Weekly Gua Sha Routine: 30-Minute Massage for Lifted, Glowing Skin

I’m excited to share my new facial massage tutorial with you!

scrub me secret: you don’t need to gua sha every day to see results! I promise that if you put in the time and effort to give yourself a detailed massage (like this one, which takes 30 minutes), you can still have a fresh, even, youthful-looking face and neck, and only need to massage yourself once a week. That is how often I gua sha myself, once a week.

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Gentle but Effective: How to Exfoliate Without Damaging Your Skin

Exfoliation is a tricky topic to cover because how you incorporate exfoliation into your skincare routine is going to look different for everyone. Some will use a daily exfoliation fluid or serum, some will only use a weekly mask, and some will work some of these items into their routine 2-5x a week. The key is to use this type of skincare to soften skin, remove debris, and help your skin function healthily.

So here I am with my best guide to properly incorporating exfoliation into your routine! Questions? Comment below and I’ll answer them for you💡

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Bare Facts: Understanding Your Lymphatic System - The Power of Lymphatic Drainage Massage

Welcome to my “Bare Facts” blog series! This month, I decided to switch it up and trade in my wordier, more in-depth blog posts for articles that are shorter, digestible, and get straight to the “need to know” information. 💡

Lymphatic drainage massage is something that is talked about daily in the beauty and wellness community. Like we know it helps depuff our faces and bodies and helps reduce excess fluid, leading to a more contoured look, but do you ever wonder about what lymph is and what this lymphatic drainage massage actually does?

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Katherine M StribakosComment
Bare Facts: Why Circulation Matters in Skincare

Welcome to my “Bare Facts” blog series! This month, I decided to switch it up and trade in my wordier, more in-depth blog posts for articles that are shorter, digestible, and get straight to the “need to know” information. 💡

Circulation isn’t something we think of right away when we think of skincare. But this bodily function plays a major role in improving our skin health, clearing complexion, and helping us age gracefully.

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Katherine M StribakosComment
Enzymes, AHAs, BHAs & PHAs: Everything You Need to Know About Exfoliation

Enzymes and exfoliating acids are ingredients worth knowing about! When added to skincare items, these ingredients can help soften, smooth, and brighten your skin. However, if used too often, incorrectly, or if you don’t select the right ingredient for your skin, you could end up damaging your skin’s barrier and overall healthy functions. As always, I’m your skincare guru here to guide you on the best path! After this blog post, you’ll have a better idea of how to incorporate these ingredients into your skincare routine, and you’ll learn which types of enzymes and exfoliating acids are best for you. Maybe you’ll even leave with the takeaway that your skin doesn’t really need these ingredients at all💡

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Textured Skin on the Body: Causes, Types, and How to Treat It

Some of you are blessed with soft, smooth skin on your body that’s just naturally radiant. And others I know are like me, without proper attention and care, can experience bumps, breakouts, and/or skin sensitivity. Common texture issues on the body include keratosis pilaris, congestion/body breakouts, sensitized skin, and dry/flaking skin. What are the causes of these texture issues, and how can we fix them? That’s what I’m covering today!

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Amazing Skincare Products Under $20

Esthetician Approved Facial Care Items Under $20

Deals are everywhere, but how do we know which ones to choose and which affordable skincare items will benefit or harm our skin? That’s why I’m here! As always, I’ll be your skincare guide and recommend products that I know contain beneficial ingredients and do not include harmful ingredients or those known to irritate your skin or cause breakouts.

This is my summer 2025 list of items under $20!

Before you read this blog, I do want to make a note that just because something is affordable doesn’t mean you have to purchase it. Take the time to think about if something truly fits into your skincare routine and if its ingredients target your specific skin and skincare goals. It’s important to be intentional about the skincare items you use; that is one of the keys to having healthy, clear, radiant skin.

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Beyond Hyaluronic Acid: Hydrating Ingredients Your Skin Will Love

When you think of hydrating skincare products, what’s one of the first things that comes to mind? Were you thinking of a hyaluronic acid serum? Or maybe another hyaluronic acid product? That makes sense! Hyaluronic acid is a popular and well-known ingredient for skin hydration. And for good reason: it draws moisture to the skin and helps it retain that moisture.

But did you know hyaluronic acid isn’t the only ingredient that can hydrate your skin, add moisture, and help it look and feel more plump?
I’ve put together a list of hydrating ingredients that are excellent for softening, calming, and plumping your skin. Look out for these ingredients on your skincare label💧 👀

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Lift, Contour, and Rejuvenate: The Power of Face Massage in Your Skincare Routine

Face massage is one of my favorite ways to naturally lift, sculpt, and rejuvenate the skin, and it’s way simpler to add into your routine than you might think! Facial massage can help you achieve beauty goals you may think are only possible with skincare products, injectables, or invasive treatments.

In this post, I’m sharing how to easily incorporate facial massage into your life, the real benefits behind each technique, and my personal tips (and secrets!) for making the process effective and enjoyable.

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Body Butter, Oil, Lotion, or Serum? How to Build a Thoughtful Body Care Routine

I had an esthetician premonition the other day! Body care is soon going to take center stage and have just as much importance as our facial care does. This month, my scrub-me-secrets blog articles will have a body care theme, so perfect for summer, don’t you agree?

Whether you're team body butter, body oil, lotion, or serum (or all four!), here’s how to understand their benefits and build a routine that treats your body skin with the same love as your face.

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11 Sneaky Ways You're Damaging Your Skin Without Realizing It

I know if you’re reading this blog post, then like me, you love caring for your skin. You’ve invested in quality skincare products, do your research about which trends are good or not, and either visit an esthetician regularly for treatments or consult a professional for skincare advice.

But sometimes, even with great skincare and treatments, you can damage your skin in ways that we wouldn’t notice or think about. In this blog, I’m listing 12 surprising habits that might be sabotaging the hard work you put into having healthy skin. Let’s shine a light on the sneaky stuff so your skin can truly thrive!

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