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Julia O’Gorman has three decades of beauty therapy experience and is a highly respected champion of the Slow Beauty movement. Trials with her own skin attracted Julia to a career in beauty therapy.  She practiced beauty therapy all over the world and has treated some impressive clientele including a US president and a Bahrain King. Twenty years into her career, Julia was back living in New Zealand and feeling frustrated with the machine-driven direction the beauty industry was going.

Just as she was ready to throw in the towel, Julia met Janine Tait at a beauty expo. Julia was heartened to see that a holistic, gentle, slow approach to beauty was re-emerging despite a pervasive culture of harsh technology and quick fixes. Julia lives and breathes wellness and she encourages holistic skincare at her clinic, Julia O’Gorman: Natural Beauty Therapy and Massage, in Auckland.

Can you tell us about some of the celebrities you have treated?

At the age of 21, I got a sought-after job in Bermuda working in one of the world’s top ten spas. I treated many VIP customers and even massaged one of the presidents of the United States! I don’t like to ‘treat and tell’, but I can share a couple stories.

When treating one of the Kings of Bahrain, I mixed up a lovely blend of essential oils. I was later told that the King really enjoyed his massage but would prefer baby oil next time!

Another time, there was a lot of secrecy around a facial client. I didn’t recognise the woman but was clearly expected to know who she was. I took a quick peek at a welcome card on the dresser and discovered it was Cathleen Turner.

At what point did you discover Janesce?

It wasn’t until I had been in the industry for over 20 years that I found Janesce. I was living in New Zealand at this point, but had sold my clinic in Titirangi and was just about to move to Dubai. A friend handed me a Janesce brochure and I thought, ‘this sounds like all my ideas and philosophies roll into one’.

One year later, when I returned from Dubai, I attended the beauty expo in Auckland. I didn’t like the direction I saw the beauty industry going in: microdermabrasion, cosmeceutical skincare, chemical peels and needling. I was horrified. I believe in treating the skin gently and nurturing the spirit as well as the skin. I was ready to leave the beauty industry but luckily I found the Janesce stand at the expo and met Janine Tait.

What happened when you met Janine?

I was re-energised by Janine and the Janesce philosophies. Janine invited me to visit her in Tauranga and I spent a lovely weekend there trying Janesce products and experiencing a treatment at Janine’s spa, Lox. As soon as I started using Janesce, my skin improved.

Janine explained the ‘wellness from within’ philosophy. I changed my eating habits and included vital vitamins and minerals into my routine and my skin went from strength to strength. I discovered that my own sensitive skin became stronger and more resilient the more gently I treated it.

I was on a three-year restraint of trade from having sold my clinic, so I worked as the trainer and sales rep for Janesce for a while. This enabled me to really understand the Janesce products and philosophies and to pick Janine’s brains.

What impact did this have on your approach to working with clients?

Janesce completely changed how I worked. When I was able to open a clinic of my own again, I could confidently recommend Janesce products to my clients. The information and knowledge Janine shared with me made me so confident working with skin disorders.

What skincare product ranges do you use at your clinic?

When it comes to skincare, I only use Janesce. I still investigate other brands but Janesce is truly the most amazing product I have found and the support and education I continue to receive is the best.

I use Bestow Beauty products for internal support to supplement the skincare products. They are fantastic and have made a huge difference to my skin and my clients’.

Have there been any ‘aha’ moments in your journey?

At one point, I broke out in a rash all over my body. Janine and Jan, the founder of Janesce, helped me through that. Jan said “you are too busy looking after everybody else you need some time for you. I wish I could climb down the phone and give you a big hug.” I will never forget that comment and how much she really cares. I took some time out for myself and slowly but surely my skin healed.

After that experience, I started to focus more on how much time my clients are taking for themselves. I started to gently suggest lifestyle changes when I could see a client heading towards adrenal fatigue or a breakdown.

Are we in the middle of a return to slower, deeper, more natural ideals in the industry?

I really hope so and it does look that way. Therapists are starting to realise we need to look after the whole person, even if it is a slow journey.

I hope more therapists join the Slow Beauty Movement and gain satisfaction from helping their clients with the tools and training that Janesce and Bestow have to offer.

