Ep 400 – The Wellness Split

Summary

ASCP Esty Talk, Ep 400 – The Wellness Split

Date: June 17, 2026
Hosts: Maggie Stasik (ASCP Program Director), Ella Cressman (Licensed Esthetician, Ingredient Junkie, ASCP Contributor)
Podcast by: Associated Skin Care Professionals (ASCP)

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Episode Overview

This episode dives into the evolving landscape of wellness in esthetics, inspired by the Global Wellness Summit's "Future of Wellness Trends" report for 2026. Maggie and Ella explore what they call the "wellness split," where the industry is dividing between hyper-optimization (data-driven, science-backed care) and nervous system-centered wellness (emotional regulation, simplicity, joy). Together, they highlight how both trends are shaping skincare conversations, client expectations, and estheticians’ professional scope.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Wellness Trends: The Split in Focus

[01:46 - 03:14]

• Maggie introduces the Global Wellness Summit's outlook for 2026:
  • Backlash against over-optimization, resurgence of pleasure and joy.
  • Women-focused longevity, wellness integrating into real estate, disaster preparedness, microplastics, and nervous system exhaustion.
• Maggie’s summary: “Wellness seems to be splitting in two directions: hyper-optimization … and nervous system care.” (03:00)

2. Hyper-Optimization: Data, Devices, and Measurable Results

[03:34 - 06:20]

• Skincare becoming like fitness tracking: clients expect data, proof, and results.
• “It feels like clients are starting to expect skincare to behave more like fitness tracking.” – Maggie (03:42)
• Pressure on estheticians to provide scientific evidence, speak the language of performance, and deliver measurable outcomes.
• Caution against trends that focus only on one aspect (e.g., ingredients, technology) and miss the big picture of holistic health.
• Ella’s analogy: “If you drink celery juice, you’re going to get better … juicing was the way … we don’t really juice that much anymore.” (04:32)

3. Supplements, Scope, and Holistic Wellness

[05:48 - 06:33]

• More brands incorporating supplements; debate on whether recommendations are within estheticians' scope.
• Ella warns: “You can get in big trouble … you’re just looking at a percentage … not looking at their whole health history...” (06:20)

4. Nervous System-Centric Wellness: Emotional Reset & Simplicity

[06:33 - 08:31]

• Clients experiencing “wellness fatigue” prefer regulation and simplicity over more data.
• Treatment goals shift toward emotional reset, calming outcomes, and seeing the facial as both skin and emotional therapy.
• Ella: “Facials are less about the facial and more about emotional reset … a return back to some of the original intention of spas.” (07:06)

5. The Art of Blending Both Worlds

[08:09 - 12:34]

• Importance of integrating data and emotional care:
  • Tracking (like menstrual cycles) provides useful context and peace of mind.
  • Emotional regulation, visualization, and guided meditation as part of treatment hugely enhance outcomes.
• Ella recounts guiding clients with visualization techniques:
  • “I start them with a guided meditation or visualization … They come out looking better. And it’s not just from the mask.” (12:06)

6. Client Expectations: Science + Comfort

[10:48 - 12:34]

• Today’s estheticians play both technical and therapeutic roles.
• “Clients want the science plus the comfort simultaneously.” – Maggie (11:41)
• Visualization, expectation-setting, and letting clients “come out looking good” in both appearance and mood are part of the service.

7. Scope of Practice & Legal Boundaries

[12:57 - 16:24]

• On nervous system care vs. technology: Ella notes estheticians are not mandated reporters, nor therapists – important to stay within legal and ethical lines.
• Discuss limits around techniques (e.g., Reiki, manipulations), devices, and nutrition/supplementation advice.
• Maggie on client confidences: “Let them tell us. We don’t have to comment back.” (16:01)

8. Challenges with At-home Devices and Biohacking

[14:24 - 14:51]

• Ella mentions Amazon and other platforms cracking down on at-home devices, limiting access to untrained users.
• “There’s other websites where they are selling lasers … you don’t know what you’re getting.” (14:51)

9. Estheticians as The Bridge Between Worlds

[16:34 - 17:08]

• Maggie sees estheticians as the “bridge” between hyper-optimization and nervous system wellness.
• Ella: “I describe myself as a little bit moon goddess and a little bit mad scientist … melded together and it’s fun.” (16:52)

10. Anchoring Care to the Client, Not Just Trends

[17:02 - 17:27]

• Ella’s closing advice: “The most important takeaway … really should anchor themselves to the client in front of them, rather than the trends.” (17:08)

