What does that mean?
The way I think about it, Aesthetics is a DEEP field. It’s more than cosmetics, beauty, skincare. It’s personal; EVERYTHING pertaining to your senses.
Sight || Touch || Taste || Smell || Sound
…and it’s NOT just for women! Most importantly, it will evolve! Mine is still evolving.
I went from Mad About Makeup to Mad About Mediums, and finally to The Mad Aesthetic.
I haven’t always been “wholistic”. I went from 2007 to 2017 before I officially made the switch.
Innovations soared. Something for everything! My work turned clinical. I cut out “fluff”. “Results” became about getting as deep into the skin as possible! Massage was exchanged for machines.
Meanwhile, a struggle being comfortable with my own bare face.
Do you ever just suddenly realize something, and afterwards you can never go back?
I remember how certain things would dawn on me about my habits. (I stopped polishing my nails when products I used were eating away the lacquer.) Was there logic in wearing gloves to protect my nail polish and cuticles from whatever I was putting on people’s faces?
My habits changed. I steered my clientele toward better beauty practices and “safer skincare”, but learning the language of ingredient labels changes everything.
What is 100% safe? I’m still searching and learning about alternatives for basically everything.
In 2012 I stopped wearing coverage cosmetics altogether, my biggest insecurity! My skin probably just needed to BREATHE! [I was right.] I was bothered by all the men and women who shared dissatisfactions about their appearances. [I’m not sure if this has gotten better or worse for our society since then.]
Fast forward through some major eye-opening experiences that started my deeper understandings in toxicology and the FDA’s regulations in health and beauty products. I had enough and I almost quit my industry altogether.
In 2014 I went back to school to study alternative medicine, thinking about everything in terms of skin! This was my introduction to herbology, vibration and other energies as therapy. It was my reminder of how interconnected all our body’s systems are.
Turns out the history of “medicine” has a lot of spa culture to it. Many old-school spa therapies used in conjuction with different herbs and minerals were considered primary care before “modern medicine”.
Also turns out the “fluff” I cut from treatments is where real therapeautic action comes from. Manual manipulation means circulation, which means lymph movement & oxygen and blood flow to tissues. That means filtration, release of blockages, nourishment, and repair for all cells, tissues, organs, and systems.
Obviously I have come back to this work. Placing my frustrations with beauty and personal care industries as motivators, I opened my studio in June 2017.
I want to make something clear. I share this history to illustrate how personal my work is. The only reason I can still do this work at all is because I wholeheartedly believe in it. My practice doesn’t make me “better”; different for sure, but I learned I am NOT alone. Advertisting this work, I discovered a whole culture of practitioners who call themselves radical and botanical facialists. Everything about this style of practice resonates with my senses, my perceptions. Finally, a fit for my aesthetic.
Going back to Aesthetics in general, I said it’s personal.
Certain things appeal and others don’t.
Each person has their own preferences. Whatever it is that pertains to your senses will undoubtedly catch your attention.
You may identify with The Mad Aesthetic if :
- You want simple and safe skincare.
- You try everything and have unresolved skin problems.
- Your face burns, stings, itches, peels, or is chronically red.
- You have other skin besides the face that needs attention.
- You want to detoxify your body.
- You have interest in treatments performed with Cannabis or Gemstones.
- You don’t want skincare to be a luxury.
- You feel uncomfortable with imposed beauty standards in today’s culture.
- You want to age gracefully, without invasive procedures.
- You battle with skin-related side effects from chemotherapy / radiation.
- You believe in OR want to experience the healing properties of plants, oils, vitamins, minerals, salts, clays, color, light, heat, electricity, vibration.
- You get MAD at the FDA and think it’s crazy they haven’t made any new laws governing cosmetics in 80 years!
- You want to learn how to read labels.
IF you answer yes to any of the above, please reach out.
Free consultations always. <3
List of Treatments here.