Ep 355 – Hot Takes

Summary

ASCP Esty Talk – Episode 355: Hot Takes

Date: October 22, 2025
Hosts: Ella Cressman & Maggie Stasik
Podcast by: Associated Skin Care Professionals (ASCP)

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Episode Overview

In this engaging episode of ASCP Esty Talk, hosts Ella Cressman and Maggie Stasik dig into some of the hottest, most forward-looking trends in aesthetics—from neurocosmetics and "double duty beauty" to the revolutionary impact of AI in skincare and fragrance. The conversation is fast-paced, anecdotal, and packed with practical insights and moments of reflection on where the beauty industry is headed and how estheticians can stay ahead of the curve.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Anecdote: Unusual Client Moments

[01:39 – 03:11]

• Ella shares a humorous, unforgettable story about a client bringing a bearded dragon to her dermaplane appointment, highlighting how the treatment room is never short on surprises.
  • Quote:
    "Client, though he's really cute, I think your bearded dragon might do better in his cage as opposed to laying on your chest because we're doing a dermaplane. This is a scalpel." – Ella [01:45]
• This segues into a discussion about trends, why they matter, and how staying current helps practitioners connect more deeply with clients.

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2. Neurocosmetics – Skincare That Impacts Mood

[03:34 – 10:32]

What Are Neurocosmetics?

• Definition: Ingredients designed to not only improve the skin’s appearance and function, but also to influence mood and emotional well-being.
  • Quote:
    "Ingredients that don't just improve the look of the skin...but can also influence mood, stress, emotional well being." – Ella [04:05]

Trending Ingredients & Claims

• Zenokine by Croda:
  • Supposedly increases happiness (13.5%), improves sleep in two weeks, reduces visible fatigue.
    • Quote:
      "Clinically proven to boost happiness 13.5%. Improve sleep in two weeks. Sign me up." – Ella [04:52]
• Neurophroline (from wild indigo):
  • Reduces skin cortisol, increases endorphins, marketed as an “anti-stress” molecule.
• Sensorial peptides (e.g., dipeptide-2, palmitoyl tetrapeptide-7):
  • Reduce puffiness, improve microcirculation, soothe and calm sensitized skin.
• Happybelle-PE (from monk pepper):
  • Supposed to boost beta-endorphins for improved mood, glow, and radiance.

Skepticism and “Placebo” Questions

• Maggie questions the robustness of the science, sample sizes, and possible placebo effects behind neurocosmetic claims.
  • Quote:
    "I'm very curious ultimately how effective they are and if to some degree there's placebo." – Maggie [06:28]
  • "How many people did their stress go down 13.5%?" – Ella, teasing out the need for more proof [07:10]
• Ella shares a story about using a cream for body tightening that seemed to help her sleep, acknowledging possible placebo effects. [07:40]

Takeaways for Professionals

• Neurocosmetics represent a "whole person" shift in aesthetics; it's not just looking good, but feeling good.
  • Quote:
    "These actives, they can be framed as tools not just for better skin but also stress recovery, sleep support and client confidence." – Ella [09:38]
• Raises questions about potential "comedowns" or “skincare hangovers” if mood-boosting creams wear off. [10:03–10:27]

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3. Double Duty Beauty – Products That Do More

[10:32 – 12:25]

Definition and Examples

• “Double Duty Beauty” refers to cosmetics that offer both aesthetic and corrective benefits (e.g., makeup with SPF, blue light protection, peptides, hyaluronic acid).
• The trend reflects a demand for simplified routines that deliver more impact with fewer steps.
  • Quote:
    "Consumers are busy. They want fewer steps with more impact. And this is bridging self care with wellness." – Maggie [11:02]
  • "Give me them all together. I need it simple. I need four steps. No more than four steps." – Ella [11:35]

Professional Angle

• Offers new retail opportunities: recommending multi-benefit products that complement professional treatments.
• May tie into ongoing trends like “skinimalism,” where less is more. [12:05–12:12]

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4. Artificial Intelligence (AI) in Beauty & Personal Care

[12:25 – 18:40]

AI in Fragrance Development

• Ella recounts the rise of AI-driven fragrance innovation, such as lab-grown equivalents of ultra-rare perfume ingredients (e.g., orris root).
  • Quote:
    "These AI devices or technology, it helps design molecules that match the olfactive fingerprint of these rare scents. So the dupe game just got even stronger." – Ella [14:18]
• Discussion about how lab-created scents affect the supply chain, ingredient consistency, and even legal/ethical questions about “dupes” and hormone disruption fears.

