In-clinic skincare treatments often require a special skincare approach at home. Let’s dive in!
When it comes to in-clinic treatments, be it peels, microneedling, lasers or other procedures, the aftercare/prep is extremely important. While you’ll probably get instructions on how to treat your skin in the peri-treatment period, and they should always take precedence before this post, and you should clear any doubts with the specialist who’s performing the treatment, it’s good to have a basic understanding of what to expect. I’ll mostly focus on preparing your skin for optimal recovery and giving it the regenerative skincare afterwards – those tips will be applicable for most procedures that involve irritating the skin to stimulate it, treatments that don’t usually involve irritation (injectables, mesotherapy, etc.) don’t require a lot of changes to your skincare. My favourite products are linked on my ShopMy page.
Before the treatment:
If you’re using exfoliating acids or retinoids – it might be better to put them on hold. For me the optimal time would be 2-3 days without retinal or exfoliation. This may obviously vary depending on your skin’s sensitivity, tolerance and other factors. Some treatments have specific requirements, in that case you’ll be made aware of them by the clinic. Same goes for shaving – I’d shave at least 24 hours before a treatment to let the skin heal. Focus on barrier support and plenty of hydration during these few days to really strengthen the skin and get rid of any residual dehydration, dry patches or sudden irritation that could be exacerbated by the treatment.
If you have a red/infrared LED mask – do a session in the morning before the procedure.
On the day of the procedure don’t overdo the actives, and a non-exfoliating skin-strengthening & soothing recovery mask (Dermalogica Power Recovery is my fave!) can be a bonus. Put on a gentle, hydrating/soothing serum and a soothing, barrier-strengthening moisturizer under a non-waterproof sunscreen that will be easy to completely remove before the procedure.
After the treatment:
Follow the instructions you got during the treatment – some of them require an aftercare that can be quite specific. If you are given post-treatment skincare – use it. Don’t experiment.
When it comes to my aftercare routine, it’s all about recovery and synergic combinations of soothing & regenerating ingredients. Once again – no experiments. Use the products you know and love, and ones that won’t break you out. At this time I prefer simple & fragrance-free if possible. Actives to exclude are listed near the end of the article. The skin has incredible self-healing properties – we’re here to help it do its job.
Cleansing
Your choice, but best practice would be super gentle and non-stripping, and it’s perfect when a product leaves a nourished feel behind. I love EqualRXN’s Fluid as a first cleanse for taking off sunscreen in the evening (super gentle and with additional calming ingredients) and any gentle lotion cleanser (Kate Somerville Delicate is the GOAT!) for the morning/second evening cleanse. If something gets your skin feeling clean with no irritation and tightness of skin – you’re good.
After cleansing I use my Omnilux red LED mask, and after sensitising treatments I use it daily until the peeling/redness/irritation subsides. Since it’s hard to really overdo red/infrared light therapy, and it’s great for recovery, I love using the mask before & after procedures. Pro tip: layer the AQ skin solutions hydrogel sheet mask under a LED mask for best results.
Recovery products – look for:
- soothing agents like panthenol, 4-t-butylcyclohexanol and bisabolol
- humectants for hydration
- lipids, ceramides and cholesterol for barrier support
- botanical soothers like mugwort, oat, glucosides or centella
- peptides & growth factors
- antioxidants
My fave products for recovery include the growth factor products from AQ Skin Solutions, their sheet mask and active serum are incredible, particularly after peels and microneedling, the Sachi Pro Resilience Serum that’s a featherweight recovery powerhouse (and suitable to use under the LED mask, jackpot!), and everything from my Shopmy’s barrier repair section can be suitable for a recovery regimen. Really layer that hydration – a watery antioxidant mist like NIOD’s Superoxide Dismutase mist can be helpful between layers. Antioxidants can contribute to decreasing the visibility of redness. I always like to layer something more occlusive as a final layer of my PM routine – either Biafine (a French recovery powerhouse used for burns and post-radiation dermatitis) or a thick, lipid-rich moisturizer.
Sunscreen
SPF50 with high UVA protection. I’m faithful to the EVY Technology SPF50 Face Mousse – hydrating, moisturising, and with 6h wear time. When leaving the house it’s a must, and reapply frequently to reduce the risk of hyperpigmentation. My home has low light exposure during the day and almost no direct sunlight, so I don’t wear sunscreen around the house. If you get direct sunlight at home, I’d wear sunscreen. Especially if you have the tendency towards pigmentation/melasma and/or had a laser treatment – then please be especially diligent about sunscreen use and other ways of sun protection – seeking shade, wearing protective clothing, UV-proof sunglasses etc.
On those goblin mode days of staying home, when I don’t put any sunscreen on, I reapply a lightweight, hydrating recovery moisturizer (Biotherm’s Cera Repair works like a treat, so does Naturium’s Multi Peptide Moisturizer and EVY Tech’s Daily Repair Mousse) every two hours. If I don’t have anything lightweight on hand I increase the time between reapplications by an hour or two. Sometimes I’ll put a serum between the layers. I love this method.
Avoid more irritating actives (retinoids, exfoliating acids, vitamin C and its derivatives in high concentrations, more than 5% niacinamide and any ingredients that come with an irritating effect, especially if your skin is sensitive) and reintroduce them cautiously at least 24 hours after marks/redness/peeling stops or when instructed during the treatment visit – for example some peel protocols can require you to use retinoids even on the day of the procedure – so be sure to ask about that.
Good habits to have
Patting in your skincare instead of rubbing (rubbing can make the redness of your irritated skin appear more pronounced), sleeping on fresh pillowcases (change them on the day of the treatment) & not touching the face with anything. Hope your skin recovers quickly!
