I am interested in finding an aesthetician, however, I have rosacea. Could you please tell me how you would treat this if I came in for a facial.
This potential client has a very good question. And kudos to her for asking first before she booked an appointment. I initially emailed her back and requested a phone conversation. A question like hers is not so easy to answer in a concise manner. Nor did I want to do a cold email vs. having a conversation with her. Obviously she is concerned about how a potential facial professional is going to treat her skin, and I knew if I had an opportunity to actually talk with her I could ease any concerns she had.
One of her first questions is if I would use microdermabrasion on her skin. Apparently she had been to several aestheticians who (mistakenly) thought microderm and rosacea were a good combination. I explained I didn’t have microdermabrasion available, and if I did I certainly wouldn’t use it on a person with rosacea. Nor do I have a steam machine and—again—that would never be recommended for rosacea or
in my opinion anyone. Steam produces heat, heat is not good for redness and/or rosacea.
In my facial, there are certain products I won’t use if I have a client with rosacea. Instead of the citrus gel peel I have (Yonka’s Gommage 303), I use one with stinging nettle and other ingredients meant to soothe redness (Gommage 305)*. There are a few mild liquid peels that I won’t put directly on the affected areas where the rosacea is located (Yonka’s MicroPeel and Alpha Exfoliator).
I have several clients with rosacea who come in for regular monthly facials without any problems. If you have rosacea, you can carry on a regular skin care treatment schedule; you just want to take extra care to make sure where you get your facials is helping to calm your skin down rather than causing flare-ups.
*Yonka has discontinued Gommage 303 and rebranded 305, which is now called Gommage Yonka and is the only gommage in the Yonka line now.
As I was explaining how I would treat her skin, I mentioned that in my experience 98% of rosacea clients leave my office looking less red with diminished inflammation. However, there is that remaining 2%. Once in a great while someone with severe redenss or rosacea will have an adverse reaction to the facial—as gentle as it is. I wanted to “warn” her just in case she was in this small percentile. Although she appreciated the heads up, she and I both felt that since she had had many facials in the past without a worsening of her redness, it was unlikely to happen in her facial with me.
The products I’ve used for over 30 years (Yonka-Paris) are great for even the most sensitive of skins. Contrary to what some think (perhaps people without firsthand experience), essential oils are great for redness and sensitivity. Paula Begoun and others think they cause redness, which they can, but that is not true for all essential oils. In the hands of smart manufacturers and knowledgeable aestheticians essential oils can help with all kinds of skin sensitivities. As you’ll learn from other articles on this blog, in less concentrated forms, essential oils are very soothing for redness as well as being anti-inflammatory agents.
Bottom line: If you have a skin condition, whether it is rosacea, breakout or another issue you’
re concerned about, please do as this lady did and contact a potential practitioner and ask questions! I always appreciate a prospective client coming to me with their concerns. Usually—always—I can allay their fears and give them information that will help them make the decision to give my facial a try. And usually—always—they are happy with the results!
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