While dermaplaning isn’t an invasive or painful procedure, it is quite an intense exfoliation. It damages your skin’s barrier and heightens the skin’s sensitivity, which is why you need to be extra careful about what you apply to the skin while it is in such a vulnerable state.
Preventing moisture loss and protecting your new skin layer should be the key focus of your dermaplaning aftercare routine. Let’s find out what to put on face after dermaplaning.
Here’s What to Put on Face After Dermaplaning
The first few days after the dermaplaning treatment should be very simple. Here are 3 essential skincare steps for freshly dermabladed skin:
Gentle Cleanser
Before applying any serum or cream to the skin, you need to properly remove dirt, not trap it underneath the layer of skincare product – that can lead to breakouts.
The cleanser you’re using needs to be gentle and non-drying. It also needs to be non-exfoliating, meaning it can’t contain any AHA, BHA, or other exfoliating acids. No cleansers that include exfoliating grains either.
Remember to be gentle with your skin. Don’t rub it too hard and don’t use water that’s too hot. Heat can dry out the skin and you want to avoid that. When done, using a clean, fresh towel, pat it down instead of rubbing it.
After this, you can even add a toner if you’d like. Toners and essences can help calm the skin down and also minimize irritation.
Here’s a good cleanser option:
A Gentle Cleanser
Dermaplaning is almost always paired with another skincare step, most often masks and serums.
Because the outermost skin layer was just removed, and all the dry patches and hairs with it, product absorption is greatly improved. Ingredients can penetrate deeper and give you much better results.
But it’s not only the beneficial effects that are amplified – so are potential bad reactions.
Your skin is much more sensitive and you need to be careful not to expose it to anything too harsh. Even if the ingredients are good, in too high a concentration, they can lead to irritation and burning.
Exfoliating ingredients should be avoided for at least a week.
So, if you are wondering what serum to use after dermaplaning, read on to see our suggestions.
Nourishing Moisturizer
A moisturizer locks in everything you’ve applied beforehand.
The right moisturizer helps rebuild the barrier and restore its natural oils that were stripped away during the treatment. Using a nourishing and soothing moisturizer afterward will prevent moisture loss and keep the skin healthy.
SPF!
SPF is crucial to protecting your freshly dermabladed skin from damage. It should be the final step of what to put on skin after dermaplaning.
We don’t recommend doing dermaplaning in the morning, especially if you have somewhere to be, as that means exposing your skin to harsh environmental elements right away.
However, doing dermaplaning at night doesn’t mean you can skip on the SPF.
It should be part of your daily routine as is, especially after an exfoliating treatment such as dermaplaning. Your skin is stripped of its protective barrier and that makes it more susceptible to sun damage.
So, be generous with your SPF in the days after dermaplaning.
What Serum to Use After Dermaplaning?
Serums have very high concentrations of active ingredients. So, many think they are what to put on face after dermaplaning ASAP to get the most out of the treatment. However, that’s not the case.
Your skin is ready to take on active ingredients only when it’s healed a bit. So for the first 24-48 hours, we suggest you wait. Increased absorption is still very much possible, but the chances of irritation are lower.
Here is a list of the ingredients that are most frequently discussed in regard to what serum to use after dermaplaning.
Hyaluronic Acid Serum After Dermaplaning
The hyaluronic acid serum is the safest and best route to take if you’re unsure what to put on face after dermaplaning.
This ingredient works for all skin types, deeply hydrating and soothing the skin. Plus, hyaluronic acid has antioxidative, anti-inflammatory, and some analgesic effects. Basically, this ingredient does it all.
Vitamin C Serum After Dermaplaning
Vitamin C serum is part of many people’s skincare routine. It’s great for brightening the complexion, and fading hyperpigmentation and acne scars. Plus, it’s a great antioxidant that provides some anti-aging effects.
But should you use vitamin C serum after dermaplaning?
Well, the answer to that isn’t that simple.
Although vitamin C can speed up overall wound healing and reduce the risk of inflammation, it can also be the cause of irritation. Some serums tend to be too concentrated and way too harsh for your wounded skin barrier.
This is why it can sting and cause redness and itching sensation after dermaplaning.
The most effective vitamin C serums are very acidic because vitamin C works the best in low pH (those are the ones that tend to sting a bit). This is why we recommend letting the skin heal a bit on its own first, before (re)introducing vitamin C serum after dermaplaning.
Exfoliating Serums After Dermaplaning
Exfoliating serums are very beneficial. They encourage skin cell turnover, remove dead skin cells and excess sebum and renew the skin’s surface. However, dermaplaning does the same thing. So that poses a pretty big question – should you double-exfoliate?
Professionals often apply additional exfoliation to enhance the effects of the treatment further.
However, they are professionals for a reason. They’ve been trained and know what concentration is safe to be used on which skin type. If you are doing dermaplaning at home, avoid using any exfoliating serums (that includes retinoids) for at least a week, ideally two.
Especially if you’re new to dermaplaning. As time goes on you can carefully test how your skin reacts and if it’ll be able to handle harsher ingredients.
Other Beneficial Serum Ingredients
Let’s also go through some ingredients that get less attention, yet still give great benefits.
Ceramides
Ceremides’ main role is to keep the skin strong and healthy.
Ceramides are essentially a protective layer that combats environmental stressors and keeps harmful bacteria from entering the skin and causing infections. They also prevent water loss by sealing the parts of the skin where it might evaporate.
The soothing properties of ceramides can counteract the harsh actions of retinoids and vitamin C, and prevent side effects like redness, burning, and irritation. They’re often used in cosmetics because of their ability to reduce adverse reactions from more potent ingredients, without getting overpowered.
Particularly because ceramides can be combined with pretty much any other ingredient.
Peptides
Peptides are an amazing skincare ingredient, yet often they don’t get the attention they deserve.
Peptides are naturally present in the body. Essentially, they’re carriers of the information that the body needs to produce more collagen and elastin. Because of that, they’re often used in anti-aging skincare.
Other than increasing skin firmness, peptides also have anti-inflammatory properties and help soothe irritation and redness.
Main Takeaways
To give a really short answer to what serum to use after dermaplaning: hyaluronic acid serum. The benefits are amazing and it doesn’t cause potentially unwanted skin reactions as other ingredients can.
However, what to put on face after dermaplaning would be best decided by your technician or dermatologist. Consulting them about your dermaplaning aftercare routine would be the best solution for avoiding potential adverse reactions.
Cover image source: Freepik
