“Nature gives you the face you have at twenty; it is up to you to merit the face you have at fifty.” Wise words from none other than Coco Chanel. The French fashion designer knew decades ago what we are still just learning now—that skin care is more than genes and luck. Growing old gracefully, doesn’t mean accepting every sunspot and deep wrinkle. It means taking responsibility for how we want to feel and look not only today, but in the years to come.
Enter Erika Schmidt, Medical Aesthetician and her colleagues at Crafted Aesthetics, newly located downtown. Crafted offers a wide range of products and services designed to promote healthy skin and address specific concerns. Not surprisingly, Erika claims dryness is the most common winter concern among Montana women. This is not only due to our obvious climate but also factors such as indoor heating, more frequent hand washing, winter hobbies that put us in the cold and wind, and longer hotter showers.
“Your skin wants to have a 50/50 balance of oil and water and it’s our job to help it get there,” said Erika.
For starters, she recommends coming in for a Hydrafacial which hydrates, exfoliates, and infuses antioxidants, peptides, and hyaluronic acid into the skin. Winter months (when we are spending less time in direct sun) are also a great time for peels such as Crafted’s Perfect Peel which corrects sun damage, scarring, congestion, fine lines, and wrinkles. Erika also suggests their new Bioidentical Hormone Replacement Therapy by BioTE Medical.
“That lab work gives us insight to certain deficiencies you may have with hormones or vitamins,” said Erika. “It’s important to balance necessary nutrients and hormones in order to help with Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD) or winter blahs.” Crafted also offers Vitamin B12 injections which are known to increase energy levels, boost the immune system, and promote better sleep.
Crafted Aesthetics carries premier skincare for home, including more natural lines such as One Love Organics and vegan Herbivore Botanicals, which Erika includes in most of her facials. Her favorite three products are ZO Skin Health Exfoliating Polish, Skinbetter Science InterFuse Eye Treatment Cream, and Epionce Medical Barrier Cream.
“Consider your at-home skincare regimen as an insurance policy to your Crafted treatments,” said Erika. “Compare it to going to the gym once or going to the gym consistently for six months. Which one will give you the best result?”
Furthermore, Erika advocates washing your sheets regularly, sleeping on silk pillowcases, showering in warm water (not hot), and washing your hands before touching your face.
In these times of COVID, Erika and her team have already been one step ahead by offering online virtual skin consultations. It’s as simple as scheduling a time for a video chat. If a product is recommended, rather than a treatment, the medical spa can ship directly to you, saving you a trip to their physical location.
At the end of the day, Crafted Aesthetics lives up to its name.
“We carefully craft our treatments to our clients’ concerns. Whether someone comes in for a luxurious facial after a hard week or a clinical treatment after years of not wearing sunscreen, our clients confidently know Crafted is a comfortable environment with their best interest at heart,” said Erika.
And if we end up with the face we deserve, as Coco said, then don’t we deserve the best?
Crafted Aesthetics
132 North Higgins Avenue
406.312.1098
