The Ugly Truth

Summary

Podcast Summary: The blondEST

Episode: The Ugly Truth

Host: Savanna Boda (Effy), with Sam
Date: June 29, 2026

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Episode Overview

In "The Ugly Truth," Savanna Boda and her co-host Sam dive deep into the current state of the aesthetics and skincare industry. The episode candidly explores industry upheavals, the effects of corporate takeovers, product launches, regulatory frustrations, and the emotional toll these rapid changes have on practitioners. Effy’s signature honesty and humorous analogies paint a realistic, sometimes somber, but always insightful picture for fellow estheticians and anyone interested in the behind-the-scenes of medical aesthetics.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Excitement About New Treatments & Technology

• Pure Impact: A new body sculpting device, touted as a step up from Emsculpt, is discussed with enthusiasm.

  • It simulates multiple types of athletic workouts (burpees, high rows, jump squats) through muscle stimulation, all while the client is at rest.
  • Can treat various areas simultaneously (back, arms, legs, glutes, thighs, stomach).
  • Integrates easily with existing tech (Soft Wave platform).
  • Quote: "I'm a big, big ass fan of Emsculpt. But the cool thing about this is it actually like is a multi workout for your body... It's just like a great way to treat more things at one time." – Effy (01:00)
  • Package Model: Emphasized need for an initial set of four treatments on the same muscle group for results (03:00).

• Body Serum by Plated:

  • Launch of a new, surprisingly affordable body serum targeting scars, post-surgery marks, skin damage, and discoloration (04:05).
  • Discussion on exosomes as cutting-edge skincare ingredients and their crucial markers for effectiveness.
  • Quote: "If they're not able to be let into the skin and your body doesn't recognize them... it's not gonna do anything. And so keeping that integrity of the structure is so important." – Effy (05:40)

2. Industry Relationships & Corporate Takeovers

Effy shares a personal perspective on how corporate buyouts have transformed the industry's culture:

• The shift from close-knit, family-like brands to impersonal, corporate entities.
• Loss of personal relationships ("they would send me flowers for my birthday... now it's like this is a bribe or a gift, and there's all this red tape." – Effy, 25:20).
• Impact on providers: harder to get education, less support, frequent changes with brand representatives.
• Analogy: “It’s like you wake up in the middle of the night and someone has replaced your mom. You’re like, you’re not my mom.” – Sam (17:58)
• Resignation to inevitabilities in business cycles: beloved small brands get bought, lose their unique touch, and become part of big conglomerates. New brands rise, and the cycle repeats.

3. Product & Treatment Reality Checks

• Hydrafacial Returns: Effy acknowledges her on-again, off-again relationship with Hydrafacials (09:40).

  • Clarifies their place as maintenance treatments rather than solutions for major skin issues: “Is it going to get rid of your acne scars? No... but the Hydrafacial is a Hydrafacial. It’s good for what it is.” – Effy (10:09)
  • Frustrations with corporate restructuring had led her away, but now she hopes things are improving.

• Industry Flops & Drama:

  • Critiques companies like SkinPen for questionable pivots and product failures after being acquired (13:23).
  • Laments the loss of tight relationships with smaller, innovative brands like Skin Better and Face Reality, now under larger corporate umbrellas (15:56).

4. The Changing Landscape of Aesthetics

• Boom in med spas: "There’s more med spas than McDonalds in the US – it’s a fact. Which is fucking insane." – Effy (20:41)
• Social media’s evolving role: from being feared (and actively policed) to being central for education, marketing, and affiliate programs (21:30).
• Shift in regulations: wild, sometimes nonsensical limitations on what estheticians can legally do in various states (31:25).
  • Example: Some states require a doctor for minor treatments, making practice unnecessarily restrictive.

5. Industry Disillusionment & Staying Grounded

• Effy reflects on how knowledge of inner industry workings can lead to jadedness:
  • “Don’t meet your hero. That’s sometimes how I feel... Now I just know so much of the inner workings of it. And it kind of like when you look at it, at the end of the day, all of it is about money and they really don’t care.” (23:01)
• Offers practical advice: "Don’t put all your eggs in one basket, especially with companies... management changes." (24:10)
• The importance of focusing on what’s within reach: helping clients, maintaining a positive impact locally, and not getting lost in corporate politics or existential crisis (36:46).

6. Memorable Tangents & Comic Relief

• Moviegoing Habits: Side conversation about friends and family seeing movies repeatedly, which Effy finds "spooky" (07:10).
• Conspiracy Theories & Skepticism:
  • Expresses frustration with the medical system: “They poison our food, they poison our water. They cause all these health issues for us because they want... If you're dying they're not making money.” (33:23)
  • Jokes about having to “go buy a fucking farm” and using “beef tallow” once regulations take away staple treatments like retinoids (33:29).
  • “All I can do is just help as many people with their skin as I can until they take retinoids away. Then I'm probably gonna have to go on foot finder and start selling feet pics.” (34:40)

7. Reality Check on 2026 Industry Mood

• Effy sums up the general atmosphere: “It’s just not a good year. It’s, like, the worst year [for aesthetics]... All of the brands that were, like, amazing and wonderful are starting to, like, do fuck shit. That’s, like, annoying. And it’s like, what are we doing?” (29:04)
• Trade shows are dying, bookings are down, and many brands are restructuring or cutting budgets (29:51).
• The emotional effect: Effy wrestles with cynicism but decides to focus on her clients and staff.

