Esthetician Spotlight: February

Your approach to skincare is all about creating rituals rather than just routines. Can you share the importance of turning a beauty regime into a mindful ritual?  

When you turn your beauty regime into a ritual you simply put intention behind it. It gives you the space to slow down and become present and reconnect to your body. When we turn our beauty regime into a beauty ritual, you become mindful and intentional with every serum and product you layer on the skin. During my beauty rituals, I like to give myself loving affirmations. A Ritual can be as simple as cleansing the skin with luxurious oil, sipping tea, or laying under the Full Moon as long as it’s done with intention.  

The Sculptural Facial + Buccal Massage is a standout treatment at your studio. Can you explain how this technique works and what makes it so unique in rejuvenating the skin and energy?  

A deeply transformative experience, our Sculptural Facial + Buccal Massage is our highly coveted and signature treatment. We integrate technical and intuitive massage movements to improve tissue circulation, move facial lymph fluid, and contour the face. The techniques we practice lift, tone, and strengthen facial muscles; re-aligning overall facial posture. One technique being Buccal Massage, which focuses on contouring the cheeks and jowls from the inside of the mouth. This treatment stimulates the muscles, ligaments, and lymph nodes in the buccal fat pad to decongest and destress. To effectively relieve stored emotional muscle tension, this massage extends to the neck, shoulders, and clavicle area.  

You emphasize using plants, oils, and facial massage for healing the skin. What are some of your favorite ingredients, and how do they contribute to skin health?  

Once I studied ingredients and how they impact the health of skin and the facial microbiome, I turned to nature. Some of my favorite ingredients are manuka honey — it’s antimicrobial which is amazing for treating acne, dermatitis, and eczema. I love pomegranate and carrot seed oil. These oils are packed full of rich antioxidants that heal free radical damage that shows up on the skin. I love to use these oils to cleanse my skin. 

How does your studio blend the principles of nature and beauty, and how do you incorporate the elements into your treatments?  

I love this question. Well to start, both studios are tucked away in Nature. Our Topanga Canyon studio is nestled around oak trees and wild wisteria grows up the balcony. Our Kauai studio is tucked away on an exotic lush green island. So both spas are already beaming with the energy of nature. I designed the spaces with my partner with the intention of bringing the outside inside. Weaving in elements of wood, stone, and clay. The walls are painted with a natural Clay — the skincare products on the shelves are all natural and filled with amazing ingredients. Everything in each space is a reflection of nature. The treatments we offer in the spa interweave healing touch through facial massage combined with ancient beauty rituals like Gua Sha, Facial Cupping, Herbal Compresses and reflexology.  

Your studio emphasizes the importance of simplifying skincare products. What advice would you give estheticians who are looking to guide their clients toward a minimalistic yet effective skincare routine?  

Remind your client that the skin is simple. It’s a direct reflection of our internal health. Remind your client to Nourish the mind, body and skin with healing foods, meditation and natural skincare. When it comes to simplifying the skin routine, introduce your client to oil cleansing. It’s an amazing way to reset and balance the skin’s micro biome. I love to layer with a hydrosol and then mix that hydrosol with a beautiful rich oil. Oil and water blend together and make an amazing combination to hydrate the skin.  

With the growing popularity of non-invasive treatments, how does the Sculpting Facial Massage and other manual techniques offer an alternative to more traditional approaches like injectables or lasers?  

This treatment stimulates the muscles through specific massage techniques. Facial Massage tones and plumps the muscles and oxygenates the skin from within. This increases the production of collagen and elastin in the skin. Think of it as a work out for the facial muscles. Stimulating them through specific massage techniques keeps the skin plump and can produce similar results to facial fillers.  

As a professional who specializes in healing skin from the inside out, how do you approach educating clients about the connection between lifestyle, stress, and skin health?  

I remind my clients that the skin is a direct reflection of their internal and mental health. When we are stressed, our body produces more cortisol. This can cause a disruption in the body and often shows up as breakouts on the skin. I believe the body is the most intelligent system we know, and when skin conditions show up on the face, it’s your body’s way to visually communicate to you that something is out of balance. This is why I love the Sculptural Facial + Buccal Massage, because it begins to make that connection for clients drawing their awareness to the connection between mind and body. When clients receive the sculptural and buccal massage, they experience deep relaxation. This relaxation is both mental and physical. Not only are we releasing tension of the physical body, but we are releasing emotional tension that has been stored in the facial muscles —specifically the jaw. When clients are open and ready to release the emotional tension, that is when clients experience the most transformative breakthroughs. What I love so much about this treatment is that it brings awareness to the client, and through that awareness they are then able to release and integrate.  

What tips would you offer to fellow estheticians looking to differentiate their services in a competitive market, especially those interested in offering holistic or organic treatments?  

I think it’s important and what I’ve found helpful for myself is to hone in on a treatment and become really well versed in it. Find your niche. This could be something you may already be naturally drawn to and you may already be naturally good at. By honing in on a niche it will help you stand out in this industry and clients will specifically choose to go to you for that particular treatment. You also have to truly love and believe in what you do and enjoy it in order for you to sustain inspiration and joy.