill Dunn]

Yeah.

[Carlene Higgins]

And you mentioned that you never got to try Tracy Martin, right? No, you know, she was on the Oprah Show. So the enzyme exfoliant mask again, it's kind of similar, but it's green. So this again, I mean we've seen this all over the Internet on every kind of Getty Image face mask. Right. So this one you leave on for 15 minutes and it's actually been dubbed the 15 minute facial in a jar. It's $90 US. It has pineapple enzymes, volcanic minerals and it has AHA and BHA complex. So again you're getting the three types of exfoliation. Gets rid of dull skin, fine lines and wrinkles. So that's why I was saying that I think the Kate Somerville one's different because it doesn't have this clay.

[Jill Dunn]

It's not clay.

[Carlene Higgins]

Right.

[Jill Dunn]

Yeah.

[Carlene Higgins]

So that makes it unique.

[Jill Dunn]

And it definitely came from her spa. She did the two minute facial or like the, you know, she was famous for her peel.

[Carlene Higgins]

One of the things that I think is interesting is that. Do you remember Jade Marie who was on our show?

[Jill Dunn]

Yes. So sweet.

[Carlene Higgins]

So she very, very recently launched her online. It's called Jade Complexions or Jade Complexions because it's got an accent on the E. And I just want to point out that her first product, it's called the Crystalline marine facial polish. $70 US and this is really like a new version of this same concept that we're talking about. It has AHAs and BHAs in it. One as well. It's called a 4 in 1 product. So like these other ones, you can use it as a mask and exfoliator, a corrective cleanser by mixing it with your cleanser.

[Jill Dunn]

Right.

[Carlene Higgins]

Or a targeted spot treatment. And these other ones, same thing they say like if you have a zit, you can just put this on it overnight.

[Jill Dunn]

Right.

[Carlene Higgins]

And I think the clay would help draw it out. So this is like an old school idea that I actually think is worth revisiting. Kind of like the TikTok era.

[Jill Dunn]

Right.

[Carlene Higgins]

That's why I think it's genius that she came out with this and she did a very. Put her own spin on it. So it has clinically proven levels of glycolic and salicylic acids in it, but all of the ingredients are sourced from organic farms and it is fragrance free. That's a big difference because when you open these old school ones, right, they are very fragrant and of course, a lot.

[Jill Dunn]

I think the Tammy, I think is Tammy Fender, just in general has a lot of essential oils in it.

[Carlene Higgins]

The Tracy Martin certainly does. Her products are very fragrant, actually more so than the TAMI vendor, I would say. So most estheticians these days are like, stay away from fragrance. So that's a point of difference. It's a new spin on an old idea. So. But I'll tell you, the polish, when you use it on its own, very polishy. So she asked me for feedback and I was like, I have sensitive skin. I think it's a bit too gritty.

[Jill Dunn]

Yeah.

[Carlene Higgins]

And she had said, mix it with your. Mix it with your face wash.

[Jill Dunn]

Right.

[Carlene Higgins]

Use it as a spot treatment. You know, again, you can mix it in with other things to kind of get it to be less, less coarse. But apparently it has been tested to make sure it's not going to create micro scratches, which according to her, some other popular polishes do.

[Jill Dunn]

Right, Right.

[Carlene Higgins]

Which you only really see under a microscope. So I'm not, I can't weigh in on that.

[Jill Dunn]

Right. Well, I think the, the fact that she even Used the word polish. She's going there.

[Carlene Higgins]

Yeah.

[Jill Dunn]

Nobody else is using that. I'm sorry.

[Carlene Higgins]

Yeah, yeah.

[Jill Dunn]

So that gives you an indication that it's a scrub. It's a. Yeah, it's a scrub that it's. You're gonna not feel it, but.

[Carlene Higgins]

Yeah.

[Jill Dunn]

It's meant to really.

[Carlene Higgins]

Yeah.

[Jill Dunn]

Get those pores clear.

[Carlene Higgins]

Yeah. I mean, I like. I will say just really quickly, the Renee Rouleaux triple berry.

[Jill Dunn]

Yeah.

[Carlene Higgins]

It's the best smoothing mask because it's again, kind of more like the Kate Somerville where it's in almost like a gel mask. So this is the one that's bright red, that looks like a vampire.

