Issue link: https://www.ascpskindeepdigital.com/i/1507658
96 ASCP Skin Deep Autumn 2023 BEHIND THE TREND Skin Streaming Investigating the good and the bad of this viral fad by Brian Goodwin CURRENTLY MAKING ITS WAY around social media, the trend dubbed skin streaming is the streamlining of your skin care routine through the removal of any excess steps—focusing on multifunctional, targeted products to achieve maximum bene ts for skin concerns. Skin streaming di ers from the "skin minimalist" trend because the goal isn't to completely reduce the amount of products to a bare minimum, but rather to remove any super uous steps, including those that may be inhibiting the bene ts of other products. THE GOOD Skin streaming a client's at-home routine provides numerous bene ts, including reducing the overall cost of their skin care products without taking away skin bene ts and leaving more money to be spent on professional treatments. Additionally, skin streaming will likely increase your client's adherence to consistent, correct use of at-home products. Overly complicated routines often overwhelm clients, and they either completely give up or rotate their products too frequently, which can lead to irritation and reactivity in the skin. THE BAD It's a trend, and consumers are bound to jump on the bandwagon, whether they know what they are doing or not. Not all consumers of skin care products are working with skin care professionals (though they should), and without a professional's advice, mistakes are bound to be made. Additionally, skin care pros could see a drop in overall revenue achieved through the sale of retail products. However, a drop in sales could come with increased client trust, as clients see estheticians as professionals helping them in an honest way to have a more convenient at-home routine with a reduced cost—and client trust is invaluable. A QUICK EXAMPLE Many clients use singular active ingredients throughout multiple steps of their routines: an AHA peel pad, a brightening mask, a retinol serum, a glycolic moisturizer, a ceramide-rich oil, and then an SPF. You could skin stream this at-home routine through multifunctional products, such as Éminence Organic Skin Care's Turmeric Energizing Treatment, which functions as an exfoliant, mask, detoxing treatment, and stimulant in one. The routine could be further skin streamed with a serum that contains hyaluronic acid, retinol, and ceramides, and a moisturizer with SPF protection. With this adjustment, the routine is reduced from six steps to three steps, without reducing any bene ts to the skin. THE CONCLUSION A product's ease of use, its bene ts for a client's concerns, and the amount of time necessary to incorporate the products into a skin care routine are all considerations a client makes before they purchase a product. Understanding their lifestyle, current objections to any skin care steps, and what products they currently use are all key pieces of information to successfully ensure the client purchases a product and e ectively skin streams.