Meet Valezrina, skincare specialist and content creator living in Los Angeles, California. Valezrina is originally from Seattle, Washington, but moved to LA after graduating college. Documenting her life in her new city led her to work as a content creator before turning to skincare treatments. She has now been a facialist for almost two years and previously worked at the Brow Down Studio, located in Downtown Los Angeles, before moving on as an independent facialist. Valezrina shared her beauty tips and secrets with us.

HOW DID YOU BECOME A FACIALIST? 

I worked as a content creator in the past and had the opportunity to work with a bunch of different beauty brands. Skincare brands would send me products to photograph for social media and I would get to keep the products after each project. My collection of skincare products eventually grew along with my interest in skincare. I then found myself wanting to dive deeper into that world so I could understand ingredients and the science behind it all better. I am big on leaning into your interests, so this led me to enroll in an esthetician program and then onto becoming a facialist! Being in the position to help others feel more confident in their skin has been such a rewarding experience. 

WHAT ARE THE BENEFITS OF SOMEONE GETTING A FACIAL AND SEEING A FACIALIST REGULARLY, OVER JUST HAVING A SKINCARE ROUTINE AT HOME? 

Professional and home facial treatments really go hand in hand. It’s kind of like going to the gym and having a healthy diet - if you can do both, you’ll get much better results. When you see a facialist regularly (once a month), you’re giving your skin professional attention. Not only can we provide you with a deeper cleanse and exfoliation, but we also have the tools and knowledge to specialize treatments to tackle your specific skin issues such as hyperpigmentation, clogged pores, etc. Your facialist is there to guide you by showing you the right products and giving you a specific regimen to reach your skin goals. This is especially important if you are someone with problematic skin.

WHAT SKIN CONCERNS DO CLIENTS MOST OFTEN APPROACH YOU WITH?

Hyperpigmentation is a big one! The most common cause of hyperpigmentation with my clients has been a mix of sun exposure and post-inflammatory pigmentation, which is a result of inflammation to the skin when picking at acne. Correcting the issue will take a bit of patience but can be tackled with the use of vitamin C, consistent exfoliation, or with peels. But the best way to deal with this is to avoid the problem in the first place. This means never picking at your skin and applying and reapplying SPF daily. 

WHAT ARE SOME OF THE MOST COMMON SKINCARE MISTAKES THAT YOU WISH MORE PEOPLE WERE AWARE OF?

Over-exfoliation! There are so many products out there promising glowy, flawless skin. A lot of the time, these products contain exfoliating ingredients. This can be a problem when you don't fully understand how to use them and end up overdoing it. When that happens, you disrupt your moisture barrier by stripping away the natural oils that keep your face moist and hydrated. When your moisture barrier is damaged, your skin can start to feel tight, dry, irritated, and sensitive - which can lead to a dull complexion, redness, or even breakouts. Then it takes weeks to repair the damage! 

Another big one is not wearing SPF daily. UV rays are responsible for so many skin issues like premature aging, hyperpigmentation, wrinkles, and fine lines. In more severe cases, UV exposure can lead to skin cancer. It’s best to just take preventative measures and protect your skin from UV damage on a daily basis. 

WHAT ARE YOUR TOP 3 TIPS FOR TAKING GOOD CARE OF YOUR SKIN?

1. Wash your face day and night.
2. Keep your skin hydrated with an appropriate moisturizer for your skin type and by drinking lots of water. 
3. Apply and reapply SPF every single day!

WHAT SKINCARE INGREDIENTS DO YOU WHOLEHEARTEDLY BELIEVE IN?

Vitamin C is super important and a great multi-tasking ingredient. It provides the following benefits:

1) It works as an antioxidant and protects your skin from free radical damage

2) It has brightening effects to help even out your skin tone

3) It is great for anti-aging because it stimulates collagen synthesis which leads to firmer skin, reducing the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles. 

Retinol, or Vitamin A, is another important multitasking ingredient. It helps stimulate cell turnover to improve the overall appearance of skin and it helps to clear your skin and prevent breakouts.

These two ingredients work really well in natural beauty products. They are very effective and provide great results to the skin.

WHAT LIFESTYLE HABITS DO YOU HAVE THAT KEEP YOUR SKIN IN TOP SHAPE?

It seems like all the fun things in life are the things that can affect your skin. If you want to keep your skin in tip-top shape, you pretty much have to stay out of the sun, not stay up late, and avoid sugary foods and alcohol. This isn’t completely unavoidable all the time, so you just need to be aware and find a balance.

The more obvious habits are to stick with a skincare regimen that works for you and get regular facials if possible. But overall, keep your skin clean, drink a lot of water to keep your skin hydrated, and eat as healthy as you can. I personally find that the more I take care of myself, the more it shines through on my skin. It’s easy to forget that your skin is also an organ and you just need to be mindful about taking good care of it.

COULD YOU RECOMMEND SOME EDUCATIONAL RESOURCES TO PEOPLE WHO WANT TO LEARN MORE ABOUT INGREDIENTS AND COSMETIC FORMULATIONS?

There is an endless amount of information out there on the internet, but my favorite resources are other professionals in the skincare industry who have experience working with all types of skin. There are so many amazing skincare professionals who provide a ton of educational content on their social media accounts. Consuming their content is a great way to start learning about ingredients, formulations, and just about every single topic surrounding skincare.  

DESCRIBE YOUR PERFECT SELF-CARE DAY.

I love this question because self-care is a huge priority for me! A perfect self-care day includes sleeping in... until noon. I love sleep but I feel like I never get enough. After waking up, I’d take a yoga class to stretch or do some type of workout. Once I finish, I’d be completely happy just lying in bed and reading a book or bingeing a show, with all my phone notifications turned off. For food, I’d order takeout all day. The way I recharge is literally by doing absolutely nothing and spending time alone. 

Then I’d close out the day with a bath. Baths are so healing, and I take them very seriously! I like to create a whole vibe with essential oils, bath salts, and a chill playlist. Then, I’d obviously go through my entire skincare routine (including a mask) and hop back into bed! I spend most of my days on the go, trying to complete my to-do lists, or trying to respond to people. Self-care to me is about slowing down and checking in with me.

Follow Valezrina on Instagram, at https://www.instagram.com/valezrina/

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