Combination skin is the most common skin type among our customer base, many of whom were born between 1997 and 2012 and are known as Generation Z. Although this age group has been characterized as having little brand loyalty and trust, I believe that as estheticians, it’s important to address that client’s needs, say we hear you, we hear you, and ask what we can do for you.
Gen Z comprises 40% of total US consumers and is responsible for $143 billion in purchasing power. According to CNN, thanks to Instagram, TikTok and Zoom, this generation is spending more time than ever looking at their faces. This has led to an interest in routines and services that can help and prevent signs of aging or ‘prejudice’. These can range from at-home skin care programs to medi-spa “tweak” services such as “baby botox“.
According “Prejuvenation: The Global New Anti-Aging TrendPosted in the Aesthetic Surgery Journal Open Forum, “Gen Z, as the first digital generation, relies heavily on social media and the internet for care and aging advice, leading to a dynamic sharing and dissemination of cosmetic dermatology information in the generation. As a result, bias has become a trending topic across all media platforms.”
However, all this information overload can lead to misinformation. Without the proper advice and counsel from a skin care professional, the issues Gen Z faces, such as dryness and dehydration, may not be related to aging as much as product misuse, especially if they have oily or combination skin from overuse. use of inappropriate products for skin type.
Loyalty and trust are built from a young age and can create a customer base that stays with you through all stages of their skin care needs.
Combination Skin Treatment
Combination skin is the most common skin type and is the skin most often mistreated at home, but it can be overlooked in a treatment menu. Combination skin can affect people of all ages, from Gen Z teenagers to mature skin. It is characterized by an oily forehead, nose and chin — the area of the face known as the “T-Zone” — with drier areas on the periphery of the face, such as the cheeks. The condition manifests itself due to the overactivity of the sebaceous glands in the T-Zone, which creates excess sebum, leading to the formation of blackheads and pimples. At the same time, the area around the face has hypofunctioning sebaceous glands, resulting in dry, flaky skin and even a skin barrier.
This skin type can be greatly affected by the environment, becoming oilier during the summer months due to heat and humidity, and drier in the winter due to wind and lower humidity. This type of skin can also lead to dehydration due to improper use of the product. One study found that participants with combination skin type they were 1.63 times more likely to have sensitive skin than participants with neutral skin.
The biggest damage a client can do when treating combination skin at home is to use overly drying products that address the oily T-zone but cause dehydration in the outer cheek area. This causes disruption of the skin’s acid mantle and causes an imbalance in the skin’s pH. The skin should be between 4.5 and 5.5 acid levels, so it is essential to use products that will help maintain the acid balance in the skin.
The unique concerns of combination skin, which include the presence of oily and dry, dehydrated skin at the same time, as well as the moisture barrier and pH disturbance, have been difficult to address in the past. This is why I created new protocols, treatments and products to make it possible to create the perfect balance in the skin, such as T-Zone Balance Classic Faciala protocol approved by CIDESCO International, and the T-Zone Balance Hydrating Serum with Hyaluronic Acid and Vitamin C.
It started at Repêchage Empowerment Day in December 2023, these treatments and products incorporate ingredients such as seaweed, including Laminaria Digitata, which contains 12 vitamins, 18 amino acids, 42 trace elements and minerals, and phlorotannins that help provide the skin with the essential elements your skin needs for deep hydration and balance on the surface. . Niacinamide (vitamin B3) is known for its multiple skin benefits, including reducing the appearance of oiliness, fine lines and wrinkles and helping to improve the overall appearance of skin texture, firmness and elasticity.
Hyaluronic acid is a natural moisturizing polysaccharide that is normally found in the skin and is known to hold 1000 times its weight in water. Sodium hyaluronate is the sodium salt of hyaluronic acid and is the most common form of hyaluronic acid that helps increase moisture in the skin. Hydrolyzed hyaluronic acid has a lower molecular weight than sodium hyaluronate, so it can penetrate deeper into the skin’s surface. When different molecular weights of Hyaluronic Acid are used in a formulation, they can have a synergistic effect, performing multiple skin care functions to enhance skin hydration.
Sodium ascorbyl phosphate is a stable form of vitamin C that provides powerful antioxidants while Hypericum Perforatum extract is a botanical ingredient that helps provide balance while soothing the appearance of skin.
The Repêchage T-Zone Balance Classic Facial incorporates these as well as other balancing ingredients. Based on Repêchage Classic Facial, this treatment is presented in a single dose treatment to provide a perfect waterproof face. The CIDESCO protocol includes steaming, cleansing and toning with pH balancing products. The gentle effleurage massage is done with a moisturizing cream without an oily formula. An exfoliating honey and almond scrub made from pure honey, oat flour and almond helps to cleanse and deep cleanse. Appropriate extractions should be performed according to the types of lesions present, including blackheads, pimples, and pustules. Full tutorials on the correct extraction method are available on my tutorial site, www.LydiaSarfati.com.
Adapting mask treatments is especially important for combination skin. A deep cleansing and absorbent Repêchage® Balancing Hydrating Mask containing Zinc and Kaolin should be applied to the T-Zone while the driest and most dehydrated area of the face is covered with Repêchage® Hydro-Moisture Masque, a hydrating formula containing algae. and Azulene.
Serums are an often overlooked step in both professional and at-home treatments, but they are an essential part of the protocol, providing concentrated skin care ingredients in a lightweight form. For combination skin, Repêchage® T-Zone Balance Hydrating Serum is made with seaweed, niacinamide, vitamin C and two forms of hyaluronic acid to effectively hydrate areas of dryness and dehydration while maintaining skin balance. The effectiveness of the serum can be improved by using it Repêchage® LED RF and EMS skin tightening machine with multiple lightweight options to address the different needs of combination skin. For example, blue light can be used to help reduce the appearance of oil in the T-zone while red light can be used on the drier outer area of the cheeks. This treatment should be completed with Repêchage® T-Zone Balance Moisture Complex which includes ingredients such as St. John’s Wort, chamomile and niacinamide to restore pH and balance to the skin. Finally, be sure to recommend a home starter kit like the new one Repêchage® T-Zone Balance Starter Collection for Normal to Combination skin which will help the client maintain their skin between treatments.
Combination skin can be effectively treated with the right protocols and formulated products. Learning how to properly treat this skin problem with proper professional treatments and at-home product recommendations is a huge opportunity to serve your largest demographic, including Generation Z, the future of your skin care business.
