Consultations - when completed fully and correctly - help us to know how to help you and allows us an opportunity to answer any questions you may have and to help set a realistic expectation of your results and make sure you have the capacity to provide Informed Consent to treat.
We sometimes feel like we are magicians when we pull off an amazing transformation, but the journey is equally important as the end result. What your therapist achieves for you in clinic accounts for about 20-30% of your overall results; the other 70-80% occurs as a result or your own consistency and commitment to YOURSELF to change your own habits. These are the types of things we discuss in your consultation.
In some instances, we may also refer you to external practitioners, such as a naturopath, when we feel that there is “more going on” internally than we can realistically manage on our own. Advice like this will help to support your efforts in obtaining your desired result and help us to keep you safe, healthy and have the best chance at success. We don’t recommend practitioners or products that we wouldn’t engage with personally, to give you additional peace of mind.
I can’t wait to work WITH YOU to get you your best face yet!
Katie J xx
It’s a bit of a scary word sometimes, isn’t it? It’s also the last thing that anyone wants to hear when they’re excited about something. It’s not a word we like to use often, but if we do, it’s for a good reason.
The most common reasons we might say no are:
There is always a “why” for every no, and when it comes up, we will explain to you why we are saying no, then provide you with the solution that we feel will give you the best possible results for your treatment.
For us, patient care is central to what we do. We want to partner with you and be completely transparent, ethical and accountable about the process that gets you to where you want to be. The end will always justify the means!
So if you hear a no, please don’t be disheartened- our no is not the end of your journey towards your skin aspirations; it’s a “not yet”.
Trust the process.
Trust our experience.
We got you.
Katie J xx
It’s that time of year again…. Party Season.
We are on the downward slide to the end of the year and a visit from the jolly fat man in red, which means parties, drinks, dinners, long lunches - you name it! 
(It also means that I’m probably having to listen to the Mariah Carey Christmas album on loop ad nauseum. I love you Mimi, but I need a remix or something; I can only take so much)
….. But how do you get through the late nights, bad diet and dehydration - without sacrificing looking as gorgeous as you do? Luckily for you, I have the answers! 
Proper skin hydration is essential for a healthy and radiant complexion. Our skin acts as a barrier, protecting us from external aggressors such as pollution, UV rays, and harsh weather conditions. Understanding the factors that affect skin hydration is crucial in maintaining skin health and vitality.
1. Lifestyle Choices: One of the key factors influencing skin hydration is our lifestyle choices. Factors such as diet, water intake, smoking, and alcohol consumption can significantly impact the skin's hydration levels. A diet rich in fruits, vegetables, and omega-3 fatty acids can help keep the skin hydrated from within.
2. Environmental Factors: Environmental factors play a major role in skin hydration. Exposure to harsh weather conditions, pollution, and UV rays can strip the skin of its natural oils and moisture, leading to dryness and dehydration. Proper protection through sunscreen, moisturizers, and barrier creams can help combat the effects of environmental stressors.
3. Skincare Products: The skincare products we use can also influence skin hydration. Ingredients like hyaluronic acid, glycerin, and ceramides help attract and retain moisture in the skin, promoting hydration. However, overuse of harsh cleansers or exfoliants can disrupt the skin's moisture barrier, leading to dryness.
4. Age and Hormones: As we age, our skin's ability to retain moisture decreases, leading to dryness and dehydration. Hormonal changes during menopause or puberty can also affect skin hydration levels. Using hydrating serums, moisturizers, and treatments targeted for your age group can help combat these effects.
5. Genetics: Genetics also play a role in determining skin hydration levels. Some individuals naturally have oilier skin, while others have drier skin types. Understanding your skin type and using products tailored to your specific needs can help maintain optimal hydration levels.
Maintaining skin hydration is a multifaceted process that involves a combination of lifestyle choices, environmental protection, skincare products, age, hormones, and genetics. By addressing these factors and incorporating hydration-boosting ingredients into your skincare routine, you can achieve a healthy and glowing complexion. Remember, hydrated skin is happy skin!
Stay Glowy!
Katie J xx
Ok, even I admit that sounds a bit dramatic (even by my standards!); but I’m aiming big this month and hopefully it inspires you to consider some positive changes in your life, too!
This September, I’m focusing on spring cleaning in every area of my life - especially my body. The effects of these changes are aimed at promoting an optimal healing environment internally to radiate health externally. The steps I lay out here will be expanded on throughout the month, as I road-test a few different wellness-oriented practices and share my experiences with you.
You’ll love September if you:
I’ve recently discovered Bestow Beauty - a range of nutritional and wellness supports to max out your results and treat root causes of conditions like acne. What you put on your face is only part of your process towards getting results - everything you put in your mouth will impact your end result. I’m going to add the disclaimer here that I am not a nutritionist or dietician in any way, shape or form - but I do believe in evidence-informed practice and I’m sharing wisdom from the people who are (and references will be provided!).
