Is green beauty still considered safe?
Is green beauty still considered safe? Since it is #earthmonth, I wanted to explore some commonly asked questions on #greenskincare now that it has become more mainstream. With so many new brands out there claiming to be safe just because they can fall under the "green beauty" category, it's become a little harder to navigate what exactly qualifies as safe beauty care.
When simplifying skincare is key
Believe it or not, but great skin often is the result of a simplified skincare routine. Over the weekend I was delighted that the most common theme amongst my clients was that everyone had the intuitive instinct to scale back and simplify their skincare. This allowed them to fully allow the skin to do what it does best, which is self-heal. One of the most common things that can happen when we start simplifying is that we end up missing some important steps. The only issue for most people is recognizing how to simplify according to their specific needs. I’m going to walk you through how to successfully simplify your skincare without messing with your skin’s healing.
Why makeup is a luxury, not a necessity.
If you’ve ever had a treatment with me you know that in my consultation form my very last question is what is your ultimate skin goal? I wrote a post about year ago about becoming makeup free and since then the most common answer to my skin goal question still remains the same - to be makeup free. I may have done a few of you a disservice by immediately exclaiming how easy that goal is because of my personal relationship with makeup. I grew up obsessed with makeup to the point that if I could translate the equivalent of my obsession to the current time, I would 100% be one of those instagram/snapchat/youtube tutorial gals. I loved creating looks, doing other people’s makeup and I was praised for my natural ability in this department. I booked jobs all the time in the beginning of my career that I can safely say that the spring and summers of 2007 and 2008 were spent with me at my makeup counter dolling gals up for events like prom, graduation and weddings. I loved it but it also taught me a lot about how many people lacked confidence, self awareness and even struggled with a little body/facial dysmorphia. My love of makeup started because of artistry but my relationship to it on an everyday basis changed because of my own evolution of self love and acceptance. So with that, I want to dive back into how being makeup free has nothing to do with skincare, it has everything to do with acceptance.
Sometimes, I'm just off...
Sometimes, I'm just off and this weekend was a reminder of how incredibly uncomfortable that feels. The moon in Virgo and daylight savings reminded me of how even just a simple change to our environment can throw us off in our energy fields. Luckily the solution usually presents itself and we just have to be willing to listen. So instead of spinning with my head cut off I made a few choices to change and I wanted to share them with you for it might inspire you to do the same or just understand where I'm coming from.
Before you blame your skincare...
I’ll be frank and tell you that one of my biggest pet peeves is when someone blames their skin care for their breakouts. There is a small chance that your skincare isn’t working with your skin’s current condition but about 90% of the time it’s not the problem. Our skin is such a powerful organ with the ability to heal itself so breakouts are simply just a signal of what is happening within.
I want to help you try to understand this concept but I also don’t want to shame you in your health habits. It’s a fine line that I dance as an esthetician because I can always tell if you’ve had a cigarette, one too many margaritas or if you forgot to take your makeup off. Don’t even try to lie to me about picking your skin because skin doesn’t heal up in a scab like that. However regardless of my ability to use your skin as a guide I don’t get the authority of a doctor to tell you to change. Yet somehow I get all the blame if someone isn’t happy with their skin. When this comes up I don’t get upset, I just get reminded of the lack of understanding out there. Most people run around to several practitioners and take the solution that;
A) requires the least amount of work.
AND/OR
B) shifts the blame and allows you to avoid taking accountability.
Don't get me wrong, I do it too.
I’ll be nice about it but I won’t let you blame me or your skincare for your breakouts. So that being said, let’s just dive in. Why are you breaking out? Before you change your skincare or run to the dermatologist here are a few things to consider:
All my wedding look details
After my last post I was asked a lot about the specifics of my wedding look. Here is how it came together. I started the day off with 5 minutes of dry brushing with my Pursoma jute dry brush. I put a timer on and slowly worked in an upward fashion, always moving towards my heart and focusing on areas that have cellulite or rough skin. I followed up with Pursoma’s earthbound body mask covering myself completely including my face in a light layer. I meditated as I let the mask absorb for 15 minutes. When I was done I washed off with a hot and cold shower to flush out any toxins. This is a great way to wake up and energize as it gets your lymphatic system moving wonderfully. I drank a ton of water before and after as well to keep me energized.
Hayley's Holiday Guide
With the holidays coming up it can be quite challenging to come up with gifts for everyone in your life. From family to friends to colleagues and everyone else in between the creative juices of gift giving stop flowing after a while. The desire to be creative, practical and heartfelt sometimes makes it seem like no gift will be good enough. Though my blogs are usually a little more on the educational side, I felt like my guide to gift giving could potentially spark some inspiration. Now that black friday, cyber monday and all the other overwhelming sales are winding down you may be getting a little worried if all of your shopping isn’t done. Here is my guide to Holiday gift giving:
How to layer your skincare
In the business of beauty there are many types of consumers. Are you the type of consumer who will buy a skincare product because you love the scent, texture or the promise of what it can do for you whether you have need it or not? I know many people who simply love products! The problem is at the end of the day they may have too many options and don’t know how to implement it properly into their routine. Just because you have a ton of products doesn’t mean your skin needs or wants it. What I want to talk about today is not only how to come up with a functioning routine but also how to be able to layer the products you want for maximum results. Layering skincare can be the key to success or the demise of your healthy skin. Here is your how to guide to customizing your regimen and how to layer.
Who Cares!
It’s important to find balance in life right? I know I’m constantly working on what to shift my focus on. This world is so over-stimulating that we can often start to feel overwhelmed with what to care for? I’ve learned that as an empath I take on a lot more energy than needed. In fact there is a point in which you can care too much. This is the fine line I’ve danced with over the last few years and you know what, it’s okay to let go of some of that baggage. As an esthetician I inevitably act as a source of therapy for some, and a punching bag for others. It comes with the territory and after 10 years, I understand that the ones who need to use me as their excuse to be upset it’s simply a projection of what is going on with them. You know what I do for those folks? Give them more love, since they clearly need it.
Giving thanks and sharing lessons...
Over the last year I have certainly gained a whole lot to be thankful for. Each individual that has reached out to me for help has taught me something in their own individual way. There is one lesson in particular that I am extremely thankful for. Since this is the season of thanks I wanted to share that lesson with all of you…