Taking Care of the Skin You're In
It’s the largest organ in — or is it on? — your body, and esthetician Shannon Anderson feels a responsibility to help you keep it healthy and glowing.
Story by Jennifer Grafiada, Photos by Thomas Boyd
Warm steam perfumed with essential oils, jade stones caressing cheekbones and a face mask made primarily of kale.
This is the Apothecary Facial, Shannon Anderson’s signature treatment at Glow Skin Care, and it is 75 minutes of pure bliss.
“Because your skin is the largest organ in your body, it is my responsibility to make certain every product and service I offer is as clean as possible while providing healthy and beautiful results,” Anderson says. She is a proponent of what she terms “integrative skin care,” which places an emphasis on high-quality ingredients and addressing inner health as well as outer health.
Skin changes day to day, Anderson explains, depending on things like weather, stress level, seasons and hormones. So she customizes her facial ingredients at the time of the visit, mixing things up in what she calls her “Apothecary Backbar.” Anderson says she is the only esthetician in Oregon to offer this feature, and it exemplifies the fresh, natural and individualized approach she takes at Glow Skin Care.
Lined up in clear jars are things like kale compound — rich in vitamin K—rose geranium and juniper hydrosols, colloidal oatmeal and carrot seed extract, chamomile and arnica. Each botanical compound is packed with vitamins, minerals and antioxidants to feed the skin and lend it a nourished glow.
“But receiving a facial and then not taking care of your skin at home is like taking a jog to the donut shop,” Anderson says. Managing stress, good sleep, exercising, sound nutrition and a tailored skin- care regimen are all essential to healthy, radiant skin.
Anderson, who has been in practice for eight years, recently moved to a large, light-filled space on Northwest Edenbower Boulevard in Roseburg.
“I think I dreamed of this since I was a little girl,” says Anderson, who evolved from playing with toy makeup as a child to waxing college roommates’ eyebrows to her unique approach that eschews the harsher products of the beauty industry. Many products contain alcohols that strip the skin’s protective barrier, as well as artificial fragrances and preservatives, Anderson explains.
“The most powerful and healing ingredients are simple, fresh and natural,” Anderson says. Her replenishing treatment oil, for example, is filled with lavender, chamomile and other herbs, steeped for six weeks, then cold-pressed by hand.
“RECEIVING A FACIAL AND THEN NOT TAKING CARE OF YOUR SKIN AT HOME IS LIKE TAKING A JOG TO THE DONUT SHOP.” — Shannon Anderson
“It became my desire to provide the most healthful, effective and pure skin-care treatments possible,” she says. “As we are awakening and learning where our food comes from, it is also important to know where our skin-care products are made and their contents. The most effective skin care products are raw, organic, farm- sourced and handcrafted with love.”
Soon, Anderson will be offering Dien Chan Zone Facial Reflexology, which stimulates specific points on the face for inner healing; Gua Sha, which uses an ancient Chinese tool to simulate the results of Botox; and Herbal Poultice, a facial massage that incorporates four modalities from Thailand to provide a sculpting and lifting effect.
For a complete listing of services and to book online, visit GlowSkinCareShannon.com.
