¶ Fixing Skin Issues and Becoming Esthetician
Alright , guys , be sure , alright . So we're here with Allison today . Allison's my esthetician . Hi , allison , hi , hi . So we'll start there . How did you become an esthetician ? Why did you become an esthetician ? Let's go .
I became an esthetician about 10 years ago . I've always loved the field . It's been my passion . I had really bad skin in my early 20s . It made a lot of sense for me to do this . I really didn't even know what being an esthetician was , but I knew that I needed to fix my face . So that's really kind of the shortened version at this point of it all .
I love that you said the bathroom was your favorite place in self care .
It truly is . I could stand in the bathroom forever and I could just shut the door . That is my happy place . I used to think it was really self absorbed . I just want to stand in the mirror all day and do my hair or do my makeup or whatever .
Then I realized this is tranquility and this is peace , and this is a meditative state for me to do these long winded spa days for myself . So I've always loved that . And then I needed to help myself with my skin because my self confidence was plummeting .
I really didn't know what I was doing with my life , so I was like somethings I had to give , and so I put the two together and luckily , my parents were super supportive of it and they were like , alright , fine , you can go .
I didn't finish college , so I felt like I needed something to fill my time , to make sense , to get a career , and I was like let me go to be an esthetician . My mom had no idea what it was and how to do research and , honestly , same there .
My first facial was at the school , getting it done by one of the students , and I was like , alright , we're here for myself and we've got to fix this and I'm going to learn all about it . I love science , I love biology . Skin is very much that . So when I was in classes , it made sense and it felt good because I was actually doing .
Well , it's crazy , when you apply even just like subjects like that , but to something that you enjoy , how much more sense it makes . So it just felt right . So I became an esthetician and now I have my own spot and we're growing and it feels good and I'm continuing on in the journey .
So you started out doing makeup , though Like that was like your thing .
Yeah , so I was a wedding makeup artist for about 10 years . It started when I worked at this little store in Old Town , alexandria and makeup skincare store . We got in a bunch of people who wanted the makeup done and I've always just kind of been the person that you know .
If someone asked me like , oh , can you do this , I'm like , yeah , sure , and even if I have no idea what I'm doing . So she was like , can you do makeup on people ? And I was like , yeah , of course , like I love doing makeup on myself , or like a friend , and they're like , yeah , let's do it .
And you know , you never forget that one time when you crunch someone's eyelid in the eyelash curler and they never come back . And then you're like , well , I am never making that mistake again . So , yeah , I've just kind of started out as makeup artist and then put the two together where your skin needs to look good if your makeup's gonna look good .
And the more I kept blending those two theories together , the more it just like was even more enjoyable .
Yeah , totally , because you were having like cystic acne . Would you have cystic acne ? I did yeah .
I had it . It was like a beard of cystic acne and that I think it happened out of stress . When I left college after two years , I just kind of was like what is my life , like what am I doing ? And was really at like a rock bottom .
And I think with that I just started breaking out really , really bad , and especially knowing what I know now about the skin like I was just so unhappy and I was not taking care of myself mentally , spiritually , like really anything , and I wasn't eating the foods that I know work for my body or that don't .
So , yeah , it was crazy and did your so that was . Was that the only time you had it and you're early , like you didn't have it in a tea .
As a teen I had like the casual forehead breakouts from the side , sweat bangs in high school . You know where you're just eating chicken nuggets at lunch and like you're in a gross high school , like I had like the classic skin , like that .
But it wasn't anything that was alarming me or becoming an issue in terms of , like , how people treated me or looked at me . So , yeah , this was really the first time that like people were bringing it up to me and being like what's going on , like are you okay , like you should try this or you know , stuff like that .
So it was just kind of a rude awakening .
Yeah , yeah . So then you were like , alright , yeah , I'm gonna go to esthetician school to try to like fix my own skin . And then you ended up actually like really liking it .
Yeah , I didn't think that I would actually work with clients and when I started seeing people in schools like you kind of have to do the days where , like you know , your family friends come in and they get a free facial at your school I started doing that a lot and I was working on the other girls and I just was loving it .
Like I loved that quiet room , the nice soft classical music , people you know aren't talking to you like outright , like in a job meeting or you know a zoom meeting or whatever , and so to me , like that was just so enjoyable and I was like what a cool job you just get to sit here like kind of in the dark , smell great things , make someone feel good and
like also help them long term . Well , I don't know , it just felt so good . I don't know how else to put it .
It's like a fish swimming feels good , so were you able to fix your skin .
I was , yeah , and I mean I still deal with things to this day , but at least I know where they're coming from , when I'm causing it and what's happening . And I think that's the biggest part of the picture , because the long game is your skin's always going to be alive and working and your skin is a detox organ .
So when it is working , it is detoxing whatever is in your body in any capacity , on any level so physical , emotional , stuff , like that . So I deal with like Candida , I deal with like sensitivity and things like that , and I know where it's coming from .
But , yeah , just getting all that knowledge is like life changing and when you're equipped with knowing what your skin is doing , it's a lot easier to handle the things like breakouts when they come on , versus oh my god , I'm spiraling , which is what I used to feel .
So , as an esthetician , what do you feel like is like do you feel like you can tell , when you see people's skin , if it's hormonal or if they have been like ? Like , can you tell the difference of what's going on as soon as you see it ?
Yeah , absolutely . The more I have seen people in general over the years , the better I'm at putting the two and two together . So , yes , you know , there's face mapping and you can think about oh , the lower half of the face is hormonal and the middle of the cheeks is digestive and the forehead's digestive .
But because I've been able to create long lasting relationships with my clients where I've seen them for you know , five years once I see a new client and she has acne in a certain place , where I know another client had acne in a certain place and it's a very specific sort of breakout .
You know , a classic zit pustule like whitehead kind of vibe versus a deep nodule on the jawline . Those to me are very different and they're coming from different places and they're going to be treated differently . But , that being said , each client is so specific to their own makeup and what makes them complex is the way that you have to treat it .
So some people need really a lot of energetic help and a lot of internal help to regulate their hormones . Some people need a full on naturopath to assess a situation and you know gut panels , things like that . So it's just once you crack open the surface . There's just so many avenues you have to take .
But yeah , luckily I can at this point assess what's going on , kind of initially , and guide them down the right path .
But that you're right , like that totally does come with like years of experience because , as you were talking , oh , yeah , it was 2012, . We're talking about makeup and like . However , like makeup was a big thing then and like Mac and like actually , like I remember it being like oh , we're going to get real make , like there's real makeup .
There's like altos and Sephora's , at least like in Winchester . We only had like Walgreens and Target , but then it was like wait , there's like Sephora , like you can go to Sephora and like , oh , we can like try real makeup and all that stuff .
