Category Archives: Advice

Why is your acne treatment not working?

There is no doubt that acne is a traumatic experience for teens and adults alike.

One of the major focuses we have at Skin Essentials when dealing with acne is lessening the emotional impact of acne.

We do this by trying to clear your skin as much as possible as quickly as possible by first understanding your unique skin, it’s behaviour and history, then crafting a unique control plan just for you.

We never say the word ‘cure’ when it comes to acne, teen acne is firstly an inherited predisposition (yes, you can blame your parents), then is also hormonally triggered at puberty, and genetics and hormones are out of our hands!

What we CAN do though is to control the symptoms, keeping your skin as clear and calm as possible by eliminating all the other triggers and contributory factors such as clogged pores, excess or stagnant oil, inflammation and bad lifestyle habits.

Even given the fact that acne is different for every person, and can evolve and change as your hormones fluctuate, there are some great ingredients and treatments available that when used correctly can have fantastic effects on keeping breakouts and inflammation under control.

So, what are the reasons that you have ‘tried them all’ and they’re not working for you? Here are the most common reasons your acne treatment is not working:

You’re not consistent. This is the number one reason we see why even the best programmes can fail. Acne never gives up, neither can you! To keep consistently clear you must keep consistent with your product use and treatments/check ups. No excuses.
Related to No. 1 above – you thought you were finished. Many times over my career I have been frustrated to have this happen. I work with a client to get them clear of breakouts, and they do everything I ask. The acne clears and everyone’s happy. Fast forward 12 months and the acne is as bad as ever and they are back to square one. The reason? They stopped using the products because their ‘skin was good’. Do not fall into this trap! Remember, control is all we get, never cure!
You don’t keep a clean diet. I know it’s hard, but the gut and the skin are closely related and this is never so obvious as when dealing with acne. Unfortunately dairy products are a big no-no and I do get a lot of push-back from teens on this issue! Strictly restricting sugar and salt may also be necessary. Don’t blame me, I didn’t make the rules
You’re picking. Yes, I know you say you don’t. But we can tell. Always. This will cause blemishes to last longer, drive bacteria deeper, spread it around the surface of the skin and cause scarring.
It was never acne in the first place. Many people self-treat breakouts with over the counter products as a first point of action. While this is understandable I would encourage parents to bring their teen to a skin specialist as early as possible. While most times it is teen acne you are dealing with, particularly if one or both parents suffered with it, there are some conditions that look like acne but are not. Some examples are fungal folliculitis (sometimes seen in boys who have recently started shaving), or bacterial infection. While not overly common, these conditions need to be treated in a much different manner, perhaps even medically, and you will not want to waste time and money trying to treat a non-acne issue with acne protocols.

Call us on (053) 914 5981 to book up a consultation with a therapist, or book online by clicking the link below.

Bringing the Pyramid Facelift to your area

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Coming in 2019 – bringing our in-demand Pyramid Facelift to you!

Due to overwhelming demand I have decided to explore the possibility of doing off-site clinics with our Pyramid Facelift treatment.

This is something that we already do on a limited basis for corporate groups where when several employees in the same company wish to book the service on the same day I will travel to their workplace for a day.

As we got more and more inquiries from all over the country for these treatments I decided to take a look at the possibility of replicating this service for private groups of friends who would like to get together to bring the Pyramid Facelift to their area in order not to have to give up so much of a day off to travel to Wexford.

If you are a salon, spa or clinic we may also facilitate guest clinic days for our Pyramid Facelift, Microneedling and Cryotherapy, just reach out to us for details!

The short video below outlines how it would work for you and if this is a possibility you would like to discuss just give me a call on 053 9145981 or email info@skinessentialsbymariga.

Note: We do get booked up quite far in advance in the Wexford Clinic, particularly for treatments with the Divine Pro machine and so these potential off-site clinics will be limited.

If you are interested in setting one up I would recommend booking asap.