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Notable Quotes & Moments with Timestamps

• On new devices: "I'm a big, big ass fan of Emsculpt. But the cool thing about this is it actually like is a multi workout for your body..." – Effy (01:00)
• About exosomes: "If they're not able to be let into the skin and your body doesn't recognize them... it's not gonna do anything." – Effy (05:40)
• Corporate takeovers: "You wake up in the middle of the night and someone has replaced your mom. You're like, you're not my mom." – Sam (17:58)
• Hydrafacial honesty: "Is it going to get rid of your acne scars? No... but the Hydrafacial is a Hydrafacial. It's good for what it is." – Effy (10:09)
• Industry cycle: "You get a brand, everyone loves it, it's great, you're close... gets sold, and then it dies. And then a new brand comes and emerges." – Effy (27:24)
• Regulations frustration: "You have to go to eight years of school to, like, use some gunk out of someone's face." – Effy (31:55)
• On existential dread: "We're just trying to pay our bills and be good parents and, like, get fucked sometimes and have a good meal sometimes and swim in the ocean before we die." – Effy (34:57)
• Summing up: "All I can do is just help as many people with their skin as I can until they take retinoids away. Then I'm probably gonna have to go on foot finder and start selling feet pics." – Effy (34:40)

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Overarching Tone & Takeaways

Effy delivers hard truths about the state of the industry in 2026—part nostalgia, part warning, part comic catharsis. The conversation is blunt ("the ugly truth"), peppered with humor and relatable metaphors, yet shaped by a genuine passion for helping clients and an unmistakable undercurrent of weariness with corporate and systemic barriers, both in aesthetics and beyond.

For fellow estheticians, the message is clear: don’t put all your trust in any one company, stay nimble, focus on what you can control, and keep it real—for yourself and your clients.

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Timestamps for Key Segments

• [01:00] – Pure Impact intro and discussion
• [04:05] – Plated body serum launch and exosome education
• [09:40] – Hydrafacial’s return and honest assessment
• [13:23] – SkinPen/industry drama and corporate buyouts
• [20:41] – Explosion of med spas and social media’s historic impact
• [23:01] – Loss of industry idealism/Don’t Meet Your Hero
• [25:20] – Personal stories about lost brand relationships
• [29:04] – The gloom of 2026 for aesthetics (“worst year” sentiment)
• [31:25] – Regulatory absurdities in esthetics
• [33:23] – Rant on the broken medical system and conspiracies
• [36:46] – Staying positive by focusing on local/community impact

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Closing Sentiment

Despite her honest criticisms and darker observations, Effy’s dedication to her craft and her patients remains unwavering. Her advice: do what you can where you are, support each other, and try to keep joy and integrity at the center of your practice—no matter how corporate, regulated, or gloomy June may seem.

Transcript

[Effy]

I'm back guys. It has been such a great month. Honestly, I love June. June gloom. Not here. It's been. No, just really good.

[Sam]

Oh, what does June gloom mean?

[Effy]

I think it just means sadness of June.

[Sam]

Oh, okay. Cause it has been gloomy here.

[Effy]

It has been gloomy physically, but mentally. Not everything in life has been so great. And I'm really excited to talk to you guys about some skincare fun stuff today. So lots of new, fun, exciting things happening in the industry. We just brought on officially our Pure Impact, which is like basically the competitor of Emsculpt. And if you guys know, I'm a big, big ass fan of imp sculpt. But the cool thing about this is it actually like is a multi workout for your body. Instead of just training one muscle group it like it's crazy. Like the guy that created this, he like modeled it with professional trainers and people that do like sports endurance and stuff. So the like sequence of pulsing mimics like these athletic workouts. So you're like doing like burpees and high rows and jump squats and like all of these things in one workout. But you're not working out. You're literally just like laying on a bed with these devices hooked up to you. And you can do your back, you can do your arms, you can do your legs, you can do your butt, you can do the back of your thighs, you can do the front of your thighs and your stomach. There's just so many areas that you can treat. So we have been loving it. I've been treating myself. I'm actually about to go to the spa after this and do another round. Um, but I've been loving it and I love Emsculpt. I'm a big fan of Emsculpt, but this just kind of takes it to the next level. So I'm excited. And also we already had the Soft Wave, so it just made sense that I didn't have to buy like a new platform to house this technology. It's literally like an add on to the Soft wave, so you can do that treatment. So I'm excited for clients because they're gonna be able to do, you know, an ab workout while they're doing microneedling or while they're doing their chemical peel or while they're numbing whatever they wanna do. It's just like a great way to treat more things at one time. So if you're a client listening to this or local and you wanna try out the Pure Impact, it is so good. So what we're doing is packages with it, right?

[Sam]

Yes. So basically. And it's the same thing with M Sculpt. Like, could we do it all a car?

[Effy]

Yeah. But it's like your money's worth.

[Sam]

Yeah. It's like you're not going to see the results after one session. That's not how these devices are made to be.

[Effy]

And so same thing with, like, working out at the gym. Like, you're not going to see a result after just like one workout.

