About Christina Wilson, Aesthetician Specialist
I never set out to have a career in esthetics, but somehow the right things seem to land in front of you. When I first started in esthetics, I discovered that the combination of studying skin function and chemistry inspired me and clients naturally relaxed into themselves around me. Many have said that no matter how they feel when they come into see me, they feel better when they leave. My educational journey began in Austin, Texas, where early on, two things transpired that led to the foundation of my skincare practice. First, a colleague gave me an article about petrochemicals in skincare products. It discussed how some alligator species in Florida that were exposed to petrochemical runoff were becoming extinct because the testacies and ovaries were shrinking, making it impossible for them to reproduce. When I began asking product representatives why their creams contained high levels of petrochemicals, I found that no one could give me a clear answer. Second, I was lucky enough to get some fundamental education from Source Vital where I learned about Chinese face reading and how amazing seaweed and essential oils are for the skin. As I was finishing school, acids were first being introduced in skincare products. It seemed like glycolic acid was the answer to everyone’s skin problems. However, when I applied it to my skin, it burned so much that I spent 10 minutes hopping around hoping it would stop. When it didn’t, I removed it only to have bright red and unhappy skin for more than a week. That’s when I realized that maybe every product wasn’t right for everyone. When I started my own practice, I was fortunate enough to have two mentors, both who had been practicing for 20 years. Interestingly enough, they both said the same thing, “if you want to be a successful esthetician, then you must master the practice of extraction.” And, master it, I did! One of them focused on essential oils and hydration. In the realm of skincare, hydration is 9/10 of the game. My other mentor favored acid peels (light ones and deeper ones) to improve the skin’s appearance as well as function. What I learned from both of them helped distinguish me from other estheticians. Then, I met Dr. Michael Tick who blew my socks off! He expanded my depth of understanding. And changed the way I looked at skin. Acne wasn't just clogged pores; it was also hormonal, fungal, viral, or stress related. Pigmentation problems could be due to sun damage, but they could also be hormonal, liver related, or a topical expression of fungus. I was able to witness many full-body skin analyses, which is where I learned the importance of spending time to truly evaluate and understand the interaction of factors related to successfully changing the skin. The biggest boost to my practice occurred when I discovered a skincare line that contained no petrochemical preservatives and used chiral correction. Chiral correction makes molecules smaller to improve product penetration into the dermis and reduces the number of ingredients that can irritate sensitive skin. These products gave me the ability to dramatically change peoples’ skin. That’s when I learned that most skincare product preservatives are petrochemical. The ingredients being used to preserve a product actually destroy its bioactivity by bonding with many of the active ingredients and reducing their efficacy by up to 50%. Petrochemicals are absorbed by our body and then mimic hormone receptor sites, causing acne. They also act like a veneer on the skin’s surface, coating it with layers that artificially fill lines without truly building the skin from the inside out. Through all these experiences, I have created my own personal analysis of the skin that I like to call it Skin Integration Therapy, or SIT, an invitation to sit more comfortably into one's own skin.
