Microneedling Boosters Explained: Retinol, Acids, and Customized Treatment
Enhancing Your Skin with Boosters
Professional Facial Boosters: Turning a Facial Into a More Results-Focused Treatment
A facial can be relaxing, restorative, and supportive of healthy-looking skin. But when you want to focus more intentionally on a specific skin concern, a professional booster gives Kori another way to customize your treatment.
The Quick Answer
What Is a Professional Facial Booster?
At Athame Aesthetics in Murray, Utah, a professional booster can be added to your facial when you want the treatment to place greater emphasis on a specific cosmetic concern.
Athame currently offers three professional IMAGE Skincare I ENHANCE facial enhancer options: Kojic Acid, Plant Stem Cell, and Retinol.
You can request the booster upgrade. Kori determines which booster is appropriate for your skin.
What Changes When You Add a Booster?
A booster does not turn a basic facial into a completely different service. It changes the focus of the treatment.
A customized facial can emphasize cleansing, hydration, exfoliation, relaxation, and maintenance. Adding a professional booster allows Kori to place greater emphasis on concerns such as uneven-looking pigmentation, visible photoaging, texture, congestion, or another appropriate cosmetic goal.
Pampering + Skin Maintenance
A traditional customized facial can focus on cleansing, hydration, exfoliation, relaxation, skin maintenance, and helping your complexion feel refreshed and cared for.
More Targeted + Results-Focused
Adding a professional booster allows Kori to give the facial a more specific cosmetic objective while still preserving the personalized experience of a professional facial.
Professional Treatment Options
Three Boosters. Three Different Treatment Tools.
Athame Aesthetics uses three professional facial enhancers from IMAGE Skincare’s I ENHANCE line. They are not good, better, and best options. Each serves a different purpose.
I ENHANCE Kojic Acid Facial Enhancer
Kojic acid is commonly used in skincare intended to address the appearance of uneven pigmentation and uneven-looking skin tone.
Kori may consider this booster when visible discoloration, dullness, or uneven-looking tone is an important treatment goal and your skin is appropriate for the treatment.
I ENHANCE Plant Stem Cell Facial Enhancer
This professional enhancer gives Kori another option when a smoothing, refining, and rejuvenating treatment approach better matches the client’s skin condition and goals.
Plant-derived ingredients used in cosmetic skincare should not be confused with human stem-cell procedures or medical regenerative treatments.
I ENHANCE Retinol Facial Enhancer
Retinol belongs to the vitamin-A family of retinoids and may be considered when concerns such as visible photoaging, uneven texture, pigmentation, or congestion align with the client’s skin condition.
Because retinoids can also contribute to dryness or irritation, this booster is selected case by case rather than automatically added to every anti-aging facial.
The Athame Difference
You Request the Upgrade. Kori Selects the Treatment Strategy.
You are encouraged to tell Kori what concerns you, what ingredients interest you, and what you want to improve. But professional skincare should be selected according to the condition of the skin—not according to which ingredient sounds strongest or happens to be popular online.
Before selecting a booster, Kori considers:
- Your primary skin concerns and desired results
- What your skin looks and feels like at the appointment
- Skin sensitivity and barrier condition
- Visible pigmentation and uneven tone
- Texture, congestion, and visible photoaging
- Products and active ingredients you currently use
- Recent facials, chemical peels, or other professional treatments
- Your previous experience with retinoids and acids
Sometimes the Right Answer Is No Booster Today
Truly customized skincare also means recognizing when your skin would benefit more from hydration, barrier support, a different treatment, or simply less stimulation. A booster is an option—not a requirement.
More Targeted Does Not Necessarily Mean More Aggressive
The purpose of adding a professional booster is not to irritate the skin simply to prove that something happened.
Redness, peeling, tingling, or discomfort should not be treated as a scoreboard for whether a facial was effective.
What You May Notice After a Facial
Depending on the treatment and your skin, a professional facial may help your complexion appear refreshed, hydrated, smoother, or more radiant. A selected booster can give the facial a more specific cosmetic focus.
What Usually Takes More Time
Persistent pigmentation, acne, deeper textural concerns, and visible photoaging often require a longer-term strategy rather than one appointment.
Professional skincare works best as a strategy—not as a race to use the strongest ingredient possible.
Already Using Retinol, Acids, or Prescription Skincare?
Tell Kori before your facial.
This is particularly important if you use products such as retinol, retinal, adapalene, tretinoin, prescription acne treatments, glycolic acid, salicylic acid, or other strong active ingredients.
More active ingredients do not automatically mean better results.
Your existing skincare routine can influence which professional ingredients should—or should not—be incorporated into your facial.
Understanding Your Options
Booster-Enhanced Facial vs. Chemical Peel
Both can be results-focused treatments, but they are not the same.
Customized Within the Facial
A professional booster gives Kori another way to enhance and customize the facial around a particular concern while preserving the overall facial experience.
Controlled Chemical Exfoliation
A chemical peel uses a controlled chemical exfoliation protocol and may be more appropriate when your skin and goals call for a different type of corrective treatment.
Depending on what you want to improve, Kori may recommend a customized facial, a booster-enhanced facial, a chemical peel, microneedling, or a longer-term combination of treatments.
Common Questions About Professional Facial Boosters
Can I request a professional facial booster?
Yes. You can request the booster add-on when you want your facial to focus more heavily on targeted cosmetic results. Kori then evaluates your skin and determines which booster, if any, is appropriate.
Is retinol the strongest or best booster?
No. Retinol is one professional option, not the default or superior option. Kojic acid, plant stem cell, and retinol enhancers serve different purposes.
Can a booster facial still be relaxing?
Yes. Adding a booster changes the treatment strategy. It does not mean you have to give up the personalized and relaxing experience of a professional facial.
Can I tell Kori which booster interests me?
Absolutely. If you have been researching kojic acid, plant stem cell skincare, or retinol, bring those questions with you. Your interest starts the conversation while your skin helps determine the final choice.
Do I need a booster every time I get a facial?
No. Some appointments may be better focused on hydration, maintenance, relaxation, or barrier support. A booster is an optional treatment upgrade rather than a requirement.
Should You Add a Professional Booster to Your Facial?
If what you want most is relaxation, skin maintenance, hydration, and a refreshed complexion, you may not need a booster at all.
If you want your facial to move in a more targeted, results-focused direction, ask Kori about adding a professional I ENHANCE booster.
Which booster is used depends on your skin, your goals, and what Kori sees during your appointment.
Customized Means Customized
You Choose Whether You Want to Upgrade Your Facial. Kori Determines How That Upgrade Should Be Used.
A customized facial isn’t about using every active ingredient available. It’s about knowing what your skin needs today.
Looking for a More Customized Facial in Utah?
Tell Kori what you want to improve, what products you currently use at home, and whether you would like your facial to take a more results-focused direction.
If a professional booster is appropriate, Kori can determine whether the Kojic Acid, Plant Stem Cell, or Retinol Facial Enhancer makes the most sense for your skin.
