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Foreign welcome back to the Treatment Room Podcast. I'm your host Tessa Zolli, back from a little summer hiatus. I've been working on some really fun projects that have taken a lot of attention in addition to my client load, but I cannot wait to to share these with you. They're just going to be so fun. I'm so excited. So lots of fun business things on the horizon. I also just got back from a little travel and I'm usually not the biggest traveler. To be honest, I'm kind of a homebody. Any excuse to stay home with my dog really. But I went to Nashville recently for my sister's Bachelorette. It was a lot of fun. That heat and humidity in the south is something else. I've experienced it before because my family is from Kentucky, but I haven't been back since I was a kid. So I was quickly reminded it is a different ballgame when it comes to rosacea and acne. But we had a lot of fun and I'm just excited now to get back in my routine and put out some more episodes for you. Planes always get me just feeling creative and thinking about things more and I knew I wanted to do an episode on this topic today, which is the real challenge. I think when it comes to acne treatment, I don't think it gets enough conversation or attention in the acne space. We are so, you know, know, focused on how hard it is to clear acne. But what I think the real challenge is and the real Hard part, honestly, is conditioning a damaged skin barrier. While the client still expects to clear their acne. I know every esthetician has encountered this somebody walking through your spa doors or coming to see you virtually. And the main thing that's bothering your client typically is bumps, is inflamed, non inflamed texture. And that's what they notice when they're applying their makeup, when they're looking in the car mirror, when they're filming their TikToks taking selfies. And so the main thing they're coming to you, of course, is to treat their acne and clear that congestion and texture. But oftentimes the client has no idea that they're having an even harder time clearing their acne because their skin barrier is damaged. And usually clients come to us with a life history of damage. And we're going to talk about some of the biggest factors that I see see affecting the skin barrier, but I really want to highlight that conditioning the barrier should be our main focus. And before you hit the ground running and really start treating consistently and aggressively trying to clear the acne, it is so important to assess the skin barrier and to be monitoring it as a professional as your client starts the their routine. This is why we always want to create a progressive plan and start slow and work up to more. Because in doing this, you will get to see how the client's skin is responding to stimulus or active ingredients. And you can always increase, but it's harder to go back in time once you have pushed it too far. And there is such an art to the right intensity in treating acne. This is a really important part of my process and I always plan to progress the client with time. Because the other tricky part with acne and a damaged skin barrier is if you've gone too far and the client starts to experience stinging and burning on a regular basis, not only is the barrier compromise, and this isn't permanent, but essentially it, it stops your progress because you have to stop everything except for your gentle hydrating products. When your skin is stinging and burning, you cannot continue to push through and keep treating the acne. We really have to listen to, to what the skin is telling us. So, yeah, here's the challenge. We're trying to heal skin, we're trying to strengthen its defenses, calm inflammation. And if we don't clear our clients acne, they're not going to be happy. And that is a tricky combination and a, a big expectation and it's something you can pull off. But there's definitely a lot to Consider firstly, I wanted to start with what damages the barrier. I think if more estheticians understand factors that play into this and why clients might not be tolerating treatments and our clients are aware of it, we can really work together to deliver them the best possible result with the least amount of frustration. If you can lower frustration and repeat incidents of your client feeling discouraged, they're going to have a much easier time in your program. They're going to have more confidence in you because they are already coming into this naturally feeling a little bit discouraged. Oftentimes their competence is severely affected. So really making sure that they understand their role in this equation is really going to help both of you have the best possible experience and results together. So here is my long list of factors that go into barrier damage. The first one I see, and this is just like almost every client these days, is past prescription use. I'm not saying prescriptions keep. They can't work for anyone or they're always bad, but when they don't work, oftentimes they really don't work. And this might include treatments like Adapalene, tretinoin, clindamycin, Phoenicia. With prescriptions, you're generally getting a simpler formulation. Again, I'm not saying this is bad. It can really depend on the person. But with a prescription, you're typically not going to have a whole bunch of peptides, anti inflammatories, antioxidants, ceramides, healing ingredients that you might find in a professional formulation. It oftentimes is just a pared down formula with that active ingredient. And what I also find is that patients may not be told how to best use the treatment. So they could be using too much of it, they could be using it too often and just go into the treatment, using it every single day when their skin really isn't ready for it. The other issue I find with prescriptions is that this is often the strongest treatment a patient has ever used on their skin in their life. And there's no conversation oftentimes about how to prepare the skin for it, how to condition the barrier, and how to support it through the treatment. Another factor I find that can really impair the barrier is harsh or extreme climates. Whether you're dealing with really dry summers or winters or very humid, sweaty summers, both of these things can create a lot of inflammation in the skin. Especially if you are traveling often, getting on a lot of airplanes and transferring to many different climates in a short period of time. This can be a lot for the skin to adjust to. Next is Just over the counter poorly formulated products, the formulation may not be that great to begin with. And then when you have a consumer that is seeing 5, 10, 15 products on their for you page every single day and they're trying to string together a skincare routine without any knowledge knowledge of the skin and playing chemist in a sense, you can get into a really dangerous territory where you're mixing and matching things that were not ever intended to go together that might be being used way too often. I see with a lot of these directions of over the counter products, especially like a salicylic acid product or a benzoyl peroxide formula, I think these ingredients can be fantastic. But formulation matters. So so and so when it's a really harsh formula and the directions over over recommend how often the consumer should be using it, this can really create a lot of damage. And if you think about it, I really never create the same frequency of of product use. For every single client. I'm telling each one what I feel is going to be the best for their skin, depending on where it is at and what I think they can handle. But when they're reading a universal direction for how much they should use salicylic acid, this is where problems arise. Because one person might do okay using it once a week, but if they're using it every single day, it quickly becomes something that is more harmful than helpful. The next thing I've been seeing a lot of is over scrubbing of the skin. For some reason coffee scrubs are making a comeback. And when you have a granule particle in a scrub that has scratchy edges and it's not perfectly spherical and round, this can create micro tears in the skin. We all know about St. Ives, but any kind of like rough particle like that can really wear down the skin barrier.
