I have been seriously remiss about keeping up with the blogging! Several new things have happened since I have last written. I have had a beautiful baby boy named Bennett and Essential Skin & Beauty is expanding!
We are moving to a new location right on York in March and are super excited to offer new services and a new experience! We are currently on the hunt for a super star massage therapist that wants to help develop a menu of services that will be just as outstanding as our waxing, facial treatments and makeup services.
Our new location will give us the ability to host spa parties, group appointments, workshops and more! Stay tuned for more information and special grand opening deals!
Tuesday, January 11, 2011
Thursday, October 15, 2009
Women are difficult; Men are easy
Now, before I get some angry comments from all the ladies out there, let me clarify. I am talking about men's approach to the care of their skin.
When a male client comes to see me for a facial it is usually to address a specific concern that they (or the women in their lives) have, whether it be acne, wrinkles, sun damage, redness, etc. They see a problem that needs to be fixed. Therefore, when I present them with a solution, i.e. a simple skincare routine, they tend to follow it, no questions asked. See, easy.
Working with my female clients tends to be a little more involved. Most women are very skeptical of any new product I set in front of them. I don't really blame them. I mean, everyday women are bombarded with advertising for the latest and greatest skin care product promising to keep us young forever. Most of this is a bunch of hooey (yes, I just used the word hooey) so it is no wonder women get a little skittish. We buy tons of products, just to have them sit on our shelves collecting dust, or we use the same products we have been using since we were teenagers. Either way you can miss out on the great advances in skin care!
This is why it is so important to not only find an esthetician you trust, but also become very educated on ingredients, labels, claims, etc. You also have to be in tune with your skin and what is considered normal. Is it normal for your face to swell up like a tomato? No. Is it normal to maybe have a breakout, tingling, a little redness when starting a completely new skin care routine? Maybe. It depends on the product, what you were using before, your stress level, etc.
Think of it this way. If you sat on the couch for a year and then one day decided to get up off the couch and do an hour long kickboxing workout your body would not be too happy. Especially the next day. Yes, the exercise is good for you, but your body needs time to adjust to the change. Your skin works in the same way. You have to give your products a chance to work. In many cases it can take 3 months or more for the skin to change. This is another reason why (most) men are easy. Once they get on a routine, they are consistent and they stick it out.
This is the main reason why I get better results with my male clients! Many women give up too soon!
Say you have been working out consistently for 3 months and your body has changed, but the results have slowed. What do you do now? Well any good trainer will tell you that you have to switch up your routine to keep your body challenged. Your skin is no different. It adapts just like the rest of your body, so sometimes you need to give it a little boost. Many of my male clients will implement a change readily (as long as it doesn't involve too many steps!). This is where my female clients get freaked. You think I was telling them to give up their first born child! Once women get attached to a product it can be very difficult to get them to change.
Repeat after me: Change is good.
Embrace it! You may be pleasantly surprised at the outcome!
Remember, you are not married to your products. It is not considered cheating if you try a new product. There are no attorneys or divorce settlements to work out. Your products will not resent you or call you names. I promise. If they do, I think that you have slightly bigger problems that the right skin care regime!
Until next time!
Wednesday, August 5, 2009
All New Shopping Site!!
Essential Skin & Beauty now has a new and improved shopping site!
www.esbstudiostore.com
Feel free to have a look around.
When you are ready to order follow these simple steps
*note - you will not be able to access any pricing or order any products until you complete the Skin Consultation. THIS IS NOT OPTIONAL! The products sold on this site are professional products with a much higher concentration of active ingredients than drugstore or department store brands and require a professional recommendation. ESB reserves the right to deny the order of any product deemed inappropriate for the individuals skin. If you have any questions feel free to call Andrea at sales@essentialskinandbeauty.com or call (630) 832-7546.
Checkout
You can pay by credit card with Paypal Payment Standard. YOU DO NOT NEED A PAYPAL ACCOUNT! To proceed to the payment screen hit "submit your order" and hit the button on the left marked "continue" to pay with any major credit card. If you do want to pay with PAYPAL just log into your account on the right.
Please be patient with me. I am still working out the kinks!
www.esbstudiostore.com
Feel free to have a look around.
When you are ready to order follow these simple steps
- Click on the Ordering Information Page
- Fill out the Skin Consultation Questionnaire
*note - you will not be able to access any pricing or order any products until you complete the Skin Consultation. THIS IS NOT OPTIONAL! The products sold on this site are professional products with a much higher concentration of active ingredients than drugstore or department store brands and require a professional recommendation. ESB reserves the right to deny the order of any product deemed inappropriate for the individuals skin. If you have any questions feel free to call Andrea at sales@essentialskinandbeauty.com or call (630) 832-7546.
