“Beauty is only skin deep.”
Sound familiar? It should. It’s an axiom that’s been around since the 1600s and one we’ve all likely heard at one time or another. Most probably during our pimple-riddled teen years by a mom trying to soothe our tears of self-pity and envy over the class beauty who was miraculously escaping all manner of skin eruptions.
The essence of the familiar axiom: a person’s character cannot be judged by appearance alone. Or, to use yet another axiom: “You can’t judge a book by its cover.”
Yes, a person can always be beautiful on the inside.
Although true, however, the sentiment was not exactly soothing as the remedy for a severe case of teenage angst!
Oh, if we only knew then, what we know now: appearance is NOT only skin deep. In fact, our appearance may have everything to do with what is going on inside of us. For example, it is often easy to tell by their appearance if a person is going through a period of extreme stress or has been ill. It shows.
And because it does show, holistic skin care has evolved – and continues to evolve – into a widely accepted, highly recommended, and healthy method of esthetic practice. Why? Think of ‘holistic’ as ‘whole-istic.’
Holistic skin care considers the whole person – health, dietary habits, lifestyle, emotion – in establishing skin care needs, treatments, and routines.
It is what we know to be effective and why we practice holistic skin care here at Changes Spa & Aesthetics, beginning with a complete evaluation and consultation with each new client, and that continues with each visit.
When it comes to skin care, the holistic concept accepts that your skin is not separate from the rest of your body, particularly relative to vital organs. We know that your skin mirrors inner health.
And in considering the whole individual, we know that each person is different and requires treatment specialized for that one person. There is no “one size fits all” when it comes to any kind of care and treatment, including skin care.
Holistic esthetics also includes the use of wholesome and healthy products as opposed to intrusive treatments like surgery as a means of maintaining skin in peak condition. Just as professional health practitioners encourage a healthy diet that includes whole and unprocessed foods to keep our bodies working properly, holistic estheticians nourish our skin with healthy, mostly organic and natural products.
I have a client who tells me that she won’t eat any foods that have more than five ingredients, or contains ingredients that she can’t pronounce. The topical products we use here at Changes Spa & Aesthetics are in harmony with this client’s philosophy: They are comprised of natural ingredients like plant extracts, nutrients, antioxidants, essential oils.
I sometimes joke with my clients that our products are so pure you could almost eat them! But, better to feed your face with them. And let us do it for you.
Cora Ciaramello
L.E., C.P.E., LMT Aesthetician