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Some other factors that can be very drying and also put the PH of the skin into acidic of a territory are things like frequent sweating. Maybe you go to the gym often, but you just leave that stress sweat on your skin for prolonged periods. Maybe you go in chlorinated pools often which are very alkaline and too far off from our skin's natural ph. Maybe it is a lot of Saunas, steam rooms and even tanning beds. And on that note, when it comes to sun exposure, this is another huge factor that I notice with my clients and it's so, so important to correct this and to let them know that sunscreen use really isn't optional. They're not going to be able to use their acne treatments long term if they are not using sunscreen. And this doesn't refer to just sunburns at the beach. Oftentimes what I see is a ton of skin damage just from not wearing sunscreen on a regular day to day basis. This actually creates more sensitized skin and is a surprising reason your client might be having a hard time tolerating any exfoliation or their acne treatments. And here's the thing about clearing acne, you cannot just use these treatments on occasion. We really need to work towards daily consistent use if we expect a good result. So making sure the skin is protected is really going to be like insurance for being able to hopefully use your acne treatments on a more consistent basis. And I could keep going. I am learning new things every day that are compromising the skin barrier. Also seeing damage from shaving or improper dermaplaning, really drying spot treatments, microneedling or peels when the skin isn't ready for them. And also not supporting skin's internal health and eating quality fish oil and nutrients. These are all important things to keep in mind. And yeah, we want to just consider a lot when it comes to creating more resilience in our skin. Acne and barrier health can really be this catch 22 because so many people are trying to clear their skin and this involves reaching for more and more products. You try one thing, it doesn't work, you try something else and you just get in this vicious cycle of actually damaging it more. So it's this cycle of acne flaring up. You reach for stronger treatments, the barrier breaks down further, inflammation worsens, and then you have a compromised skin barrier and you might even have more breakouts. So this is why in the first couple weeks of working with my clients, we are on easy mode. I let them know I am not expecting to clear your skin immediately. The beginning of working together is so I can get to know your skin and actually a little bit more about like safety and learning what your skin can tolerate because you can always add. But again, if you push too far then you have to stop everything. And unfortunately that's when we can lose progress. Because if we are leaving pores untreated for even a single night. This does give acne prone skin the opportunity to get congested. And in the beginning of working with a client, I don't expect to treat their skin every single night. So that's why the progress is slower initially and that's why acne clearing, it does take months. That's why my acne program is six months. I want to give your skin the time to get clear, but initially I actually need to condition your barrier and get it stronger. And once we do get the skin stronger, that's when the progress can really start to pick up because your skin is more resilient and you're able to tolerate your treatments on a more consistent basis. There is a true art to designing programs that really meet the skin where it is at, which is my goal in the beginning of working with a new client. I do not want to give them a treatment that is too aggressive initially. I want to find out what their skin can tolerate and then with time, the plan should progress and, and it should increase. But just like the best trainer in the world isn't the best trainer because they can give you the hardest workout the first time you go see them. A really good trainer is going to take the time before they even put you into a workout to talk to you, to learn more about your history. Do you have a history of over exercising? Do you have any injuries or are you properly recovering? Are you properly fueling your body? All of these things are really important to understanding where the skin is at currently. I would never, I would never put a client on an acne treatment from day one every single day because there's a good chance that their skin cannot handle it. So unless they, the client is already using the equivalent of those actives. That is when you can meet them where they are at with daily actives and daily acne treatments. But that really rarely ever happens. And I always tell my clients that my program should feel like a healthy push. I am never going to tell you to push past the stinging or burning. These are signs that we are pushing it too hard, too fast and it should feel like a healthy push. There is such thing as acclimation. This is usually the initial period of when skin is being exposed to a stimulus. Say it's benzoyl peroxide. It is normal to experience some redness, some, some dryness, some signs of sensation. But when you start to experience sensation that lasts more than 10 minutes, or you feel your face is on fire, you experience a lot of stinging and burning that doesn't go away. When you are washing your face the next day. These are all signs that we are pushing it too far. So I always want to assess the skin and as they get to know it, provide a healthy push so you might