Over the past four years, I’ve taken a deep dive into the world of skincare ingredients—and let’s just say, what I found was a little alarming. Most people don’t realize just how loosely regulated the beauty industry actually is. The U.S. has banned only 11 harmful ingredients in cosmetics, while Europe has banned over 1,300. That’s a huge difference, and it made me realize just how much responsibility falls on us—both as consumers and as estheticians providing these products and services.

This research changed everything for me. I started paying closer attention to labels, questioning ingredients I couldn’t pronounce, and wondering why we’re so quick to treat skin issues with a “bandaid” approach rather than getting to the root cause. And the truth is—what we put on our skin matters, but so does our overall health. The two go hand in hand.