JoAnn M. Romeo Aesthetics

There is a quiet rhythm to the work of an aesthetician. Day after day, we focus on restoration—smoothing fine lines, soothing inflammation, and caring for the canvas people present to the world. We treat the surface, but anyone in this field knows skin deep is just the beginning. Real transformation happens from the inside out. I learned that truth not through a textbook or a certification, but through my own body. Over the past few years, life required me to stop simply practicing restoration and actually live it. The Battle You Don't Plan For When I received my breast cancer diagnosis, the world slowed to a stark, terrifying crawl. Cancer strip away control; it demands everything you have and offers zero guarantees in return. In the middle of treatments, surgeries, and endless uncertainty, my identity as a caregiver and skin health expert felt distant. I was no longer the one bringing comfort—I was the one fighting to survive. Surviving cancer changes your baseline. It leaves phy...

Dermaplaning is a precise and highly effective superficial exfoliation. It relies on the simplest of tools but the most artful of skill to deeply scrape and exfoliate away the top layers of inert skin. This low-tech treatment yields the highest dividends in skin toning, clarifying and re-texturizing and is ideally suited for all ages and skin types. Dermaplaning also removes hair from the treated areas leaving behind a smooth, beautiful face free from embarrassing and unwanted hair. Dermaplaning does not remove the root of facial hair, but instead removes the hair that sits above the epidermis. Dermaplaning is designed to work effectively with the vellus hairs found on your face and hair does not appear thicker or darker as it grows back in.

Facials are often seen as an unnecessary or ineffective, beauty ritual out there, the treatments are rarely thought of as part of a healthy skincare routine. But regularly seeing an Aesthetician should be thought of as an essential part of any healthy skin regimen.

As many of you have noticed, I have had a small hiatus from blogging. It is not because I don't want to blog, but it is just I have not had much time over the recent weeks/months. A lot of factors in my personal life have come between me and the blog. So, I'm here to fill you in on what has been going on since you last heard from me.

Forget about tanning beds, bleaching, and heavy makeup. Learn to love the natural skin by following these tips, by treating it right every day. STOP THE TANNING BEDS Learn to love the skin you are in - no matter how light it may be. Even the palest skin can be beautiful. Tanning beds lead to premature aging, wrinkles, and even skin cancer. DON'T LIGHTEN UP On the flip side, some women with dark complexions feel the need to try to lighten their skin. Beautiful skin comes in every shade. Embrace the skin color with which you were blessed.

Are you sick of going to the skin care aisle to pick up skin care product, only to find out when you get home and start using it, that it is not the right one for you? You are not alone, there are many others out there like you who have a closet full of skin care products that they are no longer using, or cannot use. First of all, if those products have been in your closet for more than a year, you should throw them out, especially if they have been opened. If they have not been opened, donate them to a shelter, you can write it off as a donation on your taxes.

Last week spoke of choosing the right sunscreen, well what about a moisturizer? I get that questions a lot, what is the best moisturizer for my skin? What I like to do when I get asked this questions, especially when I am in my studio, I ask if I can analyze them under my skin analysis machine. If they are wearing makeup and a sunscreen, I will have them wash it off to get an accurate reading, and then analyze them. But if they ask me while I am out and overhear someone in the skincare aisle looking for a moisturizer or even a skincare system. I will first ask if I can ask them a few questions, and let them know that I am a skin therapist and may be able to help them choose. I will then let them know that I can get a more accurate ready if they come in to my studio to do an analysis and choose the best skincare and moisturizer for them.

FOUNDATION: So if BB and CC creams provide some decent coverage and even skincare benefits, is this the end of traditional foundation as we know it? I don’t think so. Traditional foundations can be custom mixed, and this highlights probably the most important difference between all these BB, CC, DD creams, and tinted moisturizers usually come in only a few shades. Foundations come in dozens of shades, ensuring a more exact skin match. Personally, these creams are kind of like a shampoo and conditioner all-in-one, it does not give the exact finish you want. Some makeup artists like to use some BB and CC creams as primers, then put on the foundation. BB, CC, and DD creams can be convenient products for people looking for the all-in-one sun protection, hydration, and complexion camouflage, but the reality is that there is nothing particularly revolutionary or special about them. Most Western-style BB creams are tinted moisturizers, and most CC creams are lightweight foundation...

CC CREAMS: The difference between BB and CC creams are subtle. CC generally stands for “color correcting” and the products are meant to address issues like redness or sallowness (usually with light-diffusing particles), where BB creams are like lighter foundation with a few skin care benefits thrown in. CC creams are a variation on the BB cream to separate their products from the glut of options out there. CC creams generally provide more coverage than BB creams but not always, and are pitched as being formulas that can cover flaws as well as provide skin benefits, but they don’t always do that. CC creams are more of a whipped, light, fluffy feel and finish, kind of a new and improved BB cream. Where BB and CC creams get most confusing is the benefits and coverage, which vary greatly between different brands. You would have to be diligent in reading the ingredients and most importantly, trying them out to figure which is best for your of what you want to do. Truth, is a g...

