Skincare Product Specialist

Are some people just born with great skin and don't have to do anything to keep it looking amazing?

Asked by becca over 12 years ago

Yes and no... I feel like for me personally, I've never had terrible skin... A few breakouts here and there... but there are other people I know, who had TERRIBLE acne. So yes, I guess so haha!

Does popping zits do more harm than good? My mom tells me not to, but isn't it bacteria coming OUT? Is she right or just nuts?

Asked by Clemmie over 12 years ago

She's not nuts! haha!!! The reasons you should not do so is because you nails can break or cut your skin which will cause it to scab, or your fingers have bacteria on them... and then you're putting that on your face which may cause an infection in the breakouts..... If you choose to go ahead and pop them... I would recommed either going to a spa and having the facialist take care of that for you, use a clay mask to pull out all the impurities, or turn the hot water on in your shower, let your pores open up... that way when you do your extractions... they come out more easily. Try to get cotton finger pads... that's what the facialist use here! =) (if you do the clay mask, I would say to let your pores open up from your hot shower too... they'll slip right out!) Hope this helps!!!

Are some ethnicities more susceptible to certain skin problems than others?

Asked by Clearasylvia over 12 years ago

Hmm.. That's a though one... i don't think they are necessarily... But, take Koreans for example, they have AMAZING flawless skin (most of the time) and it's because they way they take care of their skin... Korean's basic regimen is about 7-8 steps... where as American's regimen is about 2-4. I think it really depends how much care you put into your skin honestly haha Thanks for the question!!! =)

What's do skincare professionals think about Botox? Do you discourage it? Do you think the same or better results can be achieved through good skincare?

Asked by Haley OH over 12 years ago

We do discourage it here. You're putting chemicals into your face! That's never a good thing... you might see results right away... but what is it doing to the inside of your body??? Honeslty, all you need is a great skincare regimen... if you're sagging, try to find the best anti-aging line. =)

You sound like you really enjoy what you do, which is great. So I've got to ask, what's the part of your job that you *dislike* the most?

Asked by ~~~ ( O | O ) ~~~~ over 12 years ago

To be honest with you, there's nothing in my job that I don't like.... honest. I've never ever felt that way about somewhere I've worked... and I've worked at 39248093284032984 places haha. This is somewhere I would love to turn into my career. But, I guess if I had to pick one thing, it would be that I only work part-time on an hourly wage. The pay is good, but I still would prefer to be full-time to get benefits and salary. haha Thanks! That was a great question!

If you do get a serious zit or blemish, do you go extra-specially-out-of-your-way to cover it up at all costs, given where you work? (Love this Q&A btw!!!)

Asked by mama de jojo over 12 years ago

HAHA Thank you SOOOO MUCH! =n_n= And to answer your question... haha, yes... not because work tells me to... I do it because for myself personally, I don't like them! (I've never met one single person who does like them! ha) Usually, I'll put foundation... concealer (laura mercier is what I'm currently using).. and then powder to make sure it lasts all day! Thanks for asking! =)

What's the most extreme before-and-after you saw with a customer? For example, a severe acne teen who, after using your products, came back a few months later looking like a completely different person?

Asked by AZ Tonia over 12 years ago

My friend. He has had such bad acne over the years, and was extremly oily. One day, he asked if there was anything I recommened and I sent him samples of EVERYTHING! Cleansers, toners, face creams, eye creams the whole 9 yards... within a week... he called me and said he saw a huge difference in his skin... he wasn't as oily and the breakouts would last a few hours... 2 weeks later... no oil or breakouts at all... He told me I changed his skin and I can see it completly. I know he feels like a different person, but to me he's still as beautiful as he always was =] Thanks for the question!!! =n_n=

Do Proactiv and other infomercial products really work, or are those before-and-after pics fake?

