Your skin and skin cells have memory, similar to that of muscle memory. So, just as you can train your muscles, you can also train your skin.
Working out your skin can help you maintain your youth by preventing premature aging from buildup of dead skin cells and damage from the environment.
Consistent use of the right treatments and products can help maintain the skin’s health and appearance. The right regimen will get you continuous and progressive results, similar to those in the gym.
The key to “working out” the skin, like the body, is to find the right routine and nutrition to support its processes while regularly challenging it. The best way to train the skin is by incorporating different “workouts” that wake up its natural ability to renew and rebuild.
I recommend starting with regular resurfacing peels using glycolic acid to help remove any surface buildup of dead skin. As we age, our skin’s ability to shed dead skin cells and bring new, healthy ones to the surface slows down.
Glycolic acid can facilitate the process of cell renewal by clearing buildup from the pores, as well as help the skin retain moisture from the environment more efficiently. It works by breaking down the “glue” that holds dead skin cells together, which is a crucial process in maintaining clear, healthy, and youthful skin. This will also help prevent purging from treatments and products.
My second recommendation is like that of stepping it up in the gym with heavier weights. For the skin, we do this by using a properly formulated retinol/retinoid product to strengthen the skin, which can yield dramatic results. Retinoids are vital to collagen and elastin production, key ingredients for skin’s plumpness, strength and firmness.
Retinol is scientifically proven to reverse fine lines and wrinkles and is a gold standard in anti-aging products and skin maintenance. I always recommend incorporating retinol after using a glycolic product for a bit to avoid purging, and then alternating a gentle retinol every few days to start.
I like to say acids are like cardio, and retinoids are like weight lifting for the skin. Using these ingredients with the right aftercare will make any facial or skin ”workout” incredibly effective.
There’s a few types of skin workouts you can do or have done. One effective professional skin workout EMS (Electrical Muscle Stimulation), aka non-surgical face-lift method. EMS uses electrical current to gently stimulate the skin and underlying muscles. It gives a lifted and contoured look, enhances circulation, and evens out skin tone. You can feel it working during treatment.
At Artisan of Skin, we call it a MultiLift, due to its far-reaching effects, deeper than your typical microcurrent. This is the perfect method to achieve non-invasive, non-surgical, anti-aging results immediately.
Facial massage and lymphatic drainage are also amazing ways to maintain a fit, sculpted face. Techniques such as gua sha and face cupping can improve circulation and help drain sluggish lymph (stagnant fluid that can cause puffiness and inflammation in the face). When performed correctly, these practices can really kick our internal cleansing system into gear, leading to a healthy and glowing complexion.
All of these skin workout methods should be accomplished in the same manner as a fitness goal. Just as a trainer can maximize your results with an individualized program and proper form, so a skincare professional can help you develop the proper regimen for your skin type and goals!
Sharlena Hassani is a licensed aesthetician in Beverly Hills who spreads knowledge about skincare so her clients can achieve and maintain healthy, clear, and youthful skin. After years of trying to gain control over her own acne and pigmentation, spending thousands on every product imaginable, and going to multiple skincare specialists, she took matters into her own hands, and her passion for skincare started! She has worked under doctors and dermatologists and completed skincare certification training.
She studied ingredients and cosmetic chemistry to figure out the connection between specific substances and how the skin functions on a day-to-day basis. Doing so allowed her to not only finally have control over her skin, but also to know what it takes to maintain clear, youthful, and glowing skin for each unique skin type.
