Brow waxing in Edmond

 by Sarah Ashley

3 local Edmond businesses you may not know about, but need to!

I’m deviating a little from the normal skincare topics to bring you 3 local Edmond businesses that you may not know about, but definitely need to!

 

I’ll preface this by saying I am not a social media influencer, nor do I care to be. This is not a “collaboration”, I’m not being paid, and I’m not receiving products or services in exchange for mentioning them. These are local businesses that I support regularly because I love them, and they add value to my life in our Oklahoma town. I hope they do the same for you.

 

  • Deep Roots Massage and Wellness 

Where do I begin. I’ve gotten a monthly massage for years, and when I moved here to Edmond in Feb 2017…well, I didn’t know what to do. Finding a new massage therapist is tough. We’ve all spent money on facials and massages that are underwhelming, to say the least. I browsed #edmondok on Instagram here and there, and came across this fantastic account. 3 months later I booked a massage with Lacey, and I haven’t looked back. 

This is not a medical office. This is like a mini soul vacation up in north Edmond, between the cabin in the woods, the crystals, the essential oils. Lacey has that great balance where the pressure doesn’t hurt, but the knots are all gone. She’s a solo business owner, and all online booking like I am, so booking and managing your appointments is easy. Follow her at @deeprootswellness on Instagram, and if you vibe with her, book an appointment. Don’t wait too long though, because she’s popular and she’s busy. 

 

 

  • Urban Agrarian, Edmond Location. 

 

Oklahoma sourced produce, cheese, meat, eggs, milk, kombucha, ferments, etc. Most of it is organic. It’s an absolute treasure for us here. I used to go to the downtown OKC location on Sundays, and I was delighted when they opened a location on Broadway in Edmond. The lettuce. The peaches. The bread. Because it’s small and local, sometimes they run out of stuff, so when they post that they have local strawberries, hustle down there. They’ll be gone by lunch. I recently bought these spicy pickles that are made in Owasso, and I can’t stay out of them. The peaches come from Porter, which is about 10 minutes from my hometown of Muskogee. They’re good. Get some. 

Find them here – https://www.urbanagrarian.com/

 

 

  • The Botanical Bar

 

Do you like live houseplants? Do you drive all the way to Trader Joes or Whole Foods for fresh flowers? Do you like garden related gift items? Do you have a hankering to learn how to make your own Christmas wreath with fresh greenery? I did, and I took a class and made one. Call me Martha Stewart now. 

You need The Botanical Bar in your life as well. Guys, the classes are so fun. I’m an introvert, and I just sign up and go alone anyway, and they have wine and we make our flower arrangements, or wreaths, or succulent gardens, and chat with strangers and it’s a blast. 

Secret tip – they get peonies in stock sometimes. Yep, just down the road, 33rd and Santa Fe, behind Emory Anne Interiors. Go in and check it out. Find them here on Instagram – @botanicalbaredmond

And if you want to go to a class but you don’t want to go alone, let me know! Let’s go together 🙂 

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 by Sarah Ashley

WHY bar soap isn’t the best option for your face

Hope your summer is off to a beautiful start! Coming to your inbox today to chat about bar soap and why it’s best to not use it on your face!

Your skin typically stays around a pH or 4.5-5.5, and bar soap usually falls around a 9, which is VERY alkaline. What this means for your skin, is that it’s stripping your natural barrier away, leaving you dehydrated and causing irritation and sensitivity.

Many times, people who think they just have sensitive skin can simply change to a professional cleanser and moisturizer that support and repair, rather than strip, and see tremendous improvement, quickly.

If you need help picking a cleanser for your skin, I carry 6 at the spa, so you can find the perfect fit. My current faves are an orange gel cleanser, and an apricot cleansing cream. You’ll think you’ve died and gone to fruit heaven every time you wash your face.

Just a little reminder that I have switched to a landline, and will no longer receive texts. If you have questions, ALWAYS feel free to call me at the number at the top of the newsletter, and I’ll return your call ASAP during business hours.

in Aesthetics / Skincare 0 comments
 by Sarah Ashley

Do you know the #1 external cause of aging skin?

THANK YOU to everyone who entered the facial giveaway last month! Mary Katherine Venters is the lucky winner! You’ve got a 60 minute facial waiting for you 🙂

Do you know what the #1 external cause of aging is? It’s sun exposure! Sun exposure breaks down the collagen and elastin that keep skin young. Of course lots of factors go into how and why we age, like genes, dietary habits, skincare habits (or lack of), but the best step you can take to slow it all down is to simply wear sunscreen every day, rain or shine. Don’t leave your bathroom in the morning without it. Headed to the beach or the lake? Pack a hat AND some sunscreen.

Now this is not always a popular thing to say in the skincare community, but I also believe in living your life. Sometimes embracing the moment lands you with a little extra sun damage on your chest, to remember that awesome vacation with family or friends.

I’m not going to rip you a new one for this. Protect your skin when you can, and go out there a live your best life. Just know that there’s not much I can do in a facial while you have a sunburn.

Little reminder that appointments book up fast these days, approx 3-4 weeks out, so plan ahead as much as you can for scheduling!

