The Aestheticians' Top 10

The only person with more advice than your mother is your aesthetician, and like Mom, your aesthetician is always right. We’ve rounded up ten of the most important tips from top aestheticians and put it into a handy list so even if you don’t visit your aesthetician (or your mom) as often as you should, you’ll never forget her bits of wisdom.

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Eat A Good Breakfast.

Good nutrition is essential to good skin. Kick start your metabolism and your skin’s antioxidant force field every morning with a skin support breakfast that includes whole grains (oatmeal, fortified bran cereal), antioxidant-rich berries (blueberries, blackberries), nourishing healthy fats (smoked salmon, avocado, nuts), or skin strengthening protein (eggs, plain yogurt, cottage cheese).

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Sunscreen. Sunscreen. Sunscreen.

If your house is burning down, forget the photos. Grab the sunscreen. That’s extreme. But seriously, never leave the house without sunscreen. UV exposure is the number one cause of extrinsic aging. Every aesthetician, dermatologist, or skin care specialist will tell you protecting your skin from the sun is the most important thing you can do to avoid premature aging and, let’s not forget, skin cancer.

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Your Hands Will Give You Away.

When you put on sunscreen, don’t forget the backs of your hands! Unless you’re wearing gloves when you venture out, your hands are constantly exposed. Because the skin there is thin, it’s more vulnerable to the effects of UV radiation, which means age spots, winkling, rough texture. These things can make you look older than your years. Slather up.

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Watch Out For Comedogenic Ingredients.

Beware of viral videos and blogs claiming to have discovered the new skin care super ingredients. Do your research and check the source. Make sure you’re not unwittingly putting a serious pore-clogger on your skin (hello, coconut oil). When in doubt, check it out. Here’s a list of ingredients and their comedogenicity ratings.

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Move It Or Lose It.

If you aren’t exercising, you’re aging. Exercise increases blood flow, flushes out toxins, carries nutrients to the skin, and enhances your natural glow. It also helps build muscle, which reduces the glucose that might otherwise start a cascade of collagen-damaging glycation.

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Sugar Is The Enemy Of Beauty.

Excess sugar leads to elevated glucose levels and advanced glycation end products, AGEs. These appropriately acronymized molecules contribute to oxidative stress, inflammation, and accelerated aging. Reduce sugar, and not just in the obvious places. Check the labels on the foods you’re buying for hidden sugar. A typical granola bar has a whopping eight grams. Jarred spaghetti sauce can have as much sugar as a candy bar.

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Don't Wait For Your First Wrinkle.

The rate at which skin ages is affected by genetics and lifestyle. You can’t control genetics, but you can control lifestyle and take preventive measures to slow down even the genetic factor. In addition to living a healthy lifestyle (diet, exercise, sleep, hydration), follow a skincare regimen that includes antioxidants, retinoids, and peptides to roadblock typical skin stressors and retain a youthful appearance. And start immediately.

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Exfoliating Is Mandatory.

Skin cells are formed and shed off naturally every thirty days, but during the process, dead cells can build up and clog pores, causing breakouts, making skin look dull, and wrinkles appear deeper. Exfoliating ingredients like Vitamin A Propionate; Vitamin C, alpha-hydroxy acids including mandelic, lactic, and glycolic accelerate the process revealing brighter, smoother, younger-looking skin.

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Take A Moment To Chill.

Every aesthetician we talk to stresses the importance of slowing down and taking time to unwind. Stress isn’t just bad for your health. It’s bad for skin. Cortisol, the stress hormone, increases sebum production and inflammation, which can lead acne breakouts, accelerated aging, and exacerbated skin conditions like eczema and rosacea.

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Go To Bed.

When you don’t get enough sleep, your body doesn’t get the repair time it needs to keep your cells healthy and skin glowing. Less than seven hours and you are seriously robbing your cells of their ability to regenerate. Disco nap if you must, but get your rest.