Personalized Skincare Formulations

• AI facial imaging can create truly personalized skincare by analyzing features and drawing from half a million potential ingredient combinations (e.g., Alma’s Universe Skin).
  • Quote:
    "It’s doing that. It’s clinical and cosmetic. So it extends from clinic to at-home routines and it aligns with trend data. 62% of beauty buyers want personalization." – Maggie [15:52]
• Discussion around AI as a tool for professionals, not a replacement—practitioners can use it to validate or discuss tailored regimens with clients.

Reflection on AI’s Pervasiveness

• Both hosts note AI is now so normalized and integrated into daily life, from music and shopping to medical symptom checking.
  • Quote:
    "Even the artificial intelligence of telling my car to play what song. Right. Yeah, it's everywhere." – Ella [17:32]
• Maggie raises the prospect of estheticians and medical professionals feeling threatened by AI “diagnoses,” but sees opportunity for collaboration and transparency.
  • Quote:
    "They don't want their client to be coming in the door saying well, ChatGPT told me this...but if we are using it to our advantage and encouraging our client—what is ChatGPT telling you? Let's talk about it." – Maggie [17:51]

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Memorable Quotes

• "Trends aren't just hype. They show us what clients are craving and where the industry is heading." – Ella [03:13]
• "I hope it's not a trend to bring emotional support lizards to the treatment room." – Ella [03:11]
• "This is anti-aging. Looking good, feeling good, better sleep, reducing our stress, all of those things that are contributing to aging. Let's target them." – Maggie [05:14]
• "Even though...I've got a plethora of products on my shelf, I prefer to keep it simple for the application part of it. I got options, but I want it to be super easy." – Ella [11:57]

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Key Timestamps

• [01:39–03:11]: Client brings a bearded dragon to a treatment; segue into trends.
• [03:34–10:32]: Neurocosmetics—what they are, major ingredients, industry implications.
• [10:32–12:25]: Double Duty Beauty: multi-tasking products, consumer habits, retail pointers.
• [12:25–15:45]: AI fragrance innovation, legal and wellness implications.
• [15:52–18:40]: AI-driven skincare personalization, professional response, normalization of AI.

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Wrap-Up

• The episode concludes with a call to listeners for feedback and stories about neurocosmetics, double duty beauty, and artificial intelligence in aesthetics.
• Contact information is shared for ongoing dialogue with the hosts.

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Overall Tone:
Conversational, curious, humorous, and slightly skeptical—balancing excitement for innovation with a healthy demand for evidence. The co-hosts toggle between industry expertise, consumer perspectives, and real-life anecdotes, making the discussion relatable but thought-provoking for working estheticians.

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For more information or to connect with the hosts, check the episode show notes or reach out through ASCP’s social channels.

Transcript

[A]

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[B]

Hello and welcome to ASCPSDtalk. I'm Ella Cressman, licensed esthetician, forever student of the skin and content contributor for Associated Skincare Professionals.

[C]

I'm Maggie Stasik, licensed esthetician and ASCP's program director.

[B]

Okay, I have kind of a shout out slash story for you. Okay. I just have to share. Yeah, I want to protect this client, but I can't like keep it to myself. So last Saturday I uttered words I never thought I would ever utter as a licensed esthetician. A client came in for her service laying on the treatment room table, and I had to say, client, though he's really cute, I think your bearded dragon might do better in his cage as opposed to laying on your chest because we're doing a dermaplane. This is a scalpel. Okay. Emotional support animals, I guess, right?

[C]

Yeah. Yes.

[B]

Same client. I also had to say, you know, you have a beautiful voice, but I think maybe we should sing after the dermaplaning treatment. The same client, same day, same client.

[C]

Wow. Yeah.

[B]

So I don't know if this is a trend of bringing your animal in to your services or what, but at first I was like, yeah, no problem. And then I was like, wait a minute, this is. This little guy was looking at me, the bearded dragon. Yeah. I'm like, bro, I've got a scalpel. I would back up. But he was also getting antsy. I think I was making him uncomfortable. Can you believe that?

[C]

Yeah. That's weird.

