Ep 203 - It’s All in the Eyes

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0:01:20.9 Maggie Staszcuk: Hello and welcome to ASCP's Esty Talk. I'm your co-host, Maggie Staszcuk and ASCP's Education program manager. 

 

0:01:37.8 Ella Cressman: And I'm Ella Cressman, licensed aesthetician international educator and content contributor for Associated Skin Care professionals. 

 

0:01:46.2 MS: So Ella, we're talking about eye treatments today. And this is my confession. When I was practicing as an aesthetician, I never, never, never sold eye cream. I literally thought eye cream was a scam. And I would tell all of my clients, you don't need eye cream. You just take your serums and your moisturizers up over the eyelid. Like, duh I'm saving you. 

 

0:02:11.3 EC: Yeah. Trust me. Yeah. I'm a professional. 

 

0:02:12.3 MS: I'm a professional. Yeah. You don't need that stuff, man. Yeah. Done. So, I know that people out there are probably hearing this thinking like what? Like eye cream is probably like the top retail product. It is like the easiest thing to sell. That's where you first show your age. And I will also admit I have reached a certain age. I am now starting to use eye cream. I'm seeing the light. 

 

0:02:40.8 EC: Pun intended. 

 

0:02:41.7 MS: Pun intended. Yeah. I need all the things like the de-puffing, the de-wrinkle. 

 

0:02:46.6 EC: Are you seeing the light or the lines?  

 

0:02:46.7 MS: Right? Yeah. 

 

0:02:49.4 EC: How old were you when you were telling people just to take their lotion up to their eyelid. 

 

0:02:53.9 MS: Yes, exactly. 

 

0:02:54.5 EC: It changes. 

 

0:02:57.2 MS: Yeah, Exactly. 

 

0:03:00.6 EC: It change... Gravity's for real. 

 

0:03:00.7 MS: My clients are looking at me going, and what do you know about aging?  

 

0:03:06.2 EC: Yeah. Oh, that's cute, honey. 

 

0:03:07.7 MS: Yeah. 

 

0:03:08.5 EC: No they're not. They're at home putting up all their creams on their eyelids. She said, I don't need an eye cream. 

 

0:03:14.7 MS: Listen, I am the expert. 

 

0:03:15.3 EC: I'm the pro. 

 

0:03:17.7 MS: I am the pro. So what do you think about eye cream?  

 

0:03:20.1 EC: I love it. I love it. I always have loved it. I knew enough to know that I was not gonna chance it. There's some things I'll gamble with like, I will dance in the sunshine, but with my eyes. Oh, here's my funny story. My younger brother and I, he's very good looking, very handsome, tall like buff built construction worker but always handsome his whole life. So we were out one time and we were sitting at a bar and this bartender came up and said something and somehow the conversation came about, who was older, who was younger, and she looked at my brother, she goes, you are younger. 

 

0:03:56.0 MS: Oh. 

 

0:03:57.7 EC: Did you work outside? And ever since then, he like always brings his middle finger to his eyes. Like, that is where he noticed it, I guess. And that's the one thing he started on in his late 30s. He started on eye cream because that's to your point, like you show age and he will not go without it now, he has that and he has sunscreen. He's like, the next day he calls like, do you think I need eye cream? I'm like, yeah, let me get you some. That was funny. 

 

0:04:27.0 MS: Yeah. Giving him the hookup. So yeah, I do recognize that I was missing out on retail, helping my clients look their best. And some facts about the eye area. So skin in the eye area, it's 10 times thinner than the skin on the rest of the face and body. And it also has less sebaceous glands, less collagen than anywhere else. So we see those fine lines and wrinkles show up. 

 

0:04:50.2 EC: It has less adipose tissue underneath it too. 

 

0:04:52.9 MS: It does yes. I've heard that... 

 

0:04:54.5 EC: So less structural support. 

 

0:04:54.6 MS: I've heard that. Yeah. Blinking alone can cause up to 10000 movements a day. 

 

0:05:00.0 EC: Blink blink blink blink. That's all I hear when you said that. I just imagine blink blink. I'm trying to keep my eyes open. 

 

0:05:07.0 MS: So since eyes are one of the first areas to show signs of aging, let's look at some of the things that you can do to help perk up your client's eyes. 

 

0:05:13.2 EC: Ooh, nice. 

 

0:05:16.8 MS: Yes. So starting with some basic treatments, microcurrent facial. Is microcurrent something you ever got into?  

 

0:05:21.2 EC: I did it. I have it, but I never loved it. 

 

0:05:24.6 MS: I never loved it either, but I have seen big results. So, of course you learn microcurrent in aesthetic school. And then when I was teaching aesthetics, it's one of those basic things that you introduce the students to and we would have clients that would come in very consistently to the school to get their microcurrent treatment done. 

