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- [00:01]
Amazon Sponsor
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- [00:27]
Alex Hernandez
Foreign.
- [00:38]
Tessa Zolli
Hello, guys. Welcome back to the Treatment Room podcast with your host, Tessa Zolli. I am so excited for today's episode. I think this is going to be incredibly helpful to estheticians, acne professionals and and anyone who wants to learn more about acne clearing, specifically related to Face Reality. I'm so excited for this episode. I have been dreaming of doing something like this ever since I got certified. So without further ado, I want to introduce our guests of today's show, Alex and Kelsey, who are on the education and marketing team at Face Reality.
- [01:15]
Kelsey Duke
Thank you, Tess. We are so excited to be here. I was telling Alex and Tessa how I am a huge fan of this podcast podcast, so I can't wait to get into it with both of you today.
- [01:26]
Tessa Zolli
Yay. Thank you guys so much for your time and just for being here with us. I. I know this is going to be a really popular episode, so thank you again. Would love to hear just about the both of you. Can you introduce yourselves and tell us where are you from and how did you get into aesthetics?
- [01:45]
Kelsey Duke
Absolutely. So I'm Kelsey Duke. I have been a licensed esthetician for. Gosh, it's going to be 10 years this year in November, which is like, crazy to even think about, but I've been doing this for quite some time. I grew up in the Bay Area, California. Still very local to the Bay Area. Our clinic actually, when we started was based in San Leandro, California. So very homegrown. I love that I have that connection to the company as well. That's where we started was Bay Area. I have been an acne expert for seven years now, so just been working. I got to train under Laura when she was still a part and actively working in the clinic. I always tell people how one of the scariest days was when Laura tested me out to take my own clients. But it was like, so exciting and like thrilling. So I've been doing this for quite some time. I've been with the company when we were very, very small. When I started, There was about 13 people on staff. Now I think we're up to almost 80. So we're growing. I've seen the company grow and just blossom into what it is today. When I started, I was in the clinic clearing clients with Alex. And then about two years after that, I pivoted to the acne expert success team, where I got to work with all of our acne experts. And now I'm one of our education team members.
- [03:13]
Tessa Zolli
So. Amazing. So you're an og.
- [03:16]
Kelsey Duke
An og.
- [03:17]
Tessa Zolli
And I love my Bay Area girls.
- [03:19]
Alex Hernandez
Yes.
- [03:23]
Tessa Zolli
Yes. And, Alex, how about you?
- [03:26]
Alex Hernandez
Yeah. Hi, everyone. My name is Alex Hernandez. My story is honestly like a copycat of Kelsey. I've been an esthetician. I think I'm going on nine years this year, maybe eight years. But I've been in the beauty industry almost 12 years now. I kind of started backwards in my career. I started off in spa management and then worked my way to being a treatment provider after just seeing, you know, the amazing results that people are doing, you know, with their own two hands. And I started at Face Reality. Oh, my gosh. 2018. So I've been an acne expert for. I think that makes me six years as an acne expert this year. So when I was started in the clinic, of course, Laura was still there, but Kelsey was already there too. So I've known Kelsey. Gosh, we've been friends for years and years now. So it was amazing to be able to learn from, of course, Laura, but then also Kelsey, and then there was another esthetician, Desiree, in the clinic at that time, so I had the best teachers possible. So started off in the acne clinic, treating clients day in and day out. And then Covid hit and we all had to pivot, and we really started just creating content, and that really took off. And it was kind of like my side hustle for a while, just creating content. And then a fifth initially, in 2021, I became education manager. So really just been working on or working with our professional channel. So really working hand, hand in hand with estheticians since 2021, just creating educational materials for all of you.
- [04:54]
Tessa Zolli
Amazing. And my next question for you is, how did Face Reality kind of come to be? Because it's this amazing line. You guys offer education now to estheticians. We have this opportunity to get about this, you know, specialty of acne, which you can't get in school. So how did all of this kind of start?
- [05:16]
Kelsey Duke
Yeah, so Laura, she actually started off as a massage therapist and then went and got her esthetician license. She also was someone who had experienced acne before, and I think she just kind of went out and learned all she could about acne from industry leaders and. And then created this program to really get herself clear. She worked with a few other acne experts to get herself clear, and then she created this clinic and that opened in 2005. So we're actually turning 20 next year. So we've been around for quite some time. I don't think people realize, like, how actually long we've been around because we were so, like, small in the Bay Area for a really, really long time. And she had estheticians calling and just really curious about how she was getting people clear, clear and had all these questions. So she actually started telling them to come in and shadow her. So estheticians could come into the clinic and they could watch licensed professionals. They could watch and kind of see what she was doing. And that was just growing and growing and growing. So in 2010, she decided to create this training and, you know, sell it to estheticians, licensed professionals alike, and so others can also, you know, achieve these results. And so that was so a dvd. It's. It all started on a dvd. Now it's like an online portal where you can go in and log in, but it's kind of just grown from there. It's so funny. I was talking to one of another OG at the company. Her name's Patty. She is a manager for product development. But she has a very similar story where she started in the clinic and kind of grew to the business side. And I think there was like something like 80 training sold or something in like, all of 2011. So just to, you know, see the growth and see how much people. There is a need for education around acne specifically. Not a lot of people get that education in school, unfortunately. And like, no fault to schools, but it's just not, you know, what we really dive into there. So I think people were just curious and wanted to learn. So it's kind of just blossomed from there.
- [07:27]
Tessa Zolli
Thank gosh. I mean, I cannot imagine, you know, estheticians where they would really get this knowledge about acne if it weren't for great companies like Face Reality. Like, if you were struggling also with acne 10, 15 years ago, there just weren't these kind of resources 100%.
- [07:47]
Kelsey Duke
I mean, that's kind of even how I stumbled upon Face Reality. I went to a school where I learned a very holistic approach to treating skin, but there wasn't a lot of, again, that education around acne. And I was treating clients in a spa like, setting for a few years before I found Face Reality. And I was seeing clients acne, and I couldn't help them. So I actually did some research, and I was like, okay, well, where can I learn more about acne? And then Face Reality had a job posting for an esthetician, and the rest is kind of history. But I was seeking that out too, because there was clients I couldn't help, and I felt bad. I really wanted to help them. So that's even how it all began for me.
