Multi-award-winning beauty expert and skincare formulator Georgina Tang on the one preparation step that makes all the difference.
Dermaplaning deserves its place on the professional beauty menu. Clients love it as it gives immediate results, needs no downtime, and gives a finish that makes makeup sit like nothing else.
For salons it’s a reliable, repeatable treatment that keeps clients coming back every three to four weeks.
For anyone new to offering it: dermaplaning is a non-surgical, non-invasive exfoliation treatment using a sterile surgical scalpel to remove the top layer of dead skin cells and vellus hair – the fine, downy peach fuzz on the face.
But it’s not facial shaving, whatever the internet suggests. The angle, the technique and the precision required are entirely different. Done correctly, it leaves the complexion immediately smoother, more radiant and far better prepared to absorb whatever is applied afterwards – which is why I always pair it with a high-quality serum.
The benefits are well established – fine lines and acne scars are softened, and vellus hair that traps oil and debris is removed, reducing congestion and breakouts. Dull, uneven skin sees an immediate lift in luminosity lasting up to four weeks.
But after years of formulating skincare and working alongside therapists, I believe the detail that most consistently separates a good result from a great one comes down to one step – and it happens before the blade touches the skin.
Before any dermaplaning treatment, the face must be thoroughly cleansed; this is non-negotiable. I advise using a non-alcohol-based cleanser – alcohol dehydrates the skin, and dehydrated skin has far less resilience to a blade.
But here is what I find is regularly missed: even a thorough, gentle cleanse leaves the skin drier than normal. The skin’s natural oils have been removed. That is exactly what you need for a clean working surface, but it also means the skin is now more vulnerable, with less of its own lubrication to help the scalpel glide, which could lead to accidents.
Without adequate slip, the blade drags rather than skims. Experienced therapists compensate through technique. But for trainees approaching this treatment for the first time, it is a real source of anxiety – and rightly so, because a blade that catches causes discomfort and micro-trauma.
The instinctive answer is to reach for a facial oil; however, I would steer well clear of this. Oils such as coconut, olive, wheat germ and palm can clog pores – the opposite of what dermaplaning is trying to achieve. They also create too much slip, which makes precision difficult. The blade needs to glide, not slide.
The answer is a shea butter balm. This gives exactly the right level of glide without over-slicking the surface. It melts on contact, creating a smooth working layer that lets the blade skim cleanly at 45 degrees without clogging pores. But the benefit goes beyond slip.
Shea butter is rich in fatty acids and vitamins A, E and F. It hydrates, softens and protects the skin barrier. Its anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties mean it is actively working during the treatment, not just sitting on the surface.
For trainees, knowing the preparation product is protecting the client’s skin as well as enabling the technique makes a real difference to confidence – and a confident therapist delivers a better result.
My YNNY Soothing Shea Butter was formulated with this treatment specifically in mind. The key ingredient alongside shea is calendula oil, derived from marigold flower and well established in professional skincare for its anti-inflammatory, antimicrobial and soothing properties.
Calendula promotes skin healing and boosts collagen production, which means the preparation product is actively enhancing the outcome, not just facilitating it. Dermaplaning causes temporary redness for many clients – using a product that reduces that inflammation from the start shortens recovery time and raises the quality of the result.
Post-dermaplaning skin is freshly exfoliated and highly receptive to actives. Apply the best serum available at this point. I use my Elixir – an oil-based, naturally tinted organic serum that delivers a high concentration of actives directly into newly cleared skin with a light, natural finish. Skip heavy creams immediately after treatment.
Using SPF 50+ in the days that follow is not optional. Freshly dermaplaned skin is more sensitive to UV, and without protection the results will be undermined quickly. I tell every client the same thing: the aftercare is part of the treatment.
Get the preparation right, and dermaplaning is one of the most satisfying treatments to deliver. The results are immediate, the process is efficient, and the client leaves glowing. That one step before the blade moves makes all the difference.
YNNY’s Soothing Shea Butter and Elixir serum are available for white label salon use at www.ynny.co.uk
