Research suggests that cosmetic procedures are on the rise in Australia, with estimates that Australians are spending more than $1 billion each year on cosmetic treatments, including cosmeceutical treatments, Botox and cosmetic surgery – 40 percent more than what Americans spend on a per-capita basis. But in Australia and many other countries, cosmetic surgery is less regulated than the work done by plastic surgeons and is often performed outside of traditional medical environments. This can lead to complications when these treatments are incorrectly administered, or when the proposed treatment protocols are not advised.
As natural skincare specialists we encourage minimising our exposure to toxins and learning to love the skin you’re in – and so we’re often asked what our stance is on cosmetic treatments. In case you missed it, we wrote about that recently here. To set the record straight, we are not against Botox and other anti-wrinkle injections, fillers and injectables, but we are against people being made to feel that they are not whole and worthy as they are, and that the solution is in any way achieved through cosmetic changes to their appearance.
Here at MV, we advocate for the right to make an informed, safe choice about cosmetic treatments, and that involves knowing how to treat the skin properly afterwards as well.
When you have any kind of cosmeceutical treatment, whether it’s laser treatments, skin penetration of any kind like needling or microdermabrasion, or glycolic acid peels that penetrate deep into the dermis (the inner layer of the skin), the result is damage and inflammation to the skin. These treatments remove layers of the skin with the intent to elicit a repair response from the body, which induces new cell growth and turnover, and can produce a short-term plumping effect. Think about the way bones repair after they’re broken and how new bone cells are sent to the area to remedy the damage; the same occurs after damage is inflicted to skin cells.
So what should you put on your skin after you’ve had a cosmeceutical treatment, especially if your skin seems raw or is showing signs of trauma (like redness or irritation)?
Your priority is to soothe and protect your skin and support healing with a natural petrochemical-free barrier cream. Sharon, our founder, has seen many cases of highly sensitised skin resulting from improper healing and recovery plans after cosmeceutical procedures, including the premature use of actives such as acids and retinoids, chemically laden sunscreens and petrochemical-based barrier creams (even those alleging to be ‘repair creams’).
Sharon’s approach after any cosmetic procedure is to desensitise and then strengthen with plant-based ingredients that have a natural affinity with the skin, so the first step in an MV healing protocol is to shield the traumatised skin barrier.
Critical Care
The First 24 Hours
Pure Jojoba oil is perfect for this, as it acts as a surface relaxant and buffer, mimicking the skin’s own sebum, working as a signal to calm down the sebum overdrive, whilst simultaneously reducing inflammation and protecting the skin barrier as it heals.
Step 1
Lather your skin in our 100% organic Pure Jojoba for immediate relief, your skin will breathe a sigh of relief.
Week 1 Recovery
The Moisture Sandwich Method
After 22 hours of Pure Jojoba 'critical care', you're ready for your recovery programme.
- Massage a few drops of Pure Jojoba as your base barrier layer, full of protective ceramides.
- Melt a little multiBALM between fingers and massage gently over your face.
- Apply 1 pump of Rose Soothing & Protective Moisturiser as your topcoat, protecting your skin while it's in recovery.
Week 2 Repair
Welcome to the stage, Daily Soother Booster.
Follow steps 1-2 above, and for step 3 add this nourishing booster into your moisturiser.
3. Dose 1 pump Rose Soothing & Protective Moisturiser + 1-2 drops of Daily Soother Booster into the palm of your hands. Blend together to create your boosted cream, and massage over your face.
Week 3 Strenghten
Almost there, a little more care
By now your skin should be more forgiving, and ready for some one-on-one time with the Daily Soother Booster. For this level we ask you to apply the booster neat, instead of blended into your moisturiser.
1. Pure Jojoba
In the instance that you've inflicted a little more serious damage (I'm looking at you fraxel laser and dermabrasion), you may wish to keep the multiBALM in your Week 3 Program, just before your moisturiser.
Final Advice
The most important thing to remember is to always listen to your skin! If your skin is clearly reacting and unhappy with the specific treatment you’ve tried, please heed the warning and accept that not all skin (and not all skin barriers) react in the same way. It may not be the treatment for you and could cause you much more harm than good.
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