“Skin is the biggest signaler of what’s happening on the inside,” says Kristina Holey, whose holistic facials are a favorite among beauty insiders. Now, after studying under French skincare guru Joëlle Ciocco in Paris and tending to the fashion flock in New York City with private appointments, Holey has returned to her native Northern California to open an eponymous treatment studio in the Tendernob neighborhood of San Francisco. “I want this to be a place that women can come to and figure out a path of healing,” she says. This approach means that sessions with Holey can last up to two hours, beginning with an in-depth discussion about diet and lifestyle. This allows her to map out a unique health profile for each client, design specific treatments, and prescribe bespoke skincare protocols. “I’m about the nonroutine,” she says. “The skin is this live organ that needs different things at different times. It’s not a black-and-white approach, it’s dynamic.”
Once you do make it into the treatment room, you’ll find a toolbox that’s more alchemical than the usual facial-steamer-and-Clarisonic combo. Vials of sulfur, zinc, and silver from Ciocco sit alongside plant extracts and dried flowers from an herboristerie in Paris, fresh aloe leaves, and chunks of Himalayan salt. Holey begins with a deep massage technique that stimulates circulation, promotes lymphatic drainage, and warms the skin so that each product can penetrate deeply. Her hand-crafted masks and broths cool, soothe, protect, and strengthen the skin. “I spent a lot of time becoming highly educated about formulations because I wanted to feel confident in making choices with the products and ingredients,” says Holey, who studied cosmetic formulation and perfumery composition at Versailles’s Institut Supérieur International du Parfum de la Cosmétique et de L’Aromatique Alimentaire (ISIPCA). “I get to know the formulators, the thought process behind it, the origins of the ingredients, and the labs in which they were created.”
At the end of each session, Holey sends clients home with a carefully curated list of product suggestions (some from neighboring natural skincare boutique In Fiore), an exercise and nutrition plan, and even referrals to complementary therapists. “This,” she says, “is about helping my clients achieve the fullest potential in the beauty, health, and strength of their skin.”
864 Post Street, San Francisco; kristinaholey.com
The post Fashion’s Favorite Holistic Facialist Sets Up Shop in San Francisco appeared first on Vogue.
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