Love is in the air!

Valentine's day is a week away. It got me thinking about self love... which I have talked about before.

Self love affects our skin health, our emotional health and our overall sense of well-being.

If you are stressed out or having a lot of emotions come up, it can show up on your skin a week later.

It definitely does for me.

I'll get a break out and I know it is directly related to how I was feeling the week before.

Which is a good reminder to know that even in the moment the uncomfortable feelings and pain might seem like it is going go on forever. But those feelings DO pass.

What would make you love your skin?

A new facial product?

A nice long facial massage?

A hot bath with a facial mask on?

I give you permission to have some chocolate and red wine for your skin. They are anti-oxidants after all!

As always...

Live in Beauty,

Sasha

7 Reasons why YOU need an esthetician in your life.

1. ADVICE. You would never take advice on your skin from your car mechanic… and vis a vis…. you would never take car advice from your esthetician. Estheticians are licensed professionals and we study skin anatomy and physiology. Having a deep understanding of this knowledge allows an esthetician to have the ability to recognize when you need to see a dermatologist, when an esthetician needs to see you, as well as optimizing your facials to best suit your skins needs.

2. PROFESSIONAL PRODUCT KNOWLEDGE. I am a product nerd and love knowing about all of the ingredients in the products I sell and use. I can recommend the best products for you to achieve your skin care goals at home.

3. WELLNESS AND STRESS RELEASE. All my facials include at least one stress relieving technique such as gua sha massage, lymph drainage, or led light therapy.

4. MEDICAL FACIALS. Microderm abrasion, micro-current, LED light, nano needling, and lymphatic drainage are all specialized medical modalities that help your skin be at its optimal health.

5. BEING AN EDUCATIONAL PARTNER. I continue my education so that I can pass on the most up to date research and information in the esthetics world.

6. RECOMMENDATIONS FOR YOUR LIFESTYLE. With both services and products that fit what you as the client need, I am here to help guide you in caring for your skin. You can ask me anything about your skin. I will do my best to give informed advice.

7. FRIENDS FOREVER. The bond we create while you are on the table goes beyond skin care and towards self care. Allowing yourself this time to nurture your skin not only helps you look younger, it keeps you feeling younger as stress and worry falls away. Our connection is important to me.

LED Light Facials

As a holistic skin therapist, I am always looking for modalities and products that help your body, skin, and face work at its optimal level in producing collagen and elastin.

This is why I chose my new piece of equipment.

The LED Light combined with the radio frequency help to firm up tissue.

Deep relaxation helps alleviate the stress of our modern world. Which in turn, helps to slow down the aging process.

Low grade everyday stress does cause the body to produce a stress hormone called cortisol. The body produces this as a natural response to stress.

Unfortunately, elevated levels of cortisol can cause aging of the skin such as fine lines and reduced immunity in the skin.

Not only am I using this modality, I also have created a very relaxing facial. Check out the video below to see what I have created for all of you.

I love creating new facials to keep your skin looking fresh and your cortisol levels low.

What is LED Light Therapy?

I use a skin safe, professional grade LED that also does radio frequency and ultrasound.

This low level light uses different colors and wavelengths to enter the skin at different depths.

Benefits of LED Light Therapy:

• Eases fine lines

• Makes the skin softer

• Stimulates skin cells called fibroblasts which help make collagen

• Collagen is important for healing wounds and keeps our skin bouncy and youthful looking

• Eases inflammation and redness

• Helps with acne

• Can help with pigmentation

PROFESSIONAL PRODUCTS -vs- Over the Counter Products

Why use Professional Products vs Over The Counter.

What is the difference between $40 moisturizers and $10 products?

The over the counter products are made in large batches.

This means they are made for the mass market and general consumption.

The products are intentionally made to have a lower risk of irritation and in doing that they have a much lower amount of actual effective ingredients in them.

In a nutshell, they have less active ingredients and more filler.

This reduces the cost but also reduces the effectiveness and quality.

For example, ULTA sells a hyaluronic acid serum where the hyaluronic acid is listed as the 11th ingredient. This means it doesn’t have a very high concentration. *Denatured alcohol is the 3rd ingredient.

One of the hyaluronic acid serums I carry has it is the 5th ingredient. And, it is way cleaner. With less preservatives and more hydrating ingredients. It has aloe and jojoba oil. And, it is also a plant based hyaluronic acid.

Having a licensed esthetician, who you see regularly, can help you choose the right products. A professional can also help you determine what product will help you address specific skin issues.

PS I am a skin ingredient nerd. If you have questions about ingredients and what they do, please email me.