[Sam]

So it's a minimum of four for your initial series, and then you can do maintenance after that. Yeah, but an initial four and you want to do that pretty close together. And yeah, we're excited to have everyone come do it. It's like Savannah was saying, it's so cool. Instead of like one giant paddle, it literally, like hooks up all over the muscle group. And so it works out different muscle groups at the same time. And like she said, you can treat your stomach and your thighs at the same time, or your stomach and not stomach, abs and your arms or your glutes at the same time. I mean, there's so many different ways. You can sort of customize it to whatever your goals are. But the only thing that we do require with the packages is that you're going to be working out the same muscle groups because it'll go back to that. You won't be happy if one week you come in for your abs and then the next you do your butt

[Effy]

and then you have to keep it, like the same area that you're doing for those four treatments. But, yeah, super excited to start doing different stuff at sba. It's not just the face anymore. We also just had a lot of body stuff we're talking about. Today we just had the body serum from what's their face plated. I can't think today plated come out, which we're really excited about. I thought this would be like $800, but the price point's actually pretty fair. And this is great for just body rejuvenation. Body. I can't talk to Barty Body scarring, post surgery marks and scars, damage on the skin, discoloration. I am just really excited about it. And we should have played it on the podcast too.

[Sam]

I think we have before him come back.

[Effy]

Especially Josie. I love her.

[Sam]

Yeah.

[Effy]

So I'm speaking for them in Vegas and I did a call with Josie and she's just like, amazing educator for plated and she does like all of the same, like, analogy type things that I do. So her and I get along very well and like speak the same language. But I learned just so many interesting things that I already knew about exosomes, but she just made them so easy to comprehend and yeah, I just really, really appreciate her knowledge and learning. The exosomes, they carry phospholipids, they carry proteins, they carry glutathione, which is something that's a really big buzzword right now in the health and beauty industry. People are talking about taking it for a supplement or you know, how it's produced in our skin. So there's just so many things that exosomes carry and deliver to the skin, which I think is so interesting. And one of the coolest things I learned is about the CD markers. Like you have to have specific ones for it to be like allowed into the skin and for the skin to recognize it. And plated does. And so that's what's so important about exosomes is if they're not able to be let into the skin and your body doesn't recognize them, like let's say plant stem cells or honestly just like any shitty made exosome, like it's not gonna do anything. And so keeping that integrity of the structure is so important. And they were talking to me too about how they've just like done some of their own research to see like other exosomes on the market. And they're not intact by the time they get on your face. So they're just dead and not doing anything. They're very finicky. It's kind of like vitamin C. It's a very hard thing to make. Even more hard than vitamin C. If you think vitamin C is tricky to stay stable. Exosomes are that times 3,000. So anyways, everyone's always like the price point, the price point, the price point. But truly for the technology that you're getting, the quality that you're getting, it's just like a no brainer for me.

[Sam]

Yeah, I watched it in the background the your call as I was working and it's actually really cool. I think it would be great to have her on because.

[Effy]

Message her please.

[Sam]

There's so. Oh yeah, she's. She's asking me about the Michael Jackson show.

[Effy]

Yeah, she's. Oh my God. Okay, so Maria, my personal assistant, who's also like family, she's like the best. She is a freako. And so is Tyler.

[Sam]

I saw it one time. I'm not a freak.

[Effy]

No, but y' all in general are like the weird that like have kids or something, they go see the same movie. In the theater multiple times if they like it. Like, that's like, I. One, I wish I had the time for that. And two, it's just, like, weird. Like, that's weird. That's spooky. I think that's really weird. Like, I see a movie once.

[Sam]

I'm trying to think. A movie. I haven't seen a movie twice.

[Effy]

Yes, you have, recently. Oh, my God, you're the king of going to see it with Josh, then seeing it with me.

[Sam]

That was only wicked.

[Effy]

And then going to see it. No. And then going to Avatar with your family. Okay, well, more than once is a pattern.

[Sam]

But that's other people's behavior. Because I get with them and they're like, we want to go see this movie.

[Effy]

Like, it's not me seen it.

[Sam]

Well, no, that's. I'm not.

[Effy]

I'm not going to see. Yeah, I guess, whatever. So I guess I'm a cunt because I won't go see a movie three times with the people that I love. But no first round. If, like, I'm saying, I'm going to see this movie and you can't make it. You can't make it. I don't have time. But you have more time than I do, I guess.

[Sam]

Well, you're talking about, like, Thanksgiving Day, where we go to a movie together as a family.

[Effy]

I don't have time on Thanksgiving Day to go to a movie together.

[Sam]

Yeah, I do.

[Effy]

No, I don't. I give him two good hours. Two good hours of my time, and then I gotta go skate on him.

[Sam]

Oh, my goodness.

[Effy]

But yeah, so they. Maria, I think saw the Michael Jackson. Michael Jackson. I can't talk today. The Michael Jackson movie. Four times.

[Sam]

Three or four. Three minimum. For sure.

[Effy]

Yeah.

[Sam]

Possibly four.

[Effy]

And it wasn't Thanksgiving.

[Sam]

It was not Thanksgiving. It's mid. It was May and June.

[Effy]

It was because she wanted to anyways. And it was a good movie, but honestly, I expected more. Like, they hyped it up. You and Maria both were hyping up this Michael Jackson movie so much that I was, like, expecting it to be like A Star Is Born level of production.

[Sam]

It was.

[Effy]

And I mean, it was good.

[Sam]

I think the thing.

[Effy]

I just think, like, my expectations, like, if I was like, she saw it four times. Like, it's gonna be like. Like, Finding Nemo was better than that.

[Sam]

No.

[Effy]

Yes.

[Sam]

I think your expectations were, like, the drama, the PD accusations, the bleaching of the skin. All his second half of his life. That was all the drama and speculation and news articles, but it was all the build up to that. And so right when you're about to get into the good part, the curtains close. I feel like that's where it. Because it was done really well.