- [08:28]
Alex Hernandez
I think we all get into acne because, you know, us or someone we love is experiencing acne. I feel like working for Face Reality was fate. Back in, oh, my gosh, like, 20. Okay. So I don't even know how long, but long before 2018, I literally worked a street over from the Stanley Andrew Clinic, and one of my coworkers was Laura's client. And just seeing him and his amazing results because he started off with more moderate to severe combination acne. So this was a huge part of his life. So I got to watch him go through the clearing process, not. Not imagining that in a couple of years, I'd be doing the same thing right across the street.
- [09:07]
Kelsey Duke
I know. It's so funny. I felt like such a phony in school because I was experiencing acne. Just doing facials on each other every single day. That's really when my acne was at its worst. So, yes, I was able to help myself clear once I found Face Reality. So to Alex's point, it's pretty much always personal or. I feel like estheticians are just so empathetic and they want to help people and they want to solve that piece for clients as well.
- [09:34]
Tessa Zolli
Yes. And I feel like so many of us relate to. Yeah, feeling a little bit like a fraud because you get your license, you go through school, but you're like, I don't actually know how to help people. And it is, you know, the most common condition we see. It's something I feel like we. We need to have in our tool belt. We need to know how to help the people that come to us who want to treat their skin.
- [09:57]
Kelsey Duke
100.
- [10:00]
Tessa Zolli
Can you guys speak to Face Reality's philosophy and what the clear skin method is?
- [10:07]
Alex Hernandez
Yeah. I think that's what really sets us apart, because so many times people are focusing on just one thing. They're focusing just on skin care or just on treatments or just on, like, their lifestyle. All of these things are important, but in order to really achieve clear skin and maintain clear skin, you have to combine all three. So. So that's really what the clear Skin method is. It's like that three pillar approach. The home care routine being a huge, huge piece of that. You know, clients are, you know, in front of the mirror twice a day, every single day. So they have huge control and power in their clearing process. The next is where we come in and we're providing those professional treatments and extractions. So of course addressing, you know, active acne, but also P H and texture. And then the third pillar of that approach is all of the lifestyle. So again, things that clients have control over. So it's really that like 80, 20 rule. So 80% our clients, so the home care and their lifestyle, 20% us, of course, our knowledge and then those treatments. But clear skin method is really what we base everything off of. We really take that holistic approach. So we're focusing on all of the important factors that our clients have to just keep up with every single day if they really want to get and maintain those results. And we also get into our adaptive method as well. I don't know how many times I've talked to a client and we're their last stop. They've gone to the derm, they've gone to Target, Ulta, Amazon, unfortunately, sometimes. And by the time they get to us, they're like, you know, I don't even trust you. I don't even believe you. You're probably just going to wreck my skin like I already did. So we take that adaptive method. We really work progressively versus aggressively so that they don't start a regimen. And right away their skin is like crazy red or dry or itchy, which, you know, they tend to wreck their barriers a lot when they're treating acne themselves. So we really take that adaptive approach as well. So we maintain that skin health so they're not like immediately turned off by all these negative side effects that they've probably already experienced elsewhere.
- [12:14]
Tessa Zolli
I love that. And I'm so glad that you guys have that holistic approach because that is what I hear and see with clients time and time again. They kind of just try one thing and then the next thing, but they're not looking with a bird's eye view at everything going on while treating their skin appropriately. So I think it's so important to kind of marry all of those things because there's never going to just be, you know, one thing that fixes it.
- [12:42]
Alex Hernandez
That's why we have so many different product options too. Like, we don't just have one cleanser, one toner. We have different options. You can really customize for each individual person. That's another thing we see a lot of clients fail with is they'll go and buy a kit and expect it to work for them because it worked for someone else. But no one's skin is the same, especially with acne, because there's like, even more factors to consider and more customization to put in place. That's why we have the products that we do, so that no matter who you're seeing, what their acne type is, what their skin type is, what their fits type is, what their other skin conditions they may be focusing on, we have something for everyone because everyone is so different. You have to address that.
- [13:27]
Kelsey Duke
Yeah. That partnership piece is so important too. We just can't simply want it more than our clients. Right. We have to. Like, in our consultation, we spend a good amount of time just telling them, you know, we can meet you where, where you are. There are some things that may need to be adjusted and sometimes they can do it, sometimes they can't. We just have to create that space for them, but also set that expectation. One of, like, my favorite things about treating acne is telling estheticians, you have to have and set those expectations because we don't want to over promise and under deliver. And if a client, you know, can't use their home care every single day, maybe can't make some of these lifestyle choices, the acne is still going to present and be, you know, on the surface of the skin. So that's one thing I think is very, very important when treating acne is explaining and stressing the partnership that this takes. We can't want it more than them and we can't do it all for them, but we can provide them with the information and the tools so that they can achieve clear skin.
- [14:31]
Tessa Zolli
Yes. And I feel like that is an art. It takes a lot of trial and error to really communicate that. But when you don't, I think you see, you see, you know, things come up and it's just something you get better and better at. But it's so important to go over with clients because they are looking at you. If their skin isn't clearing, they're going to be like, what the heck? I came to tests, I invested in tests, what's going on? But they really have to understand they have a piece in the relationship and so do you.
- [15:04]
Kelsey Duke
Yeah, I love the, like, working out analogy. If you go to the gym every single day for a year, you're absolutely going to see those results, you're going to feel better, you're going to look different. You know, it's the same thing with acne. Acne is people love an instant gratification, but that's just not the case. It takes time, it takes commitment and patience.
- [15:24]
Tessa Zolli
And I've, I've noticed just with social media, maybe it's like seeing the before and afters and kind of not understanding all the time and, and trial and error that goes into that. I think just because things are so fast paced these days, people expect this kind of instantaneous result. There's even more of a responsibility on the esthetician to explain the process and set the expectation, which I think your program helps estheticians do so well. Like, you guys really walk us through every piece of that relationship.
