In Western New York, we face the reality of dry skin every winter, without fail. From the dry cold winter air outside to the dry air from our furnaces inside, it’s important to think about staying hydrated in the dry season. Keeping your skin and your body hydrated and healthy has many benefits.
Dehydrated skin could crack and create a pathway for germs and irritants to enter your body. Plus hydrating your skin slows down the appearance of aging, helps prevent acne, and is just less itchy and more comfortable.
Of course the first step to hydration is drinking plenty of water and hydrating beverages and foods. But if you need a boost, Project Best Life spoke to several experts in the area who know exactly how to help!
If you’re looking to revamp your home care regimen or just add in a few more hydrating products to your routine, Elite Esthetics is here for you. The studio opened in 2020 and offers everything from lash lifts to enzyme therapy, and of course the Face Reality program.
“I tell all of my clients whether they’re in acne boot camp or not that Face Reality is a great line for just basic skin care in general” Owner Averi Wachowiak said. This includes products like cleanser, toner, moisturizer, etc. Face Reality is often focused on acne-prone clients, but the studio has another esthetician who partners with the Eminence line which Averi says is a great option for those who are less concerned with acne and more concerned with the appearance of aging and general hydration.
The two products from the Face Reality line that Averi recommends for the dry season are Hydrabalance hydrating gel and the Hydracalm Mask. When you’re feeling really dry you can create a “Hydrabalance sandwich,” as Averi calls it, by using the product before and after your serums and other products in your routine. With the Hydracalm Mask, you can wear it overnight to really let it soak in and help you feel more thoroughly moisturized.
Going to Elite Esthetics for exfoliating services like chemical peels or dermaplaning can additionally help with external hydration by removing the top layer of dead skin, which then makes it easier for hydrating products you’re using at home to absorb into the skin and provide deeper hydration.
Keeping your skin hydrated is also very important for fighting against acne (against that urge to dry it out which will just contribute to scarring), and keeping up on your skin care in general helps strengthen your skin’s barrier so it’s stronger against forces like the wind and sun, which are prevalent in the winter. Averi’s pro tips for you this winter: stay out of the wind as best you can or cover your face on a windy day, and Wear. Your. SPF.
We already know wearing SPF is important from the reminders Johnathan Van Ness gives us on the daily basis, but Averi reminds us that it’s extremely important to use SPF in the winter, especially in our region, because the UV light bounces off the snow, sometimes creating a higher risk for UV damage than in the summer. The Face Reality line also carries a couple types of SPF creams that can help with this.
“My favorite thing about our studio is that we’re extremely positive, we just want to help you out, help you feel your best, and leave you feeling better about yourself about your day and just sending you along with a little positivity!” Averi said.
Averi’s Hydration Hint: Cover your face from that harsh winter wind!
Elite Esthetics and Lash Lounge
(716) 427-4375
474 Niagara Falls Blvd, Suite #6
Buffalo, NY 14223
Website | Facebook | Instagram
*Walk-ins are also welcome for purchasing products but it’s always best to call before heading in.
Julie Maggio has always had a passion for making others feel beautiful in their own skin. She has been in the beauty business for 17 years and opened Luxe and Lavish 4 and a half years ago.
Just like Averi, Julie is a strong proponent for exfoliating the top layer of skin so that hydrating products are able to be more effective at going deep into the dermis to hydrate your skin from the outside, in.
“My biggest tip for keeping your skin hydrated in the winter is definitely starting with exfoliation, but not over-exfoliating, and adding more hydrating products into your skin coupled with coming in for professional services,” Julie said.
One of those professional services she offers is the Hydrafacial. In fact, Julie has a Master certification in the Hydrafacial, and she was the first one to receive this higher level of education for the program in New York State, as well as being the only Master in this area.
According to Julie, the Hydrafacial is “3 steps, 30 minutes, the best skin of your life.” She said it’s great for all skin types whether you have oily or dry skin, if you’re looking to target fine lines, wrinkles, brown spots or enlarged pores, or even if you want to work on elasticity or firmness.
