Last night I was at dinner with some friends at Zazie over in Cole Valley.  During the dinner conversation I was asked, “Why do people get acupuncture?”  Which is a fabulous question! There are many many different reasons why people get acupuncture!

Here in the beautiful state of California, acupuncturists are Primary Care Providers.  This is a great honor, but also a great responsibility.  Not only do acupuncturists have to learn all about more than 400 acupuncture points, countless herbs, bodywork, nutrition, and energy work – but they also have to learn lots of Western medicine.  From basic anatomy & physiology to internal medicine & psychology, your acupuncturist has to know their craft inside and out – and what he or she can’t do, and when a referral is necessary...

Liner Clinic in Presidio Heights

I’m so excited to announce that on May 1, 2013, Integrating Beauty moved to the beautiful Presidio Heights neighborhood!

Located inside the Liner Clinic at 3925 Sacramento Street (at Cherry).  We are right behind the CPMC California Campus.  The new location has better parking, and more easily accessible public transportation!

Liner Clinic is a bright and beautiful clinic space with a peaceful waiting area where patients can enjoy a cup of tea and relax either before or after their treatment.  The clinic was designed with thoughtful consideration to feng shui elements , so the energy flows freely, and the whole clinic has a vibration that simply feels good.

The treatment room itself looks out onto the lush backyard, with a peaceful buddha, reminding u...

Yesterday I had the pleasure of making a Custom Essential Oil blend for a beautiful client of mine. We were working on self-confidence & emotional ups & downs.

I chose to work with Coriander, Ylang Ylang, Patchouli, and Bergamot.

When you are building a blend, it’s important to have a base note oil to secure the other lighter scents & ensure the aroma will last. In this blend, the Patchouli was holding everything down. This earthy oil is great at grounding us and providing a sense of security when it comes to how we view ourselves. Often we compare ourselves to others because we aren’t grounded in our own sense of who we are.

Next I added the middle note oil of Ylang Ylang...

Beautiful readers,

Thank you so much for your patience as I work to update the Integrating Beauty site.  <3

In the meantime, check out this amazing video on what really makes us healthy…

This woman is brilliant, and is really on the same page as what we are doing here at Integrating Beauty – empowering you to listen to your intuition, your “inner pilot light”, that part of you that knows the brilliance of your true self and wants nothing more than to share it with the world.

Enjoy!

Good morning Beauties!

I hope you survived Black Friday, and if you did brave the crowds, at least you got some awesome stuff!

I just wanted to take a moment this morning to acknowledge how grateful I am for your  readership.  I keep tabs on you all through the analytics on my site, and I love to see what you’re interested in, and what you’re reading most.  :)

I know the 5 Step Asian Skin Care Routine is one of your favs, and I’ve been working on a new post that’s the 5 Step REMIX!  I’ve added new products into my routine, and let me tell you lovelies, the results are amazing!

I’ve also been working on an entirely new aesthetic for the site, that I’m REALLY excited to show you! I’m going to keep working hard on it to get it finished up in the next week – I’m sure you’re going to love i...

Frown Lines

Frown Lines, The Dreaded 11′s, Eyebrow Furrows or Creases, The Bitch Stamp, Glabellar Furrows, The Hanging Needle or The Hanging Blade, many of these terms are used to describe the vertical lines that can sometimes form between your brows as you age.  These are the lines that many people think of when they think of getting Botox treatments.  Many people come to my practice asking if we can do something about these lines, and we can.  However, it’s a good idea to take a look at the root of the problem rather than just treating its outward manifestations.  Admittedly they are unattractive, but these lines have a lot to say about how you deal with emotions such as anger and frustration, and issues surrounding your personal power.

Jean Haner writes in her book The Wisdom of Y...

Last month Elizabeth and I were fortunate enough to go to the International Congress of Esthetics & Spa in Long Beach, CA.  We had such an amazing time, and had the good fortune to meet lots of wonderful people who are really excited about the work that we are doing together.

Besides for geeking out on super girly stuff like Zoya Nail Polish and Cailyn eye pigment, we went to lots of really amazing classes.  The first one was Melanogenisis and the Pigmentation Response by Joan Tomeu from PCA Skin.  It was so informative!  Hyperpigmentation is something that many people struggle with – including myself.  Joan talked about UV induced hyperpigmentation, melasma, and post-inflammatory hyperpigmentation.

Our next class was one of my favorites!  Cassie Miller-Hart lead the Hydropeptide sem...

Dear Amazingly Beautiful & Inspirational Readers,

Just a quick note before I get my acupuncture treatment.

My most sincere apologies for the lack of blog posts recently, but fabulous things have been afoot! So many things have been happening, and I am so excited to share them with you very soon. Promise!

xoxo

Cosmetic Acupuncture, Facial Acupuncture, Facial Enhancement Acupuncture, Facial Rejuvenation Acupuncture, Acupuncture Facelift, AcuFacial – these are some of the terms being used to describe when an acupuncturist uses needles to benefit the skin – and recently, all these types of acupuncture for skin care are getting a lot of coverage in the news.

Most recently, Good Morning America did a segment on AcuFacial, a new treatment from Shellie Goldstein, a New York area acupuncturist.

Goldstein says,

“We are taking your face to the gym, we’re exercising it.  We have muscles in our body, we have muscles in our face, there is no other procedure that actually exercises the muscles and improves circulation in your skin.”

“The biggest thing has been...

Recently, I’ve been reading several books on the ancient art of Chinese Face Reading, and I’m loving what I’m learning!  People watching has taken on a whole new meaning, as I’m usually trying to test out some of the new things I’ve been learning about different aspects of the face.

One of the most interesting things I’ve learned is about the lines that form on either side of your mouth when you smile.  These are the lines I most frequently get asked if the Acupuncture Facial can help.  The answer is yes, but you may want to get the whole story before you decide that these lines are something you want to reduce on your face…

In Chinese Face Reading, these lines are called “Fa Lin Lines.”

In her book, The Wisdom of Your Face, Jean Haner writes,

In Chinese, fa lin is literally translate...