[Effy]

It was fine. Anyway, I'm trying to think what else is fun and exciting at sba? What else is new, product wise? Oh, yep. We are now doing Hydrafacials again. Yeah. Mic drop.

[Sam]

No, for real. A mic drop.

[Effy]

And, you know, I've had my back and forths. I've been very honest. I think they have a place. And, you know, here's the thing.

[Sam]

You've always said they have a place.

[Effy]

They always have a place. If I'm trying to treat Melasma, is the Hydrafacial gonna be the treatment I pick? No, but I think it's great for maintenance. I do think some physical exfoliation and the suction that they have and the products, I mean, that are being put into the skin are amazing. They're good, high quality products. Is it going to get rid of your acne scars? No. Is it going to rejuvenate your skin like a laser will? No. Is it going to stimulate collagen, microneedling? No. But the Hydrafacial is a Hydrafacial. It's a Hydrafacial. It's good for what it is. If you want a Hydrafacial and you want to get that treatment, that is the best device for it. The knockoffs can't compare. And I'm actually creating a protocol with the HydraFacial to incorporate other modalities that I have that I'm really excited about to make an exclusive treatment for our clinic. And I love it for the extractions. I mean, it gets the gunk out of the nose pores. I mean, it really is. I think for me, my struggle with them was the support. They went through a lot of transitions, you know, as companies do with management and CEOs and a lot of like our core people that were there when I started with Hydrafacial weren't there anymore. We were having different reps every month. And so it just like, we just kind of felt it made it difficult to partner with them and to work with them for a while. And I was so busy doing like more corrective treatments that like, it was just like not dealing with it. And then of course too, like, I'm an ally for my sds and there was a lot of fuck shit happening behind the scenes with the restructuring of the company. But they finally got it together and I'm really happy for them because it. I mean, when I got into this industry. HydraFacial was like at its peak. Like, it was everywhere. Like, Everybody wanted the HydraFacial. And then, you know, as growth happens and companies structures change and people get bought and sold and swapped around, like, the heart of the business gets lost a lot of the time. And I've seen that, like, as I've been in the industry approaching 10 years now, I've seen that happen time and time again. Even with the companies that, like, you don't think it's gonna happen to. And it's sad. Like, it really does suck because it's like, it's not a bad product. It's not a bad device. It's just like the people that are. It's like kind of like a child. It's like if they get adopted and like they had all the potential to be great and then they don't have good parents, like, you know, kind of shit out of luck. But they seem to that it seems like it's coming around again now and things are coming up for them. And so I'm excited to partner with them and have them in my practice and keep giving people glowing, amazing skin. So I'm not a hydrafacial hater.

[Sam]

Nope.

[Effy]

I'm a Hydrafacial fan.

[Sam]

I'm a fan too. I had my first HydraFacial. How long do you think it's been since I had my last one? Like three years.

[Effy]

Yeah. So we're doing his this week, which is gonna be great.

[Sam]

But I had one last month when they came back out to train our whole team and really, like, reset where we are at with Hydrafacial. And I had my first in three years and I was like, yeah, I vibe with this.

[Effy]

I like to and like to talk industry drama because y' all always love that. Like, Skinpen. Right now. What the fuck are they doing? I'm just gonna say it. What are they doing? Oh, with the Panoxyl bullshit. Come on. The bio Joo bullshit was one of the biggest bullshits. It just sucks. Like when. And the guy that created Joe Proctor, that created Skinpen, it's like a standout. Amazing man. Such a good person. That's just what happened. You create something amazing. You texting me?

[Sam]

No.

[Effy]

Okay. I thought he was trying to censor Silence me.

[Sam]

Jenny is calling me 40 times.

[Effy]

That's interesting. You can step out if you need to.

[Sam]

Do you think it's that important? Probably

[Effy]

it's the nanny. I would go call her.

[Sam]

Wasn't there since born?

[Effy]

No, he ends at 12. Anyways, so with Skinpen, you know, it was Amazing. It was before Crown aesthetics. It was Bellis Medical. And then I don't really know what happened to that company. They kind of just like, disappeared, dissipated. And then Crown bought them. And Crown did some things that are questionable, one being Bio Joov, which was like the biggest flop of the century in the skincare world. And. Yeah. And then now they're with Revance, I believe is how you say it. And that's great. Wonderful. I don't have any problems with Revance. It just sucks when, like, these big companies buy all these little smaller or go take them to a park. Anyways, Mom Life. While podcasting, what happens is there's like, all these, like, little brands. So, like, let's say me, I start a brand and it's eye serums. And I have, like, an amazing eye serum. I'm in control of it. It's me and Tyler. We're doing all of our marketing, our messaging, everything. And then, you know, Big Daddy, I'm trying to think of how many Estee Lauder is like, we want to buy your company. And we're like, oh, my God, $10 million. Take it. And so we sell our ice cream company to them, and now they're in charge and they own us. And even though our eye serums are great, they might start posting that slander on the Internet. Or they could be doing crazy things or partnering with, let's say they partnered with St. Ives, and now they're like, oh, yeah, use St. Ives and then use our eye serum together. And you're just like, what the fuck are they doing? But I have no control anymore because I sold my company. So that's usually, you know, what happens, unfortunately, in this industry. And it sucks. Cause it's like, I kind of understand it. Cause I feel on both sides of everything because it's like that niche influencer that you find and you love them and you want all the success for them, and then they get successful and then they start doing weird stuff. And, like, they're just, like, not relatable anymore. And it's like, you want to hate them because they're not who they were when you first found them. You also want to be happy for them because they have all their success, but, like, you lost that, like, closeness with them. That's how I feel about, like, Skin Better and Skinpen and like, a lot of these companies, because it's like, it used to be like, a family, and then, like, all of the people that, like, started the company that you were close with, like, they trickle out. Because now it's bought by a bigger company and it's just, like, not the same. The products are still the same, the device is still the same. It's just, like, in different management and so it just makes things trickier and harder and it just changes the dynamic quite a bit. So, yeah, it's just, like, different. It's different. Like, when Skin Butter is back in its really big heyday, it was family. Like, I knew all the owners and founders and now, you know, obviously they've stepped back. It's in l' Oreal's hands. L' Oreal's done great with it, but it's just different because it's just like, so many new people and it's so much bigger. So it doesn't feel like that, like, tight family anymore, which is like. What I really loved about Skin Better was just, like, that closeness and, like, being a part of something.

