Jess Gaertner

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SSBS #004: Don't burn your face off - do this instead!

My beautiful angel friend!

There are two things you should absolutely NOT do if you want healthy skin. The first is to use that bright blue astringent, alcohol based toner applied to a textured cotton pad to scrub and burn your face off. The second is to skip the prep or toner step altogether. 

NOT GOOD. Not going to help you friend.

The reason is because all four steps in your skincare regimen are designed to work together, build on each other and work BETTER when used simultaneously.  Weird, right?  

The prep step is the ultimate unsung hero of your four step regimen, and typically the one that most people are going to skip or not use altogether because they DON’T UNDERSTAND WHAT IT DOES!  

Skipping this step means that you are only getting a FRACTION of the results that your serums or moisturizers should be providing because they simply aren’t being absorbed efficiently into the skin.  

This means, yet again, you are throwing your hard earned dollars down the drain on expensive skincare that’s not delivering results. 

Aside from not getting the results you want and throwing money down the drizz-ain, here are some other things that could be happening when you skip or use the wrong product for your prep step:

  • You could be drying out your skin with alcohol based toners

  • You’re upsetting the pH balance of your skin, leading to damage

  • Your skin may still be dirty after your cleanser

  • You’re missing the ingredients that allow for better absorption of product

I have made this very same mistake my friend.

In my youth, I believed that a toner was an astringent, alcohol based product that I would use on a textured cotton pad to scrub and burn my face off. I literally thought (like so many others) that my hormonal breakouts would be gone if I could burn/dry them out.  

YIKES.  

I forgive you young Jess for what you didn’t know.  I didn’t understand this step or what it was really for, and honestly though the purpose of a toner or toner pads was to dry up all the oil!  

My mistakes shouldn’t have to be yours, which is why I want to share this with you!

Instead, find the right prep step product for your skin, and watch your skin go from meh to AMAZING.

If  I could go back in time, boy would I do things SO DIFFERENTLY. I’d start by finding my skin type, understanding how all of my products work together, and then finding the RIGHT products for my four step regimen

Now that I truly understand the steps in a regimen I’m here to tell you that the PREP step is SO INTEGRAL to the overall performance of every product that comes after it!  

In my experience, the prep step is the one that is so often left off or skipped over because it feels unnecessary, but truthfully, it can be a game changer to your skin health! I wish I had known then what I know now, but never again will I skip this step!

Your skin health can be OH SO SWEET and glorious with the simple addition of the right prep step product (think toners, essences, toner pads, and mists).  Let’s see what a prep product can do for you:

  • Restore the skin back to a slightly more acidic state which is necessary for best product absorption of ingredients in things like serums, treatments, moisturizers, etc.

  • help remove any residual dirt and makeup left after cleansing

  • Minimize pores and evens skin tone

  • can be a step that nourishes and hydrates skin with essential ingredients

  • minimizes blemishes and prevents fine lines and wrinkles

  • can address hyperpigmentation/sun spots

The prep step is the little product that could.  The prep step is the UNSUNG hero of your skincare line up. 

Finding the right one can be an absolute GAME CHANGER. I don’t want your money, your time, and your skincare to be wasted.  If I didn’t know how important this prep step was, I’m sure I’m not the only one, so it’s my mission to make sure you don’t make the same mistake!  

I want you to have happy, glowing, healthy skin using products that are safe and effective for YOU.

I’ve laid out my four go-to safer prep products, but if you’d like to see some more options I wrote a whole blog post about the prep step that will let you dive deeper!  

If you still have questions, need to fit a specific budget,or prefer a different brand, hit REPLY here and I’m happy to help find other options for you!

TL;DR:

  • Stop using astringent alcohol based toners

  • Start using the RIGHT prep step for your skin type

  • Understand that the prep step changes your whole skincare routine

  • Five major prep products by skin type

  • See you again next week friend. We’re coming in hot on step three and it could be THE step that replaces botox, injections, or harsh treatments for you.

Whenever you’re ready, here are 3 ways I can help you:

  1. See what safer skincare line fits your skin type best

  2. Check out my review of one of my fav products

  3. Follow me on social for quick skin tips


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