-We need a minimum of 6 bookings to facilitate an off-site day and a booking deposit is required at time of booking.

-A 50% deposit is required on booking for each client. This deposit is non-refundable in the event of a late cancellation (within 7 days of clinic date) or no-show on the day. The balance is due 7 days before travel.

-If we deem any client unsuitable for the booked treatment then the deposit will be refunded in full. (In order to minimise the potential of unsuitability we will pre-consult via email).

-The cost of the treatment will be the same as the current cost to avail of the treatment in our Wexford Clinic plus a €25 off-site travel fee per person for destinations up to 120km from Wexford. See here for pricing.

-This off-site service for private groups applies only to our Pyramid Facelift, Voluderm and TriFractional treatments.

Do you have any questions? Give me a call, I’ll be happy to answer them for you: 053 9145981

Skin Essentials Pyramid Facelift coming to your town? Maybe!

Posted by Skin Essentials by Mariga on Wednesday, October 31, 2018

If you’re in the Wexford area, book a FREE consultation for our Divine Pro treatments.

Winter-onset dehydration

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Dehydration (or Impaired Enzyme Activity to give it it’s proper name) is something that can occur seasonally even if you normally have hydration-balanced skin

Most of the impaired water/oil balance that I see in clients in winter is due to increased heat and the exposure to the dry air that creates, causing water to evaporate too quickly from the skin.

Flaky, itchy, reactive problems are often a sign of this as enzymes in the skin don’t have enough water to carry out their daily functions.

It shows as sudden fine lines appearing on the face, often noticeable in straight lines around our eyes and cheeks. This is due to the temporary loss of water from the upper layers of the skin.

Being sick, particularly with a raised temperature will also cause a temporary loss of water. Simply drinking more good fluids will soon restore this balance in a healthy, functioning skin if you act quickly enough.

If the problem is allowed to continue for a period of time then some simple changes to your daily skincare routine will help get you back on track.

Drink more water. This is the number one thing you can do for skin health.
Protect your skin from the outside with nourishing facial oils; look for ingredients like rosehip seed oil, shea butter, ceramides, squalane, jojoba seed oil, avocado seed oil, pomegranate seed oil. Our Lipid Repair Concentrate is the perfect choice for repairing your water/oil balance.
Avoid alcohol, stress and direct heat and processed foods as much as possible.
Always be gentle with your skin, especially if it is a little fragile. Avoid over-exfoliation and any skincare products containing fragrance or sulphates.

Fun fact: too much water can lead to dehydration!!

While the skin is great at absorbing water, it’s not great at holding on to it. As the skin softens on prolonged contact with water, like during a long bath, its barrier weakens leading to water loss and dehydration, so luxuriating in the bath too often really will leave you looking like a prune!

For really deep, lasting hydration, check out our new hyaluronic acid and vitamin C infusion treatment. It’s a fast AND lasting rehydration boost to get you back on track quickly.

Keeping Your Skin on Track This Festive Season

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Caring for your skin over the festive period.

The holiday festivities are underway and while it’s all great fun, usually we are left with the tell tale signs on our skin – not to mention our waistlines and wallets.

While I can’t help to control your bank balance or calorie intake, I can offer some tips to surviving the party season with your skin intact(ish)!

1. Prevention is better than cure. If you anticipate a late night, drink plenty of water between drinks to help keep skin hydrated. (It will help with hangovers too).

Leave your cleanser and a clean cloth out where you can quickly pick them up on your way to bed, reducing the likelihood of sleeping with your makeup on.

2. If you do sleep in your makeup, I recommend an enzyme exfoliation next morning followed by a deep oil treatment such as our Skin Comfort Oil.

Apply 1-2 pumps over a freshly exfoliated face, then go back to bed for twenty minutes with a cup of tea while it does its work. It will awl amazing!

3. Give your skin extra nourishment daily as a protection against dehydration. A couple of drops of Lipid Repair Concentrate, or other non-fragrant facial oil, under your moisturiser every day will ensure that your skin retains water and is supplied with essential fatty acids.