What does ‘Slow Beauty’ mean to you?

It means not making a quick buck on the latest fad but rather forming long-term, trusting relationships with my clients so that I can really understand their needs and help them to have the best skin they can. It means working with diet, exercise, lifestyle and general wellness and genuinely caring for my clients and their outcomes.

How are you different as a therapist today than you were as a new graduate?

I am much more confident. I look at the whole person not just their skin. I look after myself by taking breaks and not overbooking. I make sure that I come first so that I am more able to give my clients my all.

What advice would you give to new beauty therapist graduates?

Go work in clinics. The first five years out of college is your training ground; you learn what you like and don’t like and get to form your own ideas about the industry. Too many graduates set up their own business straight out of college and it can be a very lonely and difficult road.

What tips could you give therapists about how to support, inspire and encourage clients to make changes in their lives?

You have all the tools you need with Janesce: be confident and know that it may take time but you will get results. Find a mentor to help you along the way until you are confident enough in yourself and your abilities to do it on your own.

  • January 26, 2018

Melanie Gaynor, of Beauty Elements in Greenlane, entered beauty therapy on a whim. 25 years later, she is still going strong and has become a sought-after holistic skincare therapist with a focus on skin nutrition and helping women to relax and slow down.

Melanie loves using the Bestow Beauty range to support her clients’ skin from within and is a Bestow Beauty mentor for therapists who are just beginning their journey of working holistically with skin.

This is her story.

Melanie, what drew you to a career in beauty therapy career?

As a teenager, I returned from an exchange programme in America, planning to complete a pre-university foundation course. The day after arriving home, I impulsively rang the beauty college. Someone had just dropped out, I went in for an interview and two days later I left home to start a course in a subject I knew absolutely nothing about.

Two years later, I emerged a proud, fresh-faced beauty therapist and now I’ve been a beauty therapist longer than I haven’t!

Tell me about your personal journey to discovering a holistic approach to skincare.

When I graduated, the only salons I had experienced were the one at college and the one at the health farm where I completed my week-long work experience. At the health farm (as they were called back then), my love of aromatherapy was born. I spent the week finding every possible excuse to go into the essential oil room. It was heaven: a cool, dark room with the mingled scents of rows upon rows of gorgeous essential oils.

That was my first little prod towards the love of natural in my professional life, but I think that passion was always there. Even in primary school, I brewed chamomile to rinse my hair, made perfume from rose petals and mixed up natural face masks from yoghurt and honey. My favourite shop was the health food shop with its weird and wonderful selection of dried herbs.

Where does this interest in wellness comes from?

I grew up aware that the food we eat affects us. My Dad used to tell me I’d grow hairs on my chest if I ate all my cabbage! I knew that eating carrots would help me see in the dark. I figured out ginger helped digestion and lemon with honey soothed a cold.

Looking back, I’ve never been ‘mainstream’ in my beauty philosophy, but it’s only now that I truly have the confidence to step out from the crowd and follow my own beliefs. My commitment to holistic beauty therapy is more of a reawakening and rediscovery.

Did you have any moments of disillusionment with the beauty industry prior to this reawakening?

I have to admit to being side-tracked for several years by the promises and impressive claims of the wider beauty industry. I arrived in New Zealand in 1996 and it was full-swing glycolics. Salons offered harsh chemical peels and I would see skin shed like a snake. It didn’t make sense to me at all. People were praising it for eliminating pigmentation, but all I could see was how it was leaving the skin vulnerable.

Having come from a background of European facials, which focused on nourishment and relaxation, all this peel business was a big change. It was like the Emperor’s new clothing: everybody else was saying how wonderful it all was, but it just didn’t make sense to me.

What led you back to holistic beauty?

I kept looking around and thinking, ‘if all these wonder products are doing what they claim to do, why am I still seeing so many skin issues’?

When I met Janine Tait at a Beauty Tech Conference I was relieved to discover I wasn’t the only one who thought microdermabrasion wasn’t the answer to everything. Since that day I’ve come full circle back to my beauty roots. I am convinced that nature has the answers and topical care is only part of the puzzle: mind, body and soul need attention too.

