The Beauty industry’s revenue is billions of dollars a year, and that revenue increases each year. As more and more people are striving to look younger and fix skin issues all because selfies and social media have caused consumers to need to look their best at all times. People feel better about themselves if they feel attractive. Beauty is very superficial, but it is crucial to how we interact with society. Beautiful people are more popular and accepted; on the flip side, you are bullied and not accepted if you struggle with skin issues like acne. As humans we are all looking for a place to belong, and people to welcome us, and even though we say beauty is skin deep, in other words, our character and heart are who we are, sadly my own experience has been what you look like determines who accepts you. The beauty business is compelling, but is it all a massive betrayal?
My passion for the beauty and esthetic industry started at a young age. My story begins with me struggling with acne from the age of twelve, bullied relentlessly for the pimples on my face and that overwhelming feeling gave birth to this burning desire to fix the problem and, in turn, be able to help others not have to go through what I had to endure. I had more questions than answers, just wondering why I had acne, why my mom had rosacea, and my children had eczema. These questions led me to embark on the journey to get my esthetics license to help myself and my loved ones, ultimately being able to help others look and feel better about themselves.
I started in spa esthetics, which frankly did not feed my soul. I found it very superficial, so I returned to esthetics school to learn more about medical esthetics, which did teach me about skin disorders, treatment modalities, and skincare ingredients. I remember my instructor telling me that as an analytical learner, with all my questions, this would make me a very successful esthetician. I had no idea what she meant; this was my learning style. I am a committed deep learner needing to understand all aspects of why I was doing what I was doing and how to implement these ideas in the treatment room. It needed to make logical sense to me, flow, and connect. I knew there was a deeper connection to these skin concerns and would find what it was.
After obtaining my advanced medical esthetician license, I started working in an OBGYN practice in the laser cosmetic department. What an incredible opportunity to learn more about the medical side of skin concerns. Birth control for acne, Accutane for acne, laser for pigmentation, chemical peels for wrinkles, Tretinoin for wrinkles and acne, and Hydroquinone for pigmentation. I spent five years trying to help people using this approach, but slowly I realized that this approach was not making a difference long term. Perhaps in the short term, acne would go away, but at what cost? It left me with more questions than answers. I may have succeeded in getting rid of the pigmentation using IPL, but why did it all return after a vacation trip to Mexico? Or why did acne come back after a person stopped Accutane, or why did rosacea come back after taking doxycycline? What was I missing? Why was an Rx needed in the first place? Could these things not be fixed by understanding what the imbalance was in the first place? Skincare and treatments were not enough; what was I missing?
My burning desire to understand the truth behind these skin disorders helped me uncover research documents from dermatologists that spoke about gut health and skin concerns. Even my fears with clients who had been on a hormone IUD were developing Melasma; what was the connection? Why did so many struggling with Rosacea, Acne, Psoriasis, and Eczema, also struggle with digestion issues? Why were we separating the face as having a problem but did not realize it was connected to many other organs and body functions? Slowly I uncovered the connection between skin disorders and internal and skin imbalance. This Skin-Gut Axis was something to consider, but the problem is western medicine looks at just the disease of the problem; it does not look at the body as a whole. Estheticians are educated on beauty and even in medical esthetics we are trained in a mere band-aid approach, often the skin concerns just come back or get worse.
At this time, I started not to feel very well, peri-menopause had started, and I was experiencing acne, acid reflux, vertigo, sagging skin, headaches, sleep issues, and weight gain. My face was falling apart, I was falling apart. I knew then why my body for years had been giving me signs that something needed healing; my digestion, my acne, and my migraines all signs something was out of balance internally, and this now had led to further health issues. It was at this time I knew I had some personal work to do and this started with me consciously having better self-awareness and it empowered me to dig deeper into the connection between skin concerns and our internal health.
I am not sure if I found the TCM approach to esthetics or the other way around, but this was the magic I was looking for. For the first time, I realized that what was manifest on the skin gave me a window into how well or unwell the body is balanced and functioning. Learning how to use a face mapping technique to support clients with skin health but much more than overall health and wellness is a fantastic opportunity. I never imagined that not only would the skin look better but that, overall, clients could feel better. Many skin concerns indicate inflammation, which causes disease and sickness; the solution is to decrease inflammation internally and see the benefits on the skin. Gaining this valuable education has helped me support my esthetic clients. Still, it helped me heal my body, helping balance the internal function, giving me clarity and energy, and honestly feeling well for the first time.
