Guest Post || Lauren, Holistic Esthetician & SkinOwl Brand Ambassador
Hello, beauty birds! My name is Lauren, SkinOwl’s Boston Brand Ambassador. I am a lover of all things green beauty and wellness, holistic esthetician, gua sha, and my greatest achievement in life, a mama of three boys.
My journey into all things “green” is coming up on a decade. At 19-years-old, my younger brother Bo took his own life in December 2008 (I know, pretty heavy stuff but I promise it gets better) and my life, as I knew it changed in an instant. It took a while to pick up the pieces of my brothers actions but once I did I hit the ground running. Acupuncture is what got me out of my hole, and once I saw that an alternative therapy and not conventional medicine could do it, I knew I needed to make some lifestyle changes so I could be my best self for me, my family and my four-year-old. Taking time out for self-care is HUGE and I had never really implemented in my life until then. I was becoming more aware of the food we put into our bodies, what I was using for cleaning and personal care products and how all of this affects our overall wellbeing. I started to meditate, take some yoga classes, be outside in the fresh air (as fresh as it is for Boston) I also saw an integrative therapist.
I enrolled in an integrative nutrition program, which assisted in the food part of my life and then basically swapped out everything in my house (slowly) to more healthier, yet effective options. I felt like my life was finally starting to become more balanced. I even got a job at Wholefoods because I really looked up to their values (pre-amazon). I worked in the Wholebody department for 7 years and was around so many cleaner options for skin and bodycare. Being there really piqued my interest for skincare and going further with it.
When my boys were old enough I enrolled in a holistic esthetician school and knew that was where I needed to be. Helping people choose healthier and effective options for their skin and seeing RESULTS makes me extremely happy.
SO in comes SkinOwl…I started following SkinOwl on Instagram about a year and a half ago. Besides their gorgeous products, what really made the company stand out to me was their tagline “ Where skincare becomes selfcare”, YES PLEASE. SkinOwl’s guiding principals???? What all of us should live by. When the opportunity came for a brand ambassador for my area I knew I had to jump on it and am really grateful and thankful I have the opportunity to be a part of this brand.
Geranium Beauty Drops and Beauty Whip give me LIFE, however, the one product SkinOwl has come out with that gives those two products even more of a boost is the beauty wand. About a month before starting with SkinOwl I finished up a 3-day workshop to be certified in gua sha and Thai herbal poultice treatments. Gua sha is really taking off right now and I am thrilled that SkinOwl has a tool that customers can use at home for that extra lift (literally) throughout the day.
What is gua sha? Gua sha is a traditional ancient Chinese technique that involves the uni-directional press-stroking of different stones/tools to gently massage, manipulate, and stimulate specific energy points around the face. These movements help break up blood stagnation, release toxins and promote lymphatic drainage.
GUA- to scrape or rub
SHA-reddish rash, blood stagnation, or flow to the surface of the skin
The Beauty Wand is very versatile and can be used anywhere life is taking you. Netflix and chill? Use the beauty wand…. Sitting in traffic? Beauty Wand! Writing a guest blog post? BEAUTY WAND! Seriously, your skin will thank you.
When doing gua sha you really want a clean face and some slip to skin (beauty drops ☺) and always want to work in an upward and outward motion. Starting at the jaw just up to below the ear and give a little wiggle to help things flow out. Roll the wand under eyes for an instant depuff and then use the pointy part of wand to really work the muscle under the brow for an instant lift. Work muscle under cheekbones for that natural contour. Bring the wand down sides of the neck just below ear to promote more of a flow for toxins to exit. A quick 5ish minute treatment is all you really need for a natural glow and lift. If the beauty drops really soak in during a gua sha sesh I will spritz my face with a toner to cool my skin and then add 3 drops of my geranium beauty drops and that’s it! Super simple and your face gets a good workout for the day and looks radiant!
If you want your skin to shine like the star on top of your Christmas tree or glow like the candles on your Menorah, do yourself a favor and take some time out of your day, get a beauty wand and gua sha your face!
Looking to pick up Lauren’s flawless skin essentials? Pick up the Beauty Wand here, the Geranium Beauty Drops here, and the Beauty Whip here. Get glowing girl!
Love this! I have to try the beauty wand!