What is the role of diet in holistic skincare?

The food we eat affects every single cell in the body, so it follows that eating nutritious food will optimise all aspects of our health, including skin health. Diet is always discussed during my initial consultations; most people have a pretty good idea of what they ‘should’ be eating and drinking, but there’s always room for improvement.

Clients respond best by making small, achievable changes that gradually become habit. Adding Bestow Beauty Oil to a morning smoothie for example, is a small but beneficial change that’s easy to make. I love that Bestow provides support in the form of real food supplements. You can recognise the ingredients and it’s all about supporting normal, functional health, balance and wellbeing.

How does Bestow Beauty support you professionally?

Bestow University is a great revision tool and a reference resource to have for my clients and myself. I regularly introduce clients to the Bestow Beauty Oils and encourage them to add the oil to their daily routine. I have seen brilliant improvements for clients with rosacea, eczema and peri-oral dermatitis. The new Bestow Nourishing Facial Oil is also a great product.

How have Bestow Beauty products helped you personally?

I am very much a Bestow Woman: Bestow has been brilliant for supporting my skin through hormonal changes and I use the Bestow Beauty Oil daily and alternate between different Bestow powders.

How does modern day life contribute to a culture of quick fixes in the beauty industry?

Life is often busy and stressful these days and we put a lot of pressure on ourselves to be ever-achieving. Women in particular have so many roles to fulfil and they will often put themselves at the bottom of the list. Stress isn’t all bad but when its unrelenting it has a negative influence on physical and mental health. Rest and wellbeing aren’t priorities and there’s a lot to distract us from being in touch with our bodies: coffee, energy drinks, surfing the web and so on.

Why is it important to you to create a peaceful atmosphere at your salon?

A calm, peaceful place gives people a mini retreat, space to breathe, valuable time when nothing is being asked of them so they can just relax. I see so many tired, frazzled people that are wired and bombarded, over-scheduled and exhausted, and not taking care of themselves. I want clients to take time for self-care, to balance stress with relaxation and recharge. We need to embrace a balance between doing and being.

How has your practice evolved to suit today’s busy client?

When people come to me for facials I get to encourage this little moment of stillness when they take a deep breath and just surrender to relaxation.In the past year I’ve focused more on the massage aspect of facials. Learning new techniques that are from Ayurvedic and Tradition Chinese philosophies has given me a whole new dimension in my treatments.  I really think about what I’m feeling in the skin and muscles of the face as I massage. The more I learn, the more I see how connected everything is, which is why the holistic approach is so vital.

What part has Janine Tait, the founder of Bestow Beauty, played in your journey?

Janine really shone a little light in a dusty corner of my mind. I’ve become more rounded and have grown more as a therapist through my experience with Bestow. Janine has the hands-on experience and is so talented at sharing her knowledge.

What do you value about your connection with the Bestow community?

I feel blessed to have stumbled upon a group of kind-hearted kindred spirits who are so open to sharing their knowledge and forging the way forward for those of us in beauty therapy who are committed to a holistic practice.

Do you have any advice for other beauty therapists wanting to embrace holistic beauty?

Practice what you preach: use the products yourself so you can understand how powerful they are. Also, use resources like Bestow University to educate your clients.

Don’t be discouraged if people don’t always follow your advice. This is a new approach for many people and they can be sceptical and take a while to make a change. Just keep learning as much as you can and gently pass this information on. Be patient, kind and consistent.

Oh, and take photos – everyone forgets what their starting point really looked like!

What does Slow Beauty mean to you?

Slow Beauty is looking at the whole picture, taking the time to rebalance the health of the skin and any underlying issues rather than just throwing a quick band-aid fix at an issue. Slow Beauty always brings to mind the Slow Food Movement – both involve a philosophy of taking your time and enjoying the process.

  • January 25, 2018


Annamarie Jenson is a passionate Janesce and Bestow holistic skincare therapist in Auckland who practices what she preaches – even when she’s travelling the world! Just because you head off on an adventure doesn’t mean your skin-health routine has to go out the window. Read on for Annamarie’s road-tested wisdom for maintaining beautiful skin health while travelling.

