By Catie Richman Photos by Jillian Rivera Photography Spring is a time of rejuvenation, and skincare is no exception. With beautiful weather and plenty of outdoor activities, spring can inspire you to step up your exercise and skin routines. Hallie Villemez, director of esthetics and lead esthetician at Hi, skin in Uptown Phoenix, offers advice on shaping up skin with facial workouts and other skincare trends. SKIN SHAPE-UP ARE FACE WORKOUTS FOR YOU? of the country. But Hi, skin is currently the only place to offer it in the Valley, according to Villemez. “Facial massage has been used for years to improve skin health, but face workouts offer increased benefit with deliberate techniques that target specific muscles in the face — think of it as a deep tissue facial massage,” Villemez said. What makes this service different from a massage is instead of being performed strictly for the “feel good” aspect, a deeper pressure and more targeted movements are used to stimulate the 40+ mus C les in the face, similar to how people work out the rest of their bodies. According to Villemez, face workouts provide multiple anti-aging and health benefits, including fine line reduction, lifting, TMJ and tension relief, and it gives the skin an overall glow. It’s particularly appealing if you are looking to skip the needles and knife and the recovery time that comes with them. “Face workouts are like a noninvasive facelift. It needs to be done a bit more frequently than a facelift, FACE WORKOUTS Despite the name, face workouts are a service more than actual exercise. “A face workout is a treatment that lifts, sculpts, tightens and provides tension relief to the face using a series of massage techniques, tools and modalities,” Villemez said. “We employ different hand movements and skin tools and technologies to target specific muscles and contours of the face.” The treatment that started in Europe made its way across the pond and has made waves in other parts According to Hi, skin’s director of esthetics Hallie Villemez ( above ), face workouts can help create tightened, toned, healthy skin. MAR/APR 2021 | 18 | FRONTDOORS MEDIA KEY TO THE GOOD LIFE {what’s trending}

but you do see instant results and it feels — it’s an enjoyable treatment!” Villemez said. With both restorative and preventive benefits, face workouts are fine for all ages. “It’s a great treatment for everyone. Because it’s so preventative, start as early as you can. With no crazy downtime, no side effects —there’s no reason not to,” said Villemez. Like any workout, the more you do it, the better the results. Villemez recommends getting a face workout treatment at least once per month. “It is also something you can incorporate into daily and weekly routines — there are great techniques you can do at home between appointments!” Villemez loves using tools for the best at-home results. For those dedicated and willing to splurge, she swears by the PureLift face-sculpting tool. It applies EMS (electrical muscle stimulation) to the muscles in the face, causing them to flex and contract. It releases tension, similar to a bicep curl, causing a tightening effect. But Villemez said not to worry, it’s not going to muscle-up your face, just tone and tighten. Other favorites that beauty buffs may already own are Gua Sha stones for lymphatic drainage and sculpting as well as textured rollers, ice globes and ice rollers. “You can also use your own hands. Once you know the movements, you can absolutely do it at home. It is something I teach my clients to do pretty often so they can keep up their appointments,” Villemez said. To learn more, go to hiskin.care . PRODUCT PICKS MULTI-TASKERS: A popular trend is products that can be used in several ways, like serum balms that double as treatment masks or “all-in-one products” that focus on multiple concerns like dryness, anti- aging and hyperpigmentation. “People are busy and on budgets, so it’s nice because it provides multiple benefits in one or a couple of different products instead of a 10-step routine,” Villemez said. “We are seeing a lot of brands finding ways to create products that do more than one thing.” Two products she recommends: Leland Francis Melting Balm ($38) and VENN Skincare Age Reversing All-In-One Concentrate ($84 ). ANTI-INFLAMMATORY: Spring is all about calming care. “A lot of it has to do with weather changes, dryness and mask-wearing. We are seeing irritation,” said Villemez. She said to look for products with CBD , because it’s calming, soothing and beneficial for all skin types. Vitamin E, chamomile and turmeric are also great soothing, regenerative agents. SUN CARE: Here in Arizona, we spend a ton of time outdoors in the spring, so it is essential to wear SPF daily. Villemez’s current favorite is C-Shells by Sundaze . “It has amazing skin benefits and applies like a dream,” she said. Catie Richman | CONTRIBUTING WRITER FRONTDOORS MEDIA | 19 | MAR/APR 2021