The Functional Aesthetician

Perimenopause, Thyroid, and Cortisol: The Real Reason Your Skin Is Changing in Your 40s

Are you in your 30s, 40s, or 50s and your skin suddenly feels like a stranger's?  You haven't changed your routine, but your skin is dry, breaking out, and aging faster than it ever has, and nobody seems to have answers. In this solo episode, Samantha breaks down exactly what is happening hormonally and why your skin is the first place it shows up. This is the conversation your doctor isn't having with you,  and the one you've been searching for. You'll learn why perimenopause affects far more than your cycle, how your thyroid could be the missing piece nobody has checked, and why cortisol is quietly driving your skin changes, your weight gain, your exhaustion, and your mood, and what you can actually do about all of it. If you've been told your labs are normal but you still feel awful, if you've Googled your symptoms at midnight, or if you're doing everything right and still not seeing results, this episode was made for you. In this Episode, You’ll Learn: * Your skin is directly affected by every hormonal shift happening in perimenopause * Breaking out AND having dry skin at the same time is not a contradiction * Insulin resistance and cortisol both increase during perimenopause and both accelerate skin aging  * Thyroid dysfunction affects 8-10% of perimenopausal women and is frequently missed  * Your gut health directly impacts your thyroid, your hormones, and your skin, and they all need to be addressed together * Chronic stress during perimenopause hits differently because your hormonal safety net is thinner * Simple, skincare, blood sugar stability, nervous system support, and daily movement are the foundational tools to start with * Working with a functional medicine practitioner means getting answers that go beyond what traditional blood panels reveal Connect with Samantha: Instagram  [http://www.instagram.com/skindeepil] TikTok [http://www.tiktok.com/@skindeepil]

Holistic Skincare: How Gut Health Impacts Your Skin

In this episode of The Functional Aesthetician, Samantha Dench sits down with Kisha Hamilton, award-winning licensed esthetician and founder of The Rebeauté, a corrective skincare sanctuary rooted in holistic healing.  Together they talk about the gut-skin connection, what a compromised skin barrier actually looks like, and how a barrier-first approach can transform stubborn skin conditions like acne and hyperpigmentation. Kisha also shines a light on global skin and explains why corneotherapy and barrier repair are essential for achieving real, lasting results for these clients. She also shares what she’s working on for estheticians. In this Episode, You’ll Learn: •  Why acne can signal vitamin and mineral deficiencies •  The supplements Kisha recommends for clear skin •  What is TEWL and why it’s disrupting your skin barrier •  A barrier-first skincare protocol, and why actives shouldn’t come first •  Understanding global skin and how its structure differs from mainstream skincare education •  Kisha’s upcoming training for neurodivergent estheticians ➡️ Connect with Kisha Website [http://THEREBEAUTE.GlossGenius.com] Instagram [http://www.instagram.com/the.rebeaute]

Perimenopause, Insulin Resistance & Your Thyroid: Why Your Body Isn't Broken

If you're gaining weight, exhausted, and doing everything "right" eating less, exercising more, and nothing is working, this episode is for you. Holistic nutritionist and menopause health coach Lora Ulrich breaks down the hormonal cascade that happens during perimenopause and menopause, and why the old rules simply don't apply to your body anymore. Lora shares her story: from a childhood thyroid condition, to a surgical menopause, to becoming one of the leading voices in midlife metabolic health.  She breaks down the connection between estrogen decline, insulin resistance, cortisol, and weight gain in ways that actually make sense, and more importantly, what to do about it. This episode covers the thyroid's role in hormone health, why your doctor may be missing key markers, how blood sugar instability masquerades as anxiety and brain fog, and the metabolic shifts that actually work for a menopausal body. In this Episode, You’ll Learn: * Why estrogen decline makes your cells less responsive to insulin and what that means for fat storage * The hormone health triangle: insulin, cortisol, and thyroid and why order matters * Why slashing calories and intense cardio is working against you * What a complete thyroid panel should look like (TSH is not enough) * How to structure meals to stabilize blood sugar without counting or deprivation * The truth about intermittent fasting during perimenopause * You are not broken your body just needs a new strategy ➡️ Connect with Lora Website [https://loraulrich.com] Facebook [https://www.facebook.com/loraulrich] Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/loraulrich] LinkedIN [https://www.linkedin.com/in/loraulrich] YouTube [https://www.youtube.com/LoraUlrich] ✅ Download Lora's FREE Guides Fast Metabolism Recipes [https://loraulrich.com/fast-metabolism-diet-recipes] Happy Hormones Checklist [https://loraulrich.com/happy-hormones-checklist]

Nervous System Safety: The Missing Piece in Chronic Stress, Skin & Weight Loss

If you've been doing all the "right things" eating clean, exercising, taking your supplements, and you still can't lose the weight, clear your skin, or feel better, this episode is for you. Samantha sits down with Stephanie Lee Hayes, somatic educator and founder of Roots and Rituals, to unpack the nervous system piece that most practitioners (and even therapists) are missing.  Stephanie explains how chronic stress and unprocessed trauma keep your body locked in survival mode and why that makes healing nearly impossible, no matter how hard you try. If you've ever felt like your body is working against you, this conversation will finally give you the language, and the tools, to understand why. In this Episode, You’ll Learn: * What nervous system safety actually means, and why it's the missing link in healing * Why "doing everything right" still isn't enough when your nervous system is stuck in threat mode * How trauma (even the kind you don't think counts) gets stored in the body and blocks repair * The surprising connection between your nervous system, skin inflammation, and weight loss resistance * Why high-achieving women are especially vulnerable to chronic stress dysregulation * The real reason urgency and rushing are keeping your body in survival mode * A simple, accessible grounding practice (external orienting) you can use today to start calming your nervous system * Why self-compassion isn't just "feel-good advice" it's nervous system medicine ➡️ Connect with Stephanie: Website [http://rootsandrituals.ca] Facebook [http://www.facebook.com/Stephanie Lee Hayes] Instagram [http://www.instagram.com/rrsomatics] YouTube [http://YouTube.com/rrsomatics] Free Guide: Why You're Not Broken [http://rootsandrituals.ca/freeguide]

Is Botox Causing Your Hair Loss, Anxiety & Insomnia? The Truth About Botulinum Toxin Adverse Effects

In this episode, Samantha sits down with Megan McCue, a speech language pathologist and Botox injury advocate, who became seriously ill after a single cosmetic Botox session in 2024.  What followed was months of neurological symptoms, swallowing difficulties, hair loss, extreme anxiety, insomnia, and cognitive impairment.  Doctors dismissed her. The ER couldn't explain it. And no one connected it back to that one injection. Megan is now a leading voice in informed consent advocacy and has written multiple books, launched a podcast, and co-produced a documentary to get this information into the hands of women everywhere. In this Episode, You’ll Learn: * What botulism is and why cosmetic doses can trigger it * How botulinum neurotoxin spreads through the central and peripheral nervous system * Why symptoms like hair loss, anxiety, insomnia, brain fog, and nerve pain can be Botox-related and misdiagnosed as perimenopause or anxiety disorders * The FDA adverse event reports, and what the real numbers likely look like * How long-term Botox use actually ages your skin  * What to do if you suspect you've been injured Connect with Megan: Website [http://www.iatrogenicbotulism.com] Instagram [http://www.iinstagram.com/botoxtruths] Documentary: The Dark Side of Beauty [https://youtu.be/A1Kc1udfZW4?si=Bxuqvr3txc65dSKF] Check out her Podcast [https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/botox-injury-stories/id1830876009]