- [15:58]
Alex Hernandez
Yeah, that relationship is really key.
- [16:01]
Tessa Zolli
What can estheticians expect from the training? Like, if somebody's, you know, looking at the Face Reality site, they're thinking about buying the course, what should they expect?
- [16:14]
Alex Hernandez
Honestly, with this training, they can expect a little bit of everything just because there is so many different things to consider when you're clearing acne. So going through the training, it's basically like going through the journey. So you need to know how to identify, you know, what kind of skin type does your client have, what's the acne type that they have, what's the acne severity? Then we'll get into how to choose treatments for those different acne types, how to choose the home care for those different acne types. Big, big piece of this is also the lifestyle coaching, because again, that lifestyle is going to play such a huge piece for acne clients. So also go into lifestyle coaching. So this is something that acne experts have to do every single visit. We're actually just talking about this yesterday in our own clinic. You know, as you get so comfortable with your clients, you stop asking all of those questions. But with our acne clients, you know, they're triggered so easily by different lifestyle factors that, you know, if we get too comfortable and we're not always, you know, on them in a nice way, on them about, you know, their lifestyle or diet choices, maybe they started a new supplement and didn't think to even mention it or check it. Maybe they got a new foundation, they didn't think to check the ingredients, maybe they forgot dairy was a huge trigger and they started drinking milk every day or they started drinking away protein shake. So we talk about all of different things, of the different things that can trigger acne, but more importantly, how to coach your acne clients through it and how to keep them engaged with you and how to keep Revisiting those things so that, you know, once they're getting their maintenance treatments with you, you know, nine, 12 months down the line, that they don't start picking up those bad habits again. But the training is going to cover a bit of everything. It also comes with a ton of downloads as well. So not only were you talking, talking about, you know, how to do a consultation, we also give you a consultation packet. We give you the questionnaires and the consent forms as well. So we basically just want to make sure that our licensed estheticians or acne experts have that full toolkit that they need. So they're getting the knowledge, they're getting the collateral with it, they're getting the client handouts as well as, like, the products and everything and the protocols, all of that. So it's really a comprehensive just, you know, you want to treat acne, here's your training. You can get started with this.
- [18:28]
Kelsey Duke
Really what acne is. I think there's so many just, like, misconceptions around, like, oh, you have acne because you're dirty, or you have acne because of X, Y and Z, when that's just so not the case, like, whatsoever. So we just even dive into that a little bit in the beginning where we're explaining, like, what's happening, why it's happening, and then, like, identifying those triggers to Alex's point and learning how to be.
- [18:53]
Alex Hernandez
We.
- [18:53]
Kelsey Duke
I like to call us, like, our acne detectives, like, really getting to, like, know what questions to ask, why they're important, and just being able to dive deeper with our clients.
- [19:03]
Alex Hernandez
Oh, Tessa, should we break down acne really quick for everyone?
- [19:05]
Tessa Zolli
Please, please do.
- [19:07]
Alex Hernandez
So what Kelsey was mentioning, there's so many misconceptions and myths still with acne. People think it's something that just teenagers experience. You know, it's just because you're bad diet, so drink more water and stop eating French fries. Or it's just because, you know, you have a bad skincare routine. These things can all be exacerbating factors, like, that's for sure. But it's so important as treatment providers to let our clients know that the acne is not their fault. So many people feel guilty and shameful because of their skin because, you know, we're taught by society that something that we're doing wrong, but literally, it is a hereditary disorder of the follicle. So what's actually happening with acne? Those that are acne prone, they're experiencing retention hyperkeratosis. And what that means is there is an overproduction of skin cells coupled with the retention of those dead skin cells made easier by that stickiness of that sebum within the pore. So this is something that you know is occurring no matter what. And once you get, you know, all that dead skin cell buildup coupled with the sebum, that's the perfect breeding ground for the C. Acnes bacteria. Once that gets introduced, that's when you start seeing more inflamed acne. And of course, our hormones, our diet, our cosmetics, they are going to play a part in this. So if we're already shedding too many dead skin cells and then someone starts taking a hair and nail supplement with that biotin, that biotin is going to increase that cellular shedding, just adding to that problem. So it all stems from the same place. So it's just really important to know that, understand it and then convey it to your clothes clients so that they know like, yeah, maybe there's some lifestyle stuff they need to clean up, but you know, this isn't their fault. So they, we can't tell them, like, don't feel bad about it, don't feel ashamed about it because they're going to have their feelings no matter what, but just providing them with that knowledge that it's not something that they have done wrong really. I've seen like physically seen a weight lift off some clients shoulders when it clicks for them and they're like, oh, like, my mom's aunt's best friend told me it was because I have a bad diet and eat french fries. So now I know, like she's full of it and it's not my fault. So it's really just comforting for them more than anything.
- [21:23]
Kelsey Duke
And the whole it can't be cured part. I think people think that there's a cure for acne and if you have that genetic disposition, you can't change that. All we can do is learn how to control our acne and we can do that with again those lifestyle adjustments, using proper home care routines, and then again working with your acne expert to help you figure out what all of that looks like and what that means for, for you because everybody will be so, so, so different.
- [21:50]
Tessa Zolli
Absolutely. Thank you guys for sharing. I feel like that's so important for people to understand because I feel like if we pulled the audience and especially non professionals, most people would not say acne is, you know, a skin cell shedding problem. They, they would have all these other ideas. So I think it can kind of take the pressure off for our clients when they understand Like, I have a skin cell shedding problem. It doesn't have anything to do with my health. There's nothing wrong with me. I'm not dirty. It is just inherited. And yes, we need to look at the lifestyle, but also interrupt that process happening in the pore.
- [22:28]
Alex Hernandez
Exactly. Because acne is so, so much more than skin deep. It's so mental and emotional. So even just giving them that little bit of peace can be so helpful.
- [22:40]
Tessa Zolli
Mm, absolutely. So we have a bunch of questions for you guys from the audience, so we can just dive right in. I know we talked about this a little bit, but somebody had asked, does the course only teach how to treat with face reality product? What, like, what else is there to the course? And can somebody take this course and still, you know, apply it in their business if they're carrying a different line?