I remember feeling I had to change my approach to esthetics, I pride myself on honesty, and there was no way I could sell skincare to make money. Still, I wanted to ensure I was only selling skincare that was healthy for our overall health and did not introduce toxins to impact our health. The skincare I sold and used needed to support the epidermal barrier health and function. My treatments are required to support overall health and skin function without compromise. But more importantly, I needed to provide my clients’ wellness support, help gut health, help support lymphatic and detoxing function, support blood quality, hormonal support, and mental mindset support. Not including the internal and mindset support for clients’ means I was betraying my clients and endorsing the Billion Dollar Betrayal culture that I do not want to be a part of, as it is a giant deception! Skincare is the nutrient for the epidermal barrier and skin cells externally, but I also needed to provide information for the nutrients to support from the inside out. For example, I could not sell an eye cream to address dark circles without sharing wellness habits, food as medicine, and holistic practices to support the eye area. Or sell acne products without addressing potential gut health, hormone, cortisol, or emotional wellness.
The amount of us caught up in chasing Beauty, believing that skincare and treatments alone could make us more beautiful and stop aging, is genuinely flawed. I started my journey wanting to look pretty, as I lacked self-confidence and truly believed I was ugly. I knew there was something internal I needed to address as logically; I learned about all the body functions; having taken years of biology and chemistry, my face was connected to the rest of my body. That burning determination helped me look for the truth; my journey as I was aging led me to the truth. The truth is what is manifest on the skin is a sign of an imbalance internally; it is a sign that something is not functioning to its full potential and could also be a sign of our emotions and mindset. This is a sign of our HEALTH, not BEAUTY! Do you see the power in that? My education as a holistic esthetician helps me use face mapping to recognize the dysfunction or imbalance internally. I will tell you that if I do not eat correctly, if I do not sleep well, if I do not exercise, if I don’t do breathe work, if I do not drink enough water, and if I do not keep my mindset healthy, I can look years older overnight and feel years older overnight.
This billion-dollar business has us chasing beauty; we all spend so much on a betrayal. Billions of people have been manipulated, and look how it has influenced our society. It makes me so sad when I hear someone in their 20s worrying about wrinkles and aging. Mentally if they worry about that at 20 and 30, I worry about these people’s mental health when they are 50. I did not worry about wrinkles at 30 because my generation ate healthier when I grew up. We were not impacted by the increased amount of sugar, fast food, and GMOs that will disrupt internal function and age the skin. I also did not have to worry about social media pictures. By writing this, I can help more estheticians, and people recognize the importance of the inside-out approach to skin health. My motto is where Health and Beauty Unite. When we are healthy, we will look healthy, we will feel healthy and our mindset will be more positive, which is truly beautiful.
Today this has impacted the way I run my business, Skincare Correctives. With an open mind, heart, and spirit, I invite those struggling with skin concerns and perhaps overall wellness concerns to work with me. I needed to create a safe, quiet space where clients felt surrounded by support. Implementing an in-depth consultation helped clients realize that this is more than just skincare and treatments; there was a whole lot more we would talk about. Yes, that included your bathroom, stress, and eating habits. Taking the time to truly listen and understand my clients helps set the foundation of support with kindness, respect, and honesty. I am very aware some clients will be ready to make the necessary shift in their conscious living, such as purposeful breathing, drinking enough water, food as medicine, exercise, and getting enough sleep, all to support balance and harmony in how the body’s energy flows. Others will not be ready for this awareness and want the quick glow treatment or the latest skincare ingredient. The beauty is I am here for both types of clients.
Knowing these two different types of clients has helped me develop my new business venture. First I love science, so I still love to suggest the appropriate skincare to support a client’s skin health, your skin will only function well if you have not over-stripped the epidermis with products. I also love technology, so in my practice, I use machine modalities and popular equipment to get younger clients in the door, and then I can plant the seeds to start shifting this stinking thinking from Beauty to Health awareness. Helping to develop conscious living in younger minds is so powerful. The narrative needs to change; we cannot be, so beauty focused but realize that what manifests on the skin is a window into how our body functions, how much inflammation is in our body, and so much more.