experience a little bit of sensation. But the goal is never to just go as hard and fast as possible. The really good estheticians will really value building trust. And so that actually starts with rebuilding that skin barrier first. And this is why your esthetician, if they know what they are doing or are not, they're not just going to give you a routine that's only acne actives. The right routine should have moisture, hydration barrier, friendly ingredients and gentle, effective cleansing built in. Basically calm skin is clear skin. Yes, we can provide a healthy push and I'm not afraid to accelerate and get more aggressive once I know the skin can handle it. But really taking the time to build up that barrier career first is going to provide you such a better chance of long term success. So for all my acne clients, I'm really keeping that goal of moisture and hydration in mind. I'm trying to build these things at whatever step I can get it, whether it's toner serums. Moisturizing a hydrating mask I actually think is a must for every acne client to have maybe a more moisturizing sunscreen. If that client is constantly drying dry, that's a great way to give their skin more moisture while they are reapplying their spf, which they should be doing not only in the morning, but at least once throughout the day every two to three hours, especially if you are being exposed to sun. And some clients may need a little bit of an occlusive. My personal favorite is Glymed Cell Protection Balm. I will link that. I'm also going to link the Glymed peptide mask, which is one of my favorite masks to actually put acne clients on. You would never look at it and think, oh, this is an acne treatment because it's not. But it really helps to support the skin barrier in getting moisture into the skin. Peptides healing ingredients that are going to support our use of acne actives. Giving your clients a hydrating mask is a really great way to support their treatments on a daily basis. Plus, who doesn't love doing a little self care mask? I think also just having that therapeutic moment for them and giving them that option to reach for something like that, they can use it on a daily basis. They could use it two or three times a week. That also helps to reduce their stress and give them a Little built in self care.
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Let's take a quick break. I want to tell you about today's sponsor who is super relevant to any estheticians out there that want to make their business more modern, more convenient and easy to access for your customer and really take your retail to the next level while reducing your overhead costs. So I have been partnered with Pomp Beauty since the very early days in my business. And although I didn't know it at the time, partnering with Pomp was one.
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Of the best decisions I ever made in business.
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It was a total game changer for me. It gave me access to such a wider selection of curated professional products that I wouldn't be able to retail to my clients without the hassle of holding inventory. And if you feel like, you know, I think my business could be more profitable, I'm working so hard, but I'm just not seeing that profit. A big part of that for estheticians is often overstocking retail. And we think by just having more and stalking more and taking on more burden, we are going to be providing a better experience for your client.
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And that's really not the case.
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A lot of people get overwhelmed when they walk into a spa and they just see rows and rows and rows of inventory. It's overwhelming. It starts to collect dust. And if you are needing to stock all of that inventory and not seeing a profit until you make a physical.
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Sale.
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You are not optimizing your business. Pomp has streamlined my retail process and elevated the experience and the care I provide. Trust me, your clients appreciate my having an easy way to access the products that you recommend to them online. And it is a benefit to them when they can shop in one place for all of these incredible lines, but also feel like they're never getting bored with your retail selection because Pomp is always bringing on the best of the best. I'm talking Jan Marini, Hydrenity, Color Science, Glymed Face Reality. All of the incredible brands that we SDS talk and rave about, but without needing to stock inventory yourself. I cannot recommend Pomp enough. And it is so easy to get started. Don't be intimidated. You just go to pompbeauty.com, create your account, import your clients, and you can start recommending skincare and then earning 30% commission on your sales. I worked with the Pomp team and we have a exclusive offer for you. They've never done anything this generous. They're giving away a $75 product credit after you create your account that you can use towards any products you have.
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Been wanting to try. You can use the link in the.
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Show notes or just type the treatment room in where you heard about Pomp. They will add the credit directly to your account and there's no reason not to check it out. And I can say I vouch for Pomp personally and cannot imagine what my business would look like without them. Now let's get back to the episode.