[B]

Maggie, you sound so invested in that story. You have that million mile stair. Is that what they say or thousand yard stare?

[C]

I'm just visualizing the situation.

[B]

See your face, you were like, that's weird because you can. I can see you trying to see it.

[C]

Yeah.

[B]

Dude. Isn't that something? Yeah. Oh my gosh. I hope it's not a trend. Speaking of trends, trends aren't just hype. They show us what clients are craving and where the industry is heading. And I hope it's not not two emotional support animals being lizards, but by understanding them, we can stay ahead, elevate our services and connect more meaningfully with the people we serve. Right?

[C]

Yeah. Today's lineup is packed. We're talking about the rise of neurocosmetics. Ingredients designed not just to transform your skin, but also to boost your mood and emotional well being.

[B]

We'll also take a look at double duty beauty trend products that look good and do good for the skin.

[C]

And finally, we'll dive into how AI is reshaping beauty from lab grown luxury fragrances to hyper personalized skincare formulas.

[B]

So let's start with neuro cosmetics. Breaking this word down. Neuro meaning of the mind or mood. And then cosmetics being beautification. So these are ingredients that don't just improve the look of the skin and the function of the skin, but can also influence mood, stress, emotional well being. And they can also act on neurochemical pathways. Doesn't that sound really cool? Yeah.

[C]

I'm fascinated by this.

[B]

I am fascinated too. And it's because of an article that you sent me about the skincare ingredient that makes you happier. I'm like, sign me up. And that was one called Zenokine or Zenokine from Crota. It's supposed to work by stimulating the feel good messengers in the skin. I would be about that. Right?

[C]

Yeah.

[B]

Apparently there's science behind it. Clinically proven to boost happiness. 13.5%. Improve sleep in two weeks. Sign me up. And reduce visible fatigue. Yes, please. It connects emotional balance and skin vitality for true skincare meets self care effect. Very interesting. Would you try a cream that had this in it?

[C]

Yeah, absolutely. I think this is so on trend when we're talking about whole body health, when we're talking about the state of the world. And this is anti aging. Looking good, feeling good, better sleep, you know, reducing our stress, all of those things that are contributing to aging. Let's target them.

[B]

I think that's perfect. Very, very well said. The next. On that note, I think where we're trending now is looking at not just singular issues, singular ingredients. Like I've shared with you before, my least favorite phrase is acne safe Ingredients or acne safe products because it's so much bigger than that. Right. So that we're moving in this direction feels very exciting. The next one that we're going to talk about is called Neurofroline or Neurofroline. It's from a company called Giveaw Done Give wa Dan. I don't know, but it's from Wild Indigo. It's been shown to reduce cortisol in the skin like cortisol face and increase endorphins. Another ingredient that makes me very happy. So it's marketed as an anti stress molecule for brighter, calmer skin. Sign me up.

[C]

Yeah, very interesting as we're going through these neuro cosmetic ingredients. So the first one you had a percentage in terms of how much your happiness has increased. But I'm very curious ultimately how effective they are. And if to some degree there's placebo.

[B]

Effect, maybe, you know, I'll take it, you know.

[C]

And also like if they're. I'm sure they're doing case studies, but is it that they've tested it on five people and everyone says I'm so happy putting this cream on or if truly they have tested hundreds of people and, and can point to this ingredient is absolutely reducing your stress levels and making you a happier person.

[B]

You know what you just said? Receipts, timeline, proof that you just said, basically, ooh, Maggie's calling him out. Yeah, fair enough. Yeah. How many people did their stress go down? 13.5%. I mean, that's fair. That's fair. I will say. No, it was not a, a peptide or the neuro. I don't know if it was targeted as a, or touted as a neuro cosmetic. Remember that cream that I told you I used for like, like body tightening?

[C]

Oh, I thought you were gonna say the one that made you sleep.

[B]

That's the one. It was body tightening, but I would wake up groggy.

[C]

Yeah.

[B]

Okay, so true story. I was out of my magnesium glycinate. I put that on so. Cause I couldn't sleep. So I got up in the middle of the night, put that on. And that could have been placebo, but I feel like there is something to it. So if it can happen with my sleep, maybe it can happen to my happiness. I don't know.

[C]

Yeah, true.