[Jill Dunn]

Sabrina Carpenter's fave.

[Carlene Higgins]

Yeah. And. And it. It really does give you appealing effect where your pores look lessen the next day. Fantastic product. But the beads are like. There's no grit. It really is more like bubbly beads. And that one's 8850, by the way.

[Jill Dunn]

For the record, us, the Renee Rouleau.

[Carlene Higgins]

Yeah.

[Jill Dunn]

And what does Sabrina Carpenter say about it?

[Carlene Higgins]

This gives my skin a brilliant glow.

[Jill Dunn]

Hell yeah.

[Carlene Higgins]

Yeah.

[Jill Dunn]

I love it. So I want to shout out a mask that I love from Joanna. Check skincare. It's called the face mask. This is a. This is a sheet mask. It is exorbitantly priced. It's 150 for five sheet masks.

[Carlene Higgins]

Oh, my goodness.

[Jill Dunn]

$220 Canadian. It's a bio cellulose sheet mask. I don't really love sheet masks, but I love this one.

[Carlene Higgins]

Yep.

[Jill Dunn]

And it has.

[Carlene Higgins]

Especially when it's gifted, baby.

[Jill Dunn]

Yeah. It's hyaluronic acid, sunflower seed oil, coconut oil. But it also has beninite clay in there, and I think that is the difference maker. Hard to put clay in a sheet mask.

[Carlene Higgins]

Yeah.

[Jill Dunn]

I think that's why I like it the most.

[Carlene Higgins]

Hydrating. No, it is doing some detoxifying. Exactly.

[Jill Dunn]

It's like, if I could just have these.

[Carlene Higgins]

Yeah.

[Jill Dunn]

Like a supply. I wouldn't be mad about it. And I listen. I know it's exorbitant, but she is. She is the top name.

[Carlene Higgins]

Yeah.

[Jill Dunn]

Out there. She has seen it all. Truly. And done it all. And we had the incredible opportunity to go to her eponymous spa at the Lermitage in Beverly Hills. I have never in my life had such a bespoke facial from her girl, Melissa. I had more modalities used on me than a car wash, literally. But I loved every second of it. Like, if I could go back there tomorrow.

[Carlene Higgins]

Yes.

[Jill Dunn]

Oh, my God. I had red light used on me. Green light. Ultrasonic water microcurrent. But they were long wands.

[Carlene Higgins]

I know. I like the way it hugged my cheek.

[Jill Dunn]

Oh, my God.

[Carlene Higgins]

And that's when I was like.

[Jill Dunn]

This is how they snatch the snatch. It's like. Oh, yeah.

[Carlene Higgins]

Like one on each side of the cheekbone. And they're just like working it.

[Jill Dunn]

Yeah. And when she was working on my face, she put like an LED light the saluma over my. Over my hands.

[Carlene Higgins]

I know, same. And the oxygen chamber thing over your head.

[Jill Dunn]

It was incredible. Cryotherapy was part of it.

[Carlene Higgins]

Yeah.

[Jill Dunn]

And.

[Carlene Higgins]

But you get half an hour of massage and all.

[Jill Dunn]

Oh, my God.

[Carlene Higgins]

First hell. So it's really the best of both worlds.

[Jill Dunn]

Yes.

[Carlene Higgins]

You know what I mean? Because I like a massage. Don't give me all the modalities without touching my face. Yeah, no, but it. But it's like results oriented.

[Jill Dunn]

Yeah. And Joanna trains all of her people, of course. But my favorite part. And what was the most memorable? Of course, she's famous, Joanna, for slapping your face. But each time water was put on your face or like a water stepper rinse, they then Melissa would then follow up with a toner pad soaked in toner slapped all over your face.

[Carlene Higgins]

Yeah.

[Jill Dunn]

So every time water touched the face, then a hydrating toner touched it right after.

[Carlene Higgins]

Yeah.

[Jill Dunn]

So these layers and the intricacy going.

[Carlene Higgins]

Back to the mist.

[Jill Dunn]

Yeah, exactly.

[Carlene Higgins]

My miss. Are good. You know, it's that whole. What was that trend? Skin flooding.

[Jill Dunn]

Yes. It was just incredible. It's on a different level.