Oh yeah , makeup had such a moment back in that time and like it's so sad because all the issues were still happening in terms of like people's skin freaking out , but we are just not given the opportunity that makeup had at that point .
I feel like it was like benzoyl peroxide and oxy pads and proactive and things like that , whereas the makeup was having the moment , but the makeup was the issue half the time .
I know like , don't get me wrong , some of Mac is great , but Macnee is very real , and so it's feel like , even though we are given so many opportunities , it was making the issue worse , and then the products to treat the skin we're making it worse as well .
So now everybody is dealing with that and so yeah , yeah , and benzoyl peroxide man , I was on that , yeah .
I mean , it's not the worst thing in the world , but it is . So I almost look at it as like a chemo for the face , where it's killing everything . It is just completely taking down your microbiome . It's completely taking down your lipid barrier . It does work really well for some people and in moments when you need that kind of like emergency product .
There's better formulations now that exist than back when you know proactive would stain your towels and that was all benzoyl peroxide . So there's not too much of that anymore , which is great , but there's also a lot better options to treat your skin .
So yeah , that's what I was going to say , though we were talking about like 2012 and everything , and then I realized that you and I have been doing I've been doing hair and you've been doing , like you know , aesthetician stuff for the same amount of time .
Wow , no wonder you're so good .
No wonder I feel like we're like real , recognizes real where .
I'm like , no , I only trust you for my hair , because like we're on the same level in terms of like , care and attention , literally yeah .
And like goals and what we're trying to do and the way we do it and what we've learned and
¶ Experience and Balance in Skincare
how we see things .
Because I feel the same way when you're talking about like that you can meet a client , they become a new forever , and then you can kind of be like okay , this is like , and then go to a different client and what happened with them , and then , like , you start to just because of nobody can teach you that it's like all experience , it's literally the school of
life .
Like it is just you have to put in the time to get the education .
And when I think about like young little estheticians that are just getting out of school and they're like , okay , I know all these things by the book and half of that does not apply to your skin , like it gets you through state boards , but the real , you know experience is actually treating clients and like learning from each one and actually internalizing like ,
okay , this person dealt with this , this was their entire story . What can I pull from this ? So and yeah , and even now I feel like I'm turning a corner because I just recently , in the past few years , started recommending people go see an atropath and like creating a relationship with one to send my clients to .
And so when I am having these clients that are very willingly going and seeing that and spending the time and the money to do it , I'm like tell me everything that you learned , because I'm going to take a snapshot of your acne in my head and then pair it with what you're saying and what your lab results were , and then being like okay , so wow , when your
vitamin D is really low , you're really slow to heal , and so every time you would do extractions , it would take a really long time for you to heal to . Your vitamin D is probably low .
So the next person I see I'm not necessarily blanket recommending you know like hey , you need to take a , like a supplement for this , but I'm making them aware that I have seen this many times now and so it could be something on the table for you .
So if you go to a naturopath and get it checked out , there's a very good , clear path that's forming for you and you can take it with a bit more confidence and not just feel like you have to buy this magic serum to , you know , fix something when it's like this is going to help you in so many other ways , because your skin is your health , you know ,
because it's literally part of your body , it is your largest organ and it's supposed to be working and so when it does , it's telling you something . I feel that way with like filters .
Filters on Instagram . No like for the love of God . Please buy a showerhead , please . You know like , you're like turning the corner of the natural . I'm like , okay , but do you have a showerhead ?
Yes , I know if I could overhaul someone's whole bathroom . That needs to be my next business . It's like now I've been doing the filter on my sink like on my tap because . I can smell it . It smells like metal , it smells like chlorine . It's gross , it's drying my face out .
I remember we just installed one on our sink and my fiance was like I want to drink this and he started drinking the water out of the . It's called a filter baby and I was like , yeah , I know , I'm obsessed with it .
Like it's so good , it really does work and we need to get all that stuff out , because our water is just so over processed and we're bathing in it , we're drinking it Like that's our water source and as like animals , like you know , we're absorbing it and we need it and we're 70% water , but now we're filled up with like fucking chloroforamid , you know , like
crazy acids and we're going through the tap Like , yeah , just so many chemicals and then also mold and all fungus and things like that .
So , yeah , there's a lot going in there and I can't even imagine with hair where you're putting you know a chemical on hair and you're expecting it to do a certain thing but you're like , oh , never mind , the chemical makeup of the hair is so far off from where I need it to be , it's making it green , or you know not working , yeah , and like , oh .
Whenever I turn my light in , it breaks off and it's like we . She has all the conditioners and she doesn't watch it . I'm like all the things , and then the person doesn't .
they're like what am I doing ? It's thinking they're that it's them , but it's actually like no , it's our disgusting water . Yeah , yeah , exactly yeah .
Like little things like that . Yeah , so like for you , like naturopath , I'm like , yeah , shower filters .
And also just like understanding people's like energy and what they mean when they say certain things and like all that yeah , no , I mean the energy is a huge part of it , because I think it's the one thing that now you know , with so much inundated like electronics and devices and things like that , our energy field is being impacted by that energy .
So our own energy is being suffocated or not there , or we're giving it up too easily and we're not bringing it back to ourselves , and that plays a role in your skin just as much as anything else . I have a few clients that off the top of my head .
I know that the moment I started working on them energetically , they were holding their head up higher , their skin started to clear up , breakouts were becoming more manageable and or they didn't really care if they were coming up as much and I'm like , okay , that was what they needed .
You know , it's really like I'm a big fan of Reiki and it , even though it's hard work and it's hard to sit through your feelings like that , because energy is feeling and you know we don't want to feel anymore as a society , we just want to think . So it's super important to tap into that too , and you're going to help your skin too .
My teacher calls it the four pillars of health . Where it's ? You know , you have a table and the table has four legs and you need all four legs to be balanced or else the table is going to , you know , not be balanced . And so it's nutritional , physical , energetic and emotional .
Oh , beautiful , and I feel like those are all my favorite things . And you know , when you're just like in a shit storm of like your own brain and you're like , okay , bring it back , like bring it back to the basics , that's it Like have a good cry , maybe .
Do a little yoga , get some Reiki done , like physical get your energetic , eat a good meal like just come back to the four pillars and see like which one needs a little bit more whatever you know out of balance .
That's so true , and they do get out of balance so easily . And , you know , I feel like I'm even today , like when I was getting my hair done it was so hard for me to like be in the moment .
And when you're in the moment , I feel like you can really tap into , like nourishing each of those like pillars very easily , because you're you're breathing right and you know , you're like aware and you're not working yourself up over something that you're overthinking or whatever . So , yeah , that's so , it's so crucial .
I'm going to bring up hormonal acne because I feel like it's a big one . I mean , I'm sure that they're when we kind of already touched on it . But if somebody is feeling like they're having crazy acne , it's just off the hook .