[Sam]

So, yeah, like, the products are the same, everything's the same. Like, it's still great, but it's like, it's.

[Effy]

I'm talking about the relationship.

[Sam]

Yeah, it's like the way we function with all the companies we work with. We are so close to all them.

[Effy]

It's weird to, like, all of a sudden, like, not. Or we. We still have a really close relationship in the middle. But, yeah, it's just not like.

[Sam]

It's like you wake up in the middle of the night and like, someone has replaced your mom and they're like, I'm your mom. You're like, you're not my mom.

[Effy]

Yeah.

[Sam]

I don't know you.

[Effy]

Yeah. So that's kind of like what happens in this industry is, like, people get. What I was trying to say earlier is, you know, people start out as a small business. Like, it'll happen with everyone. It's going to happen to sev. It's going to happen to. What are some other small brands that we have and I think probably plated eventually.

[Sam]

Yeah, plated.

[Effy]

Like, all these startups, you know, they start small and then, I mean, the goal, everyone's goal is to sell for millions and billions and jillions. Like, it's a business. At the end of the day, they're not doing charity. So, like, you can't get mad, but it also, like, just sucks for the customer. Being like, the provider is not like. I mean, it's not any change to, like, the people purchasing the products or getting the services done. I'm talking about, like, the middle people, like, the providers that are working directly with these companies and distributing their products and doing their services. It Just changes like a lot of things and makes it sometimes harder to work with them, harder to get education, harder to have like a stable rep. I mean, it's just part of the world and how companies function and everything. So that's been a really big change, I think for me while I've been going through my divorce, which is over now, but while I was going through my divorce building my house and my spa, all of my companies that I've always had a really close relationship with, it almost felt like at the same time everybody was being bought out and everything shifted and changed so quickly. And it's like you want them to do great. But I won't lie, I miss the days when skin butter was just with its mom and dad before.

[Sam]

Well, I think my like 2 cents on everything you're saying too is like the biggest thing that I've seen lately. And I'm not gonna name names. It's honestly generally across the board is that like the marketing teams that they are hiring have no. Like they absolutely. You can tell from every initiative, everything have never been boots on the ground like in a med spa, been a provider like actually selling these products to clients or patients. Like it's just launches and you know, selling and everything used to be done a way and it worked and it worked well for so long. And it feels like in the past year or two years, like all these

[Effy]

companies like social media too? Yeah, like social media. Yeah. And just like how they work with their customers, man, like in this industry, on top of that, it's just like there's so many things that are really creating like a really big issue in our industry. It's growing at a rapid ass pace. There's more med spawns in McDonald's in the US it's a fact. Which is fucking insane.

[Sam]

That's nuts.

[Effy]

Yeah, like there's literally more med spawns than McDonald's.

[Sam]

But I mean it makes sense because we probably have like 15 in a like 2 mile radius of us.

[Effy]

Yeah, I mean they're everywhere and they're

[Sam]

not 15 McDonald's in a two mile radius.

[Effy]

That's true. There's one. Yeah, that is actually really true. So there's that and then you have like social media and then influencers wanting and then affiliate programs. Like when I first got in this industry, like I piloted so many affiliate programs because it wasn't. They didn't exist like affiliate programs. Which is, if y' all don't know what an affiliate program is, it's basically like you get a hyperlink and Then people buy things through your link from, like, the OG website, and then you get paid a commission. So, like, you don't have to carry the product, you don't have to purchase the product. It's just like they're going through your link and supporting you via the OG website. And so that was like a new thing. And then just like. I mean, even, like, companies were especially, like, the more professional medical companies were scared of social media because there's, like, so many, like, laws and regulations. I got fired from a dermatology practice because I posted a picture of eltamd sunscreen on the front desk. And it was like, my favorite sunscreen. And they're like, this is hipaa. You can't take any photos or post any photos inside our building. Like, that's like, against the rules. And then I also got in trouble because I did a hydrafacial on one of the esthetician's daughters with permission. And we, like, filmed a little bit of it. And they're like, that's like, you can't show, like, medical procedures being done on the Internet. And like, now you have, like, doctors going live while doing surgeries and, like, breast augmentations. Yeah. Like on fucking TikTok live. And so just I feel like social media, our industry growing, the crossover of, like, estheticians, laser techs, dermatologists, nurses, MPs, plastic surgeons, doctors that are just. Doctors that are like, we're gonna do Botox. You're a cardiologist. What are you doing? It's just a lot. It's just a lot of red tape. And then there's also, like, a lot of, like, weird stuff in this industry. And I don't know, I won't lie. I feel like I've been a little bit jaded the more I learn. It's like they always say, like, don't meet your favorite celebrity, or, like, don't meet your role model or whatever. What do they call it?