- [23:12]
Kelsey Duke
Yeah, I think what you're going to learn in the training is really, again, like, what acne is, why what those triggers might be with the face reality products. These are all very formulated specifically for acne skin types, not meaning that you can't use this product for like an age management client. A lot of our products are at a very accessible price point because Alex kind of touched on this. But it's 80%, you know, home care and 20% treatments and lifestyle. That's why so many of our acne experts can successfully run virtual businesses. And that has saved a lot of their businesses, especially like, post Pandemic. But they've created these virtual programs because it works so well. So you're going to, again, just learn more about, like, that acne. But also, I would say if you are treating acne, a big part of it is that formulation of products, what ingredients are in products. We talk a lot about pore clogging ingredient products, and some, you know, even great products that I love today have some poor cloggers in it. So if we're using products with poor cloggers in it, that can be a barrier for our clients to get clear. Definitely. Just think of it more as like an acne education piece of content. A lot of people purchase it just to learn more about acne. We have, we unfortunately, you know, we're, we're in the United States. We can't sell, you know, outside, but we have people from all over just wanting to take the course to learn more about what acne really is. So you would absolutely benefit whether, you know, you're using the product line or not. I will say the product line is beautiful and it works great for acne clients. I'M just going to, like, shamelessly plug us there. But that's not just what the training is about.
- [24:58]
Tessa Zolli
Perfect. And now you guys have a part two, right, for the acne certification. Can you speak to that? What does that course include?
- [25:06]
Alex Hernandez
Yeah. So just like what Kelsey was saying, to answer your first question, the first level of training is really acne. We don't really start forcing you to know about us until level two, when you're already an acne expert. So level two really takes you to that next level of being an acne expert. But we also want to make sure our acne experts are as profitable as possible. So in addition to acne, we start opening the door more so to age management and pigmentation. Pigmentation management so that you can use, you know, the retail and the back bar to service your acne clients, your age management clients, your pigmentation series clients, want to make sure that you have the power to make money doing this meaningful work. Because at the end of the day, you guys are all business owners and you have your own bottom line to look out for. That's why we also talk a lot about modalities. What modalities you can bring into your business to not only treat your clients better, but also make more money with. You're a big advocate for Douglas Preston. Douglas Preston is also featured in this training. He takes you through how to use his Comedone extractor. But he also has a segment where he's with Lexi Cho Beuley, who is skin by Lexi on Instagram, if you guys know her, they talk all about what it is to be an entrepreneur in the skincare industry, what it takes to be successful and make money. Douglas is huge on estheticians making money. We are doing amazing, amazing work. But at the end of the day, you're running a business, so Douglas and Lexi go into that. And then we also have, you know, because we put you through the ringer, Kelsey and I dive deep in product knowledge. So you know everyone who's gone through that product knowledge. We also give you a protocol, a little bit more of an advanced protocol for that. But I think the coolest part about level two is that it doesn't end there. It's going to have exclusive continuing education as well. We have a ton of free education in our library that's available to everyone, everybody. But for those that have committed and gone through level two, we're going to have different exclusive education for them as well. So really just looking forward to everything that we continue to put out. You know, we're going to be partnering with more key opinion leaders in the industry for this exclusive continuing education. So you're not just looking at. Kelsey and I talk on a screen all the time. I mean, we weren't great, but, you know, we got to get some other key opinion leaders in there. So that's what I'm really looking forward to for this Level two certification is just. Just everything that's to come still.
- [27:40]
Kelsey Duke
Yeah. I would also add. One of the biggest things we would hear is, okay, I'm. I'm a certified ACME expert now, but, like, what next? It's a lot of information. I mean, even for myself, I think I watched the videos, like, three or four times before I actually took my first client. Because it's just, you're learning so much, but then it's hard. You. Then you have to put it into practice. Right. Like, that can be tricky for some people. It was for me, so I actually, you know, like, when I was in the clinic, I made flashcard flashcards on all of our products, but we kind of do that for you in this one. So it's kind of like a natural step so you can learn what these products are doing, really understand the ingredients. Ingredients are for who? And I think that's a gap we.
- [28:23]
Alex Hernandez
Filled with level two, for sure.
- [28:25]
Tessa Zolli
And I love that the library is continuously available to you. I'm always going back and just getting a little refresher. Even if I'm folding laundry or have some downtime, it can never hurt to.
- [28:37]
Kelsey Duke
Just review that stuff 100%. And that's what I also love. Like, the videos are yours indefinitely once you purchase that training and you can go back and you can watch it however many times you need to.
- [28:50]
Tessa Zolli
Another question we got was, can you take the acne course before getting licensed as an esthetician?
- [28:57]
Alex Hernandez
Oh, that's a great question. So, absolutely. So if you are in school and, you know, you want to focus on acne and the two pages in your m'lady textbook aren't covering it, you can purchase the training while still in school. You just cannot finish certifying your account and like buying products until you get your license, but you can absolutely still benefit from the education while being an aesthetic student.
- [29:22]
Tessa Zolli
That's amazing. I didn't know that. I wish I had had that opportunity, but there you guys go. Can a client get clear just on mandelic, or do they need acne med as well?
- [29:39]
Kelsey Duke
Good question. So I love talking about this, actually. I feel like it was very helpful for me. Again, I got to. I'm Alex And I, we were very lucky. We got to work with Laura for a few months before she completely retired. But one of the things she taught me, it still sticks to me today, is think of the serums, the acne that's on the surface of the skin, it's almost like dead acne, right? Like these things have formed now they're surface, they're done. They either want to be extracted or they're going to heal on their own time, reduce, and you know, that inflammation will go away eventually. What the serums are doing is a serum such as Mandelic will treat everything on the surface of the skin. So this is going to help with the acne that's there, even, you know, potential pigmentation that's on the surface of the skin. But that benzoyl peroxide, our acne med, is just as important. We want to stop that process of retention hyperkeratosis. And that's what benzoyl peroxide does. It goes into that follicle, it creates that oxygen pore, and it doesn't allow bacteria to grow. Bacteria cannot thrive in the presence of oxygen. So, yes, the serum is important for what's happening on the surface, but we also want to use that preventative. And we always tell clients, if we skip that preventative, that benzoyl peroxide, we're giving acne a chance to form. And acne can take anywhere from 30 to 90 days to surface on the skin. So if we're skipping that bpo, we're allowing acne to surface, and it could show up between that time period at any time.
