Many of us, myself included, have a drawer full of foundations we never use. We are constantly on the search for that magic potion that will hide our flaws. We will pay upwards of $50 or more sometimes for a product that promises to cover our discoloration, hide dark circles, mask our pores and erase acne.

Usually these claims are exaggerated and that elusive perfect product is still out of reach. That foundation we thought was amazing yesterday ends up in the drawer tomorrow. We fall for another “holy grail” product only to discover that it too isn’t quite enough to give us that perfect airbrushed skin we seek.

So, let me tell you a secret I’ve learned working in the industry. Those models for all those foundation ads that make us yearn to be like them, to buy the product and have perfect skin? They don’t have perfect skin. I’ve yet to encounter a model or client that doesn’t have a single thing they would like to change about their skin. We all have flaws or at least things we perceive as flaws.

So, what can we do then? We still want to have beautiful skin and we still want to cover those flaws. I’m going to put on my esthetician hat now and tell you that those foundations? Those products we hold so dear and spend so much on? A lot of them are hurting your skin rather than helping it. They clog pores, causing more issues than you began with.

The single best thing you can do for your skin is take care of it. Seek the help of qualified esthetician. These licensed professionals know a great deal more about healthy skin and how to achieve it than sales associates in popular chain stores. You need someone trained to look at your skin and determine what it needs. I’ll tell you another secret – it is not the hot new cleanser in the drugstore that is advertised on TV. It is not that overpriced cream hyped up at the department store. These products are usually full of fillers and very little of the good stuff – the active ingredients that can promote change in your skin’s condition. They may even do more harm than good to your skin.

Licensed estheticians have access to quality professional skin care that contains all the good stuff your skin needs. They can help you find products that will work for your skin. Those flaws you hate so much can be corrected or diminished with the help of a good esthetician.

Get a facial. Many of us think facials are just a nice relaxing treat for ourselves. It’s a fun outing with the girls. Not many of us view it as an essential part of our self-care routine. It should be. We spend billions of dollars annually on anti-aging products. A monthly facial with a licensed professional is a smarter way to spend your money than to blindly buy what the sales associate tells us we need. Or what the TV commercial promises will solve all our problems. Your esthetician can help you navigate products and ingredients, and can help you with in office treatments to speed up your results.

They can also provide you with a bit of a reality check. No, we will never look like we did in our twenties no matter what that advertisement says. But we can look better, younger and healthier with the right skin care and treatments.

I promise you that if you start taking care of your skin with high quality products and the advice of a licensed skin care professional your skin will thank you and that drawer full of foundations? It will be a thing of the past. When we work to correct the underlying problems of our skin makeup just looks better. It will be easier to find makeup products that we like when we are not simply trying to cover up our face but rather to enhance our natural beauty. I promise you – invest in your skin. It will be the best thing you’ve ever done for your makeup routine.