 

BY ANNAMARIE JENSEN

Recently I went on a three-month adventure around Europe with my husband and 4-year old son.  We travelled through 13 countries with only two checked bags (max 20 kgs each) and three day-packs.  As you can imagine, this posed a challenge to my Janesce and Bestow skincare routine.  Not just because we were travelling light but because the time difference and different cuisines would throw a spanner into my normal rhythms.

Having struggled with cystic acne in my 20’s and 30’s I am now willing to do anything to maintain clear skin and a little international travel wasn’t going to get in the way of that.

“Having struggled with cystic acne in my 20’s and 30’s I am now willing to do anything to maintain clear skin. A little international travel wasn’t going to get in the way of that.” 

WHAT I LEARNT ALONG THE WAY

BYO Products

It’s important to bring what you need with you. Translating beauty products into English in a country like the Czech Republic will be a challenge!  I can assure you that if you bring Janesce Travel products with you, and use the correct amount (it can be hard to adjust from your full-size bottles and at first you’ll probably use too much) then you’ll be set for three months. These can even be carried onto the plane with you because they’re under 100mls. My Janesce Minis had a tiny amount left in our last few days but just managed to get me home.

Here’s what I took with me for my topical skincare routine.

Lavender Soaking Drops (full size at 30mls)
Janesce Rose Cleanser (travel size)
2 x Janesce Rose Mists (travel size) – one for the plane, one for my toilet bag.
Janesce Nourishing Skin Reviver (travel size)
Janesce Suncare Lotion (travel size)
Bestow Nourishing Facial (full size at 30mls) – this is my night moisturiser.
COOLA tinted moisturiser for make-up and added sun protection.

I also packed a Janesce Soaking Cloth in a ziploc bag.  I washed it every couple of days because they’re so easy to dry. Having the ziploc bag meant I could pack it wet if we had early starts with no time to dry the cloth.

Skin Nutrition

Obviously, it’s trickier to incorporate your Bestow skin nutrition routine into your travel eating habits. I brought along 12 Bestow Beauty Powder sachets, a couple of Bestow Be Cleansed sachets and enough Bestow Beauty From Beneath tablets decanted into a small ziploc bag to last the entire trip. I also found a Probiotic (Go Health) that didn’t need to be refrigerated and took that with me too. The only other addition to my daily routine was Vitamin C, but this is easy to re-stock when you’re away.

The Beauty From Beneath tablets, Vitamin C supplement and probiotic were taken every day. I took a small pill container with me and if we were staying in a hotel, I loaded it with my supplements and took it to breakfast with me.

It was easier when we were staying in apartments with kitchens as I was able to make my own breakfast and depending on the country, I could make a version of Overnight Oats and put my Bestow Beauty Powder on that.  I found that if I stayed in one place for a couple of days I could keep the opened pack in the fridge and distribute it over a few days. The reason I only took just one pack for every week was for space saving, but I also realised that it could be tricky to commit to adding it into my diet more once a week.  If I couldn’t do oats sometimes I was able to have a smoothie to put it into, otherwise I would put it into yoghurt.

The only product from my usual Bestow routine that I couldn’t travel with was my Bestow Beauty Oil, which needs to be refrigerated. It was just too tricky so I had to try to ensure my diet included foods high in Omega 3 & 6 – not just fish but sunflower seeds, brazil nuts, leafy greens etc.

There were times when due to the temperature changes (like the cold in Iceland) my skin was incredibly dry under my eyes and I knew if I was taking my Bestow Beauty Oil my skin would be brighter & more moisturised.

Trouble-Shooting | Use What You Have

When my skin was really dry and I had no access to a nourishing mask I got myself the purest honey I could find and slathered it on like a face mask then lay down with cucumber slices on my eyes like a bad 80’s film and just let nature do its thing.

I did this every couple of days until my skin felt less dry then repeated the same trick when my skin changed later in the trip due to a lot of air travel drying my skin out.  It wasn’t as effective as a Janesce facial but it helped a lot.  When I was in Italy I also dabbed pure olive oil under my eyes at night.