- [31:11]
Alex Hernandez
BPO does not get the love it deserves. BPO is so incredible. Oh, my gosh. People just don't get it. I just want everyone to try bpo and it's really all about how you use it. Like Kelsey was saying, like, the serums are helping everything heal on that surface of the skin, but your BPO is in there in the trenches. Keeping that acne from forming in the first place is so incredible. And it's really something that, especially now that we reformulated and we have that advanced acne med, so it's micronized benzoyl peroxide, so it's going to penetrate deeper, better, faster. But you also have like the bazabola and sodium hyaluronate. This just makes it even easier to use it long term to manage your acne long term. Because Kelsey mentioned this earlier, we're not curing it, we're controlling it. And BPO plays a huge part in keeping that acne at bay long term, yes, it is.
- [32:07]
Tessa Zolli
It is the most effective ingredient we know of for acne. So there's really no comparison. But I do think, you know, people get turned off from old experiences they had with, you know, infomercial BPO or a prescription from their derm. But the micronized formula, it really is a difference maker, especially when you use.
- [32:29]
Alex Hernandez
It with that adaptive method, too. Like, I think so many people are turned off by benzoyl peroxide because I'll go to Target, they'll buy a 10% and they'll put it all over their face immediately. So for us, we have a 10%, but we also have a 5%. We also have a 2.5%. So we can pick a percentage that's correct for you because you're working with an acne expert doing this. But then we're also going to have you use it slowly. Like, you're not going to sleep in that overnight. You're not even going to do that for the first two weeks. So we really implement it slowly to avoid all of that, those negative side effects that you could potentially experience with be bpo. So I would say everyone, try a good benzoyl peroxide and use it with the adaptive method and you will never look back.
- [33:14]
Kelsey Duke
It's very rare to have a true allergy to the product, too. We talk about this with our product development team quite a bit. It's just improper use. So people, you know, I mean, I was that girl, I went to Target and I bought the 10% Oxy Wash and Panoxyl and put that on my face three times a day trying to switch, scrub my acne away. Like, I get it. And then I completely destroyed my barrier. So I think it's just like, that's where the esthetician comes in. We can educate our client on how to use it. And then like Alex said, we have a person, we have three different percentages. So not everybody needs 10%. It was actually very rare that I had somebody on that 10% acne med when I was treating clients. So it's just about educating and sharing. But I understand we, we can do some damage with the BPO if we don't use it properly.
- [34:03]
Tessa Zolli
Yes. And I think, you know, some people can be more sensitive to it, but still have those, like, normal side effects of redness and dryness. Can you guys speak to the differentiation between a true allergy? How do you know when your client's having, like a true allergy versus they're just kind of acclimating?
- [34:21]
Kelsey Duke
Yeah. Well, again, I know Alex Kind of touched on this, but we're typically the last resort. So people come in and they're either working with, like, topical prescriptions and their barriers, like, just completely damaged. I mean, I feel like I saw that quite a bit when I was treating clients. I know it's pretty common to see. So if it's not appropriate to add BPO or even an acid like a mandelic or a salicylic in their routine, we're going to hold off. We're going to work on repairing the barrier first. Barrier Balance Creamy Cleanser. It's one of the best products you can use to really, like, support that. I mean, even clients who take medications for their acne, sometimes we can't treat them for, like, six months to a year, depending on how their skin health is. So with an allergy, it'll be itchy, there will be a lot of redness. But that can also happen if you're just using too strong of a product. So what we like to do in our clinic is we will send clients home with the BPO and we'll have them test it in their arm if they think that they have an allergy or if they've had a bad experience. And typically we'll have them do that for, like, three days. If it starts to spread and get, like, rash, like, and swollen, then we know, okay, this individual has an allergy. Let's, you know, find an alternative for them. If there is no reaction happening on the inner arm, then we'll, like, you know, explain that it could have just been a bad experience. We could have just used something too strong, too fast, too soon, and then really educate them on how it's working. And as acne experts, sometimes we just have to build trust and, like, prove ourselves before they'll trust us. And, you know, that's okay. That's a part of the process. As somebody who's experienced acne myself, like, I totally get it. But typically, if I show them, like, a before and after or a case study, and they see, and they've ruled out the allergy piece, most of the time, they'll, you know, commit and kind of see how it goes. But that arm patch test is typically how we'll identify it for clients.
- [36:20]
Alex Hernandez
That swelling indicator is usually the biggest piece there. Because if you're using BPM properly or maybe you're a little bit too dry or too impaired still, you can get some redness. You can even get some itching with that. Swelling is really the indicator there. It'll look. You get more like High V. So it's more similar to a traditional allergic reaction.
- [36:39]
Tessa Zolli
What do you guys recommend somebody do if that does happen with their home care?
- [36:44]
Alex Hernandez
So typically when we send people home at the end of our consultation packet, we let them know like, if anything. So we use a number scale for like sensation. So we let them know if they start feeling any sensation, especially if it's more like a stinging burning. On a scale of. On a three or higher, we tell them to stop using immediately. If it's something like a benzoyl peroxide that was like a leave on, have them cleanse it off immediately and reach out to us. But typically we would have discovered any type of allergies prior to that happening. But we give them that piece of advice just in case to cleanse it off immediately. Let us know. I know it's always so hard because we can. We know all the things, but we can't diagnose or cure anything. But if someone's asking if they should take like an antihistamine, if they prompt you with that, you can say, oh, you should ask your doctor. But yeah, but probably So I was just kind of as if they give you an inch, kind of take a mile with it and things like a little bit too prescriptive and out of our scope.