[Sam]

Don't meet your hero.

[Effy]

Yeah, don't meet your hero. That's sometimes how I feel. It's like I almost know too much that I liked when I had the blindfold on, and I was just kind of like a little sheep that didn't know anything. And it's like, now I just know so much of the inner workings of it. And it kind of like when you look at it, at the end of the day, all of it is about money and they really don't care.

[Sam]

Yeah.

[Effy]

And it's sad because little old me, bright eye, bushy tail. When I first got in this industry, it was like, everyone just wants to help everyone, and everyone's here to just help. And it's like, no, people are going to fuck you over.

[Sam]

And then you worked your first three

[Effy]

jobs, and you were like, no, not even that. It wasn't even like, that was bad. But then it was, like, getting closer to the companies and understanding the inner workings of these big companies and how they function. And, like, it's just disheartening sometimes. But we work with the better ones, of course. Like, I'm not gonna work with, like, horrible people or bad products, but, yeah, this industry is. Is changing and shifting, and I'm just hopeful.

[Sam]

Let's try to steer this ship back on course.

[Effy]

I'm hopeful. And I think the more people, like, speaking out about things, I think is helping too. And I don't know. I used to just be so tied up in all of the bullshit, and now it's just, like, I'm not shocked anymore when things happen. I, like, see it coming, and you just can't. My biggest advice for estheticians or business owners is just to not put all of your eggs in one basket. Especially with companies if you think, like, they're gonna, like, take care of you forever and then management changes. And I've seen that happen to a lot of friends, a lot of people. And thankfully for me, like, I've skin Better has been, like, my biggest brand that I've worked with and work with, and I still have that, which is amazing. Like, even with partnership changes, like, I still get the same opportunities and everything that's happened with them. So that's, like, been really exciting and wonderful. Um, but it's just, like, different nature of the relationship because, like, it's not, like, the same people, you know, as it was, which is great. The new people are fine and wonderful, but it's just corporate now. Yeah, it's just corporate.

[Sam]

Like, we're walking into a board.

[Effy]

Like, they can't get me, like, for my birthday. Like, back in the day, like, Jonah would call. He still does. Even though we don't work together like we used to, he still calls me on my birthday. They would send me flowers. And now it's like, this is like a bribe or a gift. And, like, there's all this red tape, and it's like, these people that I make so much money for can't even send me fucking flowers on my birthday anymore. And it's kind of, like, just sucks.

[Sam]

I think it's like a $40 max or something like that.

[Effy]

They can't send you flowers because now it's like bribery and it's like, I just. And back in the day, they used to send me, like, you know, when I had my son, they sent me, like, a little outfit for him when I gave birth. And, like, it's just different, you know, it's just how it happens with corporate. I don't like corporate America. I'm just gonna say it. I don't. There's too much, like, red tape. And, like, especially in an industry that I feel like is so liberating and free on the aesthetic side, the esthetician side. Not if you're a doctor and you don't have a lot of red tape. It sucks. Like, I miss just, like. I don't know. I wish we could go back to, like, 2022. That was, like, my favorite year of my career.

[Sam]

Yeah.

[Effy]

But a new baby business was, like, the best.

[Sam]

Bringing airlays on.

[Effy]

Or was it I brought air. I don't remember what year that was.

[Sam]

Maybe 23.

[Effy]

I think that was just, like, a really good year for me. I mean, things are still great. I just like, like word business. We're making more than ever. Business is faster and busier than ever. It's just like, how all the company. The relationships I had with the companies were at its, like, closest. I feel like in 2022, it was like when Skin Pen was still like skinpen and skin better with Skin better. And Face Reality was Face Reality. And who else did.

[Sam]

We.

[Effy]

We really just thought it was like, my three.

[Sam]

Yeah.

[Effy]

Mm. That was really it.

[Sam]

Yeah.

[Effy]

Those companies have, like, just blown the fuck up since then. All of them.

[Sam]

Good for them.

[Effy]

No, and it's great. It's like what you want, but then until you don't.

[Sam]

Until you're like, wait, now come back.

[Effy]

But yeah, I'm hopeful for the trajectory of the world. And I think, honestly, I'm just ready. I mean, it's just the life cycle is like, brands get big, and then they get bought out, and then everyone's, like, fucking over it, and it's so corporate and boring and terrible, and then they start changing everything. And now they're not about the customer. And now it's all these big old white men that just, like, want to fucking push their agenda and sell for billions of dollars to big conglomerate, and then they die. And then a new company comes. And I think that's what I've seen is, like, don't get so, like, ride or die for a brand, because this timeline might take them four years, might happen as fast as it did for, like, skin better. It might happen slower for them, but that's what happens. You get a brand, everyone loves it, it's great. You're close with everyone gets sold, and then it dies. And then, like, a new brand comes and emerges, and it's just kind of like that. Skin butter will always have the best product.

[Sam]

That's what I'm going to say. I'm like, I'm waiting.

[Effy]

I'm censoring me.

[Sam]

But no, I'm just saying I'm interested to see if someone. What. What could come out that beats their technologies.