Checkout
You can pay by credit card with Paypal Payment Standard. YOU DO NOT NEED A PAYPAL ACCOUNT! To proceed to the payment screen hit "submit your order" and hit the button on the left marked "continue" to pay with any major credit card. If you do want to pay with PAYPAL just log into your account on the right.
Please be patient with me. I am still working out the kinks!
Tuesday, June 30, 2009
Longer Hours on Thurdays!
Starting July 9th Essential Skin and Beauty will be open from 9-5 on Thursdays!
If you need to book an appointment please go to
www.essentialskinandbeauty.com for the full menu and links to book online.
Want to book now? Press the button below!
If you need to book an appointment please go to
www.essentialskinandbeauty.com for the full menu and links to book online.
Want to book now? Press the button below!
Saturday, May 2, 2009
Beautiful skin starts on the inside
So, you have tried every product known to man and your skin is still breaking out, looking old, inflamed beyond belief, etc. You have been diligent in your skin care routine (recommended to you by your professional esthetician or dermatologist) for at least 3 months and you still haven't seen a significant improvement in your skin.
"That's it!" you exclaim "These products don't work!" You proceed to throw those lovely products into the trash and move onto the next skin care product that promises clear, beautiful skin.
STOP!!!
Did you ever think that maybe it is not the products' fault?
Think about it. Topical products do just that, work on the outside of the skin. These products are fantastic for working on superficial problems, like blackheads, pimples, fine lines, and some pigmentation, but are not going to be nearly that effective on problems that arise on the skin from internal imbalance and inflammation. Most commonly, things like cystic acne, inflammation and some rosacea, have some sort of internal cause and therefore, topical treatments will have very little effect. It's like trying to cure a headache by rubbing an aspirin on your temples instead of swallowing it. It's not going to cut it!
Internal Cause
1. Hormones and Stress
Most women have experienced what a change in hormones can do to your skin when your monthly visitor come to town, but the story does not end there. Starting or stopping birth control, pregnancy, menopause and hormone replacement therapy can all leave your skin looking less than perfect.
During times of stress, both men and women produce more norepinephrine, epinephrine and testosterone which can exacerbate skin conditions like acne. Stress can also lead to the overproduction of cortisol, a steroid, which, like testosterone, can increase the production of oil in the skin. All this stress can also lead to an increase in the inflammatory response of the skin which can trigger flare-ups of rosacea and acne.
Yet another reason to see your local skin care therapist for a relaxing facial!
My recommendation: get on a consistent skin care routine with regular facials and see your doctor if it is more that the occasional breakout. He or she can do a hormone check and see if something is out of balance. Plus, take some time to relax and relieve some stress. Read a book, exercise, get a facial or a massage, or anything that makes you feel more Zen!
2. Diet - You are what you eat
Do you think that just because you put high quality product on your skin that it cancels out the steady stream of cheeseburgers, fries and candy that you put into your body? Guess again! Yes, there are those freaks of nature out there that can eat whatever they want and their skin never breaks out, but chances are, if you have tried every topical treatment available and your skin still looks like crap, you aren't one of them.
A clean diet will help you on your way to clearer skin. Our bodies were not designed to process ingredients like High Fructose Corn syrup, enriched flour, trans-fats, and artificial colors. These foods were artificially engineered or altered, not recognized by our bodies and hard to process. This internal turmoil leads to more stress, which leads to more inflammation, which leads to those pesky breakout mentioned before.
Don't put it in your mouth if:
Eating a clean diet will help your body to function better, therefore leading to healthier skin.
If you have cleaned up your diet and your skin still hasn't cleared than you may want to see if you have a food allergy, intolerance or a deficiency that may be causing an imbalance.
3. Disease and infection
Obviously, if you have some sort of illness you are probably not going to look your best. See your doctor!
Hopefully, this post gives you a little insight into the other reasons why your skin is not looking it's best.
Remember: Don't blame your fabulous products and shun them for something that isn't their fault!
Till next time!
Andrea
"That's it!" you exclaim "These products don't work!" You proceed to throw those lovely products into the trash and move onto the next skin care product that promises clear, beautiful skin.
STOP!!!
Did you ever think that maybe it is not the products' fault?
Think about it. Topical products do just that, work on the outside of the skin. These products are fantastic for working on superficial problems, like blackheads, pimples, fine lines, and some pigmentation, but are not going to be nearly that effective on problems that arise on the skin from internal imbalance and inflammation. Most commonly, things like cystic acne, inflammation and some rosacea, have some sort of internal cause and therefore, topical treatments will have very little effect. It's like trying to cure a headache by rubbing an aspirin on your temples instead of swallowing it. It's not going to cut it!
