You’re probably familiar with esthetic tools that are traditionally used cold on the skin to reduce redness, puffiness and calm the skin; gua sha, facial rollers, gua sha mushrooms or ice globes. In this blog post we’ll look at an alternative way of using these tools.
Temperature, whether cold or warm, can have significant effects on the human skin. Cold temperatures can lead to vasoconstriction, where blood vessels narrow to conserve heat, reducing blood flow to the skin and therefore reduces redness, heat and inflammation.
On the other hand, warm temperatures can induce vasodilation, expanding blood vessels to release heat, leading to increased blood flow and potential skin redness. The key here is to use warm temperatures rather than hot as we usually want to avoid excessive redness.
Warm temperatures will also increase the permeability of the skin barrier. As a result, skincare ingredients applied to warm skin may have an easier time penetrating into the deeper layers of the skin.
Try these steps for a warm and toasty masque application.*
Place your chosen esthetic tools into a bowl of warm water. Stainless steel tools will hold the heat for longer than ones made from gemstones. We are looking for the tools to be warm and not piping hot. Afterall, you’ll need to hold them to massage with them.
Dispense your chosen masque into a small bowl and place within the towel cabinet. Check with your product manufacturer that this is safe to do. Some masques, especially gel formulations can be broken down by warm temperatures. Allow 5-10 minutes for the masque to warm up.
Next, pre-warm the skin with a warm moist steam towel.
Take the warm masque out of the towel cabby and test the temperature on the inside of your wrist, as you do with wax, before applying to the skin.
Proceed to use the double brush application as shown in this month’s newsletter and vlog.
Begin working evenly all over the face and neck with your chosen tools. Continue working for 5 minutes.
If you would like to learn specific massage sequences to use with your esthetic tools, check out this downloadable video Massage Sequences with Esthetic Tools
Allow the masque to sit on the skin for another five minutes before removing with a warm, moist steam towel.
*Ensure your clients' skin can tolerate an increase in heat during this process. It is not recommended for inflammed, irritated, thin or sensitive skins.
If you found this info useful please comment below and share it with a fellow esthetician.
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