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Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• “I’m ready for the bold return of pleasure and joy.” – Ella Cressman (02:23)
• “Clients are wanting measurable results. There’s pressure for proof and science language.” – Maggie Stasik (04:13)
• “When you’re putting all the weight … in the ingredients or the technology, you’re missing the other 90%.” – Ella Cressman (05:18)
• “Consumers are experiencing wellness fatigue and they don’t want more data, they want regulation, they want simplicity.” – Maggie Stasik (06:33)
• “Facials are less about the facial and more about emotional reset.” – Ella Cressman (07:06)
• “Most estheticians are noticing they’re being asked to hold both roles, be technical and be therapeutic.” – Maggie Stasik (11:27)
• “We are not, quote, unquote, esthetics anymore. We are wellness.” – Maggie Stasik (15:15)
• “Let them tell us. We don’t have to comment back.” – Ella Cressman (16:01)
• “I describe myself as a little bit moon goddess and a little bit mad scientist.” – Ella Cressman (16:52)

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Timestamps for Important Segments

• 01:46 — Introduction to Global Wellness Summit trends and the “wellness split”
• 03:34 — Hyper-optimization in skincare: data, measurement, and biohacking trends
• 06:33 — Nervous system wellness: emotional regulation, calming, and “wellness fatigue”
• 10:48 — Which side is growing faster? The case for blending both
• 12:06 — Visualization and guided meditation in the treatment room
• 13:04 — Legal/scope of practice limitations in modern esthetics
• 14:24 — At-home devices regulation and supplier crackdowns
• 15:48 — Estheticians as the bridge between “data” and “emotion” worlds
• 17:02 — The takeaway: anchor your practice in individual care, not just trends

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Final Takeaway

The episode concludes by urging estheticians to center their services around the individual client, weaving together the best of technology, science, and human-centered care—becoming that “bridge” between innovation and emotional support, always mindful of ethical and legal boundaries. The industry is shifting beyond “just” esthetics and embracing a holistic wellness identity.

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Connect:
Listeners are invited to share their opinions on “The Wellness Split” via ASCP’s social channels or email (see show notes).

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Transcript

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[Ella Cressman]

Foreign.

[Maggie Stasik]

Hello and welcome to ASCP's SD Talk. I'm your co host Maggie Stasik, ASCP's program director.

[Ella Cressman]

And I'm Ella Cressman, licensed esthetician, ingredient junkie and content Contributor for ascp.

[Maggie Stasik]

The Global Wellness Summit just released its annual Future of Wellness Trends report and it shared 10 wellness trends for 2026. Ella, I'm just going to read you a quick synopsis of this. In 2026 we'll see a backlash against over optimization and the bold return of pleasure and joy. Women finally getting their own lanes in longevity and sports longevity expanding into real estate and beauty and wellness tackling major crises, disaster preparedness, microplastics and nervous system exhaustion.

[Ella Cressman]

I'm ready for the bold return of pleasure and joy.

[Maggie Stasik]

Oh yeah, me too. So here's the deal. If you've not heard of the Global Wellness Summit, Google them. They offer up a forecast of cultural and industry direction across wellness, beauty, health and consumer behavior. And their reports are industry funded and forward looking, so it's best used as a trend signal rather than scientific validation.

[Ella Cressman]

Oh, okay. Good. Yeah, good to know.

[Maggie Stasik]

So my interpretation of this is that wellness seems to be splitting in two directions. The first is hyper optimization, so tracking longevity data performance. And then the second direction is nervous system care. So human centered wellness, emotional reset, simplicity.

[Ella Cressman]

This is surprising. Yeah, it's surprising for a couple reasons. One, you mentioned that this was industry people. The industry puts us together. So I wonder who got mad at who that they're saying that this is a. What did you call it? A over. The backlash against over optimization of. That's interesting.

[Maggie Stasik]

Yeah. Yeah. So both of these, these two directions, if you will, are showing up in skincare conversations. So side one, hyper optimization. Skin health becomes data driven. We've talked about that in other podcasts a little bit. Ingredients, devices, biohacking, longevity, language, how we talk about anti aging. And it feels like clients are starting to expect skincare to behave more like fitness tracking. So we know, like skin as an organization and organ health versus skin as aesthetics, focused care.

[Ella Cressman]

Very different.

[Maggie Stasik]

Yeah. So clients are wanting measurable results. There's pressure for proof and science language. We just had a podcast about talking about proof and esthetics and there's this rising expectation of expertise from estheticians.

[Ella Cressman]

I feel like that leads to this school of thought really leads to, I wouldn't say temporary fixes. Right. Just visual changes instead of actual changes. And it looks only at a segment of the opportunity. It just looks at that part where if. Let's put it in a different context. If you drink celery juice, you're going to get better. Everybody just needs to drink celery juice. Do you remember this documentary years ago that came out about juicing vegetables and how important that was and how somebody lost hundreds of pounds and they were healthier because they were juicing vegetables. Juicing was the way juicing was the next thing. Juicing was what you had to do. I mean, we don't really juice that much anymore. Not everybody does. Because juicing isn't for everybody.