[Carlene Higgins]

Best. Best facial of the year for Jill and I. 2024. We need to move on to acne treatments. Now, Jill, I'm going to give you the floor on this one. So take it away.

[Jill Dunn]

I'm going to talk about two different products, and they address two different things. First up, I want to talk about Sophie Pavitt. She's known as the acne whisperer in New York City. I've had a facial with her. It was excellent. I really loved it. I loved her approach. Everything was fantastic. She has this product called the Mandelic clearing serum. It's US$54. It's a three in one exfoliating active serum that smooths, hydrates and protects. It has 8% mandelic acid in there. And mandelic acid itself, in case you didn't know, is an aha derived from bitter almonds.

[Carlene Higgins]

Oh, okay, Nice.

[Jill Dunn]

And estheticians recommend mandelic acid for darker, more melanated skin types because it's less likely to leave any kind of pigmentation.

[Carlene Higgins]

Right.

[Jill Dunn]

It's the texture of this product, for me, it is like, what's lighter than water? That's what it feels like. And I feel as though when you have acne skin or you're in the middle of an active breakout, last thing you want to do is put anything on it, really. And this is transformational around the chin especially. I've emptied three of these. These. Wow. Yeah. Obsessed.

[Carlene Higgins]

Okay. And definitely my daughter on this.

[Jill Dunn]

It definitely is less drying.

[Carlene Higgins]

Yeah.

[Jill Dunn]

And then my other product that's iconic I'm going to recommend is from Renee Roulo, our fave. It's the anti bump solution. It was formerly called the anti cyst treatment.

[Carlene Higgins]

Yes, I remember.

[Jill Dunn]

$49. Over 250,000 units of this product have been sold.

[Carlene Higgins]

Nice.

[Jill Dunn]

In 30 years of proven results. And this product I use when you have a zit that's so deep under the skin that it. It has its own heartbeat. It's throbbing. It is like it needs emergency 91 1. But do not pick it.

[Carlene Higgins]

Right.

[Jill Dunn]

Get this product, put it on and like, then, like, very shortly after, you'll just notice it starts to shrink into itself without being all flaky and gross. And it's. That type of acne is so stubborn and so debilitating that it is. This is something I would use, like 911 emergency versus the Sophie Pavett, which is like an everyday thing, to work into your routine.

[Carlene Higgins]

Stay consistent. Yeah, yeah. Got it.

[Jill Dunn]

Do you know what I mean?

[Carlene Higgins]

Totally. One's an instant hit. The other one's like, keep it up every day.

[Jill Dunn]

By the way, Renee has a very specific way of putting this on. Perform your regular routine. Take a damp tissue or a Q tip, wipe the affected area clean, and then apply the bump solution as the last step.

[Carlene Higgins]

Okay. Interesting. Well, we love Renee and she is an expert product developer. Now we're going to move on to best. I'm going to say aging treatment because I don't want to say anti aging. So I'm going to say best aging treatment. Now, we all know there's a lot of buzzy ingredients that are getting a lot of attention these days, but at the end of the day, retinol still has the most amount of data behind it.

[Jill Dunn]

Correct.

[Carlene Higgins]

So if we're going to talk about an esthetician created aging treatment, it's going to be a retinol. And Jill is holding in her lovely hands.

[Jill Dunn]

Yes. This is one of my favorites. It's from Shani Darden. It's the retinol reform. It's sold at Sephora US$89 120 in Canada. I think this is a really smartly formulated retinol because you will keep using it.

[Carlene Higgins]

Yeah.

[Jill Dunn]

It's not the most powerful retinol I've ever used. That's over the counter. But I think that's a good thing. There's a reason why she did that is because she sees people all the time who are probably coming into her with like crazy skin irritations because they just over. They've overdone it.

[Carlene Higgins]

Right.

[Jill Dunn]

And she's making sure you can have retinol in your routine and not overdo it. Therefore, you will get the results. And I think it's great for pigmentation, for fine lines, all the things we know that retinol is fantastic for, you know, fading scars. And I definitely noticed the smoothness with the forehead lines. And this is a retinol that I would tend to gravitate toward a little bit more. So in the winter.

[Carlene Higgins]

Right.