Asked by gregg over 12 years ago

Thanks for asking, and this is a great question! I feel like it really depends on the persons skin type. There are SO many different skin types, that one line or product will NOT be good for everyone... no matter what they say to persuade you. I don't think pro-active is a great skincare line, (not trying to bash them) their cleansers are abrasive... which is NEVER good for your skin. For some people, they feel it works... others don't. Another thing is, you want to look for a company that can solve your problem permanently... not temporarily, which is a big difference in luxury lines and other brands. I feel like pro-active and those other TV companies will make you keep purchasing their products. If they solved your issues... how else would they make their money? The before and after pics may not be photoshopped completely, but I do think they are touched up a bit... after all, they're selling you products over the internet and TV... How are they to know which products work best for you??? Hope this helps!!! =]

Honestly - do you ever feel like skincare companies just exploit women's fear of aging and being unattractive, or do you think their goals are more noble than that?

Asked by must-ask over 12 years ago

Sadly, yes... in most cases. Their intentions might be good, but they way they market their products is as if "you don't have good skin, you're imperfect... and imperfection is ugly!" I feel like imperfections is what makes us beautiful! My company I work for really believes what I believe too, and I feel that why I love working for them! If someone is young, we're not going to sell them an anti-aging cream because they don't need it! It doesn't matter if that cream is more expensive.. I/we really want you to feel as beautiful as you are on the inside... you don't need the skincare creams and stuff, but if that's going to make you feel more confiendent.. that's why I am here and working in this industry. Just like you don't teach your children by fear, you teach them by love.. and that's what skincare companies, clothing stores, magazine and anything else that promotes beauty should be doing... making people to love themselves... Thanks for the question and sorry for my rant!

You mentioned that you're a product specialist AND a receptionist. How much time do you spend doing one vs. the other, and are you trying to get the boss to let you do product stuff full time?

Asked by maureen b over 12 years ago

I do about half and half. Where I work, there is not a lot of walking traffic in the store... since my place is a spa/skincare line.. I answer the phones when they ring (they are not ringing off the hook haha) and book appointments and then when clients walk in, I help them find products that work best for them, or get them ready for their facial) Thanks for the question!

Did you ever have bad skin and is that part of the reason you now work in skincare?

Asked by elias000 over 12 years ago

I've never had bad skin... but, I've always been a bit dry or oily in my t-zone and my pores were always clogged... not to the point where you can see them, but if you looked closely you could haha. after using my companies products, I definetly see a difference in the overall texture in my skin, and the clogged pores are no more! =) That's not the reason I moved to skincare though, it's because I've always been intrested in beauty. I am a freelance makeup artist, and skin care and makeup go hand in hand.

What's the nastiest skin ailment you've ever seen up close & personal?

Asked by Timmay over 12 years ago

Well, I've never seen anything too "nasty" thank goodness since I'm not an asthetician.... The most I get to see is super oily skin, or lots of breakouts...

Is there a line of skincare products that you think is really bad, except that they’ve done a great job marketing so people consider them high-end?

Asked by jughedz over 12 years ago

well, that's a tough one. haha, it depends on what you consider High-end... I really don't happen to like clinque, but that's just my opinon... different things work for different people... for instance, I don't like la mer... there products dont work for me personally, and their prices are high.

Do most people that buy specialty skincare products actually NEED them, or are they just easily duped into thinking they need a bunch of cosmetics they don't?

Asked by glitter-n-gold over 12 years ago

Well, you actually don't NEED anything you buy... unless it's water or food... But yes, different products do different things, and you will see results depending on what the company puts into their skincare. I would stay away from drugstore brands for the most part... they contain a BUNCH of water...(your skin actually repels water... and dehydrates it) drugstore brands have about 75%-80% water... high end brands have about 50%-65% water, my company has 0% water. haha so really, it depends on what works best for your skin =)

How did you first get into skincare and makeup?

Asked by loriely over 12 years ago

Thanks for the question loriely! Well, I first started using makeup when I was young... I have an older sister (by 5 years) and I would watch her apply makeup daily... When I was 14 I started experimenting with eyeliner... haha that was a mess! But as I got older, my friends would always ask me to do their makeup... It got to the point where I would get paid to do people's makeup! I've never been "into" skincare until January '12 when I started working at a spa/retail store for skincare... Here, I've learned just how important it is to take care of your skin, and realized how much skin care and makeup go hand in hand... If you want a "flawless" makeup look, chances are if you have "bumpy" skin.. makeup wont help it to look "smooth".. which is why it's so important! Sorry for the novel I wrote! HAHA!

