Article and Photos by Roxanne Diana
There’s no debate – skin care is important!
You can’t get much better than clean, clear, bright and healthy skin, but you can go one better – glow, girl. But how do you get the ultimate glow?
Ever since I starting earning as a ‘tween babysitter, I really wanted to operate my own business. Equally important, was making my money doing something I enjoyed. By the time it was time to leave the nest, beauty seemed like a natural starting point.
Mary Kay products didn’t agree with my sensitive skin, so a pink Cadillac was out.
Undeterred, I started exploring Jafra, another cosmetics multi-level-marketing business model that was pretty big back in the 80s and 90s.
Although I can’t remember the lovely lady’s name, the Jafra consultant that introduced me to the business gave me some of the best advice I’ve ever received:
“If you don’t do anything else, take good care of your skin,” she told me.
“Invest in quality products, and the right aesthetician is your best friend. Always remove makeup at the end of the day, no matter how tired you are. Stay out of the sun, wear sunscreen, and moisturize. Moisturize, moisturize, moisturize – and then moisturize some more.”
I took her words to heart, and enjoy the substantive benefits now, decades later.
Facials are a special treat I believe all women should get to enjoy.
Whether DIY at home, indulging on a budget at your local cosmetology school (I like the Aveda Institute) or Groupon, or visiting your favorite independent aesthetician or medspa, a good facial regimen can be a lady’s secret weapon for great skin.
To date, my favorite spa facial has been the HydraFacial™. I fell in love with it because of the customized infused boosters, the immediate and luminous glow post-treatment, and lasting results after multiple treatments.
Most recently, I tried out Allé’s DiamondGLow™ facial at the medspa I frequent, Advanced Aesthetics.
After my first DiamondGlow™ treatment, I concluded the two seemed similar. When comparing DiamondGlow™ and HydraFacial™, right away I noted they both include extraction, infusion and hydration, using exfoliating wands. The wands act like mini skin vacuums, delivering a deep clean by literally sucking out impurities.
Sounds gross, but it’s accurate.
One of the major differences is the wand tips, of which both treatments have various types, used at the aesthetician’s discretion.
DiamondGlow™ uses patented recessed diamond tips for manual skin resurfacing, while HydraFacial’s™ ABS and silicone tips deliver glycolic and salicylic acid for chemical exfoliation.
Both treatments infuse the skin with product.
Again, various options are available to you and your aesthetician, depending on your goals. While HydraFacial™ uses specialized proprietary infusion boosters, as well as those made by other brands, such as Murad®, JLO Beauty® (yes, that JLo), and NassifMD®, DiamondGlow™ exclusively uses SkinMedica® Pro-Infusion Serums.
Popular dermatologic opinion is that HydraFacial™ is more cosmetic, while DiamondGlow™ is a corrective, clinical process. We have two strong contenders for delivering the ultimate glow – DiamondGlow™ vs. HydraFacial™.
My Verdict: I love them both!
TBH, I couldn’t recommend one over the other, although I am still a little partial to the HydraFacial, but I think that’s just because it’s an older friend. At the end of the day, I would advise to do as I plan to – one of each to go, please!