 

0:05:45.1 EC: Do you think that when we went to school, the devices that we had were cumbersome?  

 

0:05:51.2 MS: Yeah. 

 

0:05:51.3 EC: To be kind. And now there's so many options, but with that, like, as far as like easier devices, but there's also opportunity for retailing those devices too. 

 

0:06:00.8 MS: Yeah. There is totally. Targeted eye treatments. So doing like masking and facials if you will, specific to the eye area. So eye masks, cryotherapy that can constrict the blood vessels. I did work at a spa when I first got out of school and it was like your, almost like a resort spa type treatments that we would do. And we literally did like rubber rising masks just around the eyes. We also had one where it was like plaster type masks. You would put gauze down over the eyes and all your serums underneath and then put the plaster over the eyes and we had like the works for eyes. 

 

0:06:41.4 EC: Oh, I see. Wow. 

 

0:06:43.5 MS: Yeah, a lot happened in there. 

 

0:06:43.8 EC: But then you'll still take your lotion up to your eyelids. 

 

0:06:49.6 MS: Gotta give the clients what they want. 

 

0:06:51.9 EC: Do a really good eye thing. But then just use your lotion. Exactly. 

 

0:06:57.2 MS: Oh, that's cool. 

 

0:06:57.2 EC: You can also do with, some of those targeted eye treatments. I'm thinking my business mind's kicking in. I'm thinking of in clinic, but also like for retail. No secret. I'm a big Housewives fan. But you see them getting ready with those eye patches, those like silicone eye patches all the time. That's a great easy way too. 

 

0:07:16.9 MS: Do you like those?  

 

0:07:18.2 EC: I love them. I don't think they work like they, I mean, my eye cream is phenomenal so I don't have to worry about it, but there's times when I've been emotional and I'll put one on, there's this one company I use and they have like ice water one and it works like it'll take it down too. But it's also fun. Like my husband he uses them too. We'll sit, watch tv, let's go and watch The Housewives. I mean he'd kill me if anybody knew. But he watches the Housewives with the ice mask on. 

 

0:07:40.4 MS: It's our little secret. 

 

0:07:42.6 EC: Don't tell anybody. 

 

0:07:43.1 MS: But, so yeah, I think they can work. I would put something underneath them and then remember when we tried those ones that had the needle?  

 

0:07:48.8 EC: Yes. 

 

0:07:51.7 MS: The hyaluronic needle things in there. Those were cool. 

 

0:07:54.5 EC: Those were cool. But you had to wear them overnight. Mine I was worried about getting on my forehead instead of it being on under my eyes. So yeah. 

 

0:08:02.1 MS: Yeah. Those were cool. So lymphatic drainage. Big fan of this. Especially around the eye area. I mean, draining the sinuses. I think if you've got, well any puffiness obviously, but also dark circles using your Jade roller or gua sha or even just manual massage I think really can help the eye area. 

 

0:08:20.8 EC: Somebody called them Nature's Gua sha was like your knuckles. So during treatment, using those as part of your massage, like the massage manipulations and just adding that, incorporating it, it feels so nice to receive that. Yeah. I love that lymphatic drainage. 

 

0:08:34.5 MS: And I threw eyelash extensions on the list because why not? We're emphasizing the eyes and making them look good bigger or brighter. 

 

0:08:42.2 EC: Yeah. Don't look over there. Look over here. They do like, I loved having eyelash extensions for a lot of reasons, but they can make you look a lot younger 'cause as you know, as you age, your eyelashes get shorter. 

 

0:09:01.1 MS: Hold that thought. We'll be right back. 

 

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0:09:45.9 EC: Okay, here we go. Let's get back to the podcast. 

 

0:09:52.8 MS: Alright. Advanced treatments, and I know you're more clinical in your treatment space, are there specific treatments that you are doing or recommending for the eyes for your clients?  

 

0:10:03.6 EC: I like the gua sha manipulation, like nature's gua sha or any kind of globes. I have metal globes that I use for to add, incorporate, but of course I like microneedling and any kind of chemical peeling, but I'll bring it up to just, just to that orbital bone. And then just making sure that each client has eye cream. 

 

0:10:26.4 MS: Yeah. Smart. 

 

0:10:27.8 EC: Real eye cream. 

 

0:10:28.7 MS: So botox is on the list and of course ASCP does not cover the use of Botox, but I know there's a lot of estheticians out there with their medical directors that are performing this. Or maybe you are receiving it personally. Laser resurfacing the skin that's gonna tone, tighten, stimulate collagen, target those fine lines and wrinkles. And then microneedling And you mentioned that. Or even microneedling with RF. And I love, love, love that treatment. 