Stay Healthy, Well, and Hydrated,
Katie J xx
Dry skin, medically known as xerosis, is a common dermatological condition characterized by a lack of moisture and lubrication in the skin. Understanding the pathophysiology of dry skin is crucial in effectively managing and treating this condition. Let's explore the underlying mechanisms that contribute to dry skin.
1. Skin Barrier Dysfunction: One of the primary factors in the pathophysiology of dry skin is impaired skin barrier function. The outermost layer of the skin, known as the stratum corneum, acts as a protective barrier against environmental irritants and loss of moisture. When this barrier is compromised due to factors such as harsh cleansers, aging, or genetic predisposition, the skin is more prone to dryness and dehydration.
2. Lipid Barrier Deficiency: Lipids, such as ceramides, cholesterol, and fatty acids, play a crucial role in maintaining the skin's hydration levels. In individuals with dry skin, there is often a deficiency in these essential lipids, leading to increased transepidermal water loss (TEWL) and reduced moisture retention. Restoring the lipid barrier through skincare products containing ceramides can help improve skin hydration.
3. Decreased Natural Moisturizing Factors: Natural moisturizing factors (NMFs) are substances present in the skin that help maintain hydration levels by attracting and retaining water. Dry skin is often associated with a decrease in NMFs, such as urea, lactic acid, and amino acids, resulting in reduced water-binding capacity and increased dryness. Using moisturizers with humectants like hyaluronic acid can help replenish NMFs and enhance skin hydration.
4. Inflammation and Irritation: Inflammatory skin conditions, such as eczema and psoriasis, can exacerbate dry skin symptoms due to increased inflammation and compromised skin barrier function. Chronic inflammation in the skin disrupts the natural moisture balance and impairs the skin's ability to retain water, leading to persistent dryness and flakiness.
5. Environmental Factors: External factors, such as low humidity, harsh weather conditions, and prolonged exposure to air conditioning or heating, can also contribute to dry skin. These environmental stressors can strip the skin of its natural oils and disrupt the skin barrier, resulting in moisture loss and dryness.
Dry skin is a multifactorial condition influenced by skin barrier dysfunction, lipid barrier deficiency, decreased NMFs, inflammation, and environmental factors. By addressing these underlying mechanisms and incorporating hydrating ingredients and protective measures into your skincare routine, you can effectively manage dry skin and restore skin hydration. Understanding the pathophysiology of dry skin is key to implementing tailored skincare strategies for optimal skin health.
With June being Acne Awareness Month, I thought I’d kick off strong with some frequently asked questions about acne and how to treat it, based on eleven years of consult data from my time in Industry (and my recent post, asking for your best questions!).
Q: What’s causing my breakouts?
A: This is the hardest question to answer, because it’s quite individual.
The skin science behind breakouts involves excessive oil secretion, hyperkeratinisation (excess skin call build up) blocking the pores, proliferation of anaerobic bacteria and the body’s inflammatory response to fight this. This is often in response to modifiable factors such as diet, skin habits and hygiene, environment, poorly formulated skincare/ cosmetics and not knowing what your skin actually needs in terms of ingredient profile (often, because influencers guide product choices more than they should).
Q: What lifestyle factors impact acne?
A: So many! This is why we dive DEEP in our consultation.
Common factors to think about are:
This list is not exhaustive, but it’s a start.
Q: What treatments are available for managing acne at The Honest Beauty Collective?
A: Depending on the severity and presentation, we could look at custom peeling, LED and Acnelan as treatment options.
Q: How do you treat acne scarring?
A: Treatment for scarring depends on a few factors:
- Fitzpatrick/ Phototype: This index is generally considered for treatments like laser hair reduction, but I consider it when planning to biohack your skin to greatness. Darker skin types (Fitzpatrick 4/5/6 - think Asia and Sub-Continent/ Mediterranean/ Middle Eastern/ South American/ African skins) are more prone to post-inflammatory hyperpigmentation, so the risk of this needs to be mitigated as much as possible, to get a more unified result.
- Type of Scarring: there are so many! Depressed scars include pigmented, ice pick, box car or rolling scar; raised scarring can include hypertrophic, keloid or papular scar. This is usually determined during your consultation and planned for accordingly. Depressed scars are the easiest to treat, but it’s a long-term process. There are no “quick fixes” in collagen induction!
- Area being treated: Is a body breakout, one on the face, or a bit of both? Body skin is generally thicker, so may require a deeper treatment than the face. When considering needling modalities, depth vs area is a major consideration.
- Is the area still actively breaking out? I generally focus on clearing the breakouts first, so I only have to fix one issue at a time, but this isn’t always practical.
