Why should we see an aesthetician if we already have a good quality daily skincare routine?
I compare it with seeing the dentist. So you brush your teeth every single day, but you still need to go and see a dentist once in a while for teeth cleaning or for some repair work. Absolutely, a daily regimen is so important, but there are certain things you cannot do as effectively at home. You cannot cleanse so thoroughly, you cannot give yourself a strong face massage, or maybe you need a machine treatment once in a while. 

[Beauty treatments] prepares your skin ... so everything you use at home will work much deeper and last longer. The skin is like a sponge. It likes to absorb everything, but it also absorbs the bad stuff, So you need [an aesthetician] to do a deeper cleanse, and you also need to nourish deeper once in a while.

How often should we see an aesthetician and what should be the goal of each appointment?
I think the general rule is every four to six weeks to get optimal results, but I’m a huge fan of face massages. If you’re going to see an aesthetician for a face massage, do it as regularly as you do your body massage—it’s the gym for your face, to work out the muscles for better drainage, blood circulation, lymph circulation … you will brighten the skin.

For frequent travellers, what should they do if they’re abroad and can't see their dedicated aesthetician for a while?
First off, definitely travel with your own skincare. When you’re going to a different country or climate, if your skin can at least use the same products it’s familiar with, that will help balance it so much. Also, the best thing you can do while travelling is hydrate. Drink a lot of water and that might do the trick already. 

If you are having some kind of reaction or irritation, or if you feel your skin is very dehydrated, applying honey as a mask will heal it. Honey is antiseptic, antifungal, antibacterial, and anti-inflammatory, so it helps to repair the skin.

Social media is full of so-called “skincare hacks”. In your opinion, which is the worst offender of spreading misinformation?
Slugging. Because Vaseline is actually a mineral oil, which is a side product of gasoline, and it locks everything in. So when you put it on, it will [feel] hydrated but then in 15 minutes, you’ll feel you need more, because it creates this layer on the skin that doesn’t breathe and it sucks out the hydration. Silicone also doesn’t allow the skin to breathe; it just gets dull and tired. 

Can we share with us what your process is when you’re designing spa concepts and treatment protocols for Tata Harper?
The beauty of working with Tata Harper is that we can tailor everything for the clients. It begins with a chat with the spa to learn about their clientele, their environment—whether they are a city spa, destination spa or resort spa—and what their own expectations are.

We also like to incorporate local elements whenever we can. In Mexico we have been bringing in the Mayan culture; in France where there are beautiful herbal gardens we handpick herbs from the garden and incorporate it into our treatments. For Yun Wellness, which is an urban spa, we have highly results-driven treatments with specific massages. These massages aren’t only five to ten minutes—they’re a good 30 to 40 minutes. So you’re really getting the results from the massages.

What brings you the most joy and pride as an aesthetician?
To be part of this spa industry, and hopefully change it a little bit. To bring in more new trends and innovation, stay on top of the clients’ expectations, and leave a little mark behind. My goal is to focus on the client’s most important asset: their time. I want to design treatments that make clients feel like their time is well used, and that they got maximum [results] out of their time.

What treatments do you like to get to treat yourself when you’re going to a spa?
A good face massage goes a long way. We hold so much tension in our faces—in the eyes, we hold all our worries; in the jaw line, we hold all those words we want to say but never do. I’ve done face massages on people who start to cry when they release that tension. 

Your experience as a skincare expert spans Europe and North America. What do you think Asia’s spa culture can learn from the West, and vice versa?
The West should learn from Asia! In Western culture, it’s all about quick fixes and magic pills, but the body is all about balance, and balance takes time. Asian culture is about connecting with your body and listening to your body.

Sometimes you need a quick treatment in your busy schedule or in between your longer monthly or quarterly treatments—it’s still good to have these quick fixes as well. Absolutely nothing wrong about that. But it cannot be the only thing. 

As a woman who worked so hard from the bottom up, what brings you most joy and pride as a leader, and what words of advice or caution do you have for emerging female leaders?
I love my job, and I’m so passionate about it, but when you’re so passionate, you feel like you want to give more and more and more. And as women, we’re naturally caregivers, but we often forget to care for ourselves. Balance is so important. Because without it you have burnout, and sometimes you don’t even realise it. You don’t realise three weeks have passed and you haven’t done anything for yourself. So, find balance … and slow down.

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