Had a client in my chair go bright red from a new vitamin C serum

She came in for a basic facial at my place in Tacoma last month, and I noticed her skin looked really warm and tight. She mentioned she'd just started using a 20% serum from a brand she bought online. I stopped everything, used a cool compress, and applied a plain aloe gel I keep on hand. It calmed down after about twenty minutes, but it was a close call. Has anyone else had to deal with a bad reaction to a client's at-home product right before a service?

3 comments

3 Comments

the_elizabeth4d ago

Totally get it! I had a client show up with a terrible rash from a DIY coffee scrub right before her waxing appointment. She mixed it with some essential oils that just wrecked her skin barrier. I had to reschedule her and send her home with a sample of the most basic moisturizer I carry. It's so scary when people use strong stuff without a patch test first. You handled that perfectly with the cool compress and aloe.

pat_fisher244d ago

My friend did that with lemon juice once, @the_elizabeth, and it was a mess.

tara7934d ago

Oh man, lemon juice is no joke! It's so acidic it can basically give you a chemical burn, especially if you go out in the sun after. A cool compress was the right move. Honestly, for a bad reaction like that, a simple layer of petroleum jelly over the aloe can really help lock in moisture while the skin heals. It's boring but it works.