The other side of my business is dedicated to those ready to commit to themselves and prepared to shift some of those lifestyle habits. This requires implementing lifestyle habits to support internal balance and help the Qi or energy flow within the body for optimal overall wellness. When a client is ready to embark on this healing journey, I have developed an incredible Skin Health Program, starting with an in-depth intake to understand and learn more about a client. Then I can personalize the experience for each client. I begin by teaching purposeful breathing techniques, how much water they need to drink, Qi Gong techniques, exercise, sleep patterns, and the importance of food as medicine. A customized treatment is performed to benefit each client, and a personalized wellness plan, which includes skincare, is emailed to each client. Weekly virtual check-ins are available to help support clients along the way. I then get to watch the transformation of not just healthy glowing skin but watching a client feel better. External, Internal, and Mindset support will give you skin freedom and wellness freedom. Does that not sound incredible?
So far, this holistic journey of caring for my life has been the most amazing heart-wrenching adventure. My skin has never been healthier! My mind has never been clearer! I frankly feel and look amazing! I no longer have acne or migraines, I have finally started to regulate my weight, I have energy, my skin glows, and I take no medications. I also love myself for the first time in my life. Food is my medicine, and I embrace all that helps my body’s energy to flow without disruption. I have found purpose and consciousness in my life, and I cannot wait to help others with their skin health and overall wellness health.
I remember that little girl with acne and her mom with rosacea. My mom and I shared the same gut microbiome; she would have passed it on to me at birth. We ate the same food, which impacted our gut and internal health; my acne and her rosacea were a manifestation of that imbalance and internal inflammation. I passed that microbiome to my children, who both had eczema as small children and were both diagnosed with celiac. No skin care or treatments were going to cure this! I went on antibiotics at age 15, and I ended up with severe allergies, major gut issues, migraines and I got sicker because the medications were disrupting my gut further and causing more inflammation, which led to cystic acne. My mother’s skin did not improve; she developed breast cancer and died at 58. She had significant gut health issues and constipation, and her body was not eliminating waste, leading to so much inflammation, which can cause DNA damage and cause potential cancer. Now you can understand why it is essential for me to shed light on this topic, as this is not about beauty for me but our health and how well we will live and for how long. Our skin is often the first sign of this imbalance; you can see how powerful this information can be for an esthetician as they support skin health.
My purpose now is to help shed light on what we learned in esthetic school and what is trending in beauty; most treatments and skincare will not impact the skin to function optimally and can damage the skin. The beauty industry makes so much money, that it lacks regulation, especially in the US and Canada. It is a Billion dollar Betrayal as so much of our skincare is introducing toxins to our bodies. Much of it will not address our skin concerns as we forget the internal impact connection. Many laser treatments are not good for our skin and damage it further; I have seen this first hand with my skin; aggressive treatments cause DNA damage and scar tissue to form as we are overheating and overdoing treatments that the skin cannot fully heal and a wound is left instead. Plus, how are these treatments addressing the internal connection? Think of all that money wasted to look beautiful!
The approach for skin health and beauty needs to take a whole health-balanced process; balancing the body and harmonizing internal functions will impact the skin and even has the power to erase wrinkles. Ensure all skin care supports the skin function, keeps the epidermal barrier healthy, and is not full of those nasty ingredients linked to endocrine issues and other health concerns. I continue to educate myself in this awareness, as knowledge is power, and I invite other estheticians to embark on this to empower themselves as Practitioners. Let us together change this narrative that skin is about a window into our health and not just all about superficial beauty trends.
How do you work with me? I have a studio in Victoria, BC; you can visit me at my studio. If you cannot visit the studio, we can connect virtually wherever you live. I invite those ready to invest in their skin health and overall wellness to reach out to me so we can address your skin concerns and, in turn, can help digestion, skin problems, and overall wellness. I also invite any esthetician who would like to understand this powerful knowledge to contact me. You can contact me via email at skincarecorrectives@gmail.com.
