25 days of gua sha.

For the past 15 months, I’ve been incorporating gua sha into my skincare routine about once a week. I wanted to put my gua sha work to the test and see what amping up my routine would do for my skin. My goals were to achieve a more lifted look in my cheek and eye area as well as evening-out small bits of redness in my complexion. For 25 days straight I incorporated a 5-20min gua sha massage into my skincare rituals. I’m going to go over how I incorporated this into my daily routine, the benefits of consistent face massage, and finally my results from my 25 days of gua sha!

Katherine M StribakosJuly 4, 2021 Comments

Don't pop that pimple - do this instead.

When a large or unexpected breakout pops up we want it gone, FAST! Picking at and trying to pop a new, very visible breakout may seem like the best choice; most of the time popping that pimple ends up making things look and feel much worse. This is the go-to advice I give to all my facial clients for treating pimples and cystic breakouts.

Katherine M StribakosJune 22, 2021Comment

6 Super foods, supplements, and drinks that improve your skin.

Dietary rituals that will take your skin to the next level! Superfoods, drinks, and elixirs you’re sure to love as much as me.

Katherine M StribakosJune 10, 2021Comment

Understanding vitamins A, B³, & C in skincare.

These beneficial vitamins can sometimes be confusing and hard to identify on your skincare product label. Learn all about these ingredients and if you think your skincare routine can benefit from them. Esthetician-approved skincare product suggestions included below!

Katherine M StribakosMay 27, 2021Comment

scrub me's go-to facial mask

It’s hard to play favorites with the scrub me skincare items but the antioxidant powder mask is my favorite facial mask. It’s super beneficial for all skin types which is something that is hard to find for facial care

Katherine M StribakosMay 21, 2021Comment

Important facial gua sha tips for beginners. (video included)

Incorporating facial gua sha massage into your skincare routine at home can be so beneficial for anti-aging, treating puffiness, and overall skin radiance. Using your gua sha stone/tool correctly is key to getting the best results from your at-home facial massage treatments. Let’s go over the most important gua sha basics so you can get started! At the end of this blog post, there is a video that will go over all of these tips.

Katherine M StribakosMay 8, 2021 Comment

Fragrance oil vs. essential oil.

In recent years so many of us have become more aware of what ingredients are in the skincare we buy and what ingredients we should be avoiding. Fragrance or perfume is up at the top of the list of ingredients to avoid in skincare, especially facial care. But, sometimes I see some confusion about the difference between fragrance and essential oil and what’s good or bad for your skin. Let’s break it down!

A facial at scrub me skin care studio.

Welcome to a walk-through of a facial at my skincare studio! One of the most important things I have learned throughout my 10+ years working as an esthetician is that in order to get the best results from a facial treatment the facial must be detailed and customized to your personal skin care needs. Even the most basic facial can be fine-tuned and customized to address any current problems or concerns in the skin and help rejuvenate it with the correct products.

Katherine M StribakosApril 20, 2021Comment

Targeted treatments: get your skin photo ready, fast!

Have you ever felt like you needed to get your skin in check, and fast? We’ve all been there! Sometimes it’s an event that seems to have arrived too soon, an impromptu photoshoot/professional photo, or a last-minute invite to something that leaves us looking for ways to get our skin at its most radiant so we are ready to be seen and photographed. These are a few esthetic facial treatments that can help improve your skin the week of or even the day of your photos or event.

Katherine M StribakosApril 11, 2021Comment

Skin care layering - the proper order to apply your facial products.

You may have the perfect products in your skincare routine but if you don’t apply them in the right order or at the right times you aren’t getting the most benefit! Here I’m going over all the details of the correct order to layer your skincare and what products to use AM and PM. I also linked some helpful blog posts at the end for those that still need some guidance for their at-home skincare routine. Enjoy!

Katherine M StribakosMarch 30, 2021Comment

Quiz! How good is your skincare routine?

Katherine M StribakosMarch 19, 2021Comment

8 complexion clearing tips from an esthetician.

Giving skincare advice is one of my favorite things to do as an esthetician. When I ask my clients what their #1 skincare goal is so many say “A clear complexion!”. Here are some of my top tips that apply to every skin type for a clear, radiant complexion.

Katherine M StribakosMarch 11, 2021Comment

7 blue light blocking products for skin & eyes.

Blue light and HEV light rays emitting from our phones, computers, and tablets are degrading the health of both our skin and eyes. Here is a list of 7 products that help shield our skin and/or eyes from these damaging light rays. Read to find out which products are my favorite and which blue light blocking glasses are most helpful.

Katherine M StribakosFebruary 17, 2021Comment

screen time and skin damage

With an influx of products and accessories to block the blue light rays that emit from these devices, it’s obvious that there is some damage being done from spending so much time in front of our screens. Being an esthetician and concerned about the health of my own skin as well as my clients’ I set out to research how this extra screen time is affecting our skin.

Katherine M StribakosFebruary 10, 2021Comment

The best facial steamer you didn't know you already had.

At-home facial steaming a few times a month has great benefits for your skin and relaxation benefits as well. There are a few different skin steaming machines you can purchase online, one of which I mention in my “Esthetician Recommended Facial Tools” blog post. BUT, did you know you most likely already have everything you need at home for a spa-like facial steam session?

Katherine M StribakosJanuary 30, 2021Comment