[Effy]

Yeah. I mean, they're. They can be ran by whoever. They're still gonna have the best products. Unless they touch those formulations. That's when I leave. That's when I will see myself out.

[Sam]

Yeah.

[Effy]

But we love the l' Oreal team. They're great.

[Sam]

They are.

[Effy]

Yeah. I think that's all I have. Just over this industry right now. Try to be a bright light.

[Sam]

But I love how you started out this episode saying, it's not gloomy June.

[Effy]

It is gloomy June. It's just annoying. Like, I think other estheticians are probably feel. Feeling this, and no one's, like, really saying it. Like, it's just annoying. This industry is so annoying right now. Trade shows are dying. Like, they suck.

[Sam]

They're so expensive.

[Effy]

They're so expensive. Brands are pulling out of it. The economy's. I mean, it's just, like, a bad year for aesthetics. Like, I'm not gonna lie. It's just not a good year. It's, like, the worst year. And so I just am feeling for my, like, even my friends that, you know, are usually fully booked aren't. I mean, economy sucks. The world sucks. All, like, all of the brands that were, like, amazing and wonderful are starting to, like, do fuck shit. That's, like, annoying. And it's like, what are we doing? You know, it's like, we need one good child. It's like when you have 10 kids and you're, like, banking on, like, you're like, the odds. You're like, I have to have one kid. That's good. And, like, all of them turn out to do, like, drugs and get pregnant at 13. That's how it feels.

[Sam]

I just feel like they're like. At all these companies, there's, like, too many cooks in the kitchen now, and they're like.

[Effy]

Or they're all restructuring or budget cuts. Like, they're focused on the wrong thing. And I think it's just they need to get, like, pulled back In. I think it's hard when you have a lot of people trying to drive the ship. One, two. Like, you have a bunch of new people that don't really know, like, the ethics and origin of the brand. Like, that's a huge thing. Is like, they're just getting brought in really quick to, like, do a function, but they don't. They can do like, whatever marketing or AI optimization while. But like, they don't understand who that brand is at their core. And so they're just like pissing everyone off because they're not. People are like, so used to them acting one way and then they're acting a different way. And you're like, who are you now?

[Sam]

But I'm like, I. Then that begs the question to me, like, if you weren't there from day one, will you ever understand? Like, I feel like, like with Skin Better, like, I don't know if like anyone who, you know, say they bring someone in l' Oreal from Urban Decay or like Carousel or whatever over to Skin Better. Like, I'm like, you'll never, like, you

[Effy]

can be told, but you'll never really get it. Yeah. So I don't know. I think it's just a frustrating time for everyone. And, you know, I think there hasn't been a lot of. Other than like, exosomes and, you know, kind of getting more into the hair care area. There hasn't really been like, anything riveting or exciting. Like, we had like, obviously the no downtime TCA peels was like a huge thing for a while. And now it's like, okay, done. And then also, I mean, we still love them, but, like, you know what I mean? It's just like, not exciting. I was like, been there, done that. And then on top of that, they're just like slashing our poor sds, like in so many states, like, of what they can do. I was on that call the other day. I remember. I can't remember what state it was, but, like, they can't even like, oh,

[Sam]

I think it was New York.

[Effy]

Yeah, they can't do like, TCA anymore.

[Sam]

Yeah, they. No, it was something crazier. I feel like it was like Hydrafacial or something.

[Effy]

Oh, yeah. It was like a high. They couldn't.

[Sam]

It was like, insane.

[Effy]

Yeah. Unless they were a doctor. I don't think it was New York. I don't know. I don't want to say it wrong, but there was a state.

[Sam]

There was a state and there was some sort of modality wild.

[Effy]

I think maybe it was like Microderm or something. I don't know. I was like, so silly. I was like, that's actually ludicrous. Like, to not be able, like, you

[Sam]

have to go to eight years of school to, like, use some gunk out of someone's face.

[Effy]

Yeah. I think that's the hard thing is, like, they regulate, like, the shit that doesn't need to be regulated, but don't regulate the things that, like, do need to be regulated. It's just like. I think it's just a new thing. It's like people are just learning how to regulate this industry because it blew up so fucking fast. And there's so many people want to be in it and so many, like, doctors are wanting, you know, I mean, there's just so much conspiracy at all. Because two, it's like, you know, then the doctors are like, why the fuck is this little bitch that's only been to school for seven months making more than me? And I'm paying everything to, you know, insurance, like, and it's not cash pay. And so they're like, I want to do that. Like, helping people with their heart disease. I'm going to do both.

[Sam]

Hand me a skin.

[Effy]

Skin pen. They're like, sorry, you're in cardiac arrest. That's not going to pay for my yacht. Yeah, we're getting a skin pen. But that's really what it is. It's like all these doctors are looking around like, yeah, because it's so true. And it's like, not. It's like, this is such a broken system and it goes way further back to, like, so many people wanted to be a doctor because you want to help people, and then you get in it and realize how not all, but a lot of health care is, like, so scammy. They don't want to give people cures. This is me getting on my conspiracy theory, so don't get mad at me. They want to keep you sick. They poison our food, they poison our water. They cause all these health issues for us because they want.

[Sam]

If you're dying, they're not making money.

[Effy]

Or no, if you're not dying. If you're not dying, they aren't making money.

[Sam]

Yeah.