[Jill Dunn]

When I'm a little drier.

[Carlene Higgins]

Okay.

[Jill Dunn]

And it's like a serum kind of texture. It's very lightweight. So I recommend that one. Love, Shawnee.

[Carlene Higgins]

Okay.

[Jill Dunn]

What about you?

[Carlene Higgins]

Now I'm going to, I'm going to qualify what I'm about to say with I have not used this product three months.

[Jill Dunn]

Right.

[Carlene Higgins]

Okay. Which when you're talking about aging products, let's be honest.

[Jill Dunn]

Yeah.

[Carlene Higgins]

They require like 30, 60, 90 days of clinical testing and, or any kind of testing. And I have not used it for the three months. But I do think that this is a unique product. It's the Angela Caglia Cell Forte serum. It's a serum that contains peptides and exosomes.

[Jill Dunn]

Okay.

[Carlene Higgins]

And that's the reason I wanted to bring it up because not a lot of facialists are. Are into this territory and have doubled down on it as hard as Angela Caglia has, which I think is part of the reason for the price. It's 395 US and 568 in Canada. Now, we know that exosomes are expensive these days. And what the claim is about this Cell Forte serum is that it utilizes the world's first patented human derived stem cell technology. And apparently it uses. It contains healing properties that were originally discovered through clinical studies to treat conditions such as dementia, Parkinson's and arthritis. So I think it is somewhat surprising that a world's first patented form of stem cell technology has come from an esthetician. And we have talked about exosomes a bit on our podcast. We're going to have another episode soon coming out that goes pretty deep into it. But it's really all about using the body's own healing mechanisms to kind of heal itself. And there's plant derived and there's human derived, there's animal derived, and so this one is human derived. Although it said that it doesn't contain any human DNA. It's DNA free.

[Jill Dunn]

Okay.

[Carlene Higgins]

So if that isn't. I find it confusing. But anyway, I will say a little goes a long way. You can probably use one drop on your whole face, so that helps to justify the price, I suppose. It's already won numerous awards. Future of Beauty winner from Elle, Birdie, Rachel Zoe, Essence. They've all awarded this product already. It just came out last year. Yeah, and again, it's all about exosomes, growth factors and peptides. So listen, if you can't handle retinol, you've had enough. But you're serious about wrinkles and pigmentation and all that, this might be one.

[Jill Dunn]

To reach for, I'm pretty sure. And don't quote me on this, but I just have Italian friends. I'm pretty sure it might be Angela Calia.

[Carlene Higgins]

Oh, okay.

[Jill Dunn]

Is that correct?

[Carlene Higgins]

My apologies, Angela Calia.

[Jill Dunn]

Well, you're going to Italy. You're going to Italy in 2025. So now you know.

[Carlene Higgins]

Yes, I. Now I know where I'm going to find out.

[Jill Dunn]

Lasagna. Oh, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. No, maybe I'm wrong, but Gl together, right?

[Carlene Higgins]

You're not going to say Lazagna, Right?

[Jill Dunn]

So a G and L or a G in another consonant I do believe is Angela Calia.

[Carlene Higgins]

Yeah, Right. So there you go. There you go, everyone. That. That's a. That's a hardcore one. That's getting lots of buzz right now.

[Jill Dunn]

So, Carlene, next we're going to talk about moisturizers. We've already talked about one famous Joanna. What about the other famous Joanna in the world?

[Carlene Higgins]

Of course. Well, we can't close out the episode without talking about Joanna Vargas. Yes, of course. So the product I'm holding in my hot little hand is the Joanna Vargas Twilight overnight cream. It's 116 US dollars, 215 Canadian. And this is a hydrating night cream and it's powered by botanical epidermal growth factor egf. So, as I just mentioned, there's maybe not a lot of estheticians that are dabbling in this. In this space of cutting edge technology, but Joanna Vargas is one of them. And she has been on our show. She talked about her love of epidermal growth factors. I will never forget the way she described it is. It's like A healing ingredient. So if you're getting lasers, if you are using retinol, if you're using AHAs, all of the things it's like epidermal growth factor is just helping to heal. And so this, this product has EGF in it and it also has plumping, hyaluronic acid, antioxidants, vitamins, and it's all plant based. I really like it when I use the Twilight serum with it, which is like a milky serum. I actually really like that product. So when I use them together, I just find it's like one is milky and starts that hydration. It's really meant to be for fine lines, wrinkles, sagginess, give you bouncier looking skin. Like a good all.