[Maggie Stasik]

Yeah.

[Ella Cressman]

Or take it to any. Everybody should get an electric vehicle and you should get this electric vehicle. Everybody should move away from gas because that's the new technology and whatever. But then there's problems. And so I think when you putting all the weight or the stock in the ingredients or the technology, you're missing the other 90%. We'll just say that it's 90% or the other percent, however big it is. And also the reason why you're there in the first place.

[Maggie Stasik]

Yeah, no, I think you're right. And we are seeing this trend that aesthetics is now all encompassing wellness. You have beauty brands that are adopting supplementation. And there, don't get me wrong, that's not necessarily new beauty brands. There are some out there that have done that for years, but now it is more. There's more awareness around that. And that's a separate conversation whether to recommend supplements, even if it is for skin health, is even within scope of practice for esthetics.

[Ella Cressman]

Yeah, you can get in big trouble, especially not knowing their again you're just looking at a percentage of what could be going on and not looking at their whole health history or family history or allergies and stuff like that.

[Maggie Stasik]

Yeah. So side two being, you know, nervous system beauty if you will. The other side is the opposite. Consumers are experiencing wellness fatigue and they don't want more data, they want regulation, they want simplicity. So stress and skin connection becoming more obvious to clients. Facials are less about the facial and more about emotional reset. Not just, you know, correction of the skin. And there's this rise of quote unquote calming as a treatment outcome.

[Ella Cressman]

A hundred percent behind this. I, but I do think that there's harmony between the two. I think of an app that tracks my menstrual cycle and I can, I mean I'm not checking it every day but that data is nice to understand for a lot of reasons. Cuz it could explain things, it can explain some of my emotions or the puffiness I'm feeling and I can check and be like oh yeah, I needed that data. But especially where I'm at now in perimenopause, I'm tracking so that they can give it to my doctor. And if we look at this, we still need parts of the data, we still need parts of the technology. But you know, skin and emotion are such an under explored area. Not just stress. We're very aware of stress and stress triggers for rosacea or sensitized skin, but the other parts of it too. And that is returning back to some of the original intention of spas in their atmospheric presentation. We've gotten away from that and it's reminding us that there is harmony amongst all of these things.

[Maggie Stasik]

Yeah, I think you said something really important. And so using your tracker for instance, having that data can bring some calm without being able to go back and look and have a little bit of understanding. You might kind of have a little bit of stress not having that information which brings some understanding.

[Ella Cressman]

And my husband has the stress too. But I'm, I, it is stressful. I'm like what is my problem? Why am I puffy? What is my problem? Why am I crying at this commercial? What is my problem? Why am I so upset right now? Or so triggered or so you know how it is. I don't need to explain to most of you that are listening but it's like why am I like this? Oh yeah, three days left, how that explains it. I get it. Hold that thought, we'll be right back.

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[Ella Cressman]

Okay, here we go. Let's get back to the podcast.

[Maggie Stasik]

So which side do you think is growing faster in the treatment room or do you think truly it's both.

[Ella Cressman]

I see both. We see, we're seeing a lot of the nervous system awareness happening now. I think of Tashauna. You know Tashauna? Yeah. She's got a great program that she offers for that. We see other people who are really talking about emotional regulation or somatic regulation, and I love it. And we're also seeing the technology of these skin scanners that are looking deeper under the skin. So I, I think it's both. And I'm here for it. I love this weaving together of what's happening right now. Yeah, it's super important.

[Maggie Stasik]

Yeah, yeah, I am with you. And spoiler alert. Most estheticians are noticing they're being asked to hold both roles, be technical and be therapeutic.

[Ella Cressman]

Absolutely.

[Maggie Stasik]

Yeah. Clients want the science plus the comfort simultaneously. And it is, it is bringing balance and it is de stressing them kind of in the same way that your tracker is doing for you. It's providing information which is de stressing them because it's giving them awareness and they're also getting the de stressing comfort of their facial.

[Ella Cressman]

Yeah, I'm telling them to take this. A lot of times I'll do this visualization with them, too, especially if they're coming in real hot or they need something. And I do step out of the room when they're. They're masking so that they can do it. But I start them with a guided meditation or visualization because some people can't meditate of. This is what I want you to think of. This is how I want you to breathe. And it's. They come out looking better. And it's not just from the mask. I mean, the mask is good too, but you know what I'm saying.