[B]

Okay, here's another one. This one to your point. Yes, I agree. Show me the money. But there's these other ones called sensorial peptides, like dipeptide 2 and palmitoyl tetrapeptide 7. Okay. These are really interesting I've worked with them before in a capacity called dermal sensory correction which is really interesting when we're thinking of sensitized skin which a lot of people are anymore or acne or you know, going through changes such what they do is they reduce puffiness, improve microcirculation and provide a soothing sensory comfort to the skin. It almost turns off that, you know, like the nerves are sitting on ready as they say. It turns it off. So you'll see this often used in eye creams and other because they connect this visible result with a feeling of calm.

[C]

Interesting.

[B]

Yeah, so those are another cool thing. And then this one, I mean it's in the name Happy Bell. It's the trademark name, Happy Bell Pe from SES Derma or sederma. This is a plant derived phyto endorphin from monk pepper. It's supposed to boost beta endorphin release in the skin and it's associated with improved mood, glow and radiance. Maybe, maybe not. But I would still try it.

[C]

Yeah, definitely. Anything that's going to boost my endorphins, sign me up. I'll take it.

[B]

Why these are hot is because they really go to your point beyond anti aging and or corrective skincare and they go into emotional skincare and neuro wellness. So that aligns with client demands for holistic solutions because they want to not just look good but also feel good. The professional angle is or the takeaway is that the neuro cosmetics absolutely represent the whole person shift in aesthetics that I'm about. I'm all about it. Sign me up. These actives, they can be framed as tools not just for better skin but also stress recovery, sleep support and client confidence which you know, I'm really into. Emotions in the skin. Yeah, that's a very important part.

[C]

I'm curious if there's like a comedown from using your cream.

[B]

Maybe.

[C]

I don't know. I mean even just like you know, having a glass of wine, let's say you might feel good in the moment drinking it, but then are you gonna.

[B]

Get hungover from your skincare?

[C]

Maybe you have a little hangover after the fact or the endorphins wear off and then you're not feeling so good, you gotta put more cream on.

[B]

That's smart. On their hat on their part if that's interesting. Yeah. Oh, that's a good question.

[C]

All right, next up is Double Duty Beauty. These are products designed to look good and do good. So it's not just a cosmetic but it's corrective. So this could be things like makeup with SPF or blue light protection, foundations infused with peptides or antioxidants, even lip tints that hydrate with hyaluronic acid. And we have seen this on the market, I think, for a while, but it's even becoming more and more, especially as makeup is having a resurgence, I think. Um, so consumers are busy. They want fewer steps with more impact. And this is bridging self care with wellness. You have confidence and correction just in one swipe.

[B]

I feel like convenience is the way for me. Yeah. But I also feel like that is a way client. Like, I've noticed clients shifting into make it simple for me.

[C]

Yeah.

[B]

Okay. Even with the products that they're requesting, or sometimes they're like, oh, I bought this out here. They're looking for combination products where before, like five years ago, it was like, this is my brightening product. This is my hydrating product. This is my moisturizing product. Like, 1, 1, 1, 1, one, you know, and I was like, give me them all together. I need it simple. I need four steps. No more than four steps. Includes an eye cream, you know. Yeah. So I got to say, even though, you know, as we've said before, I've got a plethora of products on my shelf, I prefer to keep it simple for the application part of it. I got options, but I want it to be super easy. Yeah.

[C]

I wonder if this is. We're still coming off of this trend of skinimalism.

[B]

Yeah.

[C]

You know, I don't know, but I'm with you. Keep it simple. This also is opening new retail opportunities for estheticians. You could be recommending products that work harder while still aligning with professional treatments.

[B]