[Jill Dunn]

Yeah. Okay. Yeah, excellent. So my recommendation is for daytime and this is with Sarah Chapman. She's been on our show. She's a British facialist. It's the full name of the product is Sarah Chapman London Skin Insurance SPF 50. It's $89 in the US, 110 in Canada. It's available at Space NK and her website. And really this is a skin enhancer with spf. And I fell in love with this product using it sort of in the summertime or like when I'm looking for lighter coverage. But I want to have spf. I still find that you need to put the moisturizer on and then you put this on as your last step. Meghan Markle is a fan of this product. Victoria Beckham said about this product that on a day when I'm hanging around the house with the kids, I just like to use the Sarah Chapman Skin Insurance SPF 50. It's basically a tinted moisturizer with sunscreen, which is obviously so important. And you just put like two, three pumps all over your face. And a lot of people love that supergoop product, that super glow. I can't go anywhere near that. I feel like a disco ball. So this gives you like optic. They're like optically it's, it's like the pigments are giving you that optical blur and nice finish to your skin, but you're not, you don't feel like you look sweaty. Yeah, it's a more refined take on that idea.

[Carlene Higgins]

And you probably could use it in the summer without a moisturizer. If you use like a milky toner under it. That's milky essence. I like that combo.

[Jill Dunn]

It's kind of like a cashmere texture, which I'm obsessed with.

[Carlene Higgins]

Yeah.

[Jill Dunn]

And it's, you know, it's harder to find, but it's. It's worth it. I need to shout out one more thing from an esthetician down the street. And these are cryo because estheticians getting into skincare is one thing, but estheticians getting into tools, totally different. Quickly shouting out skin by V. She has these incredible gua Sha cryo sticks. I love them. They're stainless steel, but they have rubberized ends so they do not slip around in your hands. Pop them in the freezer. I'm obsessed with them for tmj and they're not globe shape. They're actually sculpted shape. And that is the difference because you can really sculpt with them and snatch with them and for rosacea or sensitivity, grinding your teeth, which I tend to do. It's. They're just wonderful. And she uses them in her legit treatments and I wanted to shout those out. It. They're pricey though. $175.

[Carlene Higgins]

Yeah, I actually the I held on to the Georgia Louise.

[Jill Dunn]

Right.

[Carlene Higgins]

The Georgia Louise cryo sticks. So they are the globes and they are also rubber on one side. And I love those. Like I can't believe how cold they stay.

[Jill Dunn]

Yes.

[Carlene Higgins]

Even without a refrigerator. So I bring them whenever I travel to Depot.

[Jill Dunn]

Such a great idea. So hope all of you enjoyed this episode and our take on some of these lines. Like I said, didn't have our ch. We didn't have a chance to cover all of the ones that are out there. So we would love to hear from you if you have a ride or die product from or something really special from a brand that you love and have been using for years.

[Carlene Higgins]

Thank you so much for listening and we will see you next week. Thanks for listening. You can find details on every product mentioned in today's episode along with our exclusive promo codes on our [e-mail] While.

[Jill Dunn]

You'Re there, be sure to sign up for our newsletter. Every episode will be delivered directly to your inbox so you won't miss a.

[Carlene Higgins]

Single thing and get social with us. Let us know what you think of the episode. You can follow us on Instagram at Breaking Beauty Podcast.

[Jill Dunn]

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[Carlene Higgins]

You can even leave us a voicemail at any time with questions or feedback at 1-844-227-0302.

[Jill Dunn]

And don't forget to subscribe to us wherever you get your podcast fix, Spotify, Stitcher, Google Podcasts and Apple Podcasts where you can show us some love by.

[Carlene Higgins]

Writing a review see you. Please note that this episode may contain.

[Jill Dunn]

Paid endorsements and advertisements for products and services.

[Carlene Higgins]

Individuals on the show may have a.

[Jill Dunn]

Direct or indirect financial interest in products.

[Carlene Higgins]

Or services referred to in this episode.