Getting regular facials and have a great aesthetician (or two!) that you can rely on is a super important part of your skincare routine. I recently got to visit Turning Point Spa in Marin, and had such a lovely experience. The owner, Laurence McKee, is a second-generation skincare specialist, and was born and raised in Paris, so she is an expert in French skincare. I could immediately see that Laurence is so passionate about skincare and self-care in general. When I first came to her spa, Laurence made me tea and we sat down and chatted about my current skincare routine so she could get an understanding for my skin, the products I use, and any issues I have with my skin. She then used a tool on my skin that analyzes certain factors about your skin, so that you can look at the data and determine if your skin is dehydrated, oily, or inflamed. Laurence explained everything to me and what all the numbers meant as we went through the process. I was really excited to see that my hydration and oil numbers were normal, because about a year ago at a Kiehl’s event, an aesthetician had used a similar tool on my skin and it indicated that my skin was super dehydrated and above average in its oil production. Since then I’ve been really focused on hydrating my skin and trying to drink more water, so I was really happy to see data proving that my efforts have been working!
Through the data that Laurence collected on my skin, she determined that I had some inflammation and could really benefit from a lymphatic drainage facial. This involves a technique which uses light strokes along the lymphatic vessels to remove toxins, stimulate circulation, and cleanse the tissues. It helps reduce swelling and aid in detoxification. The whole process was very relaxing and I loved the high quality products and oils that Laurence used on my skin. After my facial she made me turmeric tea (turmeric has anti-inflammatory components), and we chatted some more about her experience growing up in Paris and watching her mother and aunt run their own spa in the heart of Paris. I loved that Laurence takes the time to get to know her clients’ skin, both through talking to them and through quantifiable data, and then recommends the best treatment for them based on that information. If you’re in the bay area and looking for an aesthetician, I’d highly recommend her!
Elise Armitage is an entrepreneur and founder of What The Fab, a travel + lifestyle blog based in California. At the beginning of 2019, Elise left her corporate job at Google to chase her dreams: being an entrepreneur and helping women find fabulous in the everyday. Since then, she’s launched her SEO course Six-Figure SEO, where she teaches bloggers how to create a passive revenue stream from their website using SEO. Featured in publications like Forbes, Elle, HerMoney, and Real Simple, Elise is a firm believer that you can be of both substance and style.