[Effy]

So you have to be sick. You have to need medications, you have to need prescriptions. Why did they make it hydroquinone that we can't just get it over the counter anymore? Money. They're gonna do the same thing with retinoids, too. That's the next one to go. That's, like, already in the works. Like, they're about to take retinoids away from estheticians. And what are we gonna do? Probably have to use beef tallow at this point. I'm gonna have to go buy a fucking farm. Like, it's just like. That's really where it comes down to is, like, if you're not sick and if you're threatening an industry, they're gonna take you down.

[Sam]

But it's also like, it's. It comes back to me to, like, this, like, you're not in the field because it's, like, very arbitrary. The.

[Effy]

It's just a really dark world that we live in.

[Sam]

Well, I'm saying, like. I'm saying, like, with, like you were saying earlier, like, all these, like, regulations they're putting in with. No, that don't even make sense because, like, with a nurse, like, sure, they went to nursing school for four years. They have a legit degree. They are a medical provider. But it's also like, they can just go pick up some filler and occlude someone's vein and not have to have any certification or like, you know what I mean? Like, what. What certifications are they required to have to legally practice that? I don't think there are any.

[Effy]

They're working on it.

[Sam]

Yeah, well, I'm sure.

[Effy]

Yeah. It's just like, you know, I try not to think about it because I'm like, I'm here for a short time on this earth, and all I can do is just help as many people with their skin as I can until they take retinoids away. Then I'm probably gonna have to go on foot finder and start selling feet pics.

[Sam]

Dive instructor.

[Effy]

Dive instructor with sharks. But, no, I think you just. Once you realize the way the world works, it's, like, so much bigger than just the aesthetics industry. Like, we really want to get into it. Like, it's just like a really corrupt world, and everything is not what it is. And we're just like all little sheep that don't really know what the fuck is happening. We're just trying to pay our bills and be good parents and, like, get fucked sometimes and have a good meal sometimes swim in the ocean before we die, inevitably from one of the many diseases that they're forcing us to have.

[Sam]

I couldn't agree more, Effy.

[Effy]

I mean, I know that's really. It's probably the most depressing episode I've ever had, but it's just like. I don't know. I feel like the older I get and, like, becoming a mom and also being where I am in my career, like, I just start to see, like, how corrupt and awful so many things are. And it's just like, really disheartening because I just, like, used to just be like, everyone, love everyone, like, everyone's here to help. And then, like, then you realize, like, they're killing babies and literally hiding lies. They told us that aliens weren't real, and now they're like, aliens are like, Covid, you have to get the vaccine now. They're like, actually, the vaccine could have killed you. And I've been knowing that. And they gaslit me. And so it's like, you can't trust the government anymore. You can't trust anything. So, yeah, I don't know. It's just like, I try not to think about it again because then it's just like, what is this all for? But all you can do is try to make a positive impact in your community, because that's what directly. You can't change the world. I can't restructure the government. I can't fix the fucking aesthetics industry alone. But what I can do is personally

[Sam]

change as many lives as you can.

[Effy]

Yeah, in my little. Where I. Where I can. I'm just in my little area, and I can just do my best here.

[Sam]

You said all y' all going to hell, me going to heaven, but that's.

[Effy]

That's all you can do. I mean, it's just like, you know, if you sit and just think about it, it's not gonna fix anything, you know, I can't fix the world.

[Sam]

I can't think about those things I

[Effy]

do all the time, impeding doom.

[Sam]

I'm, like, so good at compartmentalizing and, like, that's great. Back of the brain.

[Effy]

Think about it. Lay in bed. And I think about, that's why I didn't want to have kids, because I was like, I don't want to bring a kid into, like, this fucked up world so bad. It's so bad. It's so dark. That is gloom June. It's not gloom June. It's just gloom America, man. We're about to have the 25th, 250th birth. And it's like, it's fucked up from,

[Sam]

like, what did you just say?

[Effy]

The 250th birth of America this year.

[Sam]

Oh, I didn't know that.

[Effy]

But even then, if you're like, oh, things were better, I was like, no, it's just like, we didn't know as much because now we have media and people and, like, people spread information. It's like all this fuck shit was happening. You shouldn't know about it for sure. You were.

[Sam]

Everyone was more of little shit.

[Effy]

Like, now we're woke. Yeah, I know. I know what you're doing now. I'm gonna get an FBI agent watching my fucking house. They're gonna snipe me through the fucking window if I go missing. It was because of this podcast.

[Sam]

You're like, I am not. I do not want to end my life. That's what people do when they think they're about to be married.

[Effy]

They're not trying to die. I'm happy. But then you start to look at the scientists that find cures for cancer or big deal things.

[Sam]

Dead

[Effy]

cancer's fake. Well, it's not fake. It's real. But there's a cure for sure. But then they wouldn't make money. That's a big money maker.

[Sam]

I mean, yeah, it's crazy.

[Effy]

Like giving birth. The business of giving birth. Giving birth.

[Sam]

You can make a vaccine for Covid in, like, two days. A month. Yeah, like a month. Less than a month. And you can't find a cure for

[Effy]

cancer in 40, 60, 70, 80 years. Yeah. So, you know, guys live every day like it's your last. And that's why I eat the hot Cheetos, because, you know, they are poisoning them, but they taste good. And I'm not trying to live forever. You gotta pick your battles.

[Sam]

Yep.

[Effy]

That's it. That's all I got. I'm sorry.

[Sam]

Love you guys.

[Effy]

Go get a snow.

[Sam]

Hope your week is better after this episode.

[Effy]

Yeah, just go get a snow cone and just pretend everything's good.

[Sam]

Bye. Bye, Sam.