This week, our Aesthetics team talks shop and give you the ‘insider’ perspective on great treatments, the most effective products – and what we use on ourselves!
- Licensed Aesthetician, Laurie Thomas
Laurie Thomas, LE joined Ology in 2010 – and as a self-described ‘product junkie’, has tried almost everything out there…the good, bad and ugly. Here’s Laurie’s take on her FAVORITE THINGS:
Favorite Tools
NIA 24 Skin Strengthening Complex
I have been a faithful user of NIA 24 Skin Strengthening Complex for years. It’s a light, but very hydrating treatment hydrator that works with most skin types. NIA has a patented formula that includes 5% Pro-Niacin, Green Tea Extracts, and Dermaxyl Peptide Complex. It’s the most potent form of Niacin (a B-vitamin) available in topical skin care, literally fades sun damage, reduces lines, and helps repair redness and calm angry capillaries on the skin’s surface – a must for someone with thin or ‘red’ skin!
Anthelios SPF 60 (La Roche-Posay Ultra Light Sunscreen Fluid)
Anthelios is the lightest sunscreen I have ever used. It starts as a fluid, and has a totally matte finish – GREAT for hot summer days. The SPF of 60 lasts all day, and I can apply my mineral make-up on top of it without it looking cakey. It has a special blend of antioxidants to protect your skin at the cellular level, with a unique UV-A filter (the aging ray) that helps prevent sun damage better than any other sunscreen currently available in the US. I use this every morning in the summer months so my fair skin doesn’t burn; even if I’m just driving to work (yes, UV-A rays do penetrate even through glass and cloudy skies).
My favorite treatment: Chemical Peels
I have tried to have a chemical peel at least every 4 weeks for years now. They can help with everything from acne to aging, blackheads to flaky, dry skin. There are so many options, and they can be customized with blends of acids, retinoids, and antioxidants. They can be so gentle they can give a healthy glow and soft skin the day before a big date (like PCA Pumpkin Peel or Aveda Green Peel). They can also be more aggressive (such as The Perfect Peel or PCA Ultra Peel Forte) and produce skin that sloughs for about a week – a huge help diminishing dark spots from the sun, fine lines, and large pores. My favorite peel right now is somewhere in the middle (PCA Ultra Peel 1 finished with Esthitique peel on top). It helps with my acne, dryness, redness, fine lines, and hyperpigmentation all in a quick treatment that results light peeling. For most chemical peels short of really intense, deeper ones, no downtime is necessary- even for someone with rosacea.
What’s in my makeup kit:
- Kaplan MD Lip 20 Moisture Therapy + SPF in Berry Shine
Berry Shine is a sheer, natural pink lip balm that protects my lips from the sun with an SPF of 20 (most people forget their lips burn, too), hours of moisture so I don’t have to reapply it every constantly, and over time can help plump lips and decrease lip lines with hyaluronic acid filling spheres, marine collagen, and grape seed extract. It has just a hint of shine, but for sun protection with a sparkle, Kaplan makes lip glosses with the same benefits.
- Aveda Mineral Duo Foundation in Cream
Aveda’s new mineral makeup comes in an easy-to-travel-with pressed form, and can be applied dry with a swirl of a brush to cover imperfections and even out my skin tone without causing me a breakout. I can even apply it with a damp sponge if I want heavier coverage. The ingredients are all naturally derived, and even their packaging is eco-friendly.
- My biggest skin struggle: Redness!
I struggle with redness, flushing, sensitivity, dryness, AND sporadic cystic acne. Even though people always comment about how beautiful my skin is, my skin is genetically worse than most guests who come to me with concerns about their skin. I have learned so much from being my own guinea pig: experimenting with every procedure and product in hopes of making my own skin look better (without causing a dry, red, and irritated complexion) that I can usually personally relate to just about any skin concern someone else has – because chances are that I’ve been there myself!
- Best beauty advice I can give: Wear. Sunscreen. Everyday.
Keep it right next to that toothbrush so you never forget to leave the house without it. Sun damage is responsible for more than 85% of the visible aging on your skin (not to mention skin cancer and a host of other problems). Even though in Indiana (and maybe Jersey) it seems that tanning is “in”, everyone in Hollywood knows that sun exposure is a no-no if they want to stay in front of the camera. Luckily, we don’t need to don a bonnet like our great-grandmothers to keep our skin from looking like leather. With all of the advances in SPF technology, there’s really no excuse… Find a product you like that fits your budget and use it!
- Worst beauty advice I ever got: Try UV light as an acne treatment
When I was a teenager, my mom took me to a dermatologist not long after I started to break out. He was ‘old school’, and recommended being treated with a UV tanning bulb in his office to help with my acne. I tried it ONCE. It did dry out my skin at first, but then it came back with a vengeance. To top it off, I found out I get something called PMLE, which is basically a rash that looks like hives that comes from exposure to UV light. Not pretty and not a great confidence-builder for a teenager!
Questions for Laurie? Contact her at lthomas@ologymd.com or at our North location at (317)814-4100.