- [37:47]
Tessa Zolli
Yes. And for anyone who's. Who's virtual, which I treat people entirely virtually. I love the advice you guys have given. Just to start with. The lower percentages you can always work up, but it is harder to go backwards in time.
- [38:02]
Kelsey Duke
And also just to call out with like higher Fitzpatrick clients. We serums are great for all fits types. But when we're doing and working with benzoyl peroxide, we. I always start at 2.5. I hardly ever even go up to 5 unless I feel like their skin can absolutely handle it. And if they absolutely need it, I typically like to bump up the serum before I even do that 5% because then we can cause just more harm than good to your point, Tessa. And cause that hypopigmentation. And then we have to fix that so it can be just a whole thing. So all of our products are great for all fits types. It's just that one call out with the benzoyl peroxide is to be a little bit more mindful and always start low.
- [38:46]
Tessa Zolli
Yes. And are you able to layer the new acne med with other treatments like Mandelic?
- [38:54]
Kelsey Duke
Absolutely. So we have clients once they're on their full routine, they fully have adapted to the methods of face reality. They'll have their they'll use their serum morning and evening, and then they'll use that advanced acumen in the evening time.
- [39:09]
Tessa Zolli
Amazing. Which, I mean, that's just so beneficial, especially compared to just being able to use one active ingredient.
- [39:18]
Kelsey Duke
We talk about this often. All of our products were formulated to be mild on purpose. We want to make sure we're keeping very good care, taking very good care of that skin health. Even like our peels, sometimes clients will be like, well, why am I not peeling and shedding like a snake? And that's just not the goal. We want clients to be able to go into home care routine the next day if we're not using that benzoyl peroxide. Again, that whole spiel, we're allowing acne to form. So even just like setting expectations about our peels and how mild everything is, we want clients to be able to use that serum every single day, morning and night, and the acne med in the evening. So it's much more important for us to be able to do and provide mild products that can work rather than something that might dry you out. And then you have to skip your actives for three days. And then you know what's going to happen in those 90 days?
- [40:10]
Tessa Zolli
100%. And I see that over and over again with clients who come to me. They're like, I've used benzoyl peroxide before. Like, are you sure this is going to be okay? I'm like, I promise. It's very different.
- [40:22]
Kelsey Duke
Yes, absolutely. And the new formulation is just like Chef's kiss. It's great.
- [40:27]
Tessa Zolli
Yes. That small particle size, I think it makes a huge difference. Can you guys talk a little bit about the difference between purging and normal acne formation? I feel like a question I hear a lot from new clients is, like, when is this purging going to end? And, like, how do I know if I'm getting a breakout or if it's purging?
- [40:49]
Alex Hernandez
Yes. So purging is so, so, so common. More often than not, your acne clients are going to experience some purging. So with the typical acne lifestyle, with your typical lesion, they take 30 to 90 days to form and then surface and become visible on the skin. Skin. You know, even if you put someone day one on the perfect regimen and they're making the perfect lifestyle choices, you know, there's likely some things that they're experiencing that they have not before. You know, one is proper hydration. When our skin. I wish you could see me doing this. It's a very visual process. But when your skin is really dehydrated, it holds on tight to those microcobanone. It's really keeping them down in there. And when you. Once you start hydrating that skin, it starts to loosen up its grip. That's why, you know, as you're going through a treatment, you'll notice the more hydrated the skin is, the easier your extractions are. And the next piece of that is chemical exfoliation. We're giving them a mandelic, a salicylic, a glycolic, whatever their acne calls for. We're also giving them that chemical exploding as well. So their skin's loosening up its grip on those microcomodones because it's finally, you know, that proper hydration it needs and deserves. Now we're adding in that chemical exfoliation. So you're seeing things kind of shoot to the surface faster than normal. And that's really that purge effect that most clients will experience. And I'd say, I would call it. It's so hard because there's purging you usually get from starting, like, the new regimen, or if you start a new product that doesn't agree with your skin, if you've started something new and you start breaking out, I usually call that more of like a purge. But with your active lesions, there's even still things in our lifestyle, lifestyle that can exacerbate those processes. Like, even sometimes, like for me, like right now, you guys can't see, but I just went camping just for a weekend. We were gone for three days. But for those three days, I ate like s'mores all day. So I had a lot of sugar and I wasn't good with my skincare routine. So now I'm breaking out like crazy. But I'm not purging. It's just something that's been exacerbated by my lifestyle choices last weekend. So it's hard to really narrow down and give you a definitive answer, which is which. But the purging you'll typically see once you've started something new, something new has.
- [43:05]
Kelsey Duke
Been introduced, especially if you've never done, like, any type of, like, chemical exfoliation before and you're starting on this new home care routine. A lot of the times you'll see purging, it can also happen a lot with, like, retinoids because they're promoting that cell turnover. So sometimes even that's like, you get that purge effect. Pro tip, never start anybody on the retinoid, especially if there's currently acne on the skin. I have done that before and learned my lesson. Poor thing came back in with like, she was severe, non inflamed, and she was just covered in inflamed lesion, so I had to correct. So even just like the retinoid specifically can cause some purging. So we like to slowly introduce those into the routine. But to Alex's point, once you kind of learn what your triggers are and you are familiar with what's going on. Like, same with, we just got back from Vegas for the trade show and oh, my gosh, I was completely breaking out, but I was around. You know, the air is different in Nevada. The smoke everywhere and like the casinos. Like, I wasn't drinking enough water. It was 110 degrees and I was sweating all day. So you can kind of like see here, like the trail of like, okay, that makes sense. I'm breaking out. But purging typically will happen more so in like, higher quantities. Like, I feel like those inflamed lesions, you'll see them all kind of go into inf or non inflamed. Go into inflamed or now you're starting this new routine and everything. Think of it as like, we're pushing everything up to the surface of the skin, so you're going to get multiple lesions at once.
