KNOXVILLE, Tennessee — The beauty industry is worth tens of billions of dollars.
And a lot of people are always looking for the hot new thing.
In our 10 Skincare series, we look into which trends are worth it.
The go-to items, according to our experts:
Retin-A
"If I had to pick one [product] for all skin, I would say Retin-A," Laura Price, an aesthetician with the Skin Wellness Center, said. "I think everyone has concerns with texture, acne, anti-aging, pigment. If you're doing treatments and you're not on something that's helping stimulate that turnover of skin cells, you're kind of missing the boat."
A good skincare regimen with three key components
"We have a basic skincare package that we recommend pretty much to every patient 25 and older that contains a good zinc oxide sunscreen, a topical form of Vitamin A, so Retin-A or Retinol, and a topical growth factor," Dr. Jason Hall, a plastic surgeon, said.
But there are other methods out there, too. So we gave some of them a try to see what worked, and what didn't.
The Hydrafacial:
The Hydrafacial promises to cleanse and peel, extract and hydrate, fuse and protect. Three steps, 30 minutes, the best skin of your life. So, does it deliver?
Our executive producer is a skincare connoisseur and was excited to try it.
"I have a big passion for skincare. I follow the K-beauty 10-step routine with serums, essences, sheet masks and a double cleanse. I'm always looking for something that will give me glass skin, like that Instagram filter look," Rebecca Franklin said.
We followed her on her appointment at the Skin Wellness Center.
"It's the hot thing," Price said. "It's second to Botox in the cosmetic world. Hopefully going to pass Botox. Something anybody can do, all skin types, all ages, acne-prone skin, more mature skin, dry skin, oily skin. There's not one person who wouldn't benefit from a Hydrafacial."
The process is quick and easy. But it will cost you.
"Your basic signature Hydrafacial, which is what we do the most of, is $150," Price explained. "We do have some additional specialty vials for pigment, fine lines, collagen production from $50 to $75, and we have LED light therapy--red for inflammation, collagen; blue for acne to help kill the bacteria-- probably a $50 to $60 add-on."
So what did Franklin think?
"Immediately after, I was all in. It made me so glowy. I think it's great for a red carpet event, prom, a wedding," she explained. "As for the long term, I'm not sure. I think I need to try a few Hydrafacials to see if it works for me."
Natural, non-toxic skincare:
Many people don't just care about how their skin looks, but also about what they're putting on it to make it look a certain way, whether it's makeup or skincare.
So we went to a new clean beauty boutique in Knoxville to find out more about natural skincare.
Everything from face crystals to a beauty powder that you drink to serums and masks galore can be found at the The Beauty MRKT, and everything there is all-natural and free of toxins.
"A lot of things that people use that have sulfates and things like that in them strip your skin of its natural oils and our pH levels, so it makes your skin produce more oil," Kelli Derieux, the owner of The Beauty MRKT, said.
All of the products at the shop have a botanical base. According to Forbes, skincare from the earth is one of the fastest growing categories in the industry, and Derieux says there is a reason why.
"The EU bans 1300 ingredients from skin products, and the U.S. only bans 38," she said.
We sent our morning editor Drew LaFasto in to give it a shot. She struggles with adult acne and is always in search of the hot new thing.
She got her makeup done as well, and said her favorite part was the cream blush.
All of us were really curious about the products from The Beauty Chef the shop carries.
"Their whole philosophy is that beauty begins in the gut," Derieux explained.
She said she drinks the Glow Powder every morning, and it cleared her face of acne in just a few months.
Derieux said she hopes all-natural skincare is a trend that sticks around.
"I think it will lay the pipeline for all beauty products to disclose what ingredients they use in their formulations," Derieux said.
Preventative Botox:
Botox has been around for a while now, but those getting Botox are getting it younger and younger now, with many starting regimens in their 20s.
Aging is not for the weak, and many are trying to prevent those deep lines before they set in with the hot new thing: preventative Botox.
"We definitely have seen an increase in the 20- and 30-year-old patients that are coming in for Botox," said Dr. Jason Hall, a plastic surgeon. "Typically those patients don't need a whole lot, and they are looking for specific areas to treat."
So is there a way to truly prevent the natural signs of aging?
"One of the things that causes those lines is movement. It's smiling, raising your eyebrows," Dr. Hall explained. "Botox to help soften some of that muscle activity over time is thought to be helpful and makes logical sense."
Amanda Hall is Dr. Hall's wife and also the office manager at their practice. She started Botox about 10 years ago.
"It wasn't something a lot of younger people were getting at the time," she said.
She explained, though, that she has absolutely seen the benefits and is glad she started early.
"There's a way to do Botox where you still look natural, and you don't look like a frozen caricature of yourself," Dr. Hall said.
The cost of preventative Botox for someone in their 20s or early 30s starts around $200. You can't get Botox if you are nursing or pregnant or if you have certain medical conditions. Make sure you are seeing a licensed provider who knows the risks.
Microneedling with PRP:
Now to a luxe facial sometimes called the "Vampire Facial."
Dr. Jason Hall does a version of this called 'Microneedling with PRP,' and we got to sit in on the procedure.
My mom, Cree Ham, is fabulous at 62, and she let us tag along as she had the intense facial treatment.
"One of my daughter's friends had talked about it and said her mother did it, and she looked amazing, so I wanted to do it," Cree explained to us.
The treatment is supposed to get amazing results
"It helps tighten the skin; helps to improve the overall tone and texture of the skin, shrink the large pores," Dr. Hall said.
It's quite an interesting, and intense, process.
"We are using some very small needles to create channels in the skin that stimulate your body to grow its own collagen," Dr. Hall explained.
Cree said it didn't really hurt that much.
"Just a little sting on my eyebrows a little, but it was fine."
And then comes the vampire part.
"The blood is drawn- it's a very small amount of blood," Dr. Hall said. "It's put into a centrifuge that separates the platelets and plasma."
The blood is then discarded and the plasma is applied to the face. That's the part that takes this facial to the next level with anti-aging benefits.
"This has become very popular in the last year or so," Dr. Hall explained.
He said they do this treatment every day at his clinic.
"It's an office procedure that is relatively painless and gives great results," Dr. Hall said.
Cree loved it! She said her skin is definitely tighter and brighter after getting the procedure done.
Dr. Hall says they see the best results when a patient gets three of the facials.
Packages for the treatment start around $2400.