Laura Russel is a licensed esthetician and owns Beauty Booth AZ and she also works at Village Health Club & Spa at DC Ranch. She has been a wonderful person to get to know and someone who has helped me with my skincare routine.
LAS112: The Best Anti Aging Skin Care Routine with Laura Russell
How did you pivot your business during quarantine?
Quarantine definitely halted a lot of people’s morning routines and while I wasn’t working for three months, I chose to work on connecting with my clients. Personal connection is the first and foundational process of being a service to your client. I sent out weekly emails reaching out. I wasn’t just trying to sell to them. Instead, I asked “how can I help you during this time while I’m not touching your face?” That was a chance for people to take the opportunity to connect while they were alone. When they started writing back saying they were lacking in their skincare, then I could help them with their skin and face as well and ship to them. The routine of skincare brought back a sense of comfort and normalcy, but it was a nice break to reconnect with my clients in other ways.
What’s the best product to wash your face for anti-aging?
It’s more about ingredients than a product brand. There are three things you should focus on:
– What is in your budget?
– What can you commit to?
– What do you enjoy?
Ingredients to look for : alpha hydroxy acids and beta hydroxy acids that are in your skin type. Glycolic acid, lactic acid and salicylic acid will exfoliate while they’re cleansing to smooth and brighten your skin to prepare it for the next product you’re gonna put on. That the important part- get it clean and exfoliated for what’s next.
I can also attest to having my skin feel better once I’ve gotten monthly facials or dermaplanes.
Do you have suggestions for treating dark spots?
I believe I truly try to educate my clients that skincare and your morning routine is a three-step process. The most important thing we can do when addressing pigmentation is to stop creating more pigmentation and to stop aggravating the pigment that we have.
The first step is SPF. Every esthetician says it a thousand times a day and it’s the least exciting product that can be recommended but SPF is crucial in any anti-aging routine. The second step is to control how fast your skin produces this pigment. By calming that down, it tells your skin, “it’s okay.” We stop it, calm it, and then treat it. We’ll lift the pigmentation out of the skin with exfoliation, create cell turnover from the inside out with retinols and then brighten. You can’t just scrub it off your face.
What do you think the best level of SPF is to use, or does it depend on the skin type?
You should at least be using 30 SPF. If you’re doing more it won’t go up exponentially. I don’t go under 30 SPF unless I’m using another product to assist it. Another thing to keep in mind is that makeup with SPF isn’t enough to use by itself! It helps the thing before it. If you start with a good SPF, whatever you put on top is going to compliment it.
There are two types of SPF: Chemical SPF that goes on top of your skin and diffuses the light, and physical SPF bounces the sun rays off your face. Many brands have both so it’s what feels good on your skin; the texture and the finish. Whatever gets you to use it on your skin is the right one.
What do you think about shaving your face?
Shaving your face is exactly that. It’s designed to remove hair. Most razors come with a guard on them which makes the blade slide over the surface of your skin and simply remove your hair. When you are dermaplaning, there is no guard. It’s a sterile, surgical blade that we are creating multiple controlled passes over the surfaces of the skin to remove the skin. By default, it removes peach fuzz and makeup will go on smoothly. Product will go on better and your skin will look brighter. Just shaving isn’t dermaplaning, it’s only getting hair.
Do you have a favorite product line?
My skin is higher on the Fitzpatrick scale and it’s darker. I’m in the medium brown phase so I have to be careful what I put on my skin. I love PCA , Obagi and Eminence. I also retail a lot of Image and Skin Script. I want to be able to offer products to my clients that are within their budget. Just because a product is expensive doesn’t mean that it’s higher or lower quality.
What’s your favorite facial mask?
I love the revitalize mask from PCA. Or the firming transformation from Image that lifts, firms and tightens. With a lot of mask wearing my skin has been irritated so my skin needs that lift and plump.
How often do you recommend getting a facial?
Definitely once a month. The reason for that is when we’re young, our skin actually turns over every 28 days. Once you get more mature, that process slows down. So really we’re just forcing it to turn over like it once did when we were at a prime skin age.
The difference between just getting a facial once a month and getting a home care routine to support that is huge. You wouldn’t go to the dentist once every six months and then never brush your teeth in between. Same thing happens with skincare. You want to see a professional once a month, get a product recommendation, get a regimen going and then go home for those 30 days and follow that ritual. That way when you come back the next month, you can focus on moving to the next thing and moving forward in your skincare instead of undoing something that hasn’t been taken care of for a month.
You own Beauty Booth AZ – where can people find you?
I am a licensed esthetician, but I got started in 2004 as a nail tech and then I wanted to expand my talents to skincare. My next angle is to help both men and women with their skincare and preventative aging needs so that they can live in confident skin. I work in Beauty Booth AZ on Mondays and Tuesdays and then I can be found at The Village at DC Ranch Wednesday through Saturday. I’m busy but I love it that way. I really love what I do and the fact that I get to do it almost every day.
Should you moisturize with anti-aging products?
Yes! Even someone with oily skin can still be dehydrated. Picture a Slim Jim. It’s wrinkly and dehydrated but oily. Just because you have that skin, a moisturizer can still help. Every single skin type needs a moisturizer. If it incorporates anti-aging elements like peptides with help lift & firm. There are things that are put into your moisturizer to not only hydrate but to give you that anti-aging benefit.
What do you think the biggest misconception about you?
I think one that is common with me and any other estheticians is that I’m just here to sell you something. It’s my duty and passion to help you reach your goals. People come for advice and I wouldn’t be serving them to the best of my ability if I didn’t give them that advice. So will I sell you a product? Sure, but only if it’s something that will help you reach your goals. I’m not some sort of salesman that’s just after the dollar.
If you could go to dinner with anyone, who would you choose?
My parents both passed away within the least couple of years. I would always pick them over anyone else.
Do you have a dream vacation?
I grew up in Alaska so either the camping/fishing/hiking scenario or the completely opposite in an all-inclusive resort where I can get treated and pampered myself.
Do you have a website?
Instagram- @beautyboothaz
