Welcome to our Dermalogica Expert Spotlight
Each month we are shining the light on our amazing Expert Skin Therapists from all over New Zealand. You'll get to know the inside scoop on what their favourite treatments are to perform and which Dermalogica products are staples in their own skincare regimes. This month we interview Claire Jarman, owner of Mia Dolce Beauty Therapy, Havelock North.
What inspired you to be become a Skin Therapist?
I have always had an interest in fashion, hair and make-up. When I was 17 I started a full time job at a material shop and across the mall was a Beauty Therapy Salon. I always looked at the glamorous woman and thought they had an amazing job! Fast forward a year, while nannying in the UK, I came across an advertisement to study at a Beauty Therapy School in London. It was like a penny dropped, and at that moment, I realised that this is what I wanted to do. Once I’d finished my travels I headed home to Study at the NZ Institute of Beauty Therapy and Electrolysis in Palmerston North. Jane Bourke, the owner of the school also introduced me to Dermalogica, and from that point on, I knew I wanted to work with the brand when I started out on my own.
What does a typical day look like to you?
Ideally I like to start my day by walking our beautiful dog Chewy, or going to the Gym. I then come home and fold a mountain of clean towels to take to work (I have been doing this for 11 years!).
I have two different sides to my working week, one is spent with my clients and the second half is spent working on the business and having a presence in our retail store in front of the salon. I love to research new products and treatments that we can bring to our clients, and it also allows me to meet and engage with new clients and customers, that I may not meet, when I am in my treatment room.
I still love and have passion for ‘hands on’ beauty therapy and in particular advanced skin treatments, so I really enjoy my time that I have with my clients.
At the end of each working day (and my days off) I come home and start washing towels, again!
What is your favourite treatment to perform?
I really enjoy our ProSkin 60 treatments. This treatment gives us the opportunity to treat our individual clients needs, and address different conditions or concerns they have about their skin. It is certainly not your generic facial you could receive anywhere.
We combine active and concentrated products from the Dermalogica Professional range, as well as incorporating different modalities such as BT Micro and LED light therapy.
This allows us to achieve real results for our clients each time they come in to the salon.
What are your 3 Dermalogica Products and why?
Multi Vitamin Thermafoliant - this has been a long time favourite product of mine. It has a double action, with a gentle abrasive exfoliation as well as a chemical exfoliation of Salicylic acid to help dissolve oil in the follicle.
It is perfect to use on congested skin, and to resurface dry, dull and ageing skin allowing hydrated plump cells to the surface.
Retinol Clearing Oil - I believe there are two super hero products you need to use to combat ageing and sun damage. The first being Retinol or Vitamin A. Retinol speeds up cell renewal and increases collagen production in the dermis, it can also reduce sun damage in the skin.
When you start to use a Retinol your skin can react by becoming quite red, irritated and dry. Dermalogica’s Overnight Retinol Repair, comes with a Buffer cream, which allows you to mix the two together. This allows your skin to become conditioned to the Retinol and as it does you reduce the amount of Buffer cream to the mix.
BioLumin-C Serum - Vitamin C is an antioxidant, meaning it protects skin cells from damaging free radicals caused by UV exposure. It also inhibits melanin production in the skin, which helps to lighten hyper pigmentation and brown spots, even out skin tone, and brighten the skin. It also boosts Collagen production, just like our friend Retinol!
BioLumin-C Serum has a unique delivery system which allows the Vitamin C to be released deeper in the skin, as well as having the added benefit of Lactic Acid which gently exfoliates and hydrates the skin.
What is your Dermalogica ‘Moment’?
I think it was when I started my first job as a Beauty Therapist at Essence in Wellington. Although I had studied with the range, it wasn’t until I started to work with it on clients that I began to realise that this product produced great results!
This was 25 years ago, and the range was quite basic, to what it offers now, but so effective at treating skin.
They also had a unique way of skin therapist’s ‘prescribing’ product which supported Therapists qualified and educated skin diagnosis, giving the client a prescription of recommended products. If a doctor gave you a prescription to improve your skin, you’d get it right? So what made us as a skin specialist any different?
I also loved Dermalogica’s approach to ongoing skin education, which is still a strong part of what they offer our therapist’s today.
Dermalogica have grown and advanced over the years allowing us to provide Advanced Skin treatments in the Salon, as well as leading skin care for our clients to use at home. Their ongoing product development, certainly makes it an exciting skincare brand to work with now and in the future.