4. Try to relax. I know it’s hard when you have a million things to do, but stress will exacerbate breakouts in people prone to acne or can cause rosacea flare ups in others.

5. If you are prone to spots, go easy on the dairy products and salty foods.

6. If you are prone to facial redness avoid spicy foods, shellfish, fizzy drinks, alcohol and caffeine. (Ok, that’s hard, but at least be aware that they are potential triggers).

7. If your Christmas is more walks on the beach than drinks by the fire then remember you still need an SPF 30 every day and in cold or windy weather I recommend using a rich cream underneath for extra physical protection and repair.

Try our Skin Comfort Cream – a pea-sized amount will be all you’ll need.

8. Remember that sugar is an ageing agent on the skin, so think twice before you have that extra piece (crate) of chocolate.

9. Eat lots of fruit and veg. We all tend to ignore the fruit bowl at Christmas when there’s much more ‘interesting’ fare on offer but be nice to your skin and feed it lots of anti-oxidants from the inside too.

10. A smile is a great facial treatment! A good laugh takes years off you and is the best form of relaxation. Enjoy the time off work, catch up with friends and try not to fight with your family!

Discover our range of skincare products online and in our Wexford clinic:

Red marks left after spots?

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Whether it is an occasional spot or pimple, or a more serious case of acne, a common feature of many spots is that even when they are gone, they will leave a red mark behind that can least for weeks or even months.

Acne scarring, skin essentials by mariga, wexford

These marks can even be permanent in some cases – usually when the damage is so deep (as in cystic acne spots) that the full depth of the skin structure is damaged, or due to damage inflicted by picking or squeezing.

Even when the damage is not that deep and you have resisted picking, the red marks can hand around for a while after the original spot is long gone.

What causes them?

When you have a spot or pimple, the body sends healing resources to the area which are transported in the blood. This is why the area initially gets red and inflamed.

Sometimes when the spot is healed there is some redness left behind as the tiny capillaries that carry the blood to the skin have become enlarged and more dense in that particular area, meaning we can see them through the top layer of skin.

Many times this will fade over time as the capillaries return to a normal size. The weaker your skin is in general, the longer this can take. So, in this, as in many other things, prevention is better than cure.

In a skin that has the benefit of a good diet, optimum hydration and appropriate supporting skincare, these red marks will vanish much more quickly than in a compromised skin.

To help them fade faster, you can make sure that your skincare includes Vitamin C (Hydra Collagen Serum), Vitamin A (Age Slowly Serum), and essential fatty acids (Lipid Repair Concentrate).

In our clinic, some superficial acid peels or LED light therapy may help to speed up the fading.

Sometimes, the capillaries remain enlarged and the red area never fades. While this is no harm, most people don’t want this visible damage left on their skin.

In these cases we can consider using diathermy in isolated areas to reduce/remove the red patches where they have visible capillaries involved, or Trifractional resurfacing treatments where the red mark is more scar-like and definite in shape.

For more information call us on 053 9145981, or book a treatment online by clicking the link below:

Products to boost skin health

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The most important cell in the skin structure is the keratinocyte.

Certainly all of the other cells are important, and if any one system goes wrong all the others are negatively affected, but for me keratinocyte is king because it repairs the outer, protective layer.

If this layer is compromised your skin will look, and be, unhealthy and all possible skin issues will worsen.

This is why, for us at Skin Essentials, our first concern is always the state of repair of your keratinocytes! When these key cells are healthy they are effecting communication between the skin’s surface and the cells and systems underneath, helping with immune system responses, hydration, natural exfoliation and oil/water balance.

These functions have a direct impact on things such as how smooth your skin looks, how plump it is, evenness of colour, formation of lesions such as milia, redness, reactivity and comfort of the skin.

When the keratinocyte layer is intact and healthy you will experience softer, smoother, more even coloured skin with fewer breakouts, irritations and slower visible ageing.

