Manistee esthetician gives tips for healthy skin

Matthews, a Douglas J. Aveda graduate, is the owner/operator of KK’s Esthetic, the area’s only esthetician business.  Some questions have been edited for clarity. 

MANISTEE NEWS ADVOCATE: How can people start a new skin care regime successfully?

KATELYN MATTHEWS: Start small. Don’t go in headfirst and spend hundreds of dollars on products you don’t even know will work for your skin. 

It’s really important just to start simple. … if you’re not washing your face at all, maybe start washing your face once a day. And then over time, start washing your face twice a day. 

And over a little bit more time, start using a toner, then a moisturizer … it’s all about slowly building up because you don’t want to buy a $500 worth of skin care crap that you’re never gonna use.

MNA: What are some of the benefits of starting a skin care routine?

MATTHEWS: When you’re taking care of your body, you’re taking care of yourself. That’s something I live by. 

And when you’re taking care of your body, your body takes care of you. So I really like to think about it like that. 

But also, obviously, you’re forming that routine and just even learning that routine that will help you build other routines. So if you know how to build a skincare routine … maybe you can build a workout routine. That’s how I started working out … it’s all about taking that baby step, do one thing at a time that works for you. 

MNA: Is there a difference in how men and women should approach their skin care?

MATTHEWS: No. If anything, I feel like men should probably be taking a little bit better care of their skin. You’d be surprised how little men come get facials and how many women talk about their husbands needing a facial but refuse to just come get one. 

We all need self care, and who doesn’t want nice skin?

MNA: What’s one important thing that everyone should know about skin care?

MATTHEWS: Sunscreen. Summer’s coming up, (use) sunscreen. … Most (of) your aging and sun damage comes from before the time you even turn 19. So all those days on the beach where your mom told you wear sunscreen and you didn’t listen … that’s where a lot of the sun damage is coming from. 

So to prevent those fine lines and wrinkles and to prevent getting cancer and free radicals on your skin and just aging and getting those wrinkles in your 30’s … sunscreen, sunscreen, sunscreen. Every day before you leave your house, put on sunscreen. 

And a lot of people also don’t think about this, when you’re driving, although you may not think outside the sun is actually like magnified through your windshield. So it’s actually aging your hands faster than the rest of your body. So when you look at other people, specifically the older generation … their faces, they may be flawless, but you can tell by people’s hands. 

MNA: Is there anything else you would suggest?

MATTHEWS: I recommend trying to stay away from fried foods. That’s one of the biggest things I see. Also a lot of sweets can lead to acne breakouts. Foods that support your hormones, because a lot of people that struggle with hormonal acne, it stems from what they’re eating, and a lot of that can be controlled by your diet.