 

0:10:54.8 EC: You know what else? PDO threads. I love them. I had them done and 'cause I have these hereditary and dark... Like deep pocketed eyes. And so it just kind of really helped to remodel it, but it was two and a half years ago. 

 

0:11:08.0 MS: How long did they last for you?  

 

0:11:10.2 EC: Two and a half years. 

 

0:11:11.9 MS: Really that long. 

 

0:11:13.2 EC: They're still, why? What do you see, if you guys get to see in my face? I don't know. I feel like maybe it's a little placebo, but I feel like maybe I could get 'em again now. 

 

0:11:26.9 MS: Cool. Alright. Let's talk about ingredients. 

 

0:11:28.1 EC: Ooh. 

 

0:11:30.2 MS: Antioxidants, retinoids, peptides to name a few. These are all helping with wrinkles, dark circles, puffiness. Let's start with peptides. Are there any peptides that you like specifically?  

 

0:11:39.5 EC: There's a lot of peptide categories. So when we're looking at peptides, we're looking at brightening peptides. Then we're looking at neuromodulator peptides for inhibiting that muscle contraction and then brightening and then of course encouraging hydration. So there's communicator ones. There's all different ones that we can use in here. So making sure that any peptide cream or serum has a full profile and what those particular peptides do is key. For a long time we were just like, this is a peptide serum and it has one in there. So making a comprehensive peptide profile for the eye, because like you said, it's a different type of skin in that area. 

 

0:12:17.2 MS: How about ceramides?  

 

0:12:17.9 EC: Ceramides are really important to making sure your eyes or the skin is hydrated. Especially because in that area, as you mentioned, there's no sebaceous glands. So ceramides particularly are going to help the barrier function. The skin is hydrated, hydrated skin is plump and pretty and youthful looking. Usually dark circles are going to be from one of two reasons. So it's going to be either thin skin or we're having pooling of blood or vascular pooling in that area. So for that, we look at brightening agents and firming agents. So some peptides will address that too. Niacinamide is one form of an ingredient. It's actually a form of B vitamin that works as an antioxidant, but a skin brightener. So niacinamide is having a moment for the last like here, but niacinamide is a really good one. Then of course hyaluronic acid works to add water. So the skin of your eyes is going to need lipid and water. So hyaluronic acid, inside of a formulation will be perfect to ensure that that skin is hydrated and hydrated skin is going to not show those fine lines as much. 

 

0:13:31.1 MS: Retinoids and retinol is another good one. Derivative of vitamin A. I would just use caution when taking this up around the eye area 'cause the skin can be sensitive, so incorporate it slowly. There's a lot of eye creams that are anti-aging creams or serums that may have some retinoids or retinol in there. And start slowly, if you're getting irritation, just cut back a little bit and keep it on the orbital bone. Don't go down into the lower lid area. 

 

0:13:58.4 EC: Yeah, retinol wicks so it'll pull in naturally. 

 

0:14:00.9 MS: Ferulic acid. This is an antioxidant and you'll see this coupled with other antioxidants. It's boosting the antioxidant activity of others and also has been known to reduce fine lines. Vitamin C, the king of antioxidants, boosting collagen. It's brightening, has a lot of great benefits. Vitamin E, this moisturizes and soothes the skin. 

 

0:14:23.9 EC: And then vitamin K is really fantastic for dark circles. It should be vitamin Okay. Yeah, because, that'll help you think about it when you're looking at a profile, we have vitamin C as mentioned, vitamin E as mentioned, and vitamin K. So you keep all of those in mind. You're delivering nutritives in the skin that are supporting skin function. So one of them, vitamin K is going to encourage circulation and therefore will lessen dark circles. In the same cup, you'll have caffeine. So caffeine is going to provide a temporary decrease in puffiness, but it encourages that circulation also. The more there's that circulation, the more nutrient dispersion. So it's gonna be great. Your eye cream doesn't have to have it, but it does help. Make sure if you do have any eye creams, with caffeine, a couple of things to consider with that. Make sure it's in a comprehensive formula where there's other ingredients that are moving around too, that are distributing. And The other thing, being careful of caffeine application to the body. Always a good rule of thumb to only not apply any more than 25% of your body. So if you're also using like a body cream that has caffeine in it, just be cognizant. Not like putting it on your eyes, it's gonna tip you over. But just a fun fact. 

 

0:15:45.3 MS: Now, listeners, we wanna hear from you. Do the eyes have it, share with us your in-office, treatments and menu add-ons on social media through Instagram, Facebook, or by emailing getconnected@ascpskincare.com. Thank you for listening to ASCP Esty Talk. And as always, for more information on this episode or for ways to connect with Ella and myself or to learn more about ASCP, check out the show notes.