Bonjour, Mes Amis!
Alright, now you’re thinking “Jessie might be onto something with this whole exfoliation thing, but what should I do now? Take a pumice stone to my face?”
First of all, please don’t use a pumice stone on your face! Let me show you all of the fabulous products we have here to gently exfoliate your skin, leaving it glowing, not raw!
The Colorescience Family:
- Colorescience’s Illuminating Cleanser incorporates tiny beads of natural minerals to help mechanically exfoliate your skin as you cleanse. This product is perfect for removing your long-lasting mineral makeup, without being harsh on your skin!
The Sothys Family:
- Sothys’ Desquacrem is the gentlest option, as it is granule-free and can be used several times a week. This deep-pore cleanser
dissolves oil, which facilitates the removal of blackheads to leave your skin feeling smooth and flawless. This exfoliant is often used under steam during the French facial protocol. - Sothys’ Gelée Gommante Visage (micro-gel peeling) is a newer exfoliant by Sothys, which uses exfoliating particles to remove the dull top layer. It transforms from a gel into an oil as you massage it in—perfectly luxurious, in typical Sothys fashion! This product, too, is paraben free, and contains white tea extract to calm your skin.
- Sothys’ Beauty Garden Gommage Exfoliant works well as a mechanical exfoliant, especially for sensitive skin. The word “Gommage” actually comes from the word “gomme” which means ‘eraser’ in French; so to complete the analogy, this exfoliant uses all natural ingredients like finely ground walnut shells (no irritants for sensitive skin types!) to literally rub and erase away that dull top layer of skin! As an added bonus, this product is paraben-free and eco-certified organic.
The Jan Marini Family:
- Jan Marini’s SkinZyme Mask is an enzymatic exfoliant, which uses the proteolytic enzymes naturally found in green papaya, which serve to digest the top layer of dead skin cells and debris to reveal the healthy and fresh skin underneath.
- Jan Marini’s Bioglycolic products, which include the Bioglycolic Cleansers, Bioclear Face Cream, and Bioclear Face Lotion, all use a tame dosage of glycolic acid (only 12%, so you can use it daily for homecare) to chemically exfoliate your skin. Glycolic acid gently dissolves the dull top layer, and is mild enough to let you start and finish your day feeling refreshed and renewed (those of you on the Skin Care Management System know what I’m talking about!)
Other Mechanical Exfoliators offered at A French Touch Salon:
- Spacells: “A revolutionary facial sponge that not only cleans and removes make-up, but exfoliates and massages your skin, stimulating blood and lymph flow to decrease puffiness, eliminate toxins and promote cellular regeneration. Use daily for softer, smoother, younger-looking skin.”
- Clarisonic Brushes: “Unlike spinning devices, this patented sonic cleansing technology works with skin’s natural elasticity, oscillating at a sonic frequency that produces over 300 movements per second. The resulting flexing action created between the outer and inner brushes works to loosen dirt and oil (and dead skin cells), removing deep-seated impurities from pores and priming skin to better absorb topical treatments.”
So, mes amis, you have a few options available at A French Touch, but whichever you choose, remember that incorporating exfoliation frequently and regularly into your skincare routine is essential for maintaining a healthy, youthful glow, and to maximize the benefits of your favorite products! Tomorrow, come back and I’ll tell you all about the crème de la crème of exfoliation, our heavenly peels!
Bisous,
