There is no easy swap for a skilled aesthetician‘s masterful hands, but knowing the products they recommend for at-home use comes in second place. While no single product can truly do it all, when hard-pressed to provide their of-the-moment favorites, these are the skin care products that the pros pick.
Featured Experts
- Taylor Worden is an aesthetician in New York and the owner of Taylor Worden Skin
- Ian Michael Crumm is a celebrity aesthetician based in New York
- Elizabeth Grace Hand is an aesthetician in New York and the owner of Ställe Studios
- Athena Hewett is an aesthetician in San Francisco and the founder of Monastery
- Cynthia Marie Franco is an aesthetician in Beverly Hills, CA
Mask Magic
Best described as a little luxe jewel box in SoHo, Taylor Worden’s studio is filled with magical skin treats. The fast-moving aesthetician makes swift moves with her lotions, potions and gadgets, but the main event is Worden’s deep facial massage. While the expert is proud of stocking “only the best,” she does have a special place in her heart for a solo product. “My favorite product I can’t live without is the CO2 Lift Carboxy Gel Mask ($93). It’s a one-time mask that lifts, tightens, increases skin hydration, reduces swelling and redness and can help heal wounds,” she says. “It knocks off a good 10 years and makes your skin glow for a full seven days. It is the best product for a big event and can be used after lasers.”
SPF Forever
Celebrity aesthetician Ian Michael Crumm has no doubt he sounds like a broken record on the sun-safety front, but he kind of doesn’t care: “This is very important. If you’re not using SPF every day and reapplying, then all the work done in the treatment room is a bit pointless. Protect your skin every day with the sunscreen that works for you and over time, at-home treatments, daily skin care and professional treatments will suddenly be way more effective! Don’t get discouraged if you don’t like a bunch of sunscreens. There are so many in the market now with different textures, tints, and finishes to get one that’s ideal for your skin. Protected skin wins!”
Moisture Surge
In her light-filled corner Ställe Studios in New York, Elizabeth Grace Hand has left no detail overlooked. The beds are like a cloud, the facials are fabulous and the skin care for purchase encompasses the very best of the best. (Think a mix of a derm’s product offerings, Violet Grey and your coolest friend who has access to everything.) You don’t have to press Hand too hard on her love for Retrouvé, as the aesthetician is quick to tell clients how great the line is. Her current favorite is the brand’s richly hydrating Retrouvé Intensive Replenishing Facial Moisturizer ($380).
Oil Pull
Yes, she created the brand, but Athena Hewett has also been completely devoted to healing skin for more than 20 years. “Monastery Rose Cleansing Oil ($48) is my number one recommendation,” she says from her San Francisco skin-care studio, where she still gives facials and has a team of apprentices. “It seems so simple, but due to its unique formulation it is still the product I see the most transformation with. With its ability to balance, reset and restore nearly any skin type, this product is so universal. It is something that all of my clients should have in their repertoire.”
Serum Star
Healer, massage therapist, bodyworker and licensed aesthetician Cynthia Marie Franco is quick to remind us that it’s almost impossible to single skin care out when choosing between skin care products. Still, she does have a current item in the mix that she really stands by—and we think Scarlett Johansson would approve. “It’s hard to say just one product that everyone should use, as there are different formulas for different issues. If there was just one product that every skin could benefit from, it would be the Vegan Prep Serum ($46) from the Outset. This hydration bomb is great for everyone from sensitive to resilient skin and offers twelve hours of continuous hydration.”
