Enter Anna Lise of The Complexion Concierge. When I saw Glenneth's post about her business I immediately started doing research. And I loved what I saw. Anna Lise is a skincare professional that has no brand affiliations. She makes no money recommending you the products that she does and does not sell skincare products. She meets with you, evaluates your skin, and discusses any issues you would like to address. She reviews the products you're currently using, grades them, and then makes new recommendations that she thinks would be more effective. She is so incredibly knowledgeable and takes the time to explain and educate you. She started her business so she could help women feel confident and empowered when making decisions about their skin. Her goal is to get your skin over-the-counter perfect, meaning your skin is as good as it's going to get before bringing in the big medical guns.
I entered the giveaway with crossed fingers, but remember texting my friends that I planned on paying for her services if I didn't win. I was so excited when I got Glenneth's email announcing I was the winner.
I love my skin, but it is incredibly sensitive. I had to go to the Dermatologist and get a steroid shot a few months ago because eczema popped up on my arms and legs and got so bad I was itchy all.the.time and had claw marks from scratching at my skin. Ingredients that don't affect other people affect me. Using some exfoliants can be too abrasive for me and cause redness and dryness. I wanted to make sure I was using the right products for my sensitive skin.
I also wanted to address aging. While I don't yet have visible wrinkles or age spots, I want to avoid them for as long as possible. I wanted to meet with Anna Lise to see what actions I could be doing now that future me will thank me for.
I loved my meetings with Anna Lise. She is so nice and a wealth of information. I loved what she did for my skin so much I encouraged Josh to pay for a consultation. He's almost 30 and deals with oily, acne, cyst-prone skin. Trips to the dermatologist fix the problem short term, but he doesn't know a good daily routine to keep things in-check long term. I can't wait to see what she can do for his skin.
I wanted to share six skincare facts I learned from her. I call them secrets because so many of them I did not know before meeting with her. I hope you find them useful.
6 Skincare Secrets
1. The sun is not your skin's friend.
The sun is the cause of most of the damage and aging on your skin. Whereas UVB rays show their presence by burning your skin, UVA rays go undetected until they show up in the form of wrinkles, sunspots, and in absolute worst cases, cancer. UVA rays are present all the time, which means if you're outside (even in the shade!) , near a window, or in a car, you need to be wearing broad spectrum sunscreen of at least SPF30.2. Your eye doesn't know it's an eye.
Your eye does not need an eye cream. The skin around your eye is just skin. Most people (myself included) forget to make sure they apply moisturizer around their eye unless it is a separate step in their routine, though. So if using an eye cream ensures you moisturize around your eye, use an eye cream.3. Clean longer, not stronger.
When people want to get their skin really clean they'll oftentimes reach for a really strong cleanser. That can actually causes more irritation to their skin. To get your skin really clean, focus on cleaning your skin for longer instead of trying to clean it with stronger products. I now clean my skin twice a day for one to two minutes each time.4. Antioxidants aren't just for eating.
They're for putting on your face too! Harness the power of antioxidants to fight free radical damage on your skin. There are no miracle products for our skin but antioxidants are one of nature's wonders.5. Price makes no difference when it comes to (most) skincare products.
Department store soaps and creams are not any better than drugstore products. This was a hard pill for me to swallow. I'm a huge fan of department store products and was always willing to shell out the money for expensive creams and serums thinking that their hefty price tags meant they would work better. (Much like I think designer jeans make my butt look better and my feet feel prettier in some boots from Nordstrom.) Turns out, I totally fell victim to marketing. I gave Anna Lise no budget for my products and she recommended all (inexpensive) drugstore products, with the question, "Why spend more money if you don't have to?" When something is worth shelling out the big bucks, it's almost always a professional product you have to get a prescription for at a dermatologist.6. Scents are not for sensitive skin.
(Or really for any skin.) Scents are irritants to skin. Period. Even if they don't cause redness and dryness, they're causing inflammation a cellular level. Inflammation over long periods of time = bad. Do your skin a favor and avoid products with scents.
If you're struggling to feel confident and in-control of your skin I encourage you to make an appointment for a consultation with Anna Lise. Her rates are really reasonable, and well worth the feeling of looking in the mirror and being happy with the skin looking back at you. For the first time ever I feel like I really understand what's going on with my skin.
To get more info about her, her thoughts, and her approach to good skincare check out her blog. I have learned so much from reading her posts.
Anna Lise was so sweet to offer one lucky reader a free skin consultation. To enter to win, simply leave a comment with a skin issue you would like to address with Anna Lise! I'll announce a winner in next Monday's post. Good luck!
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