Does what you eat have an effect on your skin or is that a myth?

Asked by karynb over 12 years ago

It does to an extent... Like most cases, it depends on the person. If you have allergies to food, sometimes people will get breakouts along the side of their cheeks next to the jawline... if you eat sugar all the time, chances are you'll have more clog-age in your pores then someone who eats fruits and vegetables all day. It sounds gross but the consistency of your popped pimples can help to determine what types of foods you eat... if you eat a lot of wheat and dairy, your breakouts can be a sticker texture, or pop out like seeds. Drinking water regularly can clear up your skin tremendously... Just like working out gets your muscles healthy and strong, eating healthier can improve your skins appearance and texture... but you also must maintain your skin from the outside of your body as well. If you think about it, your skin is your body's largest organ... so it only makes sense that whatever you put on the inside, will show on the outside. Hope this helps! Thanks for the question!

Does excessive make-up cause break outs? I've always thought there was some correlation there...though my wife does not agree.

Asked by Jimmy X over 12 years ago

HAHA! Sorry she doesn't agree with you, make-up CAN cause breakouts... however, if she washes her face at the end of the night, it shouldn't... depending on how much of something she's using. Tell her to try to get "treatment" foundation... something that will be "healither" for her to wear.

Do a lot of men use skin care products? What's the percentage breakdown between women and men who use your stuff?

Asked by jolly raj over 12 years ago

haha! I would say probably 60% women, 40% men. Our company is unisex... so men like to come in as well and find stuff that suits their skin. Men don't like to do the patting on eye creams as much as women do though haha!!! Thanks for asking! =]

How has working where you work changed how you treat your own skin?

Asked by Princess of purrrrsia over 12 years ago

Thanks for the question! I use to not wash my face everyday (sounds gross, but I was so sensitive... even soap broke me out!) so I used just water.. Now where I work, the products are so great, that they don't make me break out at all. I wash my face 2x's a day, (morning and night) and feel incomplete if I don't. Also, I use to think I had to have makeup on... since I'm taking better care of my skin, I have day's where I go "naked" =)

Does everyone in your office have great skin?

Asked by Not Jessica Simpson over 12 years ago

HAHA! YES! Although, It's not required to have great skin while working here... All the employees love using our products... so it helps! =] Good know you're not Jessica Simpson, because I had a really strong feeling you were ;)

How much science actually goes into developing your products? Is it some big team of PhD's in labcoats, or is it simpler than that?

Asked by Mason over 12 years ago

Some companies do... my company definetly does.. although, they are not located in the US. the way my skincare company's line work's is getting the skincare prodcuts to be 1000xs smaller than a skin cell.. that way they can really penetrate into the skin! I'm sure other companies do that too, and others don't. Thanks for the question!

Do people ever come in to the store looking for products to help their tattoos fade? I've heard about things like that on the radio, but I never really thought them to be real.

Asked by Big Joe over 12 years ago

HAHA! I've never personally had anyone come in and ask me that question. I'm sure there are people out there, but I don't think skincare products would ever work on that... possibly good makeup (coverFX probably can cover tattoos) can help cover it, but I don't think it would make it fade.

I’m 16 and get really bad acne and NOTHING works. I’ve tried every benzoyl peroxide and salicylic acid product and I don’t think they even help a little bit. Are there any other non-prescription products I should try?

Asked by erica over 12 years ago

YES! definelty buy a cleanser that has NO detergents in it (detergents strip your skin of it's natural oils which make you produce more!) Also make sure you use a toner, (they are SUPER important because they balance your PH levels plus remove resdues left by tap water) most of the times, doing these two steps help a lot! BTW... try not to EVER use those products! They strip your skins natural oils, so while you might see temporary results... in the long run, you're doing more harm then good... =(

What’s the best self-tanner on the market?

Asked by seducme over 12 years ago

St. tropez bronzing moose for sure! It doesn't leave you looking like an oompa loompa.. haha, When and if I ever wear it, I take a shower and exfoliate my whole body... then put it on, then sleep and in the morning, rinse off the "excess" =)

Fill in the blank: This job would be the best if it weren't for _________.

Asked by Lucky777 over 12 years ago