Spotlight on: Lenore McIver

Each month we are shining the light on our amazing Expert Skin Therapists from all over New Zealand. You'll get to know the inside scoop on what their favourite treatments are to perform and which Dermalogica products are staples in their own skincare regimes. This month we interview Lenore McIver, Director and Senior Skin Therapist from Elizabeth Palmer Skin Care in Whanganui.

I had always known I wanted to have a career that focused on helping people- I just did not know how I was going to achieve this. At the young age of 18, I started working at Elizabeth Palmer Skin Care as a receptionist. It was here that I was introduced to Dermalogica and Beauty Therapy. Once I saw how transforming facial services were with correct and effective product, and how it could boost the morale and confidence of a client, I knew I had found my calling.

My passion is to achieve the results clients seek and to bring some joy to their day- having them leave with a smile on their face, which may not have been there when they arrived. I am hugely inspired by Dermalogica Founder and Entrepreneur, Jane Wurwand- her values of human touch and connection, paralleled with the desire to provide personalized and professional skincare and services led me to understand and aspire to what a can skin therapist can be. It encouraged me to further my knowledge and progress to becoming a Dermalogica Expert. I love what I do and over the past 21 years I have progressed from Receptionist, Beauty Therapist to now, Director of Elizabeth Palmer Skin Care.

 

Full! I live a busy life, but I do love it this way. I live in the country with my husband, three cats and two horses. My day always starts caring for them before I head off to work, It is a 25-minute drive to my work which gives me some quiet time at each end of the day. I enjoy this time as it gives me an opportunity to gather my thoughts and plan. A typical working day is from 8.30am until 8.00pm. I spend most of my day providing treatments for my clients. The core services I provide are Dermalogica Pro Skin 30, 50 & 60 with Pro Skin 50 being the most popular. I also specialize in Micro-Needling, Micro-Dermabrasion and Electrolysis. I ideally try and allow an hour for admin and eat lunch on the run. In between playing piano for church and training my dressage horse for competitions, the challenge is always trying to find that healthy work/home life balance!

 

Pro Skin 50 is a favourite of mine! I love it because it allows enough time for me to thoroughly address the skin along with providing some relaxing downtime for my client. So much can be achieved in 50 minutes! An example of the type of facial I love to do is: PreCleanse, followed by a power-cleanse and exfoliant combination with BT Sonic, extractions, infusion of a serum with BT Micro, pressure-point lymph drainage facial massage, masque/s, neck & shoulder massage, tone, targeted serum, eye cream, moisturiser and sun protection.

 

PreCleanse- The first step to healthy skin is to ensure it is thoroughly cleansed. Everyone’s regime needs this product! PreCleanse Oil delivers an unparalleled deep cleanse to thoroughly melt layers of excess sebum (oil), sunscreen, waterproof make-up, environmental pollutants and residual products that build-up on the skin throughout the day. PreCleanse Oil also fortifies the skin and supports the skin lipids. I personally love the replenishing feel of the Apricot and KuKui Oil extracts on my skin when using Precleanse Oil.

Dynamic Skin Recovery SPF50- Sun protection is always in my top 3 as we know UV exposure is a top contributing factor to aging and hyper-pigmentation in the skin. This Broad Spectrum, medium-weight moisturiser helps minimize the appearance of existing aging whilst fighting further degradation from both UV and tree radicals. Antioxidant rich, White Tea, rich in polyphenols and polypeptides help improve the appearance of photoaged skin.

When I compete at Dressage Champs, Dynamic Skin Recovery SPF50 really delivers as I am often out from dawn till dusk and this product makes such a difference in providing long-lasting hydration and critical protection against the UV light – this product is a personal favourite.

MultiVitamin Power Firm- I think it is fair to say, most of us do engage in eye contact when we communicate with one other, and we are naturally drawn to the beauty that everyone’s eyes behold… yet, we know that the delicate structure of the skin supporting our eyes often shows pre-mature aging faster than the rest of the skin on our face. I am always a firm believer that prevention is better than trying to cure…, so this product is a must-have on my list.

MultiVitamin Power Firm is a powerful firming complex that helps combat lines around the eyes. Antioxidant rich vitamins C & E help improve skin resilience and scavenge free radicals whilst acting as a protective barrier. Corallina Officinalis Extract (red sea algae) aids in flash firming. This product is so popular with our clients for its visible smoothing effect.

 

My Dermalogica moment goes back quite some time ago! It was around 2001, not long after Dermalogica had launched the UltraCalming line. I had only been performing facials for about 6 months when I had a client come in and have a 30-minute facial with me. Unfortunately, the products I had chosen to use overwhelmed this client’s skin and she experienced an inflamed, dry and slightly peeling skin. I remember as a young therapist, feeling really devastated that I had achieved the total opposite of what I had intended for this client, her skin was a fine, dry and sensitive skin. Once I had been to the launch of the Ultra Calming line a few months later, I suggested to her a Dermalogica Ultra-Calming Facial as I was convinced we now had a product line that could help achieve her skin goals - thankfully my client accepted and it was the start of an incredible Skin Health journey. This client is still having treatment with me nearly 20 years down the track and her skin these days absolutely glows with hydration and the overall integrity has come such a long way. She is now using concentrated, high performance products like Dermalogica Super Rich Repair and loves how her skin feels. It gives me so much joy to know she is regularly complimented on how youthful she looks.

This was a massive moment in my learning as a skin therapist- to never give up and to know that with the support of an ever-developing Dermalogica skin care line alongside advanced, educational support from Dermalogica, we can achieve the results our clients seek!