Your Client Sees Their Complexion- not their skin
Our work is to Make Sense of the Skin — the living organ.
Jul 18
A client will notice redness, pigmentation, lines, spots, dryness, sensitivity or changes in texture. They see what they want to change, treat or get rid of — normally with a magic lotion, potion or wand!
As corneotherapists, we see something different. We see the skin as a living organ that reflects symptoms of what has happened to it. The skin may be having a quick chat — an acute issue — or telling a very long story — a chronic issue.
Do not forget that clients see their complexion and their face. They do not always think of the skin as the protective barrier of our bodies to the outside world.
This is the challenge we have.
We need to help our clients understand that the skin is an intelligent outer organ created for protection, not perfection. Thankfully, the organs we need to live, such as our heart, lungs, kidneys and liver, are hidden inside the body. They are not on the outside for everyone to see and judge.
Sometimes I make a joke and say:
“This is probably why our heart, lungs and liver are hidden. Could you imagine if we really did wear our hearts on our sleeves, and suddenly TikTok decided everyone’s hearts should be luminous green? We would all be in serious trouble.
Because the skin is visible, clients naturally focus on how it looks. Our role is to help them understand what those visible symptoms may be indicating.
It becomes a working relationship between us as we try to determine why those symptoms are there. For example, a client may say:
“Yes, but vitamin A is good, isn’t it? I use a high-percentage retinol.”
I may reply:
“Let’s think about this logically. You are telling me your skin is red and sensitive. Applying a high-percentage retinol may be a little like eating the wrong foods when you already have an upset stomach.”
I will always say this with a smile, but the message is important.
We are not going to keep applying something stimulating to skin that is already red and inflamed simply because we have been told that the ingredient is good.
I have to make it make sense so that my clients understand what their skin needs and what it does not.
Unfortunately, many products on the market today do not respect the epidermal barrier. We have been taught that fast food and too much sugar are not part of healthy living, but we have not yet learned what healthy living for the skin really means.
With food, we understand that we have a choice. We can feed the body with foods that help it function, or we can feed it with foods that may not allow it to function as well.
The same applies to the skin.
When a client sees redness, dryness, sensitivity, spots or changes in texture, the skin may be saying:
“I am not functioning as well as I should be.”
But the client is still seeing their complexion.
As corneotherapists, our job is to educate clients about what their skin needs in order to function and, as a result, look healthier.
When we follow a corneotherapeutic understanding, we do not chase the symptom. We work to give the skin functional skincare — what it needs to return to better function.
Sometimes, this means taking the client off a skincare diet that is not allowing the skin to function well. While we do this, we educate the client based on their skin's needs, not on marketing trends.
Once the client understands — and, if you are new to the industry, once you understand — there are no quick fixes, no magic cures and no magic wands.
When we first meet a skin, we do not know its true baseline health. It may take three to four months for me to really understand a skin because I first need to help return it to its baseline health.
That is why we follow the Three R’s of Corneotherapy. It is during this process that we begin to make sense of the skin.
We are not chasing symptoms or trying to create something perfect. I will not know what that skin can truly become until I get to know both the client and their skin.
What I do know is that, by following a corneotherapeutic methodology, the skin should gradually begin to function better.
As its function improves, the client will begin to see changes in their complexion. When they do, they start to understand why a corneotherapeutic approach to healthy skin matters.