Massages From Bali and Peels From Cali

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What would Skin Inc.'s Face & Body spa expo and conference be without some treatments?

At Face & Body Northern California, treatment demonstrations were happening everywhere—the Skin Inc. LIVE! stage, the show floor and in supplier classes. However, the Advanced Education Conference on the first day of Face & Body took an in-depth look at some classic treatment techniques.

Not All Clients Are Equal

According to Susanne Schmaling in her workshop "Perfect Pairing: Skin Typing and Peel," not all clients are created equal.

Fitzpatrick is the core of that you need to know. … [It] is the best way to get a safe outcome if you type correctly,” said Schmaling. She described the importance of estheticians understanding the Fitzpatrick scale, which classifies skin into six different types based off of the skin’s reaction to UV light—not genetic background or ethnicity, as some believe.

During consultation appointments, estheticians should speak with clients to identify their skin type and other factors that impact the client’s skin health. Since estheticians are clients’ “skin coach,” it is up to them to use the factors discovered during initial conversations to provide the most appropriate treatments for clients’ skin types. According to Schmaling, “anyone can go on YouTube and learn how to do an at-home facial.”

Layering peels, with solutions with larger molecules applied on top, are a good option for tailoring peels to clients’ skin types. Some of Schmaling’s examples included layering a BHA exfoliant with glycolic acid to address pore size and blending an AHA and BHA together with a two-layer Jessner peel for hyperpigmentation or melasma.

“[AHAs and BHAs] are the old standbys—what’s different now are the combinations they come in,” said Schmaling.

Bali to Cali

Across the hall, Kim Collier, the founder of JAMU & Organic Spa Rituals, brought a little bit of Bali to San Jose, California during her “Balinese Massage and Spa Rituals” workshop, which educated attendees on the traditional practice of jamu and how it can be used in a modern spa setting.

As Collier said in her presentation,“Jamu was around long before holistic was cool and wellness was a buzzword.”

Essentially, jamu means herbal healing both internally and externally. Collier spoke on the benefits of herbs, roots and flowers used in traditional remedies, including cloves, nutmeg, ginger, cassia, jasmine, hibiscus, cubeb pepper and fenugreek, among others.

“Beauty doesn’t always come in a bottle,” she added.

Collier also touched on the idea that where a plant grows, that is the specific area of the body the plant will benefit most. For example, root plants benefit the lower body, stem/stalk plants benefit the upper or core of the body and aromatherapy benefits the mind.

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