Aesthetics Algebra
My grandmother had the most fabulous bathroom. It was completely pink. Pink wainscoting, pink cast iron tub, pink carpet (yes, carpet). She had a small medicine cabinet that held her modest skincare routine. I loved watching her cleanse and apply night cream; Oil of Olay. A simple bottle with a simple cream. She passed away when I was in my late teens, and I always remembered that she had beautiful skin even during her final months. Proof of what consistency can accomplish.
Unsurprisingly, my first foray into an evening skincare routine started with Oil of Olay. I believed I was starting to see signs of aging at 20 (more likely a combination of sleep deprivation and chronic dehydration), and felt so grown up gently applying it each night. My skincare routine has evolved over the years (the type of fast evolution rarely seen in nature), but I still find value in the consistency of a cleanse and a night cream. Even when I am too exhausted to go through the 5 step routine I still cleanse and apply my night cream.
Consistency is the key word here. There’s a lot of curiosity about which skincare routine or med spa treatment will provide the most benefit. Toxin? Filler? Facials? At home products? The answer is simple. What ever you will do consistently…and SPF. Always SPF. There is no point to getting Botox once. Monthly facials without taking care of your skin at home is pointless.
If/when you decide to enter the world of anti-aging do your anti-aging algebra (AAA) and figure out how many dollars you can set aside to spend on aesthetics. Once you have that number you can consider your options. This can be daunting so I did some AAA calculations on the average costs of the most common treatments for aesthetic newbies.
Our formula is: (average treatment dose x average treatment cost) x treatments needed per year = annual cost.
Injectable Wrinkle Reducer: (32 units x $15/unit) x 3 treatments per year = $1,440
Facial Fillers: (2 syringes x $750) x 1 treatment/year = $1,500
Monthly Facials: (1 Facial x $150) x 12 treatments/year = $1800
Skincare: (3 products x $75 each product) x 4 refills/year = $900
Skincare is the most difficult to estimate. There are amazing serums costing $300 a bottle, and great products priced at $25 per bottle. My math considered the average cost for the medical grade starter kit: Vitamin C, Retinol, and SPF.
The final AAA formula is:
Annual treatment cost/12 months in a year = monthly aesthetics ‘savings deposit’.
If we consider our example, starting all four of the treatments above would require:
Total Amount of Regimen $5,640/12 months = $470 monthly aesthetic cost
You may LOL at the thought of putting $500 away for aesthetics. The good news? You don’t have to start them all at once to see results! You just have to decide what you can afford to do consistently. Maybe skincare alone makes more sense at ~ $75 per month. Perhaps the lines between your brows drive you CRAZY, and injectable wrinkle reducer at $120 per month is the way to go.
If you’re still thinking…this is way too much! I have other priorities, but still want to see an improvement in my skin. Start with an SPF and a moisturizer. Elta MD has a fantastic SPF 50 for $34, and Avéne Hydrance is heaven in a jar at $38. You can order both on Amazon. Using our formula…
(2 product regimen x $72) x 4 refills per year = $288
$288/12 = $24.00 a month.
Aesthetics can be intimidating because there are so many options and its hard to know where to start. Most medical spas and dermatology offices offer skin care consultations for free or for a small fee. This is the perfect way to learn about what treatments are available and what dose a professional thinks will accomplish your specific goals. There’s no pressure to commit to anything. Afterwards go home, do your anti-aging math, and figure out what makes sense for you.
The point is you have choices. Just be consistent.
Xo, Jen