Taking care of these vital cells means supplying the skin system with all of the building blocks of strong keratinocytes. These ingredients include omega 3 & 6, phospholipids, ceramides, vitamins A, C, E , B3, multiple antioxidants, squalene and many others.

To ensure that your skin is getting these building blocks and to give it the best chance to remain healthy and functioning optimally for many years you can provide these nutrients from inside and out.

In your diet, make sure that you are getting plenty of varied fresh fruit, vegetables and water, include essential fatty acid-rich foods such as oily fish, avocados, nuts and seeds.

From the outside supply your keratinocytes with top quality nutrition via your Skin Essentials products. To ensure all of the required building blocks are covered we recommend the following products:

Lipid Repair Concentrate (oil soluble nutrients)

Hydra Collagen Serum (water soluble nutrients)

Age Slowly Serum (vitamin A)

Which Advanced Skin Treatment Is Right For You?

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We know, there are a lot of treatments available on the market, all claiming to erase years from your face or restore your bumpy, textured skin to that of a 5 year old 😂

So, how would you know which to choose??

The good news is that we are here to guide and advise you on what is best for your particular needs and wants, based on many factors including your health, lifestyle, current skin condition and expectations.

All of the treatments we offer have been extensively researched and tested by our team before we take the decision to add them to our current menu of offerings, and many, many more do not make the cut – someday I must write a post about all the weird and not-so-wonderful treatments I have tried along the way!

Even within our own advanced skin treatments there are quite a few that may seem similar to a first glance, so even though we will advise you on the best way forward for you at your complimentary Divine Pro consultation, here is a quick summary to act as an overview of the different capabilities of each of our advanced treatments to give you an overall idea of what you might like to talk to us about trying.

Divine pro, anti-ageing treatments, skin essentials by mariga, wexford

Microneedling: Best for those who are early in the anti-ageing journey as a fantastic way to keep skin strong and youthful. Can also be taken in a series for those who would like to revise existing signs of ageing but for one reason or another are not suitable for our stronger, deeper treatments.

LED Light Treatment: Used as a stand-alone for acne or as an add-on to any of our advanced anti-ageing treatments, this lovely light therapy enhances the results of any other treatment.

TriPollar Radiofrequency: As a stand-alone modality, a course of radiofrequency facials will give lasting results on tightening, softening and smoothing skin that has lost elasticity. Particularly recommended for those most concerned with neck/jawline areas. As a single treatment this is fab to have before an event or night out for that tightened, radiant look.

TriFractional Radiofrequency: A combination of 2 radiofrequency technologies plus microneedling, this treatment is the one for resurfacing the whole skin. Recommended where texture is an issue whether that is from uneven or rough skin, enlarged pores, lines or old flat/red scarring.

Also great to tighten jawline. Taken in a series this will give you long-lasting smooth, even, more toned skin with reduced lines, scars and pore size. A single treatment is a great re-boot for most skin types looking for a deep revitalisation.

Voluderm: Similar to TriFractional in that it combines 2 radiofrequency technologies plus microneedling. The difference here is that we are targeting deeper in the skin for a plumped, ‘filler’ like effect.

See cheeks plumped up to a much more youthful volume, hollow under-eyes filled out, forehead and eye lines reduced and nose-to-mouth lines softened. Best in a series, choose this one when loss of volume, or hollowness, is the primary concern. This treatment is also the only non-invasive method to help minimise pitted acne scarring,

Pyramid Facelift: Combines radiofrequency, trifractional resurfacing and voluderm in one intensive treatment to get the benefits of all three.

Choose this one when you are concerned with multiple signs of ageing such as lines, loss of volume and sagging and want to address them all in a fast, effective manner. Our most popular anti-ageing treatment.

Why not call us now to book your FREE Divine Pro anti-ageing consultation to see whether you are a suitable candidate for treatment? Or simply click the image below to book online.