The types of treatments I usually use for acne scarring include a combination of peel treatments to help with texture and skin function and skin needling to help stimulate collagen and elastin synthesis. LED is paired with both to help nurture optimal healing. One of my dream facial devices- Endymed Pro - can actually treat active acne and scarring at the same time!
Another area of consideration is your homecare, and what beneficial skin ingredients will help you. AHAs/ BHAs, Vitamin A/ Derivatives, Copper Peptide and Tyrosinase Inhibitors are usually my go-to classes of ingredients, for the following reasons:
If you have even more questions, or need some help - everything you seek is a consultation away.
Katie J xx
Aging is inevitable; but it’s not all doom and gloom.
If you’re looking at your parents and (in terms of their skin) thinking “it’s a no from me” - you absolutely CAN age well. It takes commitment, but caring for your skin isn’t a luxury; it’s a health care necessity. Your skin has to endure throughout your lifespan, and it’s pretty important- especially if you like and want to keep your “insides” where they are!
Aging as a skin concern is multi-faceted. Understanding the factors that contribute to an aged appearance is essential to helping address the issues we may see in the mirror.
The primary concerns tend to be related to skin laxity, volume loss, lines/ wrinkles and unwanted pigmentation. Unwanted facial hair is also a prominent concern, but that’s an entirely different blog post!
Looking at aging from a bioscience perspective, many of these concerns have interrelated pathophysiology. Let’s look at some causes/ factors:
Volume Loss/ Skin Laxity:Remember those UVA/ “Aging Rays” I mentioned back in February in our SPF Blog? This is where Sunscreen becomes the most underrated anti-aging product on the market. The genetic hallmarks of aging include:
I want you to visualise an apple that’s been cut in half and left on the bench for an hour. When you come back to it, it’s turned brown and kinda gross, right?
This process is called oxidation and it’s happening to you right now if you’re unprepared and unprotected. If you’re protecting yourself from the elements with an antioxidant serum (eg Mesoestetic AOX Ferulic), you are preventing unwanted pigmentation by: 
Treatment- wise, we can look at fighting the signs of aging with a combination of peels (to remove surface level indications like sun damage, textural abnormalities and dull skin) and skin needling (to restructure the skin from the Dermis) to start treating the deeper issues surrounding loss of volume, laxity and structural integrity. 
The Age Element facials are launching soon for those who want a bit more luxury with their age-targeting treatments, as it’s a combination of synergistic compounds to aid in brightening, redensifying and strengthening the skin. The ingredients we need to look at for your homecare will include some gentle AHAs to encourage desquamation, Vitamin A to normalise cell function and repair DNA Damage, Antioxidants to protect against free radical damage and brighten and hydrating humectants to reduce hydration loss.
You’re never too early to start the discussion. When you’re ready to chat, I’m listening.
Katie J xx
Welcome to February!
It might be the shortest month of the year, but we have so much to get through! This month’s focus is all things self-love - and is as much of a reminder for me as it is for you. Let’s dive in…
What is it? What is Self-Love?I’m not just talking about THAT kind of self-love (though our friends at Girls Get Off DEFINITELY have that covered - more about them throughout the month!); I’m talking about all the things that you can do to make showing yourself as much love and care as you give to others. It can be as simple as an affirmation, or as elaborate as an influencers skincare routine, but it should be a consistent habit. You yourself, as much as everyone else, deserve your love and attention. You cannot pour from an empty cup; but you also can’t receive all the validation and love you need from external sources…. it HAS to come from within too!
What can it look like?Some of my personal favourite ways to self-care are:
Self-love, at least for me, is an ongoing process to master. It’s not something I have ever been great at, and that’s something I want to work on. 
In a world where it sometimes feels like you’re only as good as how others perceive you, what YOU think of you should always be the louder voice; but often isn’t. I have never not struggled to love my body, and my hope is that through this month, in opening you up to the concept of giving yourself a greater level of self-care, we can set some positive habits for ourselves and keep each other accountable.
February is also my birthday month - but I’m giving YOU GUYS the presents! This month, everyone booked in for treatment in the month of February will go into the draw to win a THBC self-love bundle, valued at over $500! It will include goodies from our friends at Bestow Beauty, Mesoestetic, Girls Get Off and Silk Oil of Morocco - everything you need to make you the love of your own life!
Happy February, everyone!
Love, 
Katie J xx
SPF is THE MOST UNDERRATED anti-aging product in the market. 
I said what I said. - and I mean it. 