Internal Cause
1. Hormones and Stress
Most women have experienced what a change in hormones can do to your skin when your monthly visitor come to town, but the story does not end there. Starting or stopping birth control, pregnancy, menopause and hormone replacement therapy can all leave your skin looking less than perfect.
During times of stress, both men and women produce more norepinephrine, epinephrine and testosterone which can exacerbate skin conditions like acne. Stress can also lead to the overproduction of cortisol, a steroid, which, like testosterone, can increase the production of oil in the skin. All this stress can also lead to an increase in the inflammatory response of the skin which can trigger flare-ups of rosacea and acne.
Yet another reason to see your local skin care therapist for a relaxing facial!
My recommendation: get on a consistent skin care routine with regular facials and see your doctor if it is more that the occasional breakout. He or she can do a hormone check and see if something is out of balance. Plus, take some time to relax and relieve some stress. Read a book, exercise, get a facial or a massage, or anything that makes you feel more Zen!
2. Diet - You are what you eat
Do you think that just because you put high quality product on your skin that it cancels out the steady stream of cheeseburgers, fries and candy that you put into your body? Guess again! Yes, there are those freaks of nature out there that can eat whatever they want and their skin never breaks out, but chances are, if you have tried every topical treatment available and your skin still looks like crap, you aren't one of them.
A clean diet will help you on your way to clearer skin. Our bodies were not designed to process ingredients like High Fructose Corn syrup, enriched flour, trans-fats, and artificial colors. These foods were artificially engineered or altered, not recognized by our bodies and hard to process. This internal turmoil leads to more stress, which leads to more inflammation, which leads to those pesky breakout mentioned before.
Don't put it in your mouth if:
- You can't grow it in your backyard
- You can't read the ingredient deck without a chemistry degree
- You couldn't make it yourself without the help of a nuclear reactor
- You can't tell what ingredients are in the product unless you read the label ("There's apples in this?")
- The ingredient deck is longer than your arm
Eating a clean diet will help your body to function better, therefore leading to healthier skin.
If you have cleaned up your diet and your skin still hasn't cleared than you may want to see if you have a food allergy, intolerance or a deficiency that may be causing an imbalance.
3. Disease and infection
Obviously, if you have some sort of illness you are probably not going to look your best. See your doctor!
Hopefully, this post gives you a little insight into the other reasons why your skin is not looking it's best.
Remember: Don't blame your fabulous products and shun them for something that isn't their fault!
Till next time!
Andrea
Wednesday, March 4, 2009
Organic Labeling. What does it mean?
Organic skin care is all the rage right now, but what exactly does "organic" mean when it is on a cosmetic label?
EDIT: All the following are the USDA requirements for FOOD. Currently there are NO regulations for the term "organic" for personal care products. A company can submit for the USDA seal if they wish and must follow the below requirements, but it is NOT mandatory. So any company can use the word organic even if the ingredients are not certified.
Image carries a line called Ormedic, made with organic ingredients. The company states that the line is 75% organic. I know that Image is a reputable line and holds it's products to the highest standards, so I trust their information. This may not be true for some of the companies out there, so all I can say is DO YOUR RESEARCH!!
This info is handy to know even though a lot does not pertain to skin care.
According to the USDA National Organic Program there are several guidelines companies have to follow when labeling their products.
100% Organic
In order for a product to make this claim it must contain 100% organically produced ingredients, with the exception of any added salt and water.
The labels MUST show below the name and address of the handler (bottler, distributor,
importer, manufacturer, packer, processor, etc.) of the finished
product, the statement:
"Certified organic by ____" or similar phrase, followed by the name of
the Certifying Agent. Certifying Agent seals may not be used to satisfy
this requirement.
Organic
These products must be made with at least 95% organically produced ingredients and cannot contain sulfites.
The other 5% can be comprised of non organically produced agricultural ingredients which are NOT commercially available in organic form (including: kelp, cornstarch, lecithin, pectin and gums) and/or other permitted ingredients like added minerals, acids and some synthetic ingredients. (Click here if you would like the full list.)
The label must also use the word "organic" before the ingredients on the list. As with 100% organic, the label must also include the processor and the "certified organic" statement.
Made with Organic Ingredients.
These products must contain 70% organic ingredients with no added sulfites (except for wine).
The product can also contain 30% off the above non organically grown and synthetics listed above with the addition of yeast.
These products CANNOT carry the USDA certified organic seal
To claim a product has some organic ingredients
These products may contain less than 70% organic and may contain more than 30% inorganic ingredients. The product must list the organic ingredients on the ingredient deck only if the percentage is listed in the ingredient statement, but cannot include the processors "certified organic" statement or seal, or the USDA seal.
