With so many incredible brands out there, which medical grade skincare brand should you be using? In this series, Glowday has taken a look at some of the biggest skincare brands out there, and chatted with practitioners to find out which they use, and why. In this article, we talk to two practitioners using SkinCeuticals - Nouvelle Aesthetix’s Dr Neha Mugerwa and Cavendish Clinic’s clinic director Agnieszka Tracz - to find out what they love about the skincare brand, their favourite products from the range, and the best thing about working with the brand.
Why did you choose to work with SkinCeuticals?
Dr Neha from Nouvelle Aesthetix, who has been using SkinCeuticals for roughly two years, both personally and in the workplace, says, “we predominantly use Skinceuticals in our clinic because as clinicians, for us it is important that any product we recommend to our clients has a scientific basis and proven results.”
She explains, “Before embarking on my aesthetics career, my idea of good skincare was the exact opposite of ideal. I was doing well if I removed my makeup at all! The younger you are, the more forgiving your skin is - so the less time you spend looking after it. It's only as we hit our mid 30s that the late nights and sun damage start to show. Sometimes, it’s a subtle shift, needing to wear makeup more often, noticing some caking of the products you’ve always used, highlighting those fine lines and wrinkles. We’ve all bought products over the counter that are PH balanced, thinking that this is the best for our skin, without realising that this will only help the surface and not give any deeper longer lasting results.
There are so many skincare products, promising miraculous results that have turned out to be a fad, leading to distrust and disappointment. We’ve all been there - I’m sure each and every one of us has bought into them at some point in our lives!
Even if we shelve the cosmetic lines, there are several brands, all with medical grade products that have been shown to be effective. Having tried them personally, often they were too potent for daily use, causing irritation and soreness. Our passion is anti-ageing and skin rejuvenation for ALL, rather than just those who were highly motivated and could push past those initial side effects. My passion was to try to include and encourage even the busiest of people into using a daily skin protection regime.
Skincare, should be at the heart of any consultation, as it provides a solid foundation for the clinical treatments we provide. Better skincare will boost the results of the clinical treatments. Even putting anti-ageing a side, good skincare and skin protection can help reduce the risk of significant skin diseases such as skin cancers. We are now starting to see the after effects of the ‘sun bed’ generation with increasing skin cancers. Although this is better regulated, people largely still aren’t aware of the risk of daily UVA, UVB and infrared, meaning SPF is often considered for hot sunny days at the beach, but not many people would feel they needed to protect their skin in the same way in an office, on wet and dreary day, or, for that matter, from their mobile phones and computer screens.
For me, the key was to be able to give our patients a simple, effective regime that not only will treat underlying issues but prevent damage and protect our skin. In fact, those three things represent the pillars of all Skinceuticals products - Prevention, Protection, and Correction."
Cavendish Clinic’s Clinic Director Agnieszka Tracz, who has been using SkinCeuticals since 2011 says, “We chose SkinCeuticals because it is a leading cosmeceutical skincare brand, backed by over 30 years of scientific research. It’s a clinically proven skincare brand that works not only on the surface of the skin, but also goes into the deeper skin layers. A brand that provides the three most important and fundamental principles of skincare - prevent, correct and protect, which synergistically work together to provide healthier skin. We have a very close relationship with SkinCeuticals and we are their first Advanced Clinical Centre.
What do you like most about SkinCeuticals products?
For Dr Neha, it’s the simplicity. “The regime is easy to follow, quick to apply but also extremely effective. Often when introducing a regime to a ‘novice’, the concept of adding in 3-4 products can be daunting. We all live busy lives, so the fact that you can apply a regime within a minute or so is a game-changer.
Personally, I found that adding in these extra products didn't increase my daily routine time - it actually halved it! Using a potent antioxidant and a corrective product, meant I could forgo my daily moisturiser and needed less makeup to cover up imperfections. Gone are the days where my mornings were spent waiting 20 minutes for a face mask of moisturiser to sink into my dry skin. Gone are the jokes of my husband calling me a Geisha, and my kids calling me a ghost- and this is literally with a few drops of each product for the whole face and neck.
They are suitable for daily use, without causing any irritation or redness. This is one of the biggest complaints patients have if they have tried other brands in the past and been put off. Ultimately, people want a product that will work but will feel nice, smell nice and look nice.
Skinceuticals have such a vast range of products for all skin types, whilst still keeping the 3 pillars of Prevent, Correct and Protect across the whole range. This makes it simple for both ourselves as practitioners, but also the clients to find a tailor-made regime for each person’s needs whilst keeping to the same product base.”
For Agnieszka Tracz, it’s simple - the results they give! She explains, “As a practitioner who suffers from acne and post-inflammatory scarring, SkinCeuticals has radically changed my experience of skincare, by being able to treat acne without skin irritation and focusing on epidermal repair. SkinCeuticals targets many different skin concerns and it has shown that by using certain core ingredients you can transform a patient’s skin. Our specialist Custom D.O.S.E machine allows us to selectively pick ingredients to create a bespoke serum, tailor-made for specific concerns.
What’s your favourite Skinceuticals product, and why?
When it comes to choosing her favourite SkinCeuticals product, Dr Neha is certain about hers. “Without a doubt it’s C E Ferulic, one of the patented antioxidants in the Skinceuticals range. C E Ferulic serum is an extremely potent triple antioxidant treatment and part of the ‘Prevent’ range. It contains 15% L-ascorbic acid - a high dose of vitamin C, which is a powerful antioxidant. The Vitamin E provides a nourishment and glow to the skin. This, for many, can mean removing the daily moisturiser, and the glow is reminiscent of the skin in of our youth.
All you need is 2 or 3 drops for the entire face and neck and it absorbs quickly within seconds, working well as a base for SPF and make up."
Agnieszka Tracz says, “It’s the H.A intensifier – an intensive corrective serum, formulated with a high concentration of pure hyaluronic acid. This is known as a ‘filler’ in a bottle due to the high levels of proxylane and licorice root extract. It fantastically preserves and supports the H.A levels as well as smoothing the appearance of lines and wrinkles. It works wonderfully around the eyes and lips too!”
What do you like most about working with SkinCeuticals?
Dr Neha explains, “Skinceuticals are passionate about showing the range, and they explain the science behind why the products actually work, publishing the clinical trial data from the offset. The training delivered is of a high quality, giving us the confidence to advise our clients on their best possible regimes. The range is simple yet extremely effective. In each step the products have been formulated to be suitable for different skin types and concerns.
I feel the ethos behind Prevent, Correct and Protect is useful to explain to patients why one miracle cream just doesn’t work. Breaking it down like this helps our patients to understand the reason for why each product is recommended. By empowering the patients to understand their skin better we can empower them to make the right decisions for their skin.”
Cavendish Clinic’s Agnieszka Tracz, explains that for her, the best thing about working with SkinCeuticals is “the wide range of options, and being able to completely customise a skincare regime, constantly adapting to the needs of the client. As the condition of skin changes throughout the year, due to environmental and seasonal factors, this versatile skin range adapts to these changes complementing the skin’s needs.”
So, that's what the experts think of SkinCeuticals in a nutshell. Great products that are easy to use, great product knowledge delivered by the team to practitioners and amazing science behind the brand and its medical grade skincare. Huge thanks to Dr Neha Mugerwa and Agnieszka Tracz for sharing their views!