Yeah. So stay up. Stay aware of Double Duty beauty. Yeah, yeah. AI is everywhere. Do you use AI? Yeah. Yeah, me too. I love it. And we've talked about it for a while. As far as I. I think I told you the story about this Cosmo magazine game that was a CD ROM computer game. Like a CD ROM computer game. And it was supposed to give you a makeover. I bought it at Office Depot at the time, and I'm talking early 2000s, put it in my CD ROM. Had to get like those old school attached webcams to take a picture of myself. And that's when I realized I should not be a blonde or whatever. That was artificial intelligence at the time. But, man, they have made so many leaps and bounds. One way that AI is shaping beauty and fragrance is this fragrance innovation where debut. This company is really changing what could be something really important for some people. I know how you feel about perfume, but I love it. And there's this one called Baccarat Rouge. I think it is very expensive. Even if you don't know about it, Maggie, you've smelt a version of it, I promise you, because there's dupes all over. I would have to say that this might be affected the accessibility of it. But here's what happened. There's an ingredient called orris root. This is known as the crown jewel of perfumery. Very, very expensive. It can cost up to a hundred thousand dollars per kilo. And that's because of the accessibility of it. It can take over 5 years to age just this ingredient. So you have to wait for it. You have to be sure that it's cultivated in the right way, in the right conditions and everything else. Well, this company debut backed by l' Oreal and they launched a plant cell biotech platform that can replicate some of these fragrance ingredients without cultivating them, including the orris root. So these AI devices or technology, it helps design molecules that match the olfactive fingerprint of these rare scents. So the dupe game just got even stronger. What this means is a change in reliable supply chains and ingredient consistency. So the future of Neurosense as these functional fragrances that can target mood or memory or well being is going to be changed. And then perfumers gain a broader, legally protective palette of these ingredients. Pretty cool, huh?

[C]

Yeah, fascinating. I mean, scent as we've talked about is such a factor just in all things in your treatment space and how it impacts your client. And we've talked about mood and emotion and all the things and it's having such a resurgence that's on the one hand. On the other hand you were talking about dupes that's been in the news, not just in fragrance, but in all things across fashion and beauty and what's legal and not legal. And then there's a third leg to this which is there's a whole debate and a camp of people that believe that fragrances are hormone disruptors and it can cause pigmentation on the skin and da da da, da da. So so much that can be discussed and dove into with fragrance there alone.

[B]

I know, I love it. Smells amazing. Smells like a lot to talk about. Yeah, that's really cool.

[C]

AI driven personalized skincare is also making headway. It uses AI facial imaging to create personalized formulations from almost half a million possible combos. The company that's making headway in this is Alma's Universe Skin. Why it's important is that it's one hyper personalization. So consumers want unique tailored solutions. It's doing that. It's clinical and cosmetic. So it's, it extends from clinic to at home routines and it aligns with trend data. 62% of beauty buyers want personalization. 28% would pay more. So a lot of insight here. AI isn't replacing the practitioner necessarily but it extends your role into customized daily regimens with science backed precision.

[B]

I'm glad because remember my little experience, I think that turned me off from these. I think it's really interesting. Do you know that company that does. I think it's called Prose that or yeah pros that does these personalized hair care products.

[C]

I have heard this. Yeah.

[B]

So you're supposed to take a quiz and then they send you the bottles and it's got your name on it. I'm feeling this is an evolution of that. Even more hyper focused or hyper personalized. But I'm curious what their data points are for the development. Yeah, I mean we use AI in so many different ways. Like hey, design, what should I, you know, give me a recipe for something or this is my, I used it to diagnose something health wise, took it to my doctors. I'm like well this is what Chat is saying. These are all of my symptoms. Can you follow up? I think we're using it as a tool, integrating it so it's so normalized. Even the artificial intelligence of telling my car to play what song. Right. Yeah, it's everywhere.

[C]

Yeah.

[B]

But I'm, I'm curious what the, how the evolution of this is effective.

[C]

I can see where estheticians and even you know, dermatologists and med spas may feel a little bit threatened because they are the expert. They don't want their client to be coming in the door saying well Chat GPT told me this, you know, but if we are using it to our advantage and encouraging our client.

[B]

Yeah.

[C]

What is ChatGPT telling you? Let's talk about it. What is this AI driven personalized skincare quiz advising you? Let's see, is it spot on? Is it suggesting to you what I have available, what tools I have available in my treatment space? Let's follow that routine or let's talk about why it's off or why it missed the mark, you know, I don't know.

[B]

Yeah, I think it's very interesting. I can't wait to see more. Well, that was a lot of fun. A lot of fun topics. Yeah. Now listeners, we really want to hear from you. Are you using Neuro Cosmetics? What's your take on Double Duty Beauty? And how do you feel about AI and aesthetics? Reach out via Instagram, Facebook or send us an [e-mail] we want to know all the details. In the meantime, thank you for listening to ASCP STTalk. For more information on this episode, or for ways to connect with Maggie or myself, or to learn more about ascp, check out the show notes and stay tuned for the next episode of ASCPSDtalk.