Skin is responsible for clearing toxins, retaining moisture, and defending against environmental stressors. External and internal stressors can result in a myriad of skin responses, including acne, hyperpigmentation, eczema, psoriasis, rosacea, dehydration, and excessive oil production. Inflammation, under-eye bags, dark eye circles, flaky skin, and wrinkles can also be visible when the body or its environment is out of balance.

The first thing good skin care professionals may tell a client with stressed-out skin is to evaluate and fine-tune their diet and try holistic skin treatments. Healing and preventing stressed skin holistically mirrors what has already been proven by the medical community for long-term skin health and vitality.

Besides advising clients to adopt a healthy lifestyle, the second line of defense includes a number of at-home holistic treatments that can provide temporary reduction of facial stress responses such as tea bags, herbal facials, chilled stone rollers, or detoxifying baths and facial steams. The following remedies work as relaxing options for clients in between spa visits.

People spent a record-breaking amount of time outdoors this summer as pandemic restrictions lifted. There were more people enjoying outdoor activities such as dining al fresco, relaxing at the beach, or visiting campgrounds and national parks. After all that sun exposure, many clients should be visiting their dermatologists for a skin checkup and resuming their regular spa visits this fall. However, after more than a year of not being able to or hesitant to visit many service providers in person, some clients may still not be ready to make those critical appointments.

Because spas want to keep their clients’ skin in good health, it is important to encourage them to book their annual dermatology visits in addition to their spa appointments; spa owners should even consider partnering up with local dermatologists in this time of overexposure. Traditional appointment reminders may not be enough for reluctant clients, so dermatology offices and spas will need to get creative to find a way to calm fears and communicate the ongoing risks of delaying care in a manner that resonates.  

Men and self-care are not two words that are often used in the same sentence. In fact, when envisioning what self-care looks like, it typically involves women relaxing at a spa with maybe a glass of wine in hand. While this imagery does not often resonate with the modern man, self-care for men is an important selling point when it comes to marketing towards male clients.

For women, there is an entire market of products and services dedicated to self-care. For men, the options are limited. What most men inherently understand is the importance of their image, physical health, and underlying strength of their lives. Whether they know it or not, that upper body workout in the gym is an excellent form of self-care. When it comes to men and self-care, the key driver behind everything is intent. When men are intentional in what they are doing, why they are doing it, and see their actions drive results, only then will they buy into the system. In order to market this self-care to men, the same philosophy of a dedicated workout routine has to be applied.

Botanicals, flowers, and herbs have been used for centuries to calm, repair, and beautify skin. The infusion of the cannabis sativa plant into balms, oils, and tinctures dates back to the ancient Greeks and Romans, and it is said that even the queen of Egypt, Cleopatra, extracted the essence of the plant into elixirs for her daily bathing and grooming rituals. Cannabis is one of the earliest plants to be cultivated. By the late 1800s, cannabis extracts were sold throughout Europe and the United States to treat skin ailments such as psoriasis and eczema. 

For years, clients have focused on receiving facial fillers for the upper half of their face and have often neglected other areas that reflect the signs of aging, such as the lower half of the face and hands. With hyaluronic acid fillers becoming a game changer in terms of available injection sites, a stronger look in the areas that represent strength and youth has made a major impact in the aesthetic industry. However, with newer available injection sites and widespread availability of injection techniques throughout social media, injectors need to further their education now more than ever.

Allison Brewer is a certified nurse practitioner who has spent over 13 years in the aesthetic industry, working in surgery and with hands-on patient care. Her passion is using the industry’s latest injectable techniques to reverse the aging process while keeping clients looking natural and not overdone. She implements her one-of-a-kind smoothing technique to give her patients a natural, polished look. Brewer sets herself apart from other injectors with her gentle touch and her standard of care that she follows with each client’s injection.

D’Arcy Wellness Spa is redefining clean beauty and inspiring self-care. Female-owned and lead, this spa is a calm destination for holistic wellness needs. They proudly use and sell only the highest-quality nontoxic and cruelty-free products. Additionally, they retail female-owned brands with half of their shelf space dedicated to Black-owned brands. The convergence between the latest technology and ancient practices is what makes their services one-of-a-kind. D’Arcy Wellness Spa is located in downtown Natick, Massachusetts, a beautiful small town just outside of Boston Massachusetts, co-owned by sisters, Cailin and Alyssa D’Arcy.

Cailin D’Arcy is dually licensed in the states of Texas and Massachusetts, a two-time advanced certified volume eyelash artist, and holds specialized certifications in gua sha facial massage, facial reflexology, facial cupping, LED light therapy, and facial sculpting massage. Using her passion for clean, sustainable beauty and her experience with a wide range of modalities, she strives to give the city a modern spa experience.

Alyssa D’Arcy is nationally board certified by the National Certification Commission for Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine and is a licensed acupuncturist under the Massachusetts Board of Registration in Medicine. She earned her bachelor’s in kinesiology with a minor in psychology from the University of Massachusetts Amherst. At the New England School of Acupuncture, D’Arcy pursued a dual track in Chinese herbal medicine and orthopedic acupuncture. Her specialties include women’s health, fertility, anxiety, depression, insomnia, and cosmetic acupuncture.

