A Master Esthetician Weighs In On Oil Cleansing, Jade Rolling, & Microneedling
The booming beauty industry has never been more democratic than it is today, but with more choice and freedom in what we buy and put on our skin, comes more misinformation and deception.
Master Esthetician Mimi Maday is here to answer all the skin questions you’re too embarrassed to ask.
As a Master Esthetician, I focus on skin healing. My values are my livelihood, and I won’t sell a product to a client that I don’t believe will work for their personal skin type. In an unethical world, I strive to be a safe haven for my clients, where anyone can come with beauty problems or questions, and I can provide a solution.
That being said, I don’t consider myself to be a magician. So many promises are made in this $445-billion industry, and I steer clear of playing fast-and-loose with my word. Most estheticians go through six months of training to acquire their license. I differ from most because I didn’t feel satisfied after one training program. Why? Because I wanted more extensive training, not only with practical learning but with theoretical, too. My training took me through two different esthetic programs, a variety of individual classes, and a masters program.
Today, with nearly eight years in the beauty industry, I’m here to break down some of the buzz words you’ve been hearing lately. So many of my clients and friends often ask me about what they see online as the next big thing in skincare. Should I be oil cleansing? Do jade rollers actually work? What’s the difference between professional microneedling and the at-home version? These are the three most common questions I get, and I’m here to tell you definitively what’s the truth and what’s just having a moment.
The Truth Behind Oil Cleansing
While it is true that with oil cleansing you are not changing the pH or stripping your skin of its healthy acid mantle, that doesn’t mean I think everyone should start using coconut oil to cleanse and moisturize. If you have acne prone skin and want to start oil cleansing or using oils as your moisturizer, focus on ones that are high in linoleic acid. Scientifically, what makes some oils work for some but not for others is the ratio of linoleic acid to oleic acid in an oil’s chemical composition.
People with acne have been shown to have low levels of linoleic acid in their skin surface lipids. When our skin is deficient in linoleic acid, our natural sebum (oil) becomes thick and sticky, which clogs pores. By adding in linoleic acid, the skin should have little to no breakouts or clogged pores. Here are a few oils that work for oily or acne-prone skin: rosehip oil, grape seed oil, pumpkin seed oil, evening-primrose oil, hemp seed oil, and black cumin seed oil. You also want to make sure that any oils you use are non-comedogenic or low on the comedogenic scale, which won’t cause blackheads by blocking the pores.
The Truth Behind Jade Rolling
Accessible facial tools such as jade rollers have crashed onto the beauty scene in recent years thanks to Instagram marketing and ASMR-like YouTube videos. The tool has been used in ancient Chinese rituals for centuries but is just now becoming popular for clients’ home use. There seems to be a lot of confusion over jade rollers’ benefits and if the tool actually works.
Most beauty bloggers will tell you that jade rollers help to tighten and tone the skin, reduce puffiness and inflammation, brighten the complexion, soften fine lines and wrinkles, promote better product penetration, and increase blood circulation.
Some of these claims are true—jade rolling can increase blood circulation, giving you a healthy flush. The de-puffing benefits are also true, where jade rolling may increase some aspect of lymphatic draining, which can help reduce swelling.
That’s where the benefits end, though. I’m sorry to burst the jade rolling bubble, but the tool will not reduce wrinkles, increase collagen, tighten the skin, brighten pigmentation, or enhance product penetration.
Personally, I love to keep any kind of cold stone roller in the fridge to use over my serums or masks to help relax and de-puff. But if you’re looking for some magical skincare tool, a jade roller isn’t it.
The Truth Behind Professional Microneedling Vs. Home Microneedling Rollers
Microneedling, also called Collagen Induction Therapy, is a professional skin rejuvenation procedure that’s performed in a board-certified doctor’s office or medical spa that has a doctor on site. Estheticians perform this service depending on their licensing and what state they live in.
Microneedling works by using small needles to prick the surface of the skin, creating micro-wounds. This technique creates a controlled injury to the skin and triggers the body’s natural healing process, resulting in new skin production. There are a variety of benefits from microneedling: collagen production, softening signs of aging such as fine lines and wrinkles, improving the appearance of acne scars or stretch marks, enhancing the effects of other skin treatments, and many more. I personally love this treatment and think that when done properly by a professional, it provides amazing results for a variety of skin concerns.
Because microneedling comes with a hefty price tag and is strictly preformed by professionals, people will try to cut corners by purchasing a microneedling roller, or dermaroller, online. This form of the tool that you can purchase over the internet does not have the same effects as a professional grade microneedling pen and can damage the skin.
With a professional microneedling pen, needle depth can be adjusted, whereas the microneedling roller can only reach a single depth. Adjusting needle depth allows for all different skin types to qualify for this treatment. This is extremely important when treating clients with specific skin concerns or delicate areas of the face, such as the eyes.
The needles in a professional microneedling pen penetrate the epidermis (top layer of the skin) vertically, creating a clean puncture wound that heals quickly and properly. Whereas a microneedling roller inserts needles into the skin at a 45-degree angle, possibly creating tears as it’s rolled across the skin.
Professional microneedling pens are also motorized, ensuring controlled and consistent needle penetration on the skin. Microneedling rollers are used manually and often result in people using too much pressure, creating punctures too deep or inconsistently into the skin.
Overall, receiving a microneedling service by a professional is much more effective and safe than ordering a microneedling roller online.