The product also cannot make any other claims of "organic" on the front display label.
So if the product claims to have 50% organic ingredients, the ingredient deck must list the organic ingredients with the word "organic". No percentage on the front, no need to list the organic ingredients on the back. This is where you would have to ask the company how much of their product is organic.
EDIT: All the following are the USDA requirements for FOOD. Currently there are NO regulations for the term "organic" for personal care products. A company can submit for the USDA seal if they wish and must follow the below requirements, but it is NOT mandatory. So any company can use the word organic even if the ingredients are not certified.
Image carries a line called Ormedic, made with organic ingredients. The company states that the line is 75% organic. I know that Image is a reputable line and holds it's products to the highest standards, so I trust their information. This may not be true for some of the companies out there, so all I can say is DO YOUR RESEARCH!!
This info is handy to know even though a lot does not pertain to skin care.
According to the USDA National Organic Program there are several guidelines companies have to follow when labeling their products.
100% Organic
In order for a product to make this claim it must contain 100% organically produced ingredients, with the exception of any added salt and water.
The labels MUST show below the name and address of the handler (bottler, distributor,
importer, manufacturer, packer, processor, etc.) of the finished
product, the statement:
"Certified organic by ____" or similar phrase, followed by the name of
the Certifying Agent. Certifying Agent seals may not be used to satisfy
this requirement.
Organic
These products must be made with at least 95% organically produced ingredients and cannot contain sulfites.
The other 5% can be comprised of non organically produced agricultural ingredients which are NOT commercially available in organic form (including: kelp, cornstarch, lecithin, pectin and gums) and/or other permitted ingredients like added minerals, acids and some synthetic ingredients. (Click here if you would like the full list.)
The label must also use the word "organic" before the ingredients on the list. As with 100% organic, the label must also include the processor and the "certified organic" statement.
Made with Organic Ingredients.
These products must contain 70% organic ingredients with no added sulfites (except for wine).
The product can also contain 30% off the above non organically grown and synthetics listed above with the addition of yeast.
These products CANNOT carry the USDA certified organic seal
Now here is where things get confusing!
To claim a product has some organic ingredients
These products may contain less than 70% organic and may contain more than 30% inorganic ingredients. The product must list the organic ingredients on the ingredient deck only if the percentage is listed in the ingredient statement, but cannot include the processors "certified organic" statement or seal, or the USDA seal.
The product also cannot make any other claims of "organic" on the front display label.
So if the product claims to have 50% organic ingredients, the ingredient deck must list the organic ingredients with the word "organic". No percentage on the front, no need to list the organic ingredients on the back. This is where you would have to ask the company how much of their product is organic.
Tuesday, February 17, 2009
Coming Soon: Custom Blend Mineral Makeup
Are you having trouble finding the perfect foundation or eye shadow color? Tired of finding a color you love and then having it discontinued? Have no fear Custom Blending is coming soon!
I am going to start custom blending Mineral Foundations, Blushes and Eye Shadows at Essential Skin & Beauty! This is a great way to match your skin tone perfectly.
How it works:
On your initial visit you will come in for a formulation. This is where the formula is matched to your skin and adjusted for your specific needs. Do you need Sheer or Full Coverage, Matte or Shimmer, Oil Controlling? All this can be adjusted during the formulation. This visit will take approximately 30 minutes and cost will depend on type of product.
Need a refill? Enjoy a reduced refill price. Bring back your old container for even more savings!
Need an adjustment on your color for summer or winter? For a small fee your original formulation can be adjusted when your skin changes with the seasons!
Watch for more information on pricing coming soon.
For those of you currently using Everyday Minerals: I am discontinuing this line. Please contact me at sales@essentialskinandbeauty.com if you would like to purchase anything from my remaining inventory.
I am going to start custom blending Mineral Foundations, Blushes and Eye Shadows at Essential Skin & Beauty! This is a great way to match your skin tone perfectly.
How it works:
On your initial visit you will come in for a formulation. This is where the formula is matched to your skin and adjusted for your specific needs. Do you need Sheer or Full Coverage, Matte or Shimmer, Oil Controlling? All this can be adjusted during the formulation. This visit will take approximately 30 minutes and cost will depend on type of product.
Need a refill? Enjoy a reduced refill price. Bring back your old container for even more savings!
Need an adjustment on your color for summer or winter? For a small fee your original formulation can be adjusted when your skin changes with the seasons!
Watch for more information on pricing coming soon.
For those of you currently using Everyday Minerals: I am discontinuing this line. Please contact me at sales@essentialskinandbeauty.com if you would like to purchase anything from my remaining inventory.
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