Is it normally a hormonal or what is it normally that's causing it to be especially for like a woman , or what else could it be if it isn't ?
It's probably diet is what I've seen that sticks the longest , because a lot of the times people's diet don't really change that much . They kind of stick to the foods they like and what they know . It maybe creates a little bit of sticky candida in there and their gut lining , or they have leaky gut and your gut is the root of everything . Right .
It helps your brain , it helps everything . Lucky and unlucky , you know they fluctuate so much . So whereas some point in the month you might be dealing with you know higher estrogen or higher testosterone androgens , you know you're breaking out a little bit more , getting a bit more oily . That'll level out a little bit as it goes on .
I mean you can , of course , have like thyroid issues and deeper rooted stuff like PCOS , but I really feel like the diet is the hardest thing for people to switch up , because when you're stressed out , you want what you like and I have some clients that then they'll get pregnant and then they're like , well , this is all I can eat .
Right now , you know , I'm only eating crackers and cheese and I'm like , okay , so the gluten and the dairy . So it's really hard for them to get that under control unless they're really diligent with stripping it back or just incorporating a ton more foods that they're not used to eating . I mean I don't think people are really eating that colorful of diets .
I know I'm not when I don't try actively . It's not easy to do so . That is tricky and even with my own skin my diet has been something that won't make it or break it . So I see that a lot with people .
Yeah , and then you think like caffeine and alcohol .
I do . I think they are just exasperating the issue . I don't think they're a true root cause for most people , unless you have a serious issue . But I mean , if you're doing a ton of stuff to try and help your gut and then you're still drinking a ton , that's not going to help you either . You know cause .
You're kind of really priming your wall to getting ready to paint it and then you're getting it dirty , you know .
So if you think about that , like you would have to really stay the course in terms of it , and it's not like , oh , don't drink ever or don't drink coffee , but like really keep it under control , where , when you start to see your skin freak out , probably know if you're doing all the right stuff . That's maybe the issue , but is it the only thing ?
No , but like consistent acne is normally like gut and diet , yeah , usually . And then hormonal is like okay , two weeks it's bad , it goes away . Two weeks it's bad , it comes back .
Yeah , for most . And it's really hard to kind of put everyone under that like yeah , blanket statement Because , again , we fluctuate so much and different seasons of your life mean different hormonal things .
So sometimes you're really stressed out , like , let's say , you're planning your wedding for two years or whatever , and you're just like really revving yourself up , doing all these crazy cardio workouts . Your hormones are out of control .
You know you're drinking a ton of coffee because you're trying to plan it all , like you're just in that mode , but once your wedding's over , your face goes back . So it's like I see just the seasons of life affect you more hormonally , unless you have something like PCOS or whatever , where , like it's really a more chronic internal issue .
But yeah , luckily they'll fluctuate , so use that to your advantage .
What is the most popular question that you feel like people ask you , or that you feel like is the biggest thing for people ?
Yeah , it's kind of hard because , I mean , people just want to be under the impression that once you stop breaking out , that you're going to stop breaking out forever . So they're like , okay , but now I'm breaking out again and it's like okay , but you are still living and you're still making decisions . So it's like you're going to run into a wall eventually .
But you kind of have to be okay with realizing that's reality . And so people , I think , just want perfect skin . Yeah , they come in , they want to be clear , they want to not wear foundation anymore , they want to be bright and clear and not break out .
And it's like we can get you like 80% of the way there , but you have to be okay with that 20% just being real life . And so I think that's kind of what I come into with
¶ Realistic Expectations in Skincare
. Or people want to use just products and not do any lifestyle things . You know , they want it to be easy and they want the it like to be immediate and it's like putting in the work and knowing that your process might take a couple years is very realistic .
And you know , even when we worked with your skin , like it took a few years to really get to the place where we're like damn , like your face looks really good , like we really tackled a lot of what we wanted to work on and people expect that in three months . So it's kind of tricky to like create realistic expectations .
But luckily I mean the handful of clients that I've gotten have just been so aligned with my philosophy to begin with , which is super internal and super like this is going to be a big picture sort of deal that I feel like they're way more receptive when I'm like , okay , we're in this together and I'm not going to give up on you if you don't give up on me
, and we have to stay the course . So , yeah , they're very receptive .
Well , and it's so cool with you because you are so like actually knowledgeable about what's happening and so like confident in like this is what's going to work and we're going to do this , and like it's not like we're just coming in I mean , I'm speaking for all clients that go to you .
It's like we we , everyone behind me that we are coming in just for like a fluff facial . It's like no , like we have we are working towards best skin possible and not just like rub me down , like rub me down for sure , but also like paying all the things .
Absolutely , and I do feel like I get a lot of people in their journey and I'm almost a last resort in terms of , in their mind , they've tried everything , they've , you know , done everything and they've been to the dermatologist and they've used all the stuff and they read all the blogs and just tried every product out there and it's like , well , not really ,
because , like you're just skimming the surface , because that's what we're all taught .
Do you feel like esthetician should come before dermatologist ?
Yes , I think dermatologists have a place and yes , I'm a little obviously biased , but I feel like they do really well with skin cancer and mole removal warts , like things that are more like disorders or like a virus that's on your skin or something that you really need to tackle that way .
But when they start to treat anti-aging and acne and things like that , unfortunately they're just or at least I've never seen one that takes it from an internal approach .
They always just want to treat it from the outside in and they stare at you from across the room and they throw you the things that a rep from a medical company came in and told them to sell . And I've worked in a plastic surgeon's office .
I've worked in places that are very like Western medicine and that's really what they're doing not to discount the results that they're getting , because they are getting results on some level , but the sustainability and the satisfaction from the clients that I see now versus when I worked in that world , it's very different . It's very a whole person level of change .
So I think dermatologists , if you're going to work on the body , you need to treat it like a whole , and I just could have never been to a dermatologist that did that . But yeah , I do feel like esthetician should come as a majority of the time and then go to a dermatologist when you really need to get your yearly or monthly thing checked up .
Things like that treat it differently , but they're kind of utilizing them in the wrong way . But what do you think ?
of celebrity skincare lines .
Oh my gosh . I mean , if that makes you happy , go for it , but don't expect any transformative results . If you want to try the road lip balm or whatever that she comes out with go for it , but don't have that be what you're really focusing your money on to change your skin .
I do not think that there is enough care and attention in the whole experience of those products . There may be a celebrity that really loves skincare and they want to put their name on something and think they have a good idea for something , but I just don't know how complete it is . I don't know . I'm not going to buy it , I'm not going to try it .
I want something that has clinical results and testing and I want something that I know I'm going to use in my back bar , that I'm going to use on my clients and I can actually see it working in real time and soothe your skin from the moment I put a peel on you . I don't really trust a lot of that .
