Continuing in our National Aesthetician Month highlights, we have Sierra Achterkirch from Soc Skin. Sierra Achterkirch has been an aesthetician for three years. Sierra spend most of her career working in a high-end medical spa in Houston, TX but relocated to Phoenix, AZ in 2020 to open her own education-based skincare studio. Keep reading to find out details about Sierra’s favorite COSMEDIX products as well as details about her own salon, Soc Skin!
Introducing Soc Skin
Soc Skin was created in 2020 by licensed aesthetician Sierra Achterkirch. Soc Skin is an education based salon with the tagline “Education First, Skincare Always.” Sierra’s salon offers many professional skincare services with COSMEDIX products as the primary line. Soc Skin uses COSMEDIX products in each of the treatments offered at the salon. See what Sierra has to say about Soc Skin below:
“While working closely with clients, I found that many of my clients did not feel that they truly understood why specific products, or treatments, were used or recommended. I believe that educating my clients on why I am choosing specific products, treatments, and at-home regimens, educates my clients beyond the treatment room, and is paramount to my client’s success in achieving their skin care goals.”
Favorite Retail Products
We sat down with Soc Skin owner Sierra Achterkirch and asked her for her professional opinion on her favorite COSMEDIX products that she enjoys using on clients. While she offers several COSMEDIX products and various treatments on her website, here are Sierra’s top four favorite products and why:
Harmonize Microbiome Boosting Moisturizer
Harmonize helps to hydrate an unbalanced complexion and help restore a healthy microbiome, leaving skin more balanced and smoother-looking with daily use. Formulated with an age-defying skincare blend of fruit and plant extracts, along with a skin-conditioning probiotic, this Microbiome Boosting Moisturizer helps strengthen skin’s natural moisture barrier and helps protect the complexion from environmental stressors. See why Sierra recommends Harmonize below:
“I love recommending Harmonize to my clients who are struggling with sensitivity, acne, or dehydration. This microbiome-boosting moisturizer does a beautiful job at deeply hydrating, moisturizing, and reducing texture without feeling greasy or too thick on the skin!”
Serum 16 Rapid Renewal Serum & Define Age-Defying Treatment with Hydroxy Acids & Retinol
Serum 16 features hydrators coupled with Retinol to help address signs of aging while protecting the skin's moisture barrier function, while Define is a multi-tasking Age-Defying Treatment with Hydroxy Acids & Retinol that gently exfoliates the skin to promote a smoother-looking texture by helping to reduce the appearance of fine lines, wrinkles and an uneven skin tone. See why Sierra loves this skin-loving skin care product duo below:
“A product lineup that I love from COSMEDIX is their Retinol Systems! They have provided my clientele with Retinol for each skin type along with a ladder system for stepping up strengths. Being based in Arizona, Serum 16 allows my clients with drier skin to enjoy the numerous benefits of Retinol. Define is my go-to option for all of my clients who are struggling with increased oil production or acne-prone skin use retinol as well!”
Simply Brilliant 24/7 Brightening Serum
Simply Brilliant contains 10 skin-specific brightening ingredients that help improve the look of dull, discolored and uneven skin tone. Complete with Lactic Acid and Salicylic Acid to help refine the look of skin texture and improve penetration of brightening ingredients, Simply Brilliant helps skin appear brighter and more radiant without looking blotchy. See why Sierra and her clients love Simply Brilliant below:
“While working in Arizona a lot of my clientele struggles with two primary concerns, pigmentation, and acne. Simply Brilliant has really become a little multitasker serum for us! I love that this brightening serum is Salicylic Acid based. It not only gives all the beautiful benefits of brightening and gentle exfoliation that Simply Brilliant promises, but it also helps to prevent and treat breakouts. I love recommending this Serum to my clients who are struggling with pigmentation-based scarring from acne.
Favorite Backbar Products
We asked Sierra to choose her *favorite* backbar products to use on clients and why. See what Sierra chose below!
COSMEDIX Elite includes various different cleanser options for different skin types. Each cleanser has its own specific skin-loving purpose. COSMEDIX/COSMEDIX Elite offers 3 different cleanser formulas from Gentle Clean* to Crystal Cleanse to Purity Clean to ensure that estheticians have what they need for each individual client. See why Sierra couldn’t choose just one cleanser below:
“I love giving my clients a thorough cleanse before we begin their treatments, and what better way to do that than with COSMEDIX's cleansers? These cleaners are a step up from their day-to-day routine, while still feeling familiar!”
Deep Sea Peel Stimulating Herbal Peel*
Deep Sea Peel* is a peel that uses manual exfoliation to help smooth the appearance of skin tone and dark spots and help soften the look of scarring left behind from acne. See why Sierra thinks this peel is unique below:
“After helping my clients through their acne journey, scar revision is the next step! My clients have had such wonderful results with the Deep Sea Peel*. This Herbal peel deeply resurfaces the skin and gives similar results to micro needling, and who doesn't love a good deeper peel during peel season?”
Motion Backbar Oil-Free Massage Medium
Motion helps to soothe, smooth, relax and condition the skin for a comfortable and effective massage. Motion helps to moisturize the skin without clogging pores or leaving behind a greasy-looking residue. See why Sierra enjoys Motion below:
“Even though our primary focus as Soc Skin is treating my client's concerns, it doesn't mean we can't have a little fun! I love incorporating massage into my treatments, and Motion is my favorite massage medium! This massage medium is completely oil-free, but provides the perfect slip to massage the face, neck, or décolleté!”
Favorite Treatment
Sierra chose the Custom Facial* as her favorite treatment to perform on clients. The Custom Facial* is fully customizable with COSMEDIX products and can include Dermaplane, Hydrojelly Mask, Level 1 Chemical Peel, or Nano Needling depending on what the skin needs. This facial always includes a double cleanse, analysis, exfoliation, upper body massage including the scalp, mask, and customized finishing products. See why Sierra loves the Custom Facial* below:
“Our Custom Facial* is by far my favorite treatment to perform for a couple of different reasons. The Custom Facial* is the longest and most in-depth facial that I offer to my clients. During our 2 hours together, I am able to target their concerns, help them relax with all the massage, and get to know them! We truly just have a blast during these treatments, and I am able to integrate a ton of different COSMEDIX products* during this service from masks to serums, or chemical peels* to treat my client's concerns!”
We loved getting to learn more about Sierra Achterkirch and her tips and tricks in the skin care industry! If you want to learn more about Soc Skin and Sierra Achterkirch, visit her website at https://www.socskin.com where you can see her treatments and which COSMEDIX skincare products she offers.
*COSMEDIX Elite are spa-exclusive products that use higher-level key ingredients and are only available to purchase at a professional spa. We recommend using our spa-finder tool to find a spa that sells COSMEDIX Elite products near you.
