How well do you know your skin?
I’ve always been under the impression that I have dehydrated skin. Unless the signs are clearly visible, how would I know for sure? And more importantly, how do I know what to combat? I can’t tell you how many times (skincare or not) I thought I was struggling with one type of condition and ended up purchasing a ton of products and treatments to help correct it, only to find out that it was something entirely different.
To avoid making the same mistakes, it was time to see a skincare pro.
Last year, I discovered that the BeautyBOUTIQUE at Shoppers Drug Mart offers complimentary in-store personalized skin care consultations. Yes, these are complimentary and they are super helpful. During the visit, a Beauty Expert will help reveal valuable information about your skin, determine your skin’s needs, and recommend a range of suitable products to treat targeted skincare concerns.
I walked in and met on-site Beauty Expert Andrea. She used the Moisture Checker and Video Microscope on my skin, and the results were surprising!
What exactly do the Moisture Checker and Video Microscope do?
The Moisture Checker is a specialized digital tool that measures hydration levels in your skin. The tool looks like a thermometer and is gently placed against different areas of your skin to obtain a percentage reading (0-99%). It’s no surprise that different parts of your skin will have different moisture levels and therefore, checking multiple areas of your face will give you a better understanding of your skincare needs.
According to my trusted Beauty Expert Andrea, a 0-40% reading means you have dry skin, and anything above 40% is considered hydrated. Of course, the higher the reading, the more moisture you’ve locked in.
Was my assumption that I have ‘dehydrated’ skin accurate?
Absolutely not! My Moisture Checker reading was 62.5%! Andrea shared that my reading was among one of the highest readings she’s seen! Therefore, combating dehydration isn’t what I need to pay additional attention to. Good to know!
The Video Microscope is a device that magnifies the skin’s surface by 30 times! It resembles the appearance of the Moisture Checker, however it’s connected to a computer screen that allows you to see the top two layers of your skin.
I’m not going to lie, it was a bit overwhelming (and scary) when I first saw my own skin blown up on screen. It looked like a volcanic site! But as Andrea navigated to different areas, she assured me that some of what I saw was in fact just a layer of my makeup. I started to catch my breath and it became incredibly cool to see what the skin looks like up close.
What did my skin look like 30x zoomed?!
On screen, you can see my face blown up. Pretty neat, right? It’s hard to give you all the details of what this view reveals, but in conclusion – not too many broken capillaries, which means my skin hasn’t been affected too much due to sun damage or aging. The recommendation by Andrea is that I should look at some preventative products to keep the good times (skin) coming!
Additionally, having recently been diagnosed with PCOS (entirely another subject to be shared), which means I experience frequent cystic acne during my ‘cycle,’ I really wanted to find products that would help me treat not the acne itself but diminish the scarring.
The next part of the visit was the most exciting because I got to tour the store with Andrea to select an array of skincare products that would fit my newly discovered results.
There are so many product lines and brands at the Shoppers Drug Mart BeautyBOUTIQUE. If you’re not a beauty expert or don’t know exactly what you’re looking for, finding the perfect lineup can be daunting. I’m so glad that I had Andrea to lean on for this part of the visit. She recommended a customized lineup of skincare products to help me with:
- fighting early signs of aging
- treating scars and dark spots
- ridding of puffiness under the eyes
- boosting the overall complexion and increasing the efficacy of other skincare products
Now, since we all have different skin, I wouldn’t necessarily recommend that you replicate my product list, but I strongly urge you to utilize the personalized in-store skincare consultation to jump start the year. This is a great way to re-evaluate and augment your current regimen.
But for those who are curious, here is the full lineup of products that were recommended to me.
- Biotherm Biosource Purifying Cleansing Foam
- Biotherm L’Essence Life Plankton Essence
- Stivectin Day Multi-Action Gel
- Strivectin LINE blurFECTOR™ Instant Wrinkle Blurring Primer
- Vichy Night Idealia Nuit
- Clarins Multi-Active Eye Cream (love this little product already!)
- Shiseido Ultimune
- Lancome Visionnaire Serum
- Clarins SOS Pore Clay Mask
- Lancome Absolue Rose Lotion
- La Roche Posay Serozinc Mist
I’m thrilled to start my new routine because I’ve actually NOT used any of these products before. They are all new to me and I’m super curious to see if my results will look different after a few months of use.
If you’re struggling to find the right products, curious about the health of your skin or treating your existing skincare concerns, visit a Shoppers Drug Mart beautyBOUTIQUE to experience your own personalized skincare consultation. Trust me, it’s worth it and the whole process won’t take more than 30 minutes! Your skin deserves TLC!
Disclaimer: This post is sponsored by Shoppers Drug Mart, but all opinions are my own.