It could be that , but I do not like skincare from celebrities
¶ Opinions on Laser Treatments and Botox
.
What do you think about getting laser treatments done ?
I feel like the bane of all existence of some estheticians . So I have a friend who's an esthetician as well and we're both like team no laser and we talk about that like every time we hang out . They are just so risky and they're kind of the hot thing Right now .
I mean , lasers has been around forever but right now they're kind of having a moment because people see it as a quick fix . What you're getting when you do a laser is just a lot of inflammation in the skin because you're hitting it at such like a high heat .
If you really think about like what a laser is and then we are an organic material , like that's fucked up .
Like that's a lot of high heat on your skin .
You shouldn't be doing that . And also there's a lot of people who are mixed . You know races and you could have somebody who is black or Mexican or Spanish or anything that has a little bit of color in them , but you can't really tell . Maybe or there's just a bit of a percentage in there .
You hit them with a laser and you're causing serious , permanent hyperpigmentation . So the risk involved is so high and damage that you cannot really fix completely .
I personally would not take a laser to my face unless it was IPL , but even then I'm going to be weary and I'm going to do everything besides that that I can , unless there's something really serious . You cannot treat melasma with a laser , no matter what people tell you . It is not worth the risk .
A lot of times when people go in for hyperpigmentation they may have melasma and don't realize it , or it's hiding under the skin and you hit a laser with it . You're going to bring it right out and then it's there like really bad . So to me it's not worth the squeeze . So no , the skin .
When you do really big things like that , like at that surgeon's office that I worked at , we did like a CO2 laser peel it is really , really intense . Your skin looks great afterwards .
Sure , if you really need it and you're , like you know , in your 60s and you just need that complete resurfacing case by case maybe , but even then you're causing the inflammation which is looking like collagen and that's what's going on . And then as you age , inflammation makes your skin age faster .
So it may look good for five years , but then it kind of looks weird after that . I've also seen people skin who did do laser and their pores just look like blown out and kind of strange . So like in the short term looks nice , but in the long term it's kind of not looking too hot . Yeah , so I wouldn't do it .
I just think they're way better options than lasers .
Is that is really cool , like in the way that you say . It is that like skincare in general and facials and just your skin is a long game , long game .
It is , it is . It's a freaking marathon . Forever and the marathon never ends until death . No , when I when you ask me , what are people asked for ? And it's like to never break out again , I'm like , okay , so when you're dead that's gonna happen . So there you go . That's your answer .
But , yeah , like you're in it for the long haul and you got to go with the ebbs and flows of your skin because it's you . Stop throwing the laser at yourself , you know . Stop trying to beam yourself at the laser in so many ways . Be gentler with yourself and respect the homeostasis that your skin needs Are you a Botox girlie .
How do you feel about Botox ? I like Botox .
I did start way too early . I started at that surgeon's office . So in a way I love it because I like what it does , but I also like it because when I don't have it , I don't like what I see now . So I'm kind of stuck in the middle there . Yeah , it is addicting and I think there's a time and a place for it , and I am not .
You know , ooh , it's a toxin . Like don't put that in your body . Like I'm not so far on that side where I don't believe that , because you kind of believe it In a way . I mean , they use Botox and surgeries , they're putting way more units in your body than , like , the few in your forehead . Yeah , so it's like at a certain point okay .
But yeah , you're not getting that surgery done every three months , you know , for 10 years . So you know there's that .
But you know I like to kind of keep things balanced , where I get the sauna a lot and I do things that detox me and sure that might make my Botox go away a little faster , but I do feel better , not just completely storing all that toxins . But yeah , you know I do what makes you happy at the end of the day , and Botox does make me happy .
I felt like for a while I was going to try and not do it anymore and I was just going to do microcurrent . But I kind of realized , you know , I was doing Botox for 10 years and I just like it and it was just easy , it's quick , I get it . You know , whatever I'll do microcurrent on the lower half of my face and try and meet it in the middle .
So that's kind of my plan . So does that mean that you started when you were 18 ? Pretty much like I started , yeah , like probably when I was like 20 . So yeah , definitely was a long time and we got it for free . I feel like when you work in those places , you know it's like hey , I have five minutes , you want me to inject your lips ?
Like where do you want this ? And it's just like you know , you get Botox in your underarms , you get in your hands , you like , do you get your lips done on your lunch break ?
Like it's just the culture , which is fun and exciting , but also a slippery slope , because when you start to like forget what you look like and your new normal is your new normal , you kind of can snowball really quickly and you realize how addicting it is .
I could totally see that and I also feel like people will then compare themselves to their last time they got Botox or filler or whatever , as opposed to like the beginning .
Absolutely yeah . And then you go back and you look at pictures and you're like , oh , whoa , like that's what I looked like and yeah , that's how it gets out of hand and yeah , you really just have to have good people on your side that tell you when you start to look crazy is what I've noticed , or yeah , I have good perspective .
What do you think about products needing to have all natural ingredients or being like ? I mean , I think in general , organic is never really true , because organic means that it's going to expire pretty quickly if it's organic .
Yeah , absolutely . That's like . You know . There's no preservatives in it , there's no parabens to preserve it , things like that . So I just think that go in as much as you want , but when you start to make it your whole personality , just know that it's a lot of greenwashing at the end of the day .
¶ Skincare and Finding the Right Esthetician
So if using something that doesn't have fragrance makes you happier because it's an endocrine just disruptor , but at the end of the day it's like , okay , is this fragrance on the bottle actually essential oils or is it a perfume and a synthetic fragrance ? You don't really know that on the bottle . So you can buy something all day long .
This is fragrance free , but there could also be a product that says it . That isn't an issue . So a lot of it is greenwashing and I don't really buy into it . I want products that work . I want products that are safe to . You know big percentage of myself . But I'm also not going to be like no Botox and no fragrance , no , nothing , you know .
Again , I want things that work but I don't want to overdo it . So it's kind of finding that happy medium .
And figuring out kind of what your hill to die on is , because everybody has a different one .
Oh my gosh , exactly . And I could go all day long about like don't do this and be like all up in that . But it's like this is real life . I want to help you with your issue and I want to make it as safe as possible to get you there while also still seeing results . And a lot of times all that stuff is you're not going to get anywhere .
You want to go .
I mean , could anybody just use this ? Just , I thought of this like could somebody use just like all , like if they were really like an herbalist and use all like plants and things like that , could that work , you think ?
I think in some capacity it could work .
You know , there used to be this thing where plants we're using , like plant stem cells , you know , in skincare , and it was like , oh , stem cells , so cool and stem cells when they work , but they're from human stem cells your body can actually recognize it and use it and then , like , translate it and work with it , whereas , like , we don't have the same makeup
as a plant . So when we put in plant stem cells in our skincare , let's say , your skin's like okay , cool , but isn't really doing too much .