[Maggie Stasik]

Yeah, I do, absolutely. There is sometimes confusion about expectations. And so even what you're doing in this guided visualization sets the tone and brings that client down in terms of. These are the expectations. This will be the outcome of your treatment.

[Ella Cressman]

This is. You're going to do this. You're going to let it go here, and then you're going to come out looking good.

[Maggie Stasik]

Yeah, yeah, totally, totally. Where do we draw the line as estheticians in all of this, do you think?

[Ella Cressman]

I mean, legally, there's a couple things, like we're not mandated reporters.

[Maggie Stasik]

Yeah.

[Ella Cressman]

But some of those types of things I think are hard. Yeah, I think. Where do we draw the line between nervous system and technology? I think we draw the line when there's those hard presentations because oftentimes, like, our clients will relax and start talking to us about things.

[Maggie Stasik]

Let me ask you this. Do you think between these two directions in wellness that there's a scope of practice issue for estheticians?

[Ella Cressman]

No, I don't. Unless you're getting into too much. Because right now, things like Reiki aren't regulated. Reiki is an excellent thing that you should consider becoming certified in, if that's something that interests you. And then what I do with Reiki is I actually make it my own. So there's not under a board, for example, I think maybe some massage. Like, if we're doing certain manipulations that are out of scope, like be aware of those things. Nutrition could absolutely be out of in any kind of guidance that way. Supplementation, like you mentioned. And then I think some of the devices are ready available, like. So let's flip this. Let's flip to the other side. Some of these devices are available on, let's just say Amazon, for example. Actually, they're cracking down. They're making a lot less of those.

[Maggie Stasik]

Amazon is.

[Ella Cressman]

Amazon is. Oh, yeah, we should do a podcast on it because it's interesting. They're cracking down on a lot of devices. Or here's one, like one microneedling pen, for example. You can't. You used to be able to get the pen. You used to be able to get the tips on there. You can't anymore. Or biohacking. Remember that podcast we did on biohacking? Some of the things that you need to, like, reconstitute your peptides or to inject them, they're not available on Amazon anymore.

[Maggie Stasik]

Interesting.

[Ella Cressman]

Yeah. But there's other websites where they are selling lasers and, you know, from overseas and you don't know what you're getting. So I think having that readily available yet you're not trained in it, or you might not meet the certification requirements that by our state. That's where I think there's scope of practice issues for both sides. Yeah.

[Maggie Stasik]

So for me, it feels like, and I'm not in the treatment room, but it feels like skincare and the aesthetics industry truly is undergoing a major shift. And we are not, quote, unquote, esthetics anymore. We are wellness. And you have estheticians now already adopting a lot of these things. Whether, you know, state law has caught up is a different question, but I think that's a shift and a trend that's here to stay.

[Ella Cressman]

I agree. I did think of one other, like, scope of practice thing. Because we are wellness and because we do have clients tell us things. Let them tell us. We don't have to comment back.

[Maggie Stasik]

Yeah.

[Ella Cressman]

Thinking of, like, instead of being a therapist or instead of being a counselor. Yeah. I mean, there's times when we can cut it. But if they're talking about divorce, for example, or they're talking about other things in their life that are hectic, and we're saying, oh, you need to leave him or you need to leave her or whatever that could. That's dangerous. Or offering other kind of advice that could be dangerous.

[Maggie Stasik]

Yeah, absolutely. I totally agree. Whether it is advice in that regard or it's advice in terms of this is the diet you should adopt, these are the supplements you should take.

[Ella Cressman]

You should juice celery.

[Maggie Stasik]

Right. Yeah, exactly. So on and so forth. I see estheticians really as like the bridge between these two polarized, for lack of a better word, sides of the industry.

[Ella Cressman]

These two worlds.

[Maggie Stasik]

These two worlds. Yeah.

[Ella Cressman]

What a fun bridge it is.

[Maggie Stasik]

What a fun bridge it is.

[Ella Cressman]

It is because it says, you know, I describe myself as a little bit moon goddess and a little bit mad scientist, and it's melded together and it's fun. Yeah.

[Maggie Stasik]

Also I think that's really a great way for estheticians to. To niche themselves. Niche themselves.

[Ella Cressman]

Niche themselves don't itch, whatever you do. Yeah, yeah, for sure. In the duality of this, I think the most important takeaway for estheticians is that they really should anchor themselves to the client in front of them, rather than the trends or thinking are they on this side of the bridge or that side of the bridge?

[Maggie Stasik]

Listeners, we want to hear from you. What's your opinion on the Wellness Split? Share with us on social media, through Instagram, Facebook, or by emailing. Get [e-mail] thank you for listening to ASCPSDTalk. And as always, for more information on this episode we're or for ways to connect with Ella and myself, or to learn more about ascp, check out the show notes.