Sticking it to the Man....

It's not easy being smart...no really, it's not. Things that seem pretty common sense to me give other folks a hard time. Lets take, for example, beer; lots of people drink beer, right? And everyone drinks the same kind...OK so at this point you're scratching your head saying what the hell does this have to do with skincare? It does, I swear, I'm just taking the long scenic route to get there. As you know I belong to a couple of message boards that discuss skincare products, clothes, etc., and without fail on one of these boards on a daily basis someone talks about how high end skincare is a waste of money. The argument here is that the ingredients list is exactly the same between a $5 product and a $195 product so they must be the same product. Hence my beer analysis above. Beer, if you broke it down to ingredients, is basically the same. So if you buy into the theory that matching ingredient lists equal matching products then everyone drinks the same beer because there isn't any difference...right? Hell no, not right. Lets take two beers in different price ranges, on the cheap end you got your Natural light(known the world over as Natty light)on the other end of the spectrum you have a Heineken. Do they taste the same? No, you know why? Ingredients. Just because it lists the same ingredients doesn't mean that each company uses the same quality or quantity of said ingredients. Same with skincare, just because they match doesn't make them the same product. So drink your Natty Light and keep buying your cheapo $5night cream, thinking your sticking it to the man. When you finally figure out that $5 cream isn't doing jack for your skin you can reach me at (615)***-**** and I'll educate you on the importance of quality. Estheticians Unite!!

Stuck In A Skincare Rut....

You ever notice how hard it is for people to make changes? I had a client in today for a facial that had really bad skin but she was adamant that she was happy with the product line she's using. Her skin was full of congestion and she had lots of active breakouts, but according to her she really likes what her current routine was doing for her...What?!? You mean you like breakouts and using something that isn't right for your skin type? She's not the only one I've ran into with this sort of mindset and it's annoying. Believe it or not I'm not the kind of esthetician that sells you a product just so I can make my wee little commission. If I suggest a product for you then it's because I think you need it...badly. I've even told clients to call me if they are in a store and want to know if the product they are thinking of purchasing is a good one. So it's not that I'm trying to sell the client MY products from MY spa...I'm just trying to put her on the right path for her skin. After 15 minutes of painful extractions and lots of good exfoliation the client felt her skin and exclaimed over how smooth and soft it felt rather than the shoe leather scaly texture she normally contends with after her at home cleansing. Amazing huh?, I actually know what I'm talking about most of the time, still blows my mind! When we got back up to the reception area I thanked her for coming in suggested another appointment and to my surprise she actually purchased a product that will work wonders on her over processed skin. Hot damn I finally got through to one...Estheticians Unite!!

You Have A Great Labia...

Never, and I do mean never, did I think those words would ever come out of my mouth. OK, OK, but I was in college and experimenting everyone did it, but I digress. Not only have I said this particular string of words but I probably say them at least 3 to 4 times a week. Women really need affirmation that their Happy Place isn't freaking me out. I've seriously had women ask if theirs looked normal compared to all the others I see. Like they've been in the bathroom with a mirror looking at it and questioning its normalcy. To be honest I never gave the look of mine much thought, well except post baby. Don't smirk...you know you had your doubts yours would shrink back down after something the size of a watermelon came out. But after that I rarely thought anything of it, until I became an esthetician. The day our school taught waxing was quite a revelation. We started with brows working our way down and with each new part the teacher asked for volunteers to be waxed and hands flew up, eager to participate. From the back of the classroom I began to hear faint mumblings of discontent and rebellion. Clustered together were a group of girls each with wide eyes and looks of fear. I ambled over to see what we were gossiping about and the girls told me they weren't volunteering for the bikini wax because they thought they might have ugly Happy Places...huh, aren't they all pretty much ugly? Functional, but not something I'd want to have a picture of framed over the couch. I don't have a modest bone in my body so to me this was weird and I brushed it off as a few discontented souls, but the more I wax out in the field the more I see a pattern. Women need to know they are just like the one before and like the one to follow. So even if they aren't I nod, smile and assure them whatever their working with is just like everyone elses. So while your down there waxing make sure you give all the Happy Places positive reviews. Estheticians Unite!