Hidden Gems: Meet Larissa Day

Today we’d like to introduce you to Larissa Day

Why did you become an esthetician?
I was drawn to the beauty and spa industry at a young age. My mom was a massage therapist, and from her influence, the art of healing touch became second nature to me and it opened up an interest in pursuing a career in this realm. About 15 years ago I was introduced to a non-toxic approach to skincare and I learned how unregulated the skincare and beauty industry is with its use of ingredients that could be sensitizing or even harmful. I wanted to be a part of the change by being an advocate for more transparency in the beauty industry. Natural and holistic beauty is far more mainstream now, and it’s exciting to be a part of this movement. It’s been an amazing journey, and I haven’t looked back!

Can you give me a brief description of what you do as an esthetician?
I provide safe, natural, and effective beauty treatments. There are three main areas that I specialize in: facials, lashes, and brows.

My Integrative facials are the most unique. I incorporate holistic modalities that help me work with your skin on a much broader level. For example, I might use Facial Reflexology to gently stimulate zones on your face that correspond to your Respiratory and Digestive System, both of which are directly related to skin issues. This method of Facial Reflexology also helps your Nervous System enter a parasympathetic state of deep relaxation, which is necessary for the body’s ability to repair and heal itself. Or I may incorporate gentle facial massage to encourage the movement and productivity of your lymphatic system, which can help reduce congestion and puffiness in the face.

For lash services, I specialize in non-damaging Lash Lifts and natural-looking Eyelash Extensions for the most amazing lash enhancements. I’m detail oriented, a bit of a perfectionist, and meticulous about the quality of products I use.

Natural Brow Design is currently my most popular treatment. I received an outstanding education on brow design through an Australian-based company called TrueBrow. I have thorough experience working with many different brow shapes, giving an impeccable design, transformation, and restoration of your eyebrows. This is not a tattooing or microblading service. I work with your natural brows in a safe, relaxing treatment.

What inspired you to open your own spa?Before opening my facial spa, I spent several years working and gaining experience at a variety of other local spas. A part of me felt limited in what I could offer with traditional spa services. I didn’t always resonate with certain product lines and treatments. My desire to create an environment with services that aligned with my passions and unique perspective in the beauty industry is what inspired and propelled me to open my facial spa. It gave me the opportunity to enhance my knowledge, be more creative, and offer treatments I truly love and believe in.

What action steps do you prompt your clients to take towards beauty and wellness?

1. Avoid or reduce toxic and unnatural skincare ingredients. Your body absorbs much of what you put on it, and one of the best things you can do is help remove this toxic load. When you use natural, high-quality, and nourishing skincare products, you’re lifting the burden of your body’s responsibility to process and eliminate those toxins. This frees up space for your skin and body to naturally heal and replenish itself. (Side note – with the rise of demand in natural products, many companies are implementing “greenwashing” marketing techniques to make their products look more natural than they actually are. These are common manipulative marketing tactics to be aware of.)
2. Use skincare products and treatments that support your skin’s natural protective barrier (microbiome). So many skincare ingredients and treatments disrupt and remove this enormously important layer on your skin that your body naturally produces. An in-tact and healthy microbiome will help to hold hydration in the skin (we all need more hydration in our dry climate), and keep out pathogens. Helping to keep this protective barrier intact will help reduce dry skin, common sensitivities and other skin issues.
3. Eat healthy for beautiful skin. When we feed our body a healthy, nutrient-rich and hydrating diet, while eliminating or reducing toxic and unhealthy foods and beverages, we’re helping to give our skin what it needs to thrive. Our skin will naturally look better and stay healthy when we help to provide our body with the nutrients it needs.
4. Exercise regularly. Moving your body helps to encourage a healthy Lymphatic System, which is responsible for removing toxins, fighting pathogens, and delivering oxygen and nutrients to our cells. This has an impact on our skin as well!
5. Reduce stress. Finding ways to reduce stress is critical for beauty and wellness. When our nervous system is out of balance, everything in our body goes out of balance. Stress ages us, weakens our immune system, disrupts our digestive system, and can potentially cause a whole host of other health-related problems. What are things you could implement in your life to help reduce stress? What activities bring you joy? Examples could include implementing a meditation practice, gratitude journaling, walks in nature, receiving spa treatments, or having a solo dance-party in your living room. Whatever resonates most with you, make it a ritual and do it often. Life is meant to be enjoyed. Your skin and health will thank you for it.
6. Prioritize adequate sleep and deep relaxation. Your skin and body heals and repairs itself only when it enters a parasympathetic state of deep relaxation and rest. Do your best to develop an excellent sleep routine. Try creating a wind-down ritual before bed with soft lighting and no electronic devices (blue light from electronics suppresses your body’s production of melatonin, which makes it harder to fall asleep).
7. Be your own best friend. Avoid being hard on yourself if you get off-track with any of the above action steps. Nobody is perfect. Gently guide yourself toward your goals, and give yourself positive encouragement along the way. Our thoughts and words impact our body, so use it to your advantage! Talk kindly to yourself and prioritize a good relationship with your body. This might be the most important step of all.

Do you have any predictions for upcoming eyebrow trends?
Brow trends come and go, and I don’t place a huge importance on them. I’m always aware of what’s in season, and in some cases I may implement aspects of trends that I like, but my ultimate goal is to give you a gorgeous, high-quality natural brow design that withstands the test of time.

What is your eyebrow shaping process like?
I start with a consultation and analysis of your eyebrows. We might chat about your past experiences with getting your brows done, what you desire to achieve, and whether or not your brows need some restorative work. From there, I’ll begin the brow design process while maintaining a vision of your ideal brow shape. Depending on your needs, I may include tinting, trimming, waxing, tweezing, and shaping. It’s amazing how much of a difference a great brow design can make in one’s appearance, and it brings me so much joy to help you achieve a gorgeous set of brows.

How do you create skin treatment plans for clients?
When an imbalance is showing up on the surface of your skin, it could be a result of several factors including stress, diet, sluggish organs, a stagnant lymphatic system, or using skincare products and treatments that are too aggressive or even toxic for your skin. So, it’s an individual process when creating skin treatment plans, and it depends on what problem we’re trying to solve. I may work on building up your skin’s natural protective barrier with calming and nourishing skincare ingredients. I may implement specific facial massages and techniques to help stimulate and balance organs in your body or encourage the movement and productivity of your lymphatic system. I may also offer nutrition and lifestyle advice that would contribute to healthy skin. There are many components to treating skin issues, and as a holistic, integrative Esthetician, I look at and help treat your skin from multiple angles since it’s all interconnected.

Contact information:

• Website: https://www.larabotanica.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/larabotanica/

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