Granted , when you're using more gentler products like that , you're protecting the lipid barrier and you're not over stripping , so you're kind of reaping the benefits of not overdoing it , which can keep your skin looking good . But are you going to get past that next level of like ? Now we're even better , you know .
So you're going to , you're going to hit a threshold with it . But yeah , of course you can use it and of course it can make your skin look good . But I kind of know the potential of using the good stuff .
Yeah , exactly Right . So it sounds like we just need to use blood masks from our period blood If you're talking about stem cells .
Yeah , absolutely . I mean honestly , we used to line at another job and they were using stem cells from baby penises . Yeah , and I mean , I don't even want to know the story behind that , but that was just like that's in skincare , like they .
They've gone that far and I wouldn't be surprised if there is a blood mask that's out there and you know a little DIY moment , do it yourself . Guts themselves . Yeah , you could .
Let me know how it goes . What do you feel like are the top products that people should have if they're not going to go to an esthetician ? Let's say they're like I . Just it's not my budget , I don't budget that out to an esthetician . What should they buy ? What should they do ? Where should they go ? What should they like ? What does that look like ?
So I mean it's such a loaded question because every single person is different and needs different things , you know . So their DNA makeup is one factor , what they've used in the past is another . Their diet is another . So again , skincare is not going to be the only thing .
So as long as you're taking also the approach of the self and the whole and eating clean food and stuff like that , you've got that checked off . You can start with a double cleanse at night .
And you know , if going to Sephora is available to you and that makes you happy , you want to do that , I would probably trust Sephora to have higher quality ingredients than a drugstore product . Drugstore is kind of your lowest rung . It's not the worst thing in the world .
But if that's all you have and you want to make good use of your you know 15 bucks , go and get a oil cleanser as your first step in your night routine . Get a cleanser , that's your second step . That is what you guess your skin type is . Just because you have acne , don't need an acne cleanser . So you kind of don't fall into that .
Just be like okay , I have acne , but my skin's really dry or my skin's really oily , and then just kind of go there dry or oily or if you need calming , always go with calming things . If you're dealing with breakouts , when you're left to your own devices , acne products on the market will probably make it worse is what I found .
So if you can just start working on the inflammation and go from there and then tackle the rest through internal things , you're going to get a nice cushion in terms of like not overdoing it . So you've got your double cleanse at night and then , if you need a serum , start with something hydrating , go from there .
I would get like a hyaluronic at night and then a vitamin C in the morning but only if you feel like you're not super stripped or dry and then a moisturizer and a sunscreen . Those are really your basics .
If you want to bring an exfoliation and you want to get something that is like a very light exfoliant at night whether it be like a lactic acid product or a very mild retinol I don't want you guys to go run out and get retinone from your dermatologist and fry your face off , because that's where I see a lot of people end up now with me and they're like
help . So just get something really mild and start from there . Consistency is key . So even if you're using not the fanciest stuff , as long as you're being consistent and again you're looking at your whole lifestyle and your diet , then you're going to see results .
When people are looking for an esthetician , what should they be looking for ? How do they know if somebody is like a good esthetician that they should go to ?
I usually just spend countless hours following someone on Instagram and really analyzing and I look at are they focusing on trying to sell me a bunch of things , or do they only work with one modality ? So if you're looking at an esthetician , she's only using the hydrophacial or something like that , just one tool , and that's every facial .
I don't know quite how customized or holistic your experience is going to be , and that's kind of what I look for is someone who has many different tools in their toolbox and then also comes to skin from a holistic approach . That's going to be your best bet to finding an esthetician .
And then , from there , read your reviews , go and get a facial , you know , figure it out , see if you like it , if it resonates with you and you feel like it was a good experience , and keep going and see what they do .
I have had some people come to me and they say that their esthetician was really harsh and she was like , oh man , you're really breaking out .
Like you know , you don't want someone that's going to make you feel worse about it because that is out there and it's so sad , because it can be really discouraging in your journey , and then you don't want to go back Because you're like , oh no , I'm going to go and she's going to see that I still have acne and she's going to not like , she's going to be
mad .
Yeah , I get that so many times where ?
people are like I don't want to disappoint you or don't be mad at me . I'm like I will never be mad at you if you're acting gets 100 times worse or 100 times better .
I will always just meet you where you are right now , because I know that is a journey and it is not easy , and if this is a season where you're breaking out worse or better , whatever , then we're with you now and we're just going to treat it as it comes , Like don't feel bad being in there for acne or you know you don't want to find someone that makes
you uncomfortable or that won't extract you or whatever . Someone that just has a good heart , I feel like , and that's where you're going to get , like , a good outcome .
Yeah , I think that was a big thing , like why I started coming to you was because I was like oh , you know , I would love to go to an esthetician . My skin's just been horrible my whole life and that's just like what it is , it's all good .
And then I remember , I literally remember , yeah , talking to Georgia , and Georgia was like oh my God , like my best friend , her friend , is an esthetician . I went to her . I was like no way . She was like yeah , and she was like her thing was like yeah , have you ever heard of double cleansing ?
Like yes , Honestly , the double cleansing is one of your four pillars of your skincare . Double cleanse , moisture and sunscreen Yup that's right .
And I was like , no , she's like , yeah , you need to get an oil first of all . Blah and like , follow her . She has so much knowledge , like follow .
And I was like , oh my God , like so , yeah , I do think that's important , like , and of course , I just think in general , I love supporting somebody like me , but somebody who is on their own , doing their own thing , like having their own business , because it does take a lot of heart and it takes a lot of like , care and a lot of intention .
It's just so much more personable .
Absolutely . I feel the same way when you see that someone has put everything on the line for it . It almost makes you trust them more , because you're like okay , like this is what they're all about .
And when you see the passion , that's like I'm going to go to anyone who is passionate about what they're doing , because you know that they're doing it for a reason , not just getting paid or they're running through the motions kind of deal . So , yeah , I fully agree with that .
Like , if you've put everything out there on the line and you're risking a lot for what you're doing , I know that you're going to do a good job . Or at least like , since that's me , I trust you . You know , and I see that in you too , like I really do , you've really grabbed like your whole business and you're like this is me .
Like , when I come to see you , I don't feel like I'm like just going and getting my hair done . I feel like I'm getting the entire , like Lauren experience .
Thank you . I'm so glad because I don't know if you ever feel like this , but sometimes I feel like I've been doing it for so long that I mean I still care about it deeply and but it is so like second nature to me that I never want to like take it for granted that like , oh , this is what I do , I don't have to try as hard , it just is .
So I'm glad to hear that it still feels like good and special and not just like me .