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I wanted to give you guys a real life example. Some of you know and love my client, Maggie McDonald, angel of a human. She is one of my clients in the blogging and YouTube space. She does a lot of fashion and lifestyle content. Content. So Maggie was on camera all of the time and a lot of her followers knew she really struggled with her skin and had had a hard time figuring out how to clear it. And when she came to me, I did create a really solid acne focused routine tailored to her needs. But honestly, you know, it's funny just because I get the question all the time, like, how did you do it? I know she struggled, but for so, so long. The funny part is that Maggie was literally the easiest transformation I have ever had. Because her skin is unusually strong. She had a really resilient barrier and that just made my job so much easier. Of course, I did not have her using her acne treatments every single day to start with, but I created a program for her that would allow her to increase as her skin was tolerating it. And of course I monitored this process with her. But she was able to acclimate to daily use of her acne treatments really quickly, which made her clearing journey a lot shorter than many other clients. And you know, it's just the reality that everyone's skin has a different tolerance. So it's so important to take the time to get to know that specific client. And if they're handling things and you know, you're giving them a reasonable time frame to acclimate, but they're responding super well, which Maggie did. She was just a hyper responder with an unusually strong barrier. Then to me, acne clearing really isn't as difficult. The harder client is the client that has years of a compromised skin barrier. Another factor I forgot to mention that can play into things is things like medications or if a client has a long history of Accutane use. This is something that I have noticed. Although they say the skin, you know, resumes normal function, the oil glands resume normal function after a time. What I've seen with some clients, and I think this is clients who have a especially dry skin to begin with, and they get on the Accutane, sometimes the barrier just doesn't fully recover and they can be just a lot more sensitized. So that is a tricky, tricky client because unfortunately, oftentimes after Accutane use, the acne does come back. But if they're really not producing much oil and their skin remains really sensitized, it is then trickier after the treatment to get them on a regular cadence. With acne treatments, that foundation, that skin strength is really everything. The other tricky factor of it all is that this can change along with hormones. With oil production, your skin may be more sensitive at certain times of the month than others. So I teach my clients to really be assessing on a daily basis. And if they are noticing signs of stinging or burning, it might not just be when they're applying their acne treatments. It could be the next day. You know, it's something we just want to be aware of. And. And so that way we can really back off as needed and just always be tuned in and listening to our skin. So if you are on a skin journey and you feel like nothing is working, I want you to pause and ask yourself, am I supporting my skin or am I overwhelming it? I really think if we show our skin the love it deserves, it will love us back. And acne clearing really is this tricky dance, this delicate balance and art of hydration and barrier support along with the appropriate acne treatments. I'm not saying you should baby your skin forever. There is a time to ramp things up, and there is a sort of normal and expected level of what we call acclimation. Acclimation is the early stages of adjusting to treatments, actives, exfoliation. During this time, you should expect a little bit more redness, dryness, possible sensitivity. The thing about it is it should be mild. It should be kind of short term. Again, not lasting for more than five to 10 minutes. And it should be the type of sensitivity or dryness you can really easily make up for with extra hydration, with maybe applying your hydrating toner a second time, maybe wearing your hydrating mask, like Glymed rejuvenating peptide, wearing that in the shower for five to 10 minutes to protect your skin barrier, maybe turning down the dial when you're washing your face, washing your face at the sink. So there should be a reasonable expectation of a little dryness. Sometimes clients are so surprised that, you know, they have this dryness. And it is on us estheticians to really educate. It's probably going to be part of the process and it's Actually not a reason to stop your acne treatments. You wouldn't stop going to the gym because you feel a little sore. You go to the gym knowing that through proper stimulus, your muscles are going to get stronger. And it's the same thing for our skin. I have a picture of my skin when it is, when it was at its worst in my camera roll. I like to keep it there to just remind myself from time to time. Like sometimes I'll come upon it and it just reminds me of, of what it felt like to feel like my skin was never going to get better. And I was really self conscious. I was really frustrated by the acne. But what you'd also notice in that picture, I just shared it on stories yesterday. My skin looks so red, so inflamed, so reactive. Just top to bottom, really, really pink. And part of that is the skin is deconditioned. It's very weak. It's not that my skin was sensitive, it was that it didn't have the proper ingredients, routine or stimulus to heal. But the irony is that I was actually able to get my skin stronger by using active ingredients that can sound really scary like vitamin C, retinoids, benzoyl peroxide, glycolic acid. These are all the key things that not only cleared my skin, but got my skin stronger, healthier, more resilient and more predictable. So using acne treatments doesn't have to be damaging. Actually, it can be the main reason you start using exfoliating products and it can be the main reason your skin gets stronger. But it is really a delicate dance and something I recommend doing with a really seasoned professional. So guys, remember, your barrier is the boss. We cannot. We cannot. Do you know what our boss doesn't approve of? And we really want to learn to work with our skin, not against it. That is when the true healing begins. Thank you guys so much for hanging out with me today. If you love this episode, don't forget to share it with a friend. Maybe somebody who loves skin care or somebody who is stressing about their skin right now. As always, I want you to be so gentle with yourselves and listen to your skin. I love you and I will talk to you in the next episode. Mama Papa.
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