As estheticians, we know the struggle in finding a skincare brand that aligns with all of the holistic practices we believe in. After years of frustration with the results of her own services, our founder Justine developed a new way of treating her clients’ skin. Instead of using squeeze and apply formulas, she created Botnia’s professional line which includes 23 raw ingredients an esthetician can use on any skin type for any skin condition they may see inside the treatment room. From this foundation, Justine formulated our full retail line: gentler versions for home use of our professional back bar; we’ve seen amazing results with our formulations on real people and real skin.

Since then, we’ve grown and now partner with over 150 spas and holistic estheticians around the nation who believe in the same philosophy on skincare as we do. Learn why our Master Estheticians, Amanda of Coastal Glow Skincare, Sacramento, CA and Julianna of Blu Moon Beauty, Sausalito, CA chose Botnia Skincare for their treatment rooms!

What made Botnia stand out from other professional skincare lines?

“I love the ability to customize the treatment room masks based on where my client's skin is currently at. The skincare lines that I used before Botnia were rigid. I could only use certain masks for certain skin types, and they didn't always fit my client's skin. If a client was oily and dry, I could only treat one condition. Botnia Skincare is more creative and specific; it lets you dive deeper into your craft and have fun in the treatment room mixing for your findings and getting the results my clients were looking for.” –Amanda

With so many professional lines out there, it can be hard to choose who’ll sit on the shelves of your back bar. Our professional back bar contains 23 products (gel masks, powdered compounds, peels, boosters, hydrosols, oils, and more!) designed with the health of the skin, our body’s largest organ, in mind. Taking a gentle approach, we believe that skincare treatments should soothe, nourish, and heal the skin, never stripping it or treating it aggressively.

“I have noticed actual results in the treatment room after one service. My clients have noticed too! I see less inflammation and irritation after a facial, better product penetration and more hydrated skin. Being able to customize masks and treatment protocol has led me to better results, faster, while still being gentle with the skin. I found a lot of clients wanting an alternative method to treating their skin, they want to avoid extreme treatments like a peel or going on medication. People are into slow beauty!” –Amanda

“Something I see time and time again is that when a guest switches their home care to Botnia, the simplicity and effectiveness of the formulations truly aids in their overall skin health (balanced barriers, less inflammation, better hydration levels). For my guests, it creates a sense of ease and excitement when they have skincare that they know works for their unique skin and they enjoy using it. They have just as much fun using Botnia as I do. I joke with them that once you use Botnia, you won’t go back - because it’s true!” –Julianna

We’ve found that working with skincare in this way is like working in a kitchen or being a painter: having complete freedom to customize exactly for your client’s skin. Making each facial an artistic approach to practice and an exhilarating creative moment, because every single client has different needs. No two facials are alike, even if a client sees their esthetician regularly. 

“Something that was extremely important to me was having simple, effective whole plant ‘tools’ that would be able to treat anyone who walked through my door, ‘skincare for all skin, no one-size fits all.’” “I love going into each treatment not knowing exactly what I’ll be mixing but knowing I have everything I need to build out a protocol and home care plan that works for who I’m treating. I feel like a personal chef, creating custom recipes that are based on full spectrum, whole plant nutrition for the skin. It’s so rewarding to be able to stay curious and experiment while feeding my creative soul. Getting to ‘play’ with the back bar and have fun is something I never expected to be able to do.” –Julianna

We’re huge on education and continuing training after receiving an esthetics certification. Learning doesn’t stop once you graduate from school–especially with our culture’s growing interest in plant-based and science-based skincare. New research is constantly being tested and our view on natural skincare is constantly changing with the times.

If you follow our Unlearning Series on Instagram, you’ll find just a few practices our estheticians have had to unlearn from school. For example, Amanda unlearning that “everyone can benefit from a chemical peel, or a really strong AHA. I’ve learned that understanding our barrier function and how peels don’t erase the problem, they cause more problems! By damaging the skin, which then leads to inflammation, then breakouts. Botnia has taught me less is more. Sometimes the strongest product isn't going to give you the best results.”

Julianna unlearned that “exfoliation is the key to radiant skin. In school we’re taught to physically remove layers of dead skin cells or remove vellus hairs, which are actually aiding in protecting us. Though it’s a part of standard facial protocol in many schools, there may be times when exfoliation isn’t necessary in treatment or at home. When we look at our skin barrier more closely we can see how it’s the ultimate defense mechanism.” 

“Once I learned about the community driven aspect and the extended education offered even after the initial training, I knew Botnia was the one!” –Julianna 

(We couldn’t agree more, Julianna!) 

We feel so lucky to find like-minded healers in our industry who share the same beliefs that we do on healing skin holistically. It’s a huge reason why we’re so passionate about what we do. 

If you’re a holistic esthetician or esthetician in training who feels connected to our approach and interested in applying for a partnership or learning more, check out our wholesale registration here. 

Xo,
Botnia