Have a beautiful April, and see you soon

~Sarah

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 by Sarah Ashley

Give your skin some love this February

I ALWAYS maintain that if you have a solid professional skincare routine at home, and make regular trips to your esthetician, you can bypass the need for more aggressive treatments like lasers.
NOT saying they don’t have their place, because they absolutely do! But it’s kind of like eating healthy and working out 80% of the time, and bypassing the need to do a crash diet every January that makes you hate your life. It doesn’t make sense to me to never wear sunscreen, never use a retinol, sleep in your makeup, and then go try laser the skincare sins away every October. I mean, if you’d rather do the skincare crash diet, that’s totally up to you, but there are other ways as well.
I specialize in non invasive, little to no down treatments here at Sarah Ashley Aesthetics, such as dermaplaning, microdermabrasion, enzyme peels, chemical peels, microcurrent, etc.
Done on a regular basis, these non invasive treatments can work wonders!
Facials can:
– Clear out clogged pores and remove the dead skin build up that prevents your homecare serums from penetrating deeper into the epidermis.
– Facial massage helps reduce the puffiness that can cause sagging.
– Give you a deeper level of exfoliation that you shouldn’t do at home.
– Infuse deeply hydrating ingredients into the skin to help your face through the winter.
– Lighten dark spots
– Remove peach fuzz
And the list goes on.

Show your skin some love this February and get yourself on the books for a facial 🙂

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 by Sarah Ashley

Dermaplaning – separating fact from fiction

Dermaplaning does not make your hair grow back thicker or darker, and it’s not just expensive shaving. Shaving is done at a 30 degree angle and dermaplaning is done at a 45 degree angle. The exfoliation and hair removal benefits are much better with dermaplaning because of this.

We have two types of hair on our bodies. The fine peach fuzz is called vellus hair, and the thicker hair on our heads, legs, underarms, etc is called terminal hair. When we go through puberty, the increase in testosterone hormone levels causes a lot of the peach fuzz on our bodies to turn into terminal hair. This is why even women with a hormone imbalance from conditions such as PCOS, will sometimes notice thicker, coarse hair growing on the chin and jawline.

The way hair grows is determined by your genetics, your age, and your hormones. And a razor or a scalpel or wax will not change that. If you have blonde peach fuzz on your face and you dermaplane it, blonde peach fuzz is what will grow back. It might feel prickly for a couple of days because you cut the hair off at a blunt angle, but after a few days… back to peach fuzz. If you have coarse hair on your jawline and you dermaplane it, coarse hair it will grow back. Cutting it off at the surface absolutely will not change the physiology of your hair. If it did, I’d be shaving my head every couple years to see if I could grow a thick head of hair again LOL.
Don’t worry, you’re not going to end up with a beard if you dermaplane your face!

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 by Sarah Ashley

Booking policies – just a reminder!

We’re heading into a busy busy season for the salon and spa world, now that school is back in and we’re hurtling towards the holidays, which I LOVE!! This is just your general reminder of spa policies. The fine print can be boring, but it’s necessary to keep things running smoothly.

~All appointments must be booked online. This is the quickest and most secure way to book your appointment, as I don’t keep the spa phone with me outside of business hours. If you don’t see a time you need, please contact me to be added to the cancellation list.

~24 hour notice is required to cancel or reschedule appointments. Cancellations with less than 24 hour notice are charged 50% of the appointment booked, no shows are charged 100%. If you are sick though, please reschedule. I’m not trying to catch the stomach bug or anything.

~ If you are going to be running more than 5 minutes late, you MUST let me know to see if I can still fit you in. I’ll always be as accommodating as possible, but I won’t run late for the next client, out of respect for their time. If you’re running too late to still be seen, it will be counted as a late cancellation.

~ Kids are absolutely welcome to come with you for your appointment, but they must stay in the spa with you and cannot be left unattended in the courtyard with the pond, for safety reasons. Just please note that you are responsible for any damages, such as squirting makeup testers onto the chairs.

Thank you so much for reading all of that, and I look forward to tending to your skin and brows as we transition into fall!

~Sarah

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 by Sarah Ashley

Spring cleaning your skincare ritual

Hello and happy spring!

It’s time to do some spring cleaning, and be sure to not leave your skincare out. Here are few simple tips for going into a new season!

Toss old products. Most skincare products have a one year expiration date after opening, ESPECIALLY sunscreen, so be sure to use as directed by your esthetician, and get it used up before it expires.

Speaking of sunscreen, now is a good time to find a new one, before lake and beach season starts. Protect the investment you’ve made in your skin over the winter with your skincare treatments, and don’t leave the house without it. I have one I love, that goes on very matte and doesn’t get greasy. It’s available at the spa if you need one!

Be ready to switch over to a lighter moisturizer, as humidity increases.

Antioxidants provide an extra boost of protection from the sun and other environmental factors that age the skin, so consider adding one into your morning skincare ritual.

Finally, book a facial with your esthetician and get your skin professionally exfoliated and hydrated. It will feel amazing after the winter season!

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