Advances in the skin care industry are progressing so rapidly and so profoundly that many aestheticians, especially those new to our profession, find themselves in a quandary of either not knowing what to do… or wanting to do everything!!! My advice is that you find your niche and then EXCEL at it! Most customers really don’t care what a salon is called, they just want results– And having a medical facility or Medi-Spa does not assure the client of results anymore than a salon does. So it's up to each Aesthetician to stay current of what's available and continue to offer professional, results–driven aesthetic services with confidence, understanding, and integrity. Read More

Applying steam to the skin is one of the best, simplest, and most effective ways to provide deep skin cleansing and relaxation. Whether dealing with the whole body or just the face the benefits include: Relief for muscle soreness and stiff joints, immune system enhancement, sinus congestion relief, lymph detoxification, and improvement in blood circulation which brings more oxygen and nutrients to the skin's surface and overtime this can help contribute to a healthy, glowing appearance. Steam efficiently softens skin in addition to also loosening harmful residue – allowing the deep-seated grime and dead skin cells to be flushed out. As a result, there are hardly any debris that a steaming treatment cannot fight – be it blackheads, dead skin cells, pollution… even makeup. It has become commonplace to have a steam treatment as a full-service menu item or as an add-on treatment. Read More

Ancient Egyptians and Romans prized it for its pleasant aroma, using it to scent the air in homes and temples. During the Middle Ages, people used mint as a cleaning agent and a way to purify drinking water. The early colonists who brought herbs to America praised mint for its therapeutic benefits, using it to treat fevers and influenza.1 Scientifically known as Mentha, this herb has more than two dozen different species and hundreds of distinct varieties making it an extremely valuable all-natural resource. The overall health benefits of mint include: Digestion – Promotes digestion by soothing the stomach in cases of indigestion. For instance, popular drinks like peppermint tea can also help with digestion problems; including bloating, irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) and gallstones.2 Read More

Botox is unsafe and even deadly? This is a common statement made by men and women. It's so common, in fact, that it’s likely the first thing anyone will hear when someone who opposes Botox speaks. There are two parts to their argument: 1) Botox is a poison, 2) Too much of it can kill you.   Interestingly, both of these statements are actually true. Botox does what it does because it’s a mild poison and too much of any poison, no matter how mild, can kill you. What the statement misses is the “mild” part and the amount required to cause harm. Too much water can kill you too, but you won't hear that announced as fact very often. Read More

The belief in the healing powers of mud has been around for thousands of years. It has been said that men would travel from around the world to catch a glimpse of Cleopatra, who it is believed, occasionally bathed in mud to beautify her skin. Although, in modern times the actual benefits of bathing in mud have not been scientifically proven, people who use it swear by its effects. There are a couple of different ways to include mud or clay in a skin care treatment, whether as a bath, mask or wrap. And with the wide variety of different clays and muds to choose from such as: Kaolin (white or rose), Bentonite, Rhassoul, Blue and Red Montmorillonite, and Moroccan Red clay, and Dead Sea (black) mud – just to name a few – the possibilities abound. Jam packed with minerals such as potassium, magnesium, sodium, bromine, silica, sulfur, calcium chloride and calcium; muds and clays provide many benefits for the skin, including – but not limited to: Read More

Palm trees are one of the most ancient and fascinating plants on the planet. Dating back to the time of dinosaurs, palm trees still thrive and provide us with some very powerful medicine. The coconut palm, date palm, saw palmetto, and the oil palm are just four examples of palms that produce substances used in healing. Among these four, the coconut palm produces a fruit which contains mild, meat, and oil; the most powerful part of the three being the coconut oil. For centuries this tropical fruit has been collected and used for food and medicinal purposes. Really a cocktail of different oils; its benefits can be attributed to the presence or lauric acid , capric acid, in addition to its antimicrobial, antioxidants, antifungal, antibacterial, and soothing properties. Read More

In the professional skin care industry, people are modifying and changing treatments every day to improve the benefits and lessen the contraindications. All over the world, visitors go to spas and request "your most popular treatment." But have you ever wondered what all the other spa's most popular treatments are? Have you ever compared the others to your own? When deciding the theme for this month's special section, treatments around the world deemed appropriate. When reading about ethnic skin and how to effectively treat different skin types, you should also be thinking about the treatments your spa currently offers. Read More

On the flip side, the ultrasound skin machine is a substantiated, scientifically proven, safe, non-invasive micro-device for the superficial rejuvenation of the face and other regions of the body. Ultrasound is a simple, three-stage system (cavitation, sonophoresis, micro-amp) for a safer mechanical exfoliation - using water, sonophoresis for molecular product penetration, and healing micro-amp therapy. The ultrasonic system utilizes a flat, non-toxic metal blade that delivers high-speed vibrations to the skin for facial rejuvenation in lieu of inorganic, potentially harmful substances.The ultrasonic system offers several different functions. Specifically, the ultrasonic exfoliation function utilizes the metal blade (wand applicator) to produce a controlled, high-speed mechanical oscillation generating skin peeling. Read More

THE EVALUATION With the client at the epicenter, an aesthetician's job is to become a super sleuth. The body communicates all of its needs; we simply have to be astute enough to listen. The skin evaluation is a narrowing process. As you classify a client's skin type, condition, and consider age, internal issues, emotional state, and lifestyle, you're narrowing down the field so the treatment path will become clearer. To start with, in my opinion, there are only three skin types: dry, normal, and oily. Read More

This past decade has seen an enormous surge in popularity of skin brightening products formulated specifically to treat hyperpigmentation and increase skin luminosity. While traditionally these products were popular in Asian-Pacific and African communities, the demand for brightening products appears to be gaining across the globe. Currently, the Asian market leads the world in the number of products on the market to treat pigmentation issues; Asia alone accounts for 37 percent of the overall worldwide sales in this category. Read More