The Truth About Skin Products v's Professional Treatments: What Works Best for Your Skin?
The Ongoing Debate: Skincare vs. In-Clinic Treatments
In the world of skincare and aesthetics, there’s often debate about which produces the best results: high-quality medical-grade skincare or professional in-clinic treatments.
With over 14 years of experience running my own private practice and working diligently with both, here’s my take.
Achieving Radiant, Youthful Skin: A Balanced Approach
Both are equally important pieces of an overall pie to achieving and maintaining radiant, youthful skin.
Try thinking of it this way: If the surface of the skin is sun-damaged, weak, crepey, and dull with uneven texture and tone, do you think your professional treatment will look the best that it possibly could? And do you think the results will last as long?
Or how about you undertake an expensive treatment with the potential for great results, but then cover the surface of the skin with cheap products that negatively affect it?
I liken it to a beautiful piece of handcrafted wooden furniture that gets left out in the elements without a protective coating and begins to rot. You wouldn’t cover a beautiful piece of furniture or work of art with cheap-looking paint.
The Inside Matters Just as Much
Likewise, if your skin is relatively healthy-looking on the outside due to quality skincare but is beginning to line, sag, deflate, and thin on the inside, if you don’t address the inside you are essentially papering over the cracks and hoping for the best.
I must stress, there’s never any pressure to do any of these things—it’s always a personal choice, and I believe we must never judge another on the actions they choose to take.
The Journey to Finding the Best Skincare Ingredients
Over the years, I have worked with many different medical skincare ranges, some excellent and some just okay.
I do my research regarding the clinical data and quality of the ingredients. I look at the results and reviews and lean into the honest feedback from my patients and trusted colleagues within the industry.
Ten years into my practice, I began to learn what the most important ingredients were for delivering promises on their results and which ingredients held the most studied clinical data.
Timeless Skin Care
I narrowed it down and had a light bulb moment in how things could be simplified for the busy modern woman, who didn’t have the headspace for another multitude of decisions—this is when Timeless Skin Care was born, centering around these core ingredients:
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Retinol
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Antioxidants such as Vitamin C and Vitamin E
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Anti inflammatories / skin calmers
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Hyaluronic Acid
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Alpha and Beta Hydroxy acids
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Nourishing oils
Prioritising Simplicity and Quality
The key for me, along with simplicity, was quality and clean ingredients.
The formulas had to be free of unnecessary additives, paraben-free, cruelty-free, and super effective, delivering on their promise!
I felt clients needed the ability to cherry-pick the products they needed, without relying on bigger complicated systems.
The Growth of Timeless Skin Care
Timeless has been ticking along nicely, especially considering there’s been zero marketing budget behind the brand. It tends to retail more inside the clinic and relies on word of mouth and repeat custom, for which I’m super grateful.
Introducing Skincare Programmes for Specific Concerns
The only thing I felt was missing in my repertoire was skincare programmes that clients could use at home to target very specific concerns:
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Aggressive Anti-Ageing
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Acne & Scarring
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Melasma and Pigmentation
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Rosacea
Choosing ZO Skin Health
After thorough research, I made the final choice to train and work with the ZO Skin Health range, formulated by Dr. Zein Obagi. Every other clinic that retails ZO raves about it, and it has a very loyal fan base.
It’s the 'Prada of the skincare world', and the results really do speak for themselves.
Getting Started with ZO Skin Health
The programmes can be a little overwhelming at first, with most involving around 5 steps, but once you get into the routine, it becomes second nature.
I have witnessed acne skin clear, ageing skin become thicker, tighter, smoother, and more glowing and pigmentation fade - the results are pretty phenomenal.
Important Considerations for Medi-Grade Skincare
Here are a few important add-ons that apply to any medi-grade skincare you choose.
Consistency is key: Remember one full skin cycle is 4-6 weeks. This is the time it takes for new cells to migrate to the skin surface, therefore you must be consistent and not give up before this time.
If you continue, you’re providing maintenance to these new cells, whilst nurturing the next skin cycle that is due. If you rinse and repeat, you will be left with stronger, healthier looking skin.
Preventive Care: High-quality products can prevent future skin issues by protecting your skin from environmental damage and ageing signs.
Regular use can help delay the appearance of wrinkles, fine lines, and other signs of ageing. Even if it seems expensive, believe me you’re banking money for the future, by reducing the need for more aggressive skin treatments.
Convenience: There’s something to be said about having a routine you stick to, one that works. It saves your brain from having to make yet again another decision.
It’s why wearing a work uniform can make life easier. And why many successful people, such as Mark Zuckerberg, are known to wear the same style of outfit every day.
Using quality skincare products at home is convenient and cost-effective for daily maintenance. It can complement your routine, providing ongoing care between professional treatments.
Professional Aesthetic Treatments: Enhancing Your Skin’s Potential
Professional aesthetic treatments, including those offered at Timeless Aesthetics, offer a different set of benefits.
These treatments are typically more intensive and can address specific skin concerns at a deeper level and more effectively than over-the-counter products.
Here’s why they’re valuable:
Targeted Results: Professional treatments like skin regenerative injectables, chemical peels, dermal fillers, skin boosters and wrinkle relaxing injections provide targeted solutions for issues such as deep wrinkles, significant volume loss, collagen degradation and lax thinning skin. These treatments offer more immediate and visible results compared to topical products and work at a level that topical products never could.
Personalisation: Clinic treatments can be tailored to your individual needs, addressing specific concerns with a customised approach. This personalised care ensures that you receive the most appropriate and effective treatment for your skin type and condition.
I like to get to know my clients and think of myself as their personalised skin and wellness coach. We learn what treatments and techniques work best for you and what doesn’t. When you hop from practitioner to practitioner this can never happen.
Long-Lasting Effects: While high-quality products are essential for daily care, professional treatments can offer longer-lasting improvements. For instance, treatments that stimulate collagen production can lead to more sustained skin rejuvenation over time.
An example of this is HArmonyCa, a new hybrid injectable I have introduced in to clinic, formulated by Allergan, that works as a dermal filler and bio-stimulator of collagen for 2 -3 years.
The Power of Combining Both Approaches
Rather than choosing between high-quality skin products and professional treatments, the most effective strategy is to combine both.
Synergistic Benefits: Using high-quality products at home ensures that your skin is well-nourished and prepared for professional treatments. This combination can enhance the results of both, leading to a more comprehensive approach to skincare.
Holistic Approach: A balanced approach to skincare includes both preventative and corrective measures. By integrating daily skincare routines with periodic professional treatments, you create a holistic regimen that supports long-term skin health and beauty.
If you’re ready to explore how a combination of professional treatments and quality skincare products can benefit you, schedule a consultation with us at Timeless Aesthetics HERE.
We’re here to help you achieve your skin goals with confidence and care. 💖
Gemma x
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