Category Archives: Advice

Stop doing these 5 things if you want clear skin!

If you are acne prone, whether teenage or adult acne, there are some common lifestyle factors that will contribute to breakouts.

While there are many individual factors that influence and trigger breakouts including hormones, genetics, environment and nutrition…

There are also some common triggers that need to be avoided by everyone who is prone to any type of acne.

There is no single fix for acne as it has many contributory factors and some of these vary in severity from person to person.

Also, you need to be very compliant with your routine as acne is always ‘under control’, never ‘cured’. But there is every hope that you can keep your breakouts minimised if you are willing to commit to your skincare routine and lifestyle/dietary changes.

Here are some things to avoid to help get you started on clearing your pimples and spots:

Ditch the dairy. There is no middle ground on this one, consumption of dairy products directly impacts breakouts. Try almond milk on your cereal.
Sticking with nutrition, sugar is the next culprit you need to limit in your diet. It contributes to inflammation and so to inflammatory acne. I agree that it is hard to eliminate completely but see how much you can clean up in your diet and watch the impact on your skin.
Again, a dietary tip (see how much your gut health has to do with your condition of your skin?). Be sure to get your 5 a day and drink more water & herbal teas than coffee. Skin, like the rest of your body, needs the building blocks of a strong, healthy structure to flourish and a lot of this comes directly from your diet.
Picking – everyone is guilty of it but squeezing blackheads, popping pimples and generally poking at your face will spread infection, cause scarring and definitely not reduce the breakout!
1. Use ice to cool a hot or sore spot, it will act as an anti-inflammatory and make the spot clear more quickly. Remember, once you see a spot on the surface, it is too late to do anything about it.
Using random products without any plan or cohesion. It can be tempting to try the latest internet ‘tip’ (who even starts these viral things??) but always consider the source! Professional skincare advice should only come from a skincare professional. Not a facebook meme. Mixing glue and charcoal and applying it to your face is not something you will find in any cosmetic chemistry textbook 😳. Believe me, if there were some instant or miracle cure for acne, we as skincare professional would know!
1. Also, jumping between one product and another will never work, even if the products are great! Getting on top of acne is a long-term situation and even the very best acne control protocols take months to show the results on the surface as the foundation work in correcting dysfunction deep in the skin comes first.

As specialists in skincare, we also create our own skincare products including our very popular Blemish Control Cream.

This is an acne control system that works on all the causes of spots simultaneously to give you real, long-term results.

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Quick Fixes you CAN get for your skin

I hope by now you are aware that skincare is a long game.

Despite marketing promises and social media filtering there is no such thing as a magic potion for correcting skin issues such as acne, wrinkles, sagging skin, redness issues etc. etc.

Some of these issues are caused by internal factors such as genetic predisposition or medical problems, some are caused by years of accumulated external factors such as sun exposure, inappropriate skincare products or other bad skin and lifestyle habits.

Most things can be improved, many dramatically with a combination of long-term excellent skincare at home and appropriate clinical treatments for your particular skin.

So, what are these quick fixes then??

Strangely, it’s the things that you might think you can’t treat/improve/get rid of at all that are actually easy and quick to fix, such as:

Visible red veins on the face
Skin tags
Milia
Sun spots / age spots
Many other benign skin lesions

Great result achieved with a single cryotherapy treatment on seb keratosis

Have you been putting up with annoying skin lesions for years thinking that they can’t be addressed, or that it would take an expensive round of GP referral/dermatologist visits to treat?

Then you will be happy to know that all the above skin anomalies and more can be very quickly treated by Mariga at Skin Essentials right here in Wexford Town.

Using diathermy or cryotherapy we can quickly and easily remove unsightly or annoying lesions. Unlike a scalpel removal, these methods do not leave any scars.

We do a full consultation with you before treatment to determine suitability and also to let you know whether you will need one or more treatments, and how much each will be.

With prices starting from €35 for diathermy or from €75 for cryotherapy, and many lesions treated in a single session, now is the time to call and book your quick skin fix!

P.S. While we can’t change your skin long-term, we can get you short-term ready for an event or to kick-start you for a longer-term skin correction programme with our deep skin infusions.

Hydrating and plumping hyaluronic acid and revitalising vitamin C will give your skin a beautiful, dewy radiance from the first treatment – read more about it here.

Book your treatment with one of our expert therapists online below or call us on 053 9145981.

Why is your acne treatment not working?

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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: