‘I always warn ladies against toning creams’

Mrs Regina Poopola, an Ibadan, Oyo State-based skincare therapist, in this interview, reveals beauty tips for flawless skin.

 

WHAT does your job as a skin therapist entail?

I attend to clients with skin infections and pigmentations. I also lecture people on how to take care of their skin. Some people wrongly assume that the solution to their skin problems is the application of a recommended cream. Skin blemishes may be due to change in hormones. In situations like that, I ask them to determine the probable cause, which most times could be as a result of changing cream. I also advise clients on the dangers of skin toning. These days, most ladies want to have fair skin and when they come to me to recommend creams that would make them fairer overnight, I always advise them against it.  It is advisable to have a brighter skin while maintaining your natural skin tone. Most times, I would advise them to take more water and consume lots of fruits.

 

What causes acute acne?

Sometimes, it may be a result of changing hormones. As we advance in age, our hormones change as well. For such complaints, I usually ask my clients to massage their faces with fresh tomatoes mixed with honey every morning. It deeply cleanses the skin. When clients come to me for acne-free cream, sometimes I encourage them to just go home and drink a lot of water and take vitamins; it is not everything that using creams can cure.

 

How would you differentiate between using organic skincare products and chemically-produced skin care products?

Although, organic skincare products take time before showing results compared to the chemically-produced options, the truth of the matter is that the former is safer than the latter. I usually recommend herbal skincare products mixed with cocoa butter, shea butter, coconut oil and lemon oil. For ladies that want to brighten up their skin, it’s safer to use lemon oil than chemical serum. Although, serum oil brightens the body faster, natural lemon oil is safer.

 

What is your take on the craze for bleaching among women?

I don’t encourage people to bleach; it is like peeling off the first layer of the skin. When you bleach off the first layer of the skin, it would become prone to all sorts of diseases. It also results to dark knuckles and wrinkles.

 

Is your line of business financially rewarding?

It is not very lucrative because organic product ingredients such as fruits are not easy to preserve due to poor electricity supply.