DERMASCOPE spoke with Cailin D’Arcy to get to know this holistic Face Haven a little bit better.

Contact Information:

darcywellnessspa.com

508-314-8164

@darcy_wellness

A DERMASCOPE in-house aesthetician, Farmer is the owner of Blush ’N Beauty Spa in Dallas, Texas.

Contact Info:

817-797-9542

blushnbeautyspa.com

@blush_n_beauty_spa_

In the world of social media, it seems like it is almost impossible to get away from body talk. From fitness inspiration to fashion trends, the consensus states that skin is in. While of course, body care has its place within the industry, it is often overlooked for the complex nature and popularity of facial treatments. However, ignoring the possibilities of body treatments is robbing clients of self-care opportunities that will upgrade their overall wellbeing. This issue has a fantastic lineup of articles showcasing just a fraction of these possibilities. So, get comfortable, start flipping through the pages, and unlock the potential.

To start the month off, Shannon Esau takes on body acne and the challenges that come with this skin issue. Although most skin care professionals have had their fair share of treating and eliminating facial acne, explore her methods to helping clients achieve clear skin from head to toe in the article entitled, “Fully Flawless.”

For the second subject for this month’s primary education, take a dive into a scientific overview of everyone’s least favorite kind of dimples, cellulite. Cellulite is a cosmetic skin condition that affects the majority of the feminine population. With so many potential candidates for treatment, it is definitely worth investigating the different options available for care. Discover clients’ choices in “Fat or Fiction?” an article by Amanda Azar Walsh.

The body can be afflicted by many imperfections; however, excellent skin care professionals have the solutions for their clients. One common concern includes broken capillaries. Get a better grasp on this topic and how clients can achieve and maintain their results with IPL, electrical cauterization, sclerotherapy, and cryotherapy in Holly Sheppard’s article entitled, “Red Recovery.”

Lastly, with the world of aesthetics booming in every single way imaginable, it is no surprise that vaginal spa treatments are increasingly growing in popularity. What started with the Brazilian in the 90s has now transformed into treatments such as the vagacial, V-steaming, intimate radio frequency, and the O-shot. Catch up on the hottest trends in the spa with “Secret Service,” an article by DERMASCOPE Ambassador, Mary Nielsen.

Body treatments and care have come a long way, and although every spa may not be equipped to add these treatments to their menu, it is always the responsible choice to be an educational powerhouse for clients. Keeping up with trends may take effort but knowing what works and keeps clients happy are what separates the good from the great – and we know our readers are only the greatest.

Skin care professionals in 2021 are seeking independence and job satisfaction as they navigate through their passion in providing excellent skin care treatments to their clients. Business owners have two options when it comes to involving individuals within their industry. They can either employ licensed professionals as W2 employees or rent out additional treatment rooms to individuals that hold their own LLC, liability and property insurance, Federal Tax ID Number (EIN), state withholding number, and county business license. Room renters may also need a salon license to operate within the treatment room they are subleasing from the business owner. The option of contracting 1099 employees is not applicable in the salon world; it actually counts as tax evasion by the business owner which is a huge liability. 

Spa owners must understand the importance of tax compliance as a leader in business. Setting up individuals as W2 employees and contributing to their tax deductions as employer matching is required by federal law; it is part of the responsibility of employers everywhere. If a spa owner does not desire to have employees that report to them, does not wish to assist in providing services for income generation for the business, or does not want to handle human resources in any capacity, room rental may be a viable option. 

Courtney Sykes is the Chief Administrative Officer of Southeastern Esthetics Institute and licensed aesthetics instructor in South Carolina. Sykes also is the creator of Courtney Sykes Molecular Anit-Aging, a clinical skin care line for consumers and professionals. Her passion lies in creating real change in the aesthetics industry, assisting her students to obtain gainful employment, and make a difference in the lives of their clients. Sykes specializes in a science-based approach to skin health and education. Her primary focus is chemical peels, laser treatments, eyelash extensions, micropigmentation, and cosmetic lasers. Her background in medical spa management has led her to nationally-accredit the largest, licensed aesthetics school in South Carolina – Southeastern Esthetics Institute. 

Halloween-inspired looks are taking over social media. Clients are excited and ready to recreate what they see in a perfected, often filtered image. The worst thing for any skin professional to see is a client’s results go down the drain because they chose to use awful, pore-clogging Halloween makeup. There is a good chance they have not thought of a plan to protect their skin when piling on layers of synthetic stage makeup or silicone. This kind of makeup can result in scary breakouts, redness, and even a prickly rash. Using the wrong products, like lower-priced makeup, acrylic, or latex paint, can cause skin to freak out, leaving it irritated and dry. Unfortunately, when skin is irritated, it can take a while to clear up and get back to balance. To help clients find the best skin-friendly options, professionals always need to recommend professional-quality products that are user-friendly and perform well so clients can be at their spookiest.

Jaclyn Peresetsky is the founder of Skin Perfect Academy, Skin Perfect Spas, and Colore Me Perfect Analysis and Cosmetics. Her passion lies in advanced education for aestheticians in real life aesthetics. She contributes her expertise through speaking, writing, teaching, and continues to see her clients to advance her knowledge and skill to share with others.