Yeah , and I feel that too , and I think that's in anything that you do for a long time , like even like long term relationship , like right , and you're in a long term relationship with your career , and so you're kind of realizing that there are stale times and stale moments where you're just kind of like just going in and do my job .
But then there are moments where you've like turned a corner , like you're starting to like change or get different or better , or you're like , wow , I didn't think I could get any better . But even though , like yes , you can , obviously you're just like wow , I'm doing this new move that like where did that come from ? Or something .
And then it reinspires you back into yourself . You fall in love again with like what you're doing , because it's new and exciting again . So just like trust those times to come . And it's okay if you feel a little stale at times , because then you know like on the horizon is nice little turning corner moment .
Totally Like just yeah , and that's just life , like expansion and contraction and expansion and contraction and going , you know , back and forth with those types of things .
¶ Creativity and Freedom in Entrepreneurship
You are on your own now and have your own business . What is your favorite part about having your own business ?
Definitely the outlet for creativity and freedom . When I started the business , I was like , okay , what am I ? Why is you know ? Because they always say like you have to have a why . So the why ? I was like , well , creativity , like if I'm , you know , making my menu fun and orchestrating these facials that are like everything that I would want in a facial .
Or I'm doing this part where I like rub the palo santo , like in the area you know , during your LED or whatever . So I was like that's a creativity and as long as that's keeping making me happy , then that's what I'm going to do .
And then the freedom I always felt , like at past jobs , like in this industry , you're working weird hours , you're working weekends , you're working all the times that people go and have an appointment . So I was like I need to make sure that I don't have to ask anybody for time off and if I need it , I can take it no questions asked .
So , honestly , both of those have just really fulfilled me . And anytime I get frustrated with you know work or anything like that , I just look back and I'm like , am I hitting those two things ?
If not , I need to make changes or I have it better than a lot of people that work for someone else or are unhappy doing that , because not everyone wants to have their own business .
You know you have to kind of be like a little crazy and a little unstable to like risk it all like that , but at the end of the day it is so worth it and I really wouldn't change it Like I can't imagine ever working for somebody else in my life . You know like , can you like just going back and like working just in a job ?
I don't know , Sometimes I think about it and I think it would be . There's this little part of me that thinks it would be kind of fun to- .
Corporate Lord .
Yeah , it would be kind of fun to like move to a new city and then just like work at a salon , but I don't trust anybody that I'm working with . I think hair styles are crazy .
Yeah , and you're a rare breed . Let me just say Very rare , yes .
So I think it would be really hard to really actually meet like cool down to earth , no drama like that . They've learned balance , because I think that's a hard thing . I think that especially there's a bit of like ego in doing hair . I don't know if there's as much with like being in a statistician of like .
Like hairstylists are like no , I'm like the best , Like I'm so good , Like look at what I'm doing and like proving improving .
And then also when you work for yourself or have clients , it's like they're the no boundaries thing and the people pleasing thing and the working all the time thing and like I've noticed a lot of like salon cultures it's like their whole life and they'll be like this is my work , this is my family , we're a family and it's like yeah , no , I felt the same way
because it felt like all the offices I work for and it's nice to have that culture where , like , you obviously get along , you want to hang out with each other , but it can kind of get overboard , where it becomes your entire personality , it's entirely who you are , and then when you're at work , you're just running through the motions because it's like become more
than that . So I think it's better to separate yourself from your job , even if it is you that's the job , like I don't know . Yeah , you need those boundaries in a way because I can get out of hand . And then you start to like resent people and you're like we were a family , like why are we all fighting ? Or like this drama , or whatever .
Yeah , it gets weird . Did you ever have a point when you started your own business where you were like , oh my God , I have no boundaries with anybody and I'm replying all the time and I'm like not charging enough , and what the fuck am I doing ? Or were you always pretty like boundary , like had it all kind of down to a T ?
I would say I noticed the no boundaries aspect when I worked for someone else . I was noticing myself getting lost in the sauce . Like , honestly , it was like , okay , you need to be following up with these clients or you need to be doing this , and it was almost like the boss was pushing my boundaries .
So I guess , as a person , I have boundaries , and so I was seeing that they were getting pushed down by someone else because they were my boss , right , and so I was like , well , that doesn't sit right with me . So once I started opening my own business , I was like boundaries first and foremost are the flavor . You know where you are doing that .
And so I really put in a hard and fast I'm not gonna respond to you at all hours or you can't walk all over me in terms of like abusing the situation . Like if we need to chat about your skin , we'll do it at your appointment , which is a better experience . Anyways , you know , it would kind of get out of hand when it was there were no boundaries .
So , yeah , I don't like that , yeah , yeah .
How old were you when you ?
started your own business . Yeah , it was about . We're coming up on like three and a half four years now , so , oh my gosh , probably like 27 . I'm 31 now . I don't know if I did that math right .
Do you have any reservations about like charging , like how do you feel about money ?
I love money . Money is delicious .
Ah , yes , yes , we love money .
We're just gonna sit in that one for a second . So money was the third why you know I only get on two , but money is so good . I mean , like , how can you not like money ? And that is not coming from a place of I'm spoiled , I'm greedy , I'm this , I'm that . Money allows you to be healthy , money allows you to be happy .
And too much money , more money , more problems , like , yes , that's very true , but the right amount of money is just fine and we should be okay with charging our worth and I know that I am worth X amount of money and in time , and you know skill and product and things like that .
So I really had no issue charging what I wanted to charge , because I knew that the people that that would resonate with and see the value in that would be my clients and anyone else that doesn't see that . I don't have to know them , I don't have to hear them , I don't have to do anything .
I've had a few people that come in there like , oh , you're kind of expensive or this or that , and I'm like , well , yes , I am , but I also hope that you're getting a lot out of this and I hope that this is your last stop and I hope that this is actually worth your money .
You know , I try and be a very full experience for people , because if you're just gonna charge a lot of money and not deliver , that's stupid , that takes away from the value of money .
So that's why I say like money is so delicious , because it is like also your value and your worth and like you can translate it in so many different forms of abundances and things like that . So , yeah , very important and really just like a huge factor .
Something that I thought of was that , honestly , like if you're a person who doesn't want another person to have money , like you're kind of an asshole , like meaning like if you're gonna walk into somebody's space that you don't have to be in and be like , hmm , it's kind of expensive , or try to like talk shit about , well , you know , she's just like , really
she charges a lot .
Right , because you see them as . Oh , they're better than me , because I'm putting myself here .
I'm thinking of like the fears that I have when like charging things or when like changing , like the ways things are structured , and I'm like , well , what if they think this ? Or what if they think that this is too much and I shouldn't be doing this ? And then I'm like , well , that's kind of mean .