The Hydrafacial uses a special machine which suctions out the bad things you don’t want in your skin like dirt, debris, blackheads, etc. while simultaneously infusing moisture and vitamins back into your skin. It starts with cleansing and exfoliating, then a mild chemical peel, a customizable “booster,” LED light therapy (blue light for anti-bacterial benefits/to combat acne or red light for anti-inflammatory benefits), and ending with hydrating peptides and hyaluronic acid.
“And what’s so cool about this procedure is that everything filters through to a waste canister that we as a company point the term “Gunkie Jar,” and you can really see in real time everything that is coming out of your skin” Julie said. And you really can, she showed me everything that came out of mine!
Whether you want a Hydrafacial to help with acne, brightness, or simply hydration, Julie says each one can be customized, every client can receive something different based on their needs at the time of the appointment. Take Julie’s word when she says you’ll walk away with beautiful, glassy skin, and you will be glowing.
Julie’s Hydration Hint: Exfoliate, but don’t over-exfoliate!
Luxe and Lavish
(716) 730-1031
2805 Wehrle Dr Suite #5,
Williamsville, NY 14221
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Michael Robertson and Jillian Trehy are both Nurse Practitioners who opened Luminescence Aesthetics in March 2021. After practicing medicine for over 8 years Michael and Jillian started to feel the wear and tear of the medical field and wanted to switch up their careers to do something that made patients feel really good about themselves.
“We were heroes in 2020 during Covid and in 2021 there was a little bit of a shift in that and so at that point Jill and I started exploring options of what else makes us happy and what else makes us feel fulfilled in the health care field,” Michael said. “What brought us joy was our own skincare and our own skincare routine, so from there that’s how Luminescence was born.”
Luminescence offers various services for skin care and aesthetics, but what we talked to Michael and Jillian about the most is IV Hydration & Nutritional Therapy.
We all know that you have to drink plenty of water to stay hydrated, but are we really all drinking enough? Drinking enough water seems the be an uphill battle, and every once in a while we need a boost. IV Therapy can help give you that boost by replenishing you with the fluids you need.
The IV Therapy treatments are infused with vitamins to target whichever deficiencies you may be facing at the time. Each blend has a different mix of vitamins, and your body will absorb what it is deficient in, and then excrete the excess it doesn’t need.
The options range from Quench (which is the one I got to try out) which helps combat fatigue from dehydration, to other blends for boosting immunity, targeting PMS symptoms, focusing and energy level, as well as targeting nutrients Athletes need for recovery and enhancement.
They even offer the famous “Banana Bag” as seen on Grey’s Anatomy to help with headache, nausea, and dehydration from hangovers. And a friendly reminder from Michael that alcohol and coffee are NOT hydrating beverages to help you reach your water intake goal, I know, bummer.
Luminescence elevates the IV Hydration experience by giving you your own private room with a TV for the hour you’re there while your bag drips empty. You can read a book, catch up on your favorite Netflix show, or even take a nap! You can spend your hydration hour however you’d like.
Lastly, Jillian adds “Other services that we could offer to clients to help keep their skin hydrated on the outside would be Skin Wave Aqua Facials, and investing in a really good quality skincare and a good quality moisturizer.”
Jillian’s Hydration Hint: Put a humidifier in your bedroom
Michael’s Hydration Hint: Adjust your skincare routine based on the season
Luminescence Aesthetics
(716) 800-1916
2372 Sweet Home Road #5
Amherst, New York 14228
Website | Facebook | Instagram
This series is sponsored by Project Best Life. Buffalo Rising and Project Best Life have teamed up to produce a series on wellness inspiration and advice to direct readers to the people, places, and experiences in Buffalo and beyond that will help them fulfill their health, nutrition, and wellness goals. For more information on how you can live your best life, subscribe to the Project Best Life newsletter.
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