Topically, I used an organic, botanical skincare range which heals, repairs and strengthens the skin barrier. This was used in conjunction with a twice daily skin-soaking ritual to rehydrate the skin and loosen congestion.

Have a Full Facial When You Get Home

Of course, once I was back in New Zealand, the first thing I did was unpack my Janesce arsenal and give my skin the facial it deserved.  It only took a couple of days for things to adjust back to normal.

Overall, my skin looked healthy and hydrated while I was away. I think the biggest secret to great skin is soaking morning and night and providing your body with the right nutrients – zinc, the entire B vitamin complex, vitamin A, vitamin C, Omega 3 & 6, a lot of water and the right amount of sun for that good old vitamin D.

I was able to give my body most if not all of these every day and if it wasn’t for some environmental changes like climate (and obviously long-haul air travel) I would have had perfect skin. Janesce and Bestow for the win!

I hope you find these tips helpful in caring for your skin on your next travel adventure.

  • January 25, 2018


Julia O’Gorman is highly respected beauty therapist in New Zealand with over 30 years experience. Bestow Beauty products are an essential part of her holistic approach to skincare. She says that complementing topical skincare with internal support makes a significant difference to the results she can get for clients.

 

Julia shares her holistic skincare wisdom with us in this inspiring case-study.

A Wedding + A Skin Challenge

A new client came to see me for sugaring. At our first appointment I noticed that her skin was very tight and dehydrated, she had multiple black-heads and pustules and a compromised acid mantle. After discovering that she was soon to be married I gently mentioned that I could help her have beautiful skin for her wedding. She gratefully agreed to start a holistic skincare programme with me.

The Back Story

This lovely lady was very self-conscious of her skin. She works as a personal trainer and dental hygienist so was regularly up close with clients. Her fiancee noticed her skin challenges and with her wedding coming up she was very motivated to make changes in order to heal her skin.

MY HOLISTIC SKINCARE STRATEGY

ADD Bestow Skin Nutrition Boosters
I prescribed Bestow Beauty Oil immediately to help to clear her congestion from within and to regulate the oil flow to her skin. Bestow Beauty Oil improves both the quantity and the quality of the sebum flowing onto the acid mantle, so I find it an essential part of treating acne-prone and congested skins.

I gave this client some Bestow Beauty Oil recipe cards, which she loved. She included the oil in her smoothie each morning and also made a Bestow salad dressing. These two things helped her to easily incorporate Bestow Beauty Oil into her daily routines.

Over Christmas, her diet deteriorated and she stopped taking her Bestow Beauty Oil. Her papules and pustules returned which was convincing motivation for her to get back on track!


REMOVE Problem Foods
Prior to working with me, this client had a good Monday to Friday diet but found the weekends challenging. She had a lot of congesting foods in her diet, including protein bars and chocolates which fuel congestion from within. I gave her a list of congesting foods and suggested healthy replacements.

At the beginning of our programme, I put her on a seven day clean-eating cleanse designed for skin health. This got her off to a great start and those cleanse recipes became part of her new healthy eating lifestyle.

After the Christmas setback, I put her on the seven day cleanse again to clear her skin quickly for her wedding, which worked really well.

REBUILD the Skin Barrier
Topically, I used an organic, botanical skincare range which heals, repairs and strengthens the skin barrier. This was used in conjunction with a twice daily skin-soaking ritual to rehydrate the skin and loosen congestion.

In-Clinic Treatments
I did monthly facials to increase the hydration levels of the skin and did extractions to speed up the clearing of the papules.

AVOID Environmental Irritants
This client was working out a lot and sweat was irritating her skin. This is a common occurrence as sweat is strongly alkaline and skin is acidic. I suggested she do her skincare routine as soon as possible after exercising, but if she couldn’t, to use a soothing botanical mist to return her skin to the correct PH balance and prevent bacteria multiplying on the skin.

The Results | A Beautiful Bride

After only three weeks her skin improved dramatically and she wrote:

“I am over the moon with how my skin is looking and this is just the beginning! Thank you Julia, you are truly amazing at what you do.”

This client was very motivated and willing to make changes which made her such a pleasure to work with. Skin transformation is always a partnership.

