Q&A with Shannon Esau

Q: What’s new in the world of peels? 
A: Rebuilding compromised barriers through peels. The skin’s barrier has a big job: guarding the body against toxins and DNA-damaging elements and infection, as well as regulating hydration, desquamation, and certain antioxidants in the skin. When the skin barrier is compromised via environmental elements, medications, autoimmune diseases, overuse of skin care products with harsh ingredients, and even aggressive professional treatments, it makes the skin more vulnerable to toxins, UV rays, bacteria, allergens, and harsh skin care ingredients. This can lead to premature aging, inflammation, dehydration, and increased sensitivity, and gives skin a dull appearance among many other issues.

Progressive peels that focus on rebuilding and strengthening the skin with ingredients like mandelic acid (L), arginine, hibiscus, and vitamin A will be key to repairing compromised barriers.

Q: What should estheticians know about RA Academy?
A: We are the education experts. The RA Academy was developed for those who really want to take their esthetic practice to the next level. Our advanced education curriculum centers on science-based topics like glycation, peptides, cellular energy, and skin physiology to elevate skin intelligence.

The content was also created with the busy professional in mind. Not only is the content available in a variety of formats, from webinars and guides to in-person trainings, it’s also available on demand so estheticians can learn on their own schedules.

Q: Tell us about RA’s venture into cosmetics.
A: We began to notice that estheticians were doing all this great work to bring their clients’ skin to optimal health, but then inferior ingredients in the clients’ cosmetic products were undoing much of that work. This has been a challenge for acne-prone skin for years. Our goal was to develop something that was a continuation of good skin care and would support overall skin health. We began with a healthy mineral finisher and have expanded the line over the years to include not just mineral powders, but also mineral cremes and lip glosses.

Q: What ingredients are you most excited about as we move into the new year?
A: Ingredients that focus on making a difference in treatingrosacea. We will be highlighting encapsulated retinaldehyde, mandelic acid, sea buckthorn, rosemary extract, and stem cells that help reduce redness and strengthen skin.

Q: What’s next for Rhonda Allison?
A: This year, we’ll be focused on supporting estheticians who are working with our new concept, Rosacea Rescue. This will be through advanced education as well as our ongoing scientific research into the ingredients that best support compromised and rosacea skin. We will also be making a very exciting reveal—something that’s been over a year in the making.

Finally, we will continue our efforts to expand and build on the resources available in our continuing education programs through the RA Academy, providing skin care professionals an opportunity to obtain CEUs.

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