- [44:41]
Alex Hernandez
You just mentioned something that's so important, and it was literally like last week. Dming an esthetician on Instagram about this is that when you have a client with a lot of non inflamed acne as they're clearing, you may likely see that turn into inflamed acne. It can be scary. It's a turn off. But honestly, it's a good sign that non inflamed acne takes longer to clear, hands down. So when you see that acne, that non inflamed acne kind of purging or graduating into inflamed acne, it may look worse. Yes. But that's a mean. That means it's so much closer to clearing and you've really sped up your timeline.
- [45:19]
Kelsey Duke
Yep. Inflamed response. So, so, so quickly. We're not inflamed. To be so, so, so stubborn. And then again with the retinoids, especially if now you're maybe your clients clear and we want to just focus on age management or pigmentation and it's time to incorporate those vitamin A's. Sometimes purging. Most of the time I've seen actually purging happen. So I'll just introduce it like One time a week for the first week, maybe twice, two times a week for the second week, and like three times for the third. But keep them on it. When you pull them off and then start them again, they're gonna potentially go through that whole purge process again. So I like to keep clients like on mandelic and the vitamin A just to kind of treat both at once. So there's ways you can like, work around that, but unfortunately it is just part of the process. We're pushing everything up to that surface.
- [46:10]
Tessa Zolli
So many good points, you guys, about the non inflamed. And we need to kind of get that lesion unstuck, get that normal immune response. Then you may see it become inflamed. And Kelsey, with the retinoids, I feel like we see so many clients who get handed like a prescription retinoid. They're told like, this is the gold standard acne treatment. They're purging like crazy and so confused. So love both of those points, you guys. I would love to talk a little bit more about closed comedones specifically. That was a question we got, I think twice. And I've been getting that question all the time on Instagram. It's kind of known as this more stubborn form of acne to treat. What is the face reality approach to treating closed comedones?
- [46:56]
Kelsey Duke
Yeah, so we, that's like one of the reasons why we try to simplify in the training. Like we have, we identify acne in three different buckets. So we have our inflamed, our non inflamed, and our combination where both inflamed and non inflamed are present. And we see that, I would say majority of the time where there's a little bit of both. And during the process of that formation of acne, it might stay a non inflamed closed comedone. That's typically the first step. Or if, you know, there's bacteria present, then that can cause the inflamed acne lesion. So. So it kind of just depends. And again, once we introduce these chemical exfoliants, it might turn inflamed. But with non inflamed acne, we love like glycolic acid works really, really good. So we have a glycolic. We love to pair that again with the vitamin A if, if and when it's appropriate. But we also love like a good physical exfoliation. So we have scrubs. Scrubs work really good. If a client's skin type and acne type can handle it, we'll always treat that inflamed acne first and then we'll go in and we'll treat that non inflamed acne. But because those that layer of skin is over these closed comedones, it's just more stubborn. It's like stuck in there and it can take longer to heal. Most times I think it takes like about nine months to a year for non inflamed acne clients to really start seeing those results. But that physical exfoliation, the chemical exfoliation, the glycolic and the vitamin A together work so beautifully for non inflamed acne types. But I don't like to start people there because I've had the experience of that turning into inflammation. That's why I love starting clients on mandelic. And then we can always graduate them later down the line if and when it's appropriate. But the scrub, if a client can use a scrub like morning and evening, but not everybody can do that based on their skin type. So even if introducing it a few times a week works really, really well. And then extractions, if clients are willing to let you extract, that's, that's probably one of the best ways to get that lesion completely out. We love the Preston tool. We have some face reality tools that we utilize, but we'll do like 20 minutes of extractions in a treatment room if a client will let us and just kind of get in there and extract whatever we can.
- [49:14]
Alex Hernandez
I feel like those professional treatments get even more important for non inflamed acne, to Kelsey's point, because while extractions are not mandatory for the clearing process, they really help to speed it up, especially for those inflamed lesions that are just that deeper impaction that take longer to reach topically. So if you have a client who is willing to let you perform treatments and extractions on them, it really helps to speed up that process.
- [49:44]
Kelsey Duke
And also if they're willing to take supplements, the supplements can help from an internal standpoint as well. And that can, I've seen that help speed up the process too.
- [49:54]
Tessa Zolli
Do you want to shed a little light on the supplements you guys offer?
- [49:58]
Kelsey Duke
Yeah. So we just launched our supplements, gosh, it was October last year. So we have our, we have a clear skin balance. This is our omega 3 and antioxidant blend. And my favorite thing about this supplement is there's also a brightening blend in there, proprietary brightening blend. So it's actually going to help target pigmentation from the inside out. So not only can we use like our mandelic and our serums, but now we have this supplement we can take and we've implemented other vitamins in there. So really it's like I was Alex and I joke about this all the time. We're like saving money now that we have the supplements because we're not buying like all of the things separately, but with the balance. You're getting those omega threes, you're getting vitamin D3, you're getting vitamin A, vitamin E, and again, that brightening blend. So this is great for any, again, anybody who just wants to look for overall skin health. It'll help with the inflammation on the surface of the skin. And then we have our clear skin restore. And this is going to be that zinc probiotic blend. And what I love about the restore, gosh, they're both really good. But the restore, those probiotics were specifically selected for skin health and to target the acne. There are so many probiotics on the market today. And formulation, gosh, it matters with products, but it also matters with supplements. You want to make sure you're taking those high quality vitamins, especially when you're targeting acne. Because I've seen clients who have taken maybe a low EPA DHA ratio of an omega 3, and it actually causes inflammation on this skin. So they're like, well, I'm taking the fish oil, but, you know, it's not helping. I'm actually seeing my skin get worse. And it's because that formulation matters. We want the most of the quality of the supplement to go into our bodies. And sometimes if it's low quality, it's just gonna disrupt our system. But with the restore, you're also getting vitamin C. So good for just immune health, overall skin health. Niacinamide. We all love niacinamide in our products, so you're getting that from an internal standpoint and then that sink in those probiotics as well. So especially for clients who have done like the Accutanes or like the topicals or antibiotics, and maybe their gut needs some love or, you know, whatever that may look like for them, that's a great way to supplement from the in.