When you consider that the MOST common aesthetic concerns when we discuss aging relate to fine lines/ wrinkles, unwanted pigmentation and volume loss, it may surprise you to discover that regularly using and reapplying your sunscreen can prevent most of this damage occurring in the first place. It may also surprise you that, despite consistent, long-term messages regarding the use of sunscreen being shared publicly- such as the “Slip, Slop, Slap” and “There’s nothing healthy about a tan” campaigns - Australia still has one of the highest incidences of Melanoma globally. I’m a passionate advocate for sun protection for incredibly personal reasons; my Dad’s cancer journey began with Melanoma, so now I am more diligent myself in terms of my exposure and encourage my clients to do the same. I’ve answered some of the most frequently asked questions regarding SPF Use below.
What does SPF even mean, and why is it important?
SPF (Sun Protection Factor) as a rating indicates the level of protection you have from Ultra-Violet Radiation (like the Sun’s rays). Sunscreens sold in Australia must be labelled with an SPF of at least 4 to the highest rating of 50+, with an SPF of 30 or higher being the most recommended. How to gauge your level or protection as a duration is as follows:
(Time it takes to go red in the sun) x (SPF Rating) = (how many minutes of exposure you will be protected for).
Example: Say it takes you 10 minutes of sun exposure for your skin to start turning red, and you have an SPF 30+ applied; this means you have up to 300 minutes of protection from the exposure with adequately applied SPF.
What is “Broad-Spectrum”, and why do I need it?
“Broad Spectrum” relates to what kind of ultra-violet radiation you’re protected from. Our Sun emits three kinds of radiation: 
When a sunscreen is designated as “Broad-Spectrum”, it implies protection against both UVA and UVB radiation.
How does this relate to me looking younger (and preventing melanoma)?
Remember those “Aging Rays” - this is where you’re going to decide SPF is your new BFF.
“UV exposure may account for up to 80% of visible signs of aging in the skin including dry appearance, scalping, wrinkling and impaired pigmentation, and photoaging correlates with cancer risk.” (Amaro-Ortiz et al.).
So, without you knowing, every single day, your skin is being damaged by UV. It causes damage to your cellular DNA, it demolishes your natural collagen and elastin in the skin and is produces free radicals, which then further the damage to your skin through oxidative stress. No matter how you look at it, it’s happening - so what can you do to protect yourself and look 80 times better than everyone else in your future Residential Aged Care Facility? 
That’s right; wear some sunscreen!
How much sunscreen do I ACTUALLY need to apply, and how often?
An average sized adult requires about 35mL or 7 teaspoons for a full-body application; one teaspoon for each limb, one for the front of the body, one for the back of the body, and one teaspoon for the head. 
Application on clean, dry skin should occur a minimum of 20 minutes prior to exposure, and reapplication should take place every two hours - especially when outdoors.
Do I HAVE to use it, because it feels icky?!
The short answer? YES!
If textural preference is a big consideration for you, please let us know - we have OODLES of different sunscreens for you to try - you’re bound to find your perfect match! 
Generally, texture comes down to whether or not you are using a Chemical SPF or a Physical SPF. My personal preference is for a Physical SPF on any area of your body that I am treating to minimise risk of overexposure, but if you absolutely HATE it, we will find you something safe and enjoyable to use - because when you LOVE IT, you WANT to put the product on!
Stay protected out there!
Katie J xx
References:
Welcome to 2025!
Tell me if this sounds like you: It’s a New Year and a New YOU… for about two weeks; then, when life gets in the way, those plans end up in the bin before the month is out. You feel demotivated and disappointed in yourself for not sticking to the plan. You might even give it another red hot crack for good measure, but can’t get that consistency that delivers the desired result.
I’m not judging – because I’m just as guilty! As I’ve grown older, my priorities and focus are different. Once upon a time, my New Year’s Resolutions read a lot like the beginning of Bridget Jones’ Diary:
https://youtu.be/yYJorpPIfHc?si=BQsysQ9uLiUsT5Kk
Now, my focus is about making sure I’m nourished, healthy and well - inside and out. My recent gastric sleeve surgery has been a fantastic learning curve as far as nutritional support goes. Most of my diet is now in liquid form, so I needed to find ways to add in additional protein and nutrients to help fuel me. As the weight has come off, I’ve been struggling with things like self-love and unconditional acceptance of my body when I look in the mirror.
That’s why this month, I’m choosing to focus on Bestow Beauty and Mesoestetic BodyShock. Bestow I credit with being so vital to me that it’s literally helping keep me alive. My daily smoothie is a nutrient bomb and helps me get through the day easier. BodyShock is a treatment that I didn’t expect to love as much as I did. I recently had a treatment performed on me live on our TikTok, and I can tell you that afterwards, I had to booty confidence of JLo; stomping around, feeling like I’ve got the backside of a brontosaurus (in a positive way!). Already I’m seeing amazing results for my clients and I’m excited to see what it can do for me AND you! I’ll be deep diving into what makes these things work so effectively, so that you will understand why it’s for you if I’m recommending it to you.
Happy 2025 everyone - Let’s make it a good one!
Katie J xx