After four months of working holistically this client was able to enjoy clear, soft, glowing skin on her wedding day. She gets positive comments about her skin everyday and feels empowered to face the world with confidence.

  • November 16, 2017

Set among native bush in Tikorangi, Robyn Marshall’s beauty therapy clinic, Beautiful Hush, offers a unique, calming retreat from the city. Robyn started her career in nursing, and while her interest in medicine eventually waned, her desire to nurture people grew. Robyn continues to take care of people in her role as a beauty therapist, where she brings a holistic approach to supporting her clients’ skin and wellbeing.

Robyn, tell us about your transition from nursing to beauty therapy.

Nursing is the sort of career that you think you will stick with forever, but after 25 years I yearned for a change. Beauty therapy was something I had considered many years earlier. It was a career where I could continue to take care of people, but in a completely different setting.

And so it came to be that, as a 42 year-old farmer’s wife and mother of three, I became a full-time beauty therapy student!

How does your medical background relate to your holistic view of beauty therapy?

I suppose as a registered nurse it could have gone either way. I could have easily gone down the clinical path, using aggressive chemicals and injectables to get results. However, having spent my nursing career trying to protect patients’ skin and enhance wound healing, the last thing I wanted to do was risk damaging the skin in any way.

A gentler take on beauty fits with my belief that inner calm leads to outer beauty. Until you suffer a physical response to an emotional issue, it can be hard to believe there is a link, but I see it regularly in my clinic. Improved skincare practices need to be coupled with self-care to see full and lasting results.

Improving your diet, cutting back on coffee and alcohol, not smoking, finding ways to relax and find calmness – all of these healthy lifestyle changes show up in your skin.

How did you discover that the Janesce range was right for your clinic?

While training to become a beauty therapist, one of my tutors said that the philosophy of a skincare range is crucial; it can be the deciding factor on what you choose to use in your clinic. She was so right!

I heard about Janesce early on in my practice. A beauty therapist friend, upon hearing about my nursing background, said: “Janesce! You must use Janesce!”

I did some research and found that the entire Janesce philosophy captured what was most important to me. Not only do they create organic, natural, highly concentrated skincare products, but they also discuss the influence that diet and lifestyle have on our skin health.

I started using Janesce on my own skin and loved it right away. Janesce is the only skincare range that I stock because they are the only products that tick all the boxes. I feel confident that I can help any sort of skin condition with Janesce.

How do you introduce your holistic approach to clients?

I tell my clients that a Janesce therapist will not only ask about your skincare regime, but also about what you eat, drink, where you work, what your hobbies are and so on. This is the only way to really get to the bottom of any skin problem. I explain that tackling the skin from both topically and internally means we can truly heal and strengthen the skin.

My clients love the results after using Janesce. They love how their skin looks and feels, and they appreciate the beautiful smell and texture of the products. Plus, the daily use of these high-quality products becomes a relaxing ritual which soothes their soul.

What is your top tip for making lasting lifestyle changes?

I encourage people to take small steps, to make one subtle change at a time. Starting with something manageable – reducing coffee or trying one new product – is a gentle approach that is easy to stick to. Eventually, people work their way up to a complete transformation in their skincare regime. Once they see the benefits of the Janesce philosophy and products, they will trust and believe in it and be motivated to then make one more small change until it snowballs and becomes a sustainable lifestyle.

What role does Bestow Beauty play in your clinic?

Bestow Beauty Oil is a big part of what we do. Following a facial, my clients are given herbal tea and a bliss ball with Bestow Beauty oil in it. The oils from the Bestow range are a great way of adding in extra nutrients that benefit the skin.

Being a foodie, I love that each bottle of oil comes with a tried and true healthy recipe.

What ongoing professional development have you done?

I feel very lucky to get to attend training weekends with Janesce. Janine Tait is a fountain of knowledge and I always come away having learnt something new. The advice, support, encouragement and education that Janine provides is incredible.

What does Slow Beauty mean to you?

The first thing that comes to mind is ageing gracefully. It is not about the quick fixes; the Slow Beauty movement is about working from the inside and the outside, giving our skin time and the right ingredients to heal itself.

  • September 25, 2017