On Wednesday I trenched out into through the heatwave and went to Marlene Weber Salon and Spa to get a facial service done. For a while, my skin had been patchy and rough from all the finals stress and school and I just never had the time to do anything about it. I finally took the initiative and braved an appointment at one of the most well known spas in Poughkeepsie.
I was hesitant at first. I had gone somewhere similar when I was in high school. It was a pretty well known place to students at my school. But when I walked into the salon I felt extremely out of place and judged for my thick wavy hair. I always heard great things about Marlene Weber, as I did about the place I went to in high school. But based on my experience, I decided that maybe it wasn't for me.
Until I decided to give it a shot this time around. Marlene Weber was right in my price point, $75 for a half hour $95 for an hour. In comparison to other places, this was pretty reasonable for the value. They also use Skinceuticals, one of the world's leaders (also priciest) skincare. Everything in their line is backed by science, something that many brands can't provide.
So I got there, was greeted by their friendly staff, and then the esthetician took me in. She asked about my skin history, which I won't get into because, honestly its a long one. It's also hard because I do get a lot of products from brands, and if I don't use them it just sits on my vanity and collects dust. So I try to use as much as I can, which is also damaging to your skin. This is definitely a common issue a lot of skincare bloggers/influencers encounter.
"You want to keep it simple." she said. "Layer by consistency"
So what does that mean? Start with the lowest consistency topical and move towards the heaviest, arguably in most cases, SPF.
Why do we do this? Think of it as a trifle, the more layers, the better right? Well its the exact same thinking when it comes to skin. The more skincare layers, you have in your routine, the more your skin can optimize all of those products. This doesn't mean you should over do it, as with anything if you add too much you could possibly ruin your skin.
Historically, this process of layering skincare products comes from South Korea. According to an article by Allure, during the 80's and 90's, skincare products were being sold in 'dusty tabs' and smelt like 'carpet deodorizer.' Then in the mid 90's the government decided that in order to compete with other markets, they should be exporting worthy skincare products, which gave rise to the K-beauty empire and the 10-step skincare process.
The 10 step K-Beauty routine calls for double cleansing, toner, essence, serum, sheet mask, eye cream, moisturizer and SPF. Double cleansing, is something the esthetician advised against, because over cleaning can strip the skin. However, to each their own with that one. I usually double cleanse just to make sure all the makeup I have on my face and any other impurities is gone. I don't think I am going to change that. However, everything else in the K-Beauty routine aligns with what the esthetician told me.
Using the Skinceuticals line, she started by cleansing my skin, toning, exfoliating, doing extractions, adding a serum, an Aveda oil, and then SPF to seal it all in. The experience I had wasn't your typical "facial" so to say, it was more of a how to care lesson, and did I learn a lot. She also advised that the best SPF to use both on cloudy and sunny days, was anything 35 or higher.
While I would have enjoyed a nice relaxing lavender scented face mask in addition to the entire process, I think this amount of skincare did the trick for me. I left with glowing and smooth skin, and a week later, I am still glowing.
Lessons learned
Don't bang it until you try it, you might really be surprised.
Sometimes even the most basic skincare, is all you really need.
Send me a message and let me know if you want me to try the 10 step K-Beauty Routine!