- [52:26]
Alex Hernandez
From an internal standpoint, that's another huge one. So many of our clients are experiencing gut dysbiosis from things that they've taken previously. So taking a clear skin restore, it's just such an easy way to start correcting that.
- [52:41]
Tessa Zolli
Absolutely. Do you guys feel like across the board, generally, as long as there's like no medical contraindication, all acne clients can take these supplements?
- [52:53]
Alex Hernandez
Oh absolutely. Of course. We always say check with your doctor just. But you can pull up the ingredients in there. And then for things like the probiotics, we have the clinical studies on those as well available. So these are great for any and everyone. So even our clients that aren't experiencing acne, maybe it's a parent bringing in one of their children and they see the supplements, they can still benefit. Like Kelsey was saying, the balance that brightening complex. So that's great for like age management too. The Omega 3, it's improving the sebum quality. So that's great for age management. So super universal.
- [53:30]
Kelsey Duke
All my friends, both of our supplements and none of them have acne. Can you get me some more of those supplements?
- [53:38]
Tessa Zolli
I know you're a good friend to have. Hook it up. Lastly, I just wanted to ask you guys, do you have a favorite face reality product? If you had to pick just one.
- [53:51]
Kelsey Duke
This is always the job.
- [53:54]
Alex Hernandez
Oh mine has not come out yet you guys with that little tidbit it honestly.
- [54:02]
Kelsey Duke
Same same.
- [54:04]
Tessa Zolli
Stop. I'm so excited.
- [54:07]
Alex Hernandez
Has teased this publicly so I always feel okay publicly. But we have. Who is our VP of product development. She started two and a half years ago now and she came in and she really kicked us into gear and created a five year product development roadmap. We've already seen some of those things start to roll out but we still have a lot up our sleeve. And I would say my favorite favorite product has yet to be seen.
- [54:34]
Tessa Zolli
Is there any benefit you can tease?
- [54:38]
Alex Hernandez
Everything. It's a everything product but it's a, it's a good one for a lot of people.
- [54:48]
Tessa Zolli
Okay, when do you know when it's coming out?
- [54:53]
Alex Hernandez
Soon.
- [54:57]
Tessa Zolli
Anymore.
- [54:57]
Alex Hernandez
I'm trying to think what has Jeremy teased publicly? So no time, no timelines to tease you with. But we have a very robust five year plan so you'll see. Okay. A lot coming out from us.
- [55:10]
Tessa Zolli
Just stay excited guys.
- [55:11]
Alex Hernandez
Stay excited. That's a good way to put it. Just stay excited.
- [55:15]
Kelsey Duke
If I had to we currently have just to be fair, I would probably do Mandela gouache. She's just like my girly through and through. She never lets me down. Whether it's the serum, the wash, like I just love me some mandelic.
- [55:29]
Tessa Zolli
So brightening and antibacterial. Love it. So, so foolproof, you know, does all.
- [55:35]
Kelsey Duke
The things so many people can use it and it doesn't cause irritation. It's just, it's a great, great product. But I will also just add that my new favorite Is what Alex is doing.
- [55:45]
Alex Hernandez
More to come.
- [55:46]
Kelsey Duke
More to come. I promise.
- [55:49]
Tessa Zolli
Love it. I have to say my fave is hydrocalm mask. I use it so good every day. I'm addicted to it.
- [55:57]
Alex Hernandez
How somebody talk about Hydrocom, like on a monthly basis. Just because we're always traveling now, and that is sulfur spot treatment and hydrocom are in our travel bags no matter what. If one of those things is missing, like, we're having heart attacks about it. Hydrocom is just so, so good for everything. You can use it however you want it.
- [56:16]
Tessa Zolli
Yes, yes. I use it in the shower or if I go to the gym. I'll wash my face and just throw it on when I'm driving home in the evening, but love it.
- [56:27]
Kelsey Duke
Primer. I'm like, oh, my gosh, look at this. Ooh, the Hydrocom. I like, love to see it. Or like an overnight mask if they're feeling a little bit drier. Like post treatment sometimes because you skip your actives at night, so clients will wear it, like to bed. And I'm just like, you just. You can't go wrong. I would, like, put it all.
- [56:45]
Tessa Zolli
No.
- [56:45]
Kelsey Duke
If I had tubs.
- [56:47]
Tessa Zolli
We need like a back bar Hydrocolm for face and body. Well, thank you guys so much. This has been so much fun. In closing, is there anything exciting on the horizon for Face Reality you want to tease?
- [57:04]
Alex Hernandez
I think we've done some teasing already.
- [57:06]
Tessa Zolli
Okay, enough teasing. And where can we find the both of you on social media? In Face Reality, of course.
- [57:14]
Kelsey Duke
Yeah.
- [57:16]
Alex Hernandez
Oh, go ahead, Kelsey.
- [57:17]
Kelsey Duke
Face Reality Skincare is our Instagram tick tock. We're on all of the places. I'm SD Kelsey, so Esty. Kelsey, much like you, my SD Tessa. And then go ahead, Alex. I'll pass it off to you and.
- [57:31]
Alex Hernandez
You can find me@hello, dot Hernandez. But definitely follow Face Reality on all the platforms because we do kind of different content on each one. So like YouTube, you'll see some like, longer, more in depth app stuff. Tick tock. We get like real quick to the point and then Instagram.
- [57:49]
Tessa Zolli
Okay.
- [57:50]
Alex Hernandez
The fun shareables too. So follow us on all the platforms.
- [57:53]
Kelsey Duke
So at Alex and I have some things up our sleeves too. So we do have this robust product development plan that we've seen with supplements and barrier balance creamy cleanser. But education nation is over here also working up some stuff, so more to come.
- [58:11]
Tessa Zolli
Wait. Thank you guys so much for joining us. This was so much fun.
- [58:15]
Kelsey Duke
Yes. Thank you so much for having us.
- [58:17]
Alex Hernandez
Yeah, this was great.
- [58:18]
Kelsey Duke
Thank you.
- [58:20]
Tessa Zolli
We'll have to do it again because we have so many questions we didn't get to. But appreciate you guys. Thank you again. I will talk to you in the next episode.