By Valli Manley B.C.N.D., CNHP
It was 1998, and I was coming back from an early morning prayer session at my church. I ran into a woman who owned a hair salon. The thing that struck me that morning was that she looked glamourous, and not overdone. I spoke to her and told her that she looked simply beautiful, and asked her what was her secret. She said girl, It’s these lashes. I said well where can I get mine done? She told me that there was a woman at her shop that did them and that I should come over to the shop and set up an appointment.
Needless to say, I went and was pleasantly surprised at the outcome. I had always been one who liked to be my best me, so this was right on point.
I owned a family Daycare business at the time because I wanted to be home with my kids and make money at the same time, but for the first time, I felt like there was a serious call to destiny. I came home and decided to start another business, and that was creating my own makeup line.
I decided to do some research and I found a school where I could learn makeup application and color theory. When I got to the school, I discovered that it was not only a makeup school, but they also taught Esthetics.
To make a long story short, I became an NYS licensed Esthetician (skin care specialist and make-up artist) and went on to teach the class for nine years for the state of New York. My niche was skin analysis, I believe that if you can’t type the skin, you can’t treat it. I also served as a state board examiner for the Esthetics exam.
As I delved deep into my discipline; I discovered very quickly that beauty did not start from the outside in, but rather from the inside out.
As a Naturopath, I believe that good skin and beauty start from within by implementing the basic tenets of health. But I also believe that you must take good care of your skin with clean products that are based on your skin type and condition.
Protecting and maintaining the skin barrier is key, and knowing your skin type and condition will help you to select products that will help you to accomplish that.
Skin analysis became my obsession because I realized that you can never treat skin if you can’t accurately type it. I read every book that I could get my hands on with regard to the anatomy and physiology of the skin. I wanted to know everything about the varying degrees of oil production and the superficial conditions that accompanied them.
I am very result oriented and my guiding philosophy is that behind every what, there is a why. My goal is to find a way to health and skin imbalances and create protocols to try and resolve them.
An example is that oily skin can be acne-prone, excess oil production can clog the pores preventing oxygen from aerating in and out of the follicle, causing the propionic-bacterium to multiply; hence inflammatory papules (aka pimples) present.
This is the general pathology of acne, but time and time again, I have seen clients and students who were using the wrong products for their skin. They were treating the condition without considering the skin type. This is the perfect recipe for inflammation. If you don’t know why the acne showed up, you simply can’t fix it.
Let’s consider aging skin. As we mature, oil production decreases, and the epidermal skin barrier and dermal layer can become compromised if you don’t take care of your skin nutritionally, as well as superficially. The right products are key to beautiful healthy skin.
The “Cleanse Nourish Beautify” philosophy believes that balance is key, and is based on your individual health and skincare needs. As for-mentioned, it’s important to know not only what’s going on with your skin, but why. Knowing your skin type and condition is vital to selecting the right products that are made just for you.
The Cleanse Nourish Beautify brand believes beauty is established through daily cleansing inside and out. It begins with adequate water intake, a healthy diet that encourages elimination, stress management, and the right skincare regimen.
In this ever-evolving fast pace culture that we are navigating through, self-care is important; and we must take the time to do what’s needed to build health and establish age-defying BEAUTY, one meal and lifestyle change at a time.
Stay tuned, I will be submitting more blog posts in the future that will explain how to select the products that are just right for you, and I am also in the process of formulating some skin-loving products with the preservation of your skin health and barrier function protection in mind.
Please continue to follow the blog, if you are interested in natural health and skin care, I am going to put my best foot forward to assure you that you won’t be disappointed.