And that's their own decision . And if they , for whatever reason , maybe simply just cannot afford you , then that is not personal to you and that is not an issue for them . It is just they need to find someone that is aligned with them in all of those ways .
And there could be another fantastic person that is just happening to charge less because of , for whatever reason , they're gonna be just fine . So , like I would not worry about the people that think like that , because they're not gonna be the people that go to you and maybe you have a price increase and that causes that little bit of like .
You know , you kind of shake out the bottom of the bag and you see where things fall , and sometimes people don't stick in that new plan , but that is okay . They can still have learned from you what you taught them at one point . You know they're gaining whatever experience they had when they saw you and it was their decision that that doesn't align anymore .
So I'm a fan of raising your prices . Obviously you don't wanna do it too much or too little , because then both parties will suffer . You wanna still feel like it's worth it to you to keep going and going to work and getting better and going to classes and stuff like that . So all of that comes into play .
Yeah , absolutely and honestly .
It's a very intuitive thing really , Like when to raise your price , how to raise your price , like what you should do , all of that Sometimes you need , like , the environmental factors to come in , where maybe there was a price increase in like your products that you're using or it's something that was , you know , a little more concrete , like that .
But when you feel like it's time to raise your prices , because maybe you're just not super happy going into work anymore or it just doesn't feel that same sort of spark and you're like you know what , I just need to charge more , it's just , it is an intuitive thing and you should trust that and don't judge yourself for feeling that , because you gotta grow and
you have to grow in all of those ways . And there are people that charge thousands of dollars an hour and then there's people that charge $10 an hour . So it's okay , you're allowed to sit wherever you want .
Did you ever kind of struggle with that type of stuff or with money , or why do you think that you have such a healthy kind of feeling and relationship with money ?
Growing up like I felt like I really it was weird I liked playing with money a lot , like I always wanted to play cash register and I always wanted that transactional , like money goes in , money goes out , like that kind of revolving door .
Now that I'm thinking of it and growing up , like you know , we're kind of middle class like whatever , nothing too apparent that we didn't have this or had this or had that . So growing up I am very spendy and like I really like to spend money .
But I've always been very capable of making money and when I had my chart read , kelly Mason shout out , I realized cause she was like you know , money comes to you very easily and so I think I've had that healthy hunger for it because of that aspect and I've never really felt like I , it wasn't in my grasp .
So that's why it's a bit of a healthy connection . But I do feel like it is hard for me to hold on to it because I do spend it and so that's something that as I'm growing and still working with myself and kind of spiritually tapping into and where is this coming from ?
Drama , you know , whatever inner child thing I need to work on , those are all connected . So that's gonna be kind
¶ Exploring Self-Worth and Emotional Expression
of my next venture in it . So I don't wanna make it sound like I'm so healthy with money and like it flows to me abundantly . But you have to start with that thought , you know , to get anywhere , and then you can kind of find comb it after that .
Cause that's funny . I think I'm probably more on like hoarding it and you're more on like spending it , so it is really like interesting . And then it's . It's interesting too , cause like money just in general is a funny thing , cause then there are people who feel that they don't deserve to make money , or who why would they have money ?
It's just self-worth at that point and it's so sad , you know , and I do want them to get into that and figure that out and heal that part of themself , because money is like a secondary factor in that whole equation .
So it's not the money that's the issue , it's your self-worth , and I mean I've had good self-worth , thank God , and like it sounds like you do too , in terms of like you're able to have it , but then like letting it go , your fear of rejection , you know it's like that that's not gonna be there anymore and that's your self-worth , so you're holding on to it
and so maybe I give mine up too quickly because my self-worth maybe I give it up , you know , and so there could be factors in that , like the shadow work that needs to be done , kind of thing .
What is the biggest thing that you feel like you're working on right now ?
Probably that probably self-worth self-expression . It's crazy . The first time we did this podcast , like the weeks leading up to it , I was getting massages and breakie and they were like your throat chakra it was so blocked and like do you have trouble expressing yourself ?
And you know , my massage therapist did like all this work on my throat and I was just like feeling so vulnerable .
And then we did our first podcast out of many , and afterwards I remember going on a walk the next day and I felt like my throat was just like this beacon of like light and I was like a lighthouse and I was like , wow , I really opened it up , just like talking to you and being in a safe space and like stuff like that .
And I almost feel like sometimes I like rejected or avoided the opportunity to like have that relationship with other people , so that kind of thing . So I kind of like hindered my ability to really express myself and so I mean I'm so fortunate for you to even like give me this platform right now , cause this is like healing in a way .
So , yeah , probably throat chakra stuff , and I've been working on heart chakra stuff a lot and just opening myself up to relationships and love and , you know not being scared anymore and things like that . So that's probably what I'm working on now . And it's hard , you know . The root is so blocked as well .
You know , I could just go on , but luckily my crown and my third eye are pretty pretty open always , and so we just need a little tethering to the ground . What about you ?
Well , before we move on , I was gonna ask do you feel like , were you always kind of like shy as a kid ? So like , do you feel like you've spent your whole life kind of like lone wolf shy , or do you feel like yes , Absolutely .
I was always a shy person , like in middle school , high school , like I just didn't talk to people . Everyone thought I was mean or , you know , rude or whatever like . But I just like was so painfully shy and I think I was like internalizing my experience , like to know when and when I would express myself .
It would be like with you know , very close people , small groups , like that's where I thrive anyways , but I'm getting better at kind of like opening up and opening my voice up to more people .
So , yeah , definitely starting out being shy , I was and I'm very introverted and yeah , so that is just innate but you're really cool because you're introverted and Shy , but you're confident . I think it stemmed a lot from being an esthetician .
I gained so much confidence , like I said , like when you're in school and you're finally good at it , when you spent your whole life not being you know , it really makes you feel like okay , wow , I'm not worthless or like stupid , or like I'm actually succeeding at something .
So , yeah , thankfully , aligning the two that's what's gotten me so confident and the feedback from clients being like no , I love coming to you , or like you've helped me , or things like that .
Like my job and what I get from it has just built my confidence so much I Think that I'm working on right now like emotional stuff and like my actual emotions , because I Live and have lived my whole life thinking so , like well , like if you ever hear me talk about something , I'll be like I just think that , like well , I think that , I think that , I
think that I think that and I've realized that if I want to keep growing in this world , I have to find my like emotional side .
¶ Cry and Astrology in Self-Discovery
Absolutely . I agree with that completely . I mean , we were just talking about how crying needs to be like a daily activity and I think , like even just what you told me earlier , how you had a really cathartic cry you're able to connect that and Be emotional . So good for you .
Yeah , thanks you too . Crying is cool . Crying is really cool . Love that , love , when that can happen .
And you know , when you're crying and like cried so much and you're doing it on purpose , to the point where then you kind of start Laughing afterwards , you're like god , that was good . And you're just like I'm crazy .
