My favourite thing about hosting You Beauty's The Formula? Oh, so glad you asked! Well, it would have to be the glorious listeners, obviously! Silly question. But also, having the opportunity to interview so many amazing guests. Goodness, there's nothing quite like (politely) cornering an expert and asking them all the nosy details about what we should and shouldn't put on our faces.
And this week, I did just that.
I had the pleasure of interviewing the delightful celebrity facialist Ingrid Seaburn from Skin Health Studio Bondi.
If you're not familiar with Seaburn, she's the magical hands behind the complexions of some Australia's biggest celebrities. Delta Goodrem credits Seaburn for her "signature glow", while international supermodel Bambi Northwood-Blyth claims she was the one who "changed" her skin. NBD!
So, she knows a thing or two about skin. And yes, you're going to bet I picked her brain for all the juicy secrets to a luminous complexion.
Watch: Speaking of facials, ever wondered what a carbon facial looks like? Wonder no more! Post continues below.
And as someone who touches the faces of a lot of people, Seaburn's job means she comes into contact with a lot of new tools, techniques and devices on the regular, so she's very well versed when it comes to what actually works and what doesn't.
So you know what I thought would be fun? Asking Seaburn exactly which tools and devices are actually worth your money — and the ones that aren't.
Skin needling.
Skin needling is one treatment Seaburn gave a big, fat tick of approval. "It's such an effective results-driven treatment," she told me.
"For me, I'm a very hands on facialist. I do a lot of treatments where there's a lot of massage and there's a lot of oxygenation of the skin — and different treatments, they all have their place."
"It's really hard to say one's better than another, but skin needling is probably the most popular because it just is a very effective way to stimulate collagen production."
As with any other skin treatment, it obviously depends on who you go to, so make sure you do your research beforehand.
Keen to listen to the whole interview? Go on, then! Click below.
However, it's also good to keep in mind that it's not a one-size-fits-all treatment for every skin type — and Seaburn doesn't recommend it for those with sensitive or acne-prone skin.
With this in mind, she also recommends steering clear of at-home skin needling at all costs — because performed incorrectly, you can really do a serious number on your skin. So, you're best leaving it to the professionals.
"There's a lot of skin needling that is happening out there, but it's not always done correctly," she said.
LED masks.
If you've been wondering whether you should get into the LED mask game and finally invest in one, this one's for you. Because when asked if LED masks were a hit or miss, Seaburn gave them a "conditional hit".
As she explained, "LED is a proven science. It's a great addition to your skincare routine — but it doesn't replace your skincare routine."
You also have to be wildly consistent in order to reap the best benefits for your skin, as well as choosing a device that is worth your money. (If you're in the market for an LED mask, a dermatologist actually ranked the best LED masks here).
Microcurrent treatments.
If you're not familiar with microcurrent treatments, these kind of skin devices use a specific non-invasive technology that sends out a low-voltage currents to the skin to stimulate the underlying muscles. And Seaburn describes these treatments as "an absolute hit."
Ooft!
While every treatment has its place, she said, "Microcurrent is an incredible modality because it does something that other modalities don't — it contracts and releases a muscle in your face. The very subtle difference between a younger face and an older face is where the muscles sit - and we all know that as you get older, gravity takes hold."
She also added that microcurrent treatments work to stimulate cellular metabolism. Meaning? It helps support your skin cells, reducing things like inflammation and increasing circulation in the skin.
"It's a very good treatment, and it definitely has its place," she said.
When it comes to at-home microcurrent devices, Seaburn said, "You can't be thinking it's going to give you a facelift. It can do some great things, but it's not going to do magic work."
"The strength of at home microcurrent devices is a hell of a lot less, so similar to treatment. It's not detrimental at all, but a lot of those ones are very weak in their energy levels."
Speaking of at-home microcurrent devices, read my review of the popular NuFace facial toning device here.
Face yoga.
If you're someone who quite enjoys watching other people do their skincare routines (me. This is me) chances are you've seen some fancy face yoga and massaging getting around and wondered if it's a thing you should be doing. The good news? Seaburn gave it to us straight.
"It's absolutely useless," she said. "There's no logic to that."
Obviously if facial yoga is something you like doing as part of your self-care routine and it works for you — you do you! But if you're wondering if it's something that's going to give you magical face lifting results, it's definitely one you can skip.
Radiofrequency (RF) devices.
When it comes to the popularised radiofrequency treatment, Seaburn warned against blindly jumping on the trend.
"Heat-based devices can do more damage than good in terms of very short-term results," she told me, adding that RF treatments can "melt subcutaneous fat."
This means that if radiofrequency is focused too deep during facial RF skin tightening treatment, it can possibly reduce facial fat. Obviously this depends on a variety of different factors, including the type of treatment you're getting and the skincare professional - so just be wary and do your research.
"People get treatments that they think are firming and tightening and stimulating collagen, and they end up losing very important subcutaneous fat, which is, again, such a youthful thing you want to hold on to," she said.
Are you a fan of any of the above skin treatments? Share your thoughts with us below.
Feature image: Instagram/@ingridseaburn.
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