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Lipstick on the Rim: Master Esthetician (and Icing Queen!) Nicole Caroline Dishes On What to do Right Now for Better Skin, Most Common Mistakes in Our Routines, What’s Next in the Skincare Space, and More

By Mollysims.com

Taking care of your skin shouldn’t be at the cost of pain or downtime. This is the belief master esthetician Nicole Caroline firmly stands by. You might be familiar with her Facial Ice Spheres that went viral a few years ago when model Irina Shayk was seen using them. They’re now a cult favorite and icing is sort of Nicole’s thing. In the spirit of always being in pursuit of achieving better skin, we thought who better to get the secrets from than the woman who is single-handedly known for her remarkable before and afters, the skin whisperer herself. From the biggest skin mistake we’re making to the most universal problem we share, Nicole’s wealth of knowledge is unmatched—we could have talked skin health all day.

[Nicole] On The Biggest Skincare Mistake

“The biggest mistake that most women are making that has to be fixed in their skincare is doing too much. It’s so funny that years ago people weren’t doing enough and now it’s become the opposite. There’s a lot of confusion on what to use and what not to. Everyone’s using too many products with the same things in them. For example, we’re using a salicylic cleanser with a salicylic toner and now our skin’s irritated and we don’t know why. It’s essential to get the skin barrier back to its healthiest condition. It all comes down to simplifying our products and routines to create a really healthy barrier so that everything can work the way it’s supposed to.”

[Nicole] On Dermaplaning

“Dermaplaning is my favorite thing in the world. In its truest treatment form, it is the act of deep exfoliation to remove that top layer of dead skin. The bonus is that the vellus hair on the skin comes off.  You should only be dermaplaning professionally because so many things can go wrong. Is this right for you? Is this going to work for you? Asking these questions is also why it’s important for it to be done professionally. After dermaplaning, once we have removed a layer, everything gets to penetrate deeper. It’s a very deep, gentle exfoliation. You can do too much of anything, so in terms of how often you should dermaplane, know that everybody has their sweet spot. For some people it’s two weeks and for others, it’s six weeks. Everybody’s hair grows at a different rate and it even depends on the products they’re using.”

[Nicole] On At-Home Skincare

“There are so many great things you can do for your skin at home. A true double cleansing is an oil cleanse and then a different cleanse to remove the oil. It’ll get your skin barrier healthy, supple, and ready to go. Dry hands, dry face, two pumps of product, emulsify it. It shouldn’t take long, only 30 seconds to a minute to get everything off your face. Micellar water is also great but it’s not part of a true double cleanse. If you’re not cleansing and prepping the skin properly, nothing is going into your skin. La Roche-Posay is one of my favorite cleansers. They keep it simple and it’s a good product that just makes sense. I love a red light, it’s so necessary. It’s one of the best skincare inventions to come out in the past 20 years. The red will stimulate your collagen but it will also produce the healthy cell growth that we need. The blue light will reduce inflammation as well as kill bacteria on the skin. Icing is also great for you, but it’s not for everyone. I recommend doing it over a sheet mask, especially if you’re a little bit more sensitive. It’s doing lymphatic drainage and it’s literally increasing your blood flow so you’re getting oxygenation. If you have any breakage on the surface of your skin though, we don’t want to apply any extreme heat or cold. It’s also wonderful for your mind. You’re relaxing the central nervous system, you’re waking up, de-puffing, it’s anti-inflammatory, and so much more.”

Nicole’s Beauty Must-Haves:

            

 

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