But then you're like , no , I'm not , like I just needed to fucking cry , like I just needed to push it out and feel it and be like I'm hurting so bad , and you're just like , never mind , I'm good . It's like because you cried , now you can be good . Like you're not bipolar , you're not crazy .
Like you don't have to sit in that too long , you don't have to like let days go by where , like you're just completely a rat . So when I have clients that I'm like you need to have a good cry , and they're like I never cry . You know I don't want to feel something that's you know happened long ago . And what would it do ? Now ?
I'm like it would give you a release . It's not gonna fix this situation , but it's gonna let you release it and not hold on to it anymore , and that's gonna help it .
Just like a period have a bleed . Have a bleed , let it go . Let's shed it and we'll move on . Just like a new moon have a new moon , go inward , let it go , move forward . Just like winter go inward , feel the things , let it go . Like we are of nature and Crying is a part of that Absolutely .
And it's crazy that you're saying that , because when I saw my Reiki lady , I was like , oh man , I need to like really think about this or meditate on this one thing that she like brought up for me . After she was like you need to have a good cry , I was like , okay , I'll meditate about it .
She's like , actually , don't , don't internalize it like let it out , like there's contract , then that release of like even the period like you're in your time where you're not doing it , and so , like you got to express it , you got to talk it out and then also feel it like there has to be both just finding that balance .
Yes , because it's feminine and masculine . You know , I guess it would be a full moon as opposed to a new moon , though , Honestly , these full moons have been kicking my butt for the past year .
I feel like it's been no sleep , like I'm feeling crazy . This last one was wild . I liked this cancer .
new moon , though , I did too . I felt a lot of family stuff , did you ?
or relationship . I did . I felt relationship and inner child things and that's kind of like what I was crying about . She was like oh , you're in your child , so , so scared , and so it's like I was like okay , let's cry it out , let's get it out .
Yeah , inner child stuff , working on all the things . It is funny too when you get into Astrology stuff and you get like I feel like I can . I've now been able to literally feel the energies of each zodiac absolutely .
I mean , it's really an eye opening and the more I delve into astrology and stuff like that and I still am , like , you know , good girl . Yeah , I'm scratch the surface , I am like a newbie , but I am trying to understand and understand myself more . Like get that affirming , you know , response when you start reading your chart or having your chart read .
So yeah , it's really crazy and normally I'm not a huge fan of cancer season or you know , cancer is really , in general , they're you know , great people , but like it's hard for me to fall into that when the time is approaching .
So I always think of cancer season as being very soggy and , like you know , heavy and damp and like I don't want to deal with it and like whatever . But you know , I was just listening to like another podcast or like let it go through you , like it's okay , like you literally let like the water like rush through you . It doesn't have to sit and stay .
And that's like where I wasn't liking it because I was internalizing all of that every time cancer season Would roll around . I wasn't doing anything with it , I was just letting it get murky and then being like , oh , I can't wait for Leo season to come and fire and dried up and like I'm a Leo , so like finally I could break free again .
And you know , love the earth signs and love a good Virgo season and stuff like that . So yeah , what's your favorite ?
I love Virgo season , I love a late summer . I love late summer so much and I like Leo season . Do you remember in your chart , reading your nodes , like your north node and your south node , and what they meant and what you were like moving towards versus like what comes naturally to you in this lifetime ? Let me pull it up for you . So mine is .
I have a North node in Scorpio and then it's in like the whatever house .
Yeah , I don't know the house .
Yeah , I don't know the houses , I don't know the planets .
We're just , yeah , yeah , I know a few planets , yeah and then my south node was in Taurus . So basically I'm jealous . Mine is the mess , mine my south node is in Gemini , so that's when I overthink everything and that's when I had my chart read . She was like yeah , you get into these brain loops because you're you know , that's what .
South node is in Gemini , yeah , the ping pong mind can't get out of this brain loop like Overthinking everything , and so when I have my chart read , she was like you need to pull in more Taurus . You need to just sit and stop and , like you know , relish in it , nurture yourself , like at that kind of thing .
My north node is in Sagittarius , so I don't really know like how that is affecting me or how it has , but because I'm not one that loves change and I'm not one that , like I love to travel just as much as I feel like a normal person Does , but I'm not like , oh my god , I'm so nomadic I need to like get up and leave at every moment .
To me that's very Sagittarius , but yeah , so I'm not really like resonating with it yet , but I guess I have a whole life to live to see where that takes me ?
Yeah , so mine was interesting because it was like what comes naturally to me is Material things making money , achievements , like in a past life . That's what I was doing , so that's like you know Easily what happens . But if I want to expand and like , in this lifetime , do new work , it looks like Scorpio , so it looks like feeling and like healing .
It's what I'm trying , you know . Now I'm consciously trying to do that anyway and to like heal lineages and ancestral traumas and like , instead of doing the easy thing , which is make the money and do , the easy thing make the money , do the .
Yeah , it's really just too many trophies all this money . Oh my gosh , yeah too much instead .
It's like deep instead it's like get poor and layer , not really I mean that's not a bad thing and luckily I feel like you can have both of them sitting it , you know , together and one's gonna help the other happen and you can keep going back and forth or whatever you need to do . I think that's great . Yours makes sense .
I want to now know , like , more about mine . So that's your north node , is your Scorpio .
Yeah , it's like where you're moving towards .
Maybe I need to get traveling , maybe you know what I have true . I need to have fun . No I really have been thinking like I want to take some solo trips and like I want to like I was talking Earlier I want to go to Norway .
I want to go in these saunas and cold punches in the river and stay in a cabin and get by our fireplace and eat some soup and , like you know , have that moment .
And then I also want to go to Salem Massachusetts , and have my Halloween moment you know , I love that whole thing in the fall like I need to do that , but I need to do it by myself and I think that's what I'm getting on and I Recharge so well by myself .
And then I need to marry that with what I need to do , which is travel , and I'm like resisting that because it gets me out of my routine . And then , ooh , I'm uncomfy and I hate it , but I need it because I gotta grow , yeah .
And change absolutely , because that's what
¶ Navigating Change and Finding Growth
we're talking about . Earlier was about like change and how . Like change is hard and but yeah , it's good and it is , and it's like we're forever changing and growing .
Yes , so keep doing it , don't get stuck . Anything else tapped into it all . What a full experience . Where can people find you ? Instagram Monarch , underscore skin . I'm Ally so sunny on Instagram , wherever , whatever suits you , whoever you want to get to know . And then you know , I have my studio in Boston and Arlington , virginia .
We're trying to move , hopefully , to Sherlington . We'll see if that happens . That's kind of in the works . So , yeah , that is where you can find me . Awesome . Well , thank you so much . Yeah , thank you .