BB CREAMS: BB creams were originally developed in Germany and used for skin care following a cosmetic surgical procedure. “BB” stood for “Blemish Balm” (blemish referring to any skin imperfection, not just breakouts). They caught on big in Korea, and then became a must-have beauty product in most of East Asia, therefore they are known to be an Asian important. They have become super popular in the last 2 years here in the US.  When these products hit the US market, they were renamed as Beauty Balms. Regardless of the country, the main selling point of BB creams is that they provide some amount of coverage similar to a sheer foundation along with some extra perks. Therefore they are lighter than a foundation but heavier than a tinted moisturizer. What are these extra perks? They are sun protections, skin lightening, and anti-aging ingredients. An all-in-one product for daytime. While the additives in the BB creams can have the same efficiency as they would in stand-alone...

If you've been reading and seeing while shopping for cosmetics lately, you are seeing a new group of products referred to as BB, CC, or DD creams, which is a genuine alphabet soup or a lot like shopping for bras. But what do they all (supposedly) do? What’s the difference between them? And most importantly: which should you use? These among other questions, have been brought to me as a skin therapist in my treatment room. These flesh colored fluids are just another formulation that have joined the tinted moisturizers and standard foundations on the shelves as potential skin-perfecting options. These are new products, all with enticing claims. These creams are supposed to do everything from fading dark spots and healing breakouts to fighting wrinkles, lightening dark circles, and brightening skin tone. Who wouldn't be intrigued with these particulars? Truth be told, there is not a ton of differences between the various skin cream acronyms, but we can have a favorite in...

Just like women, men need to take care of their skin also, so they look good for those prom pictures and more importantly, their wedding pictures. Men, your partner has taken a lot of care in making sure that they will look great for that special day, why don't you do the same? Don't know where to start? This article is a great place to start to learn. Men and women are biologically different and therefore need special care. For men to look as successful as they feel, they need to use products that are designed for their specials skin care needs. So what does that mean? Men's skin has several unique characteristics, one is due to higher levels of androgen hormone (testosterone) men's skin on average will be more oily and shiny, due to their sebaceous glands are more active. Because men produce more oil from within, it can also be dry on the surface. Therefore they tend to have lower levels of natural moisture, causing their skin to be more prone to dryness. E...

Changes in the weather and season can change the way your skin in reacting. Spring and Fall is the perfect time to reassess your beauty routine accordingly to adapt to the constant developing needs of your skin. Adapting in order to deal with the shifts in climate, sun levels and exposure to external attackers, simple beauty tricks and changes can also work wonders. Making sure you these essentials in your routine, is vital. 1.     Always use an SPF To give yourself some protection again UVA and UVB rays as the sun gathers strength into the summer months. SPF is essential to protect skin against sun damage and premature aging. Remember that it’s UVA rays that are present all year and they are the “A”ging rays. 2.     Start Taking Supplements Make sure to increase hydration levels by using a moisturizer high in humectants, such as Hyluronic Acid and rich in Omega oils, to keep your skin from looking dry and flaky and feeling tight after the h...

While your travel plans are coming together and spring break fast approaching, here are some skin care tips to keep in mind. Before you fly, cleanser your face with a soothing cleanser that does not contain harsh drying ingredients of glycolic, alcohol, or benzoyl peroxide. Tone your skin with a soothing toner to prep for your hydrating serums. Flying in recycled air and higher elevations levels, you need to increase epidermal hydration to reduce the drying effect. So, to look your best when you land at your destination, follow these steps. Then apply your makeup after you have landed to prevent it from further drying your skin during your flight. If you feel that your skin in drying during flight, carry a hydration spray with you to prevent your skin from drying out and from instant skin comfort. While packing for your travel destination, think about what type of climate you are heading to. For the ski vacation pack, hydrating products are essential for the cold weather, ...

Your skin is the most accurate indicator of what is happening inside of you. If you are taking good care of yourself both physically and emotionally, you will have great healthy looking skin. What you do today, matters, both internally and externally, but more importantly. You can look great at any age, when you take care of your health, as well as have a good skincare routine. Not only having a healthy lifestyle and a good skincare routine helps in you in great looking skin, but so does genetics. Therefore you can thank either thank your mom or dad of good or bad skin, as well as sensitivities and allergies to products, and hormonal changes and your metabolic process can be thanked by genetics, and contribute to your skins health and aging. You can have the healthiest of lifestyle, the best skincare routine, and the best genetics, but if you are not protecting your skin from the elements of environment, you can also cause your skin to show signs of aging. When can you s...