The blondEST Podcast

Host: Savanna Boda
Episode: Your 2026 Skincare Survival Guide
Date: January 5, 2026

Episode Overview

In this lively New Year's episode, Savanna Boda (The Dallas Aesthetician) delivers her trademark blend of unfiltered humor and evidence-based skincare expertise during an open Q&A with her co-host. She tackles fans' questions on skincare routines, aesthetic treatments, product recommendations, entrepreneurship in beauty, and personal life with honesty and detailed guidance. The tone is friendly and conversational, mixing deep dives into skin health with personal anecdotes and candid reflections.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Treating Old Breast Lift Scars [00:27]

• Insight: Needle treatments and ablative lasers are best for old scars.
  • "I would needle those and do an ablative laser... like the ERA peel pads from Skin Better can help, Alpharette Body, and the Intense Serum from Plated. But if they're old, you're gonna wanna do a treatment period." – Savanna [00:31]
• Over-the-counter products alone may not suffice for mature scars.

2. Acne-Safe Bubble Baths [00:49]

• Savanna’s verdict: Most bubble baths are not acne-safe; recommends using acne-safe body wash as a substitute.
  • "None, unless you just like put Perfect Body as your bubble bath..." [00:53]

3. Dealing with Cystic Acne (Neck) [01:11]

• First Step: Check for friction or tight clothing causing “acne mechanica.”
• Active Ingredients: Use Acne Med 2.5 and Mandelic 15% or 11%, available from Savanna’s site.

4. Severe Lip Dryness [01:55]

• Recommendation: Lip Luxe from Hydrinity.
  • "It's a dual way. HA. And it has these little spheres that go into your lips and actually help it penetrate deeper. So it's some good shit." – Savanna [02:05]

5. Color Science “Flex” and Skin Issues [02:17–03:27]

• “Flex” can break out some users due to encapsulated pigment. “Glow” or “Bronze” formulations are safer for sensitive/acne-prone skin.

  • "[Glow] is the one that doesn’t cause issues for me. Everything else does." – Savanna [02:22]
  • "The pigment encapsulation... can cause irritation to the skin. With Glow and the Bronze, the pigment's already mixed in, so you're not having any of that encapsulation." – [02:27]

6. Hydrating Mists for Glow [05:50]

• Favorite: Color Science Barrier Pro.

7. Career Advice for New Estheticians [06:00, 07:27]

• Master your craft before focusing on marketing/social media.
  • "Really focus on your craft and skill before social media... You got to be good at what you do. Because if you're good at marketing and you get clients, you're not going to keep them. It's about keeping the clients." – Savanna [07:27]

8. Lipid Serum Usage [07:41]

• Use twice a day if possible; a little goes a very long way.
  • "That's the one that people get nervous about spending money on because it's so expensive. But it's worth every penny and it'll last you a year." [07:44]

9. Harsh Review of Hydrafacial [08:31–10:29]

• Strong D-Influence: Once a top product, now plagued by poor customer support and unreliable devices.
  • "Horrible company... It sucks because the hydrafacial is a good device. The new one is terrible. Breaks all the time... And it pisses me off for my fellow estheticians that get ghosted as soon as they get a device." – Savanna [08:37, 09:04]

10. Tackling Winter Flaky Skin [10:36]

• Savanna’s “Skin Rescue” Routine:
  • Peptide Micro Scrub, Rejuvenating Peptide Mask, Peptide Cleanser (use for three days straight)
  • Top with Self Protection Balm for barrier repair

11. Best Foundation for Acne-Prone Skin [20:11]

• Winner: Oxygenetics.
  • "Oxygenetics is the best. She's buildable. She's acne safe. She's a queen." – Savanna [20:11]

12. Peptide Injections Explained [20:27–22:19]

• Savanna’s Stack:
  • BPC-157: “Anti-inflammatory as hell.”
  • GHK-Cu: “Glowing skin, copper peptide—‘the beauty peptide’.”
  • TB4: “For healing and repairing.”
• Candid Quote:
  • "BPC157... sounds like an experiment from Lilo and Stitch." [20:32]

13. Building Clientele as a Solo Esthetician [18:55]

• Before/after photos and a referral program are key.
  • Offer free or discounted treatments to clients with severe conditions to showcase results and attract new business.
  • "If they see someone who looks like they have their skin or worse than their skin get clear, they're going to feel confident in going to you that you'll be able to do the same for them." [19:04]

14. Personal Reflections on Growth & Regret [24:00]

• Savanna shares she wouldn’t redo any major choices except for learning about sales tax and some hires.
  • "I really don’t regret anything in life. I think everything has led me to this moment and allowed me to be where I am." – Savanna [25:16]
• Advocates learning from challenges and holding gratitude.

15. Coping with Service-Provider Anxiety [16:44]

• Grounding, breath work, and ongoing education are vital.
  • "It's a lot of energy transfer and like energy exchange. So it's really important to like stay grounded and like breathing exercises, all that.” – Savanna [16:53]

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On Healing after Surgery:
  • "I did have to get my puss restitched under local anesthesia, and I was awake and that was, like, pretty traumatic. But, like, I wouldn't recommend it. But it was fine..." – Savanna [05:00]
• On Knowing When to Leave a Relationship:
  • "I was so depressed. I wanted to die every day...Like my home was not safe." – Savanna [14:02]
• On Regrets:
  • "I've learned so much more from my shortcomings and my failures than I have my wins and success. So I would never want to change anything." – Savanna [24:00]
• On Losing Items:
  • Leads the audience in a traditional St. Anthony prayer for finding lost things, demonstrating her authenticity and humor. [26:32]

Practical Product & Treatment Recommendations

• Scar Treatments: Needling, ablative lasers, ERA peel pads, and Intense Serum from Plated
• Acne: Acne Med 2.5, Mandelic 15%/11%, Color Science Barrier Pro mist
• Body and Lip Health: Perfect Body wash, Lip Luxe (Hydrinity)
• Peptides: BPC-157, GHK-Cu, TB4 (with specific effects outlined)
• Best Foundation: Oxygenetics
• Best Eye Serum for Hollow Under Eyes: Plated Eye and Adipo’s Volume Cream
• Moisturizer for Winter: Truluxe

Standout Timestamps

• 01:21 - Cystic acne on neck/“acne mechanica” explained
• 02:22 - Color Science products & pigment encapsulation
• 08:37 - Unfiltered critique of Hydrafacial company and device issues
• 14:02 - Honest comments on mental health and ending a marriage
• 16:53 - Coping strategies for provider anxiety
• 18:55 - How to build clientele from scratch
• 20:11 - Top foundation for acne-prone skin
• 24:00 - Life lessons, resilience, and learning from the hard times
• 26:32 - The St. Anthony lost items prayer moment

The Episode’s Tone & Takeaway

Savanna is as warm, honest, and funny as ever, blending serious, science-backed advice with stories from her personal and professional journey. The episode balances the playful—candid chats about her lost camera and personal healing—with the professional, offering listeners a practical 2026 survival guide for their skincare and esthetician careers.

Recommended For:
Anyone craving honest, practical skincare advice, aspiring estheticians, longtime clients, or listeners seeking inspiration on thriving after personal and professional setbacks.