Get To Know SKIN MPLS: Meet Cassie!
One by one, you’ve been meeting all the staff that makes Skin MPLS truly unique and the best at craft skincare. They all have one thing in common, and that is they were chosen by Skin MPLS owner, and skincare extraordinaire, Cassie. A few months ago, Cassie celebrated 7 years owning her own business! It's no surprise since she was the president of The Entrepreneurship Club at her alma mater, Luther College. What started as a desire to best help her clients reach their skin goals, and be able to reach her when they needed to, couldn’t help but grow into a full skin studio changing the way people look at skincare.
While business might be her strong suit, Cassie is truly fueled by the desire to help more people clear acne, and feel confident with their skin and brows. Cassie won’t settle for society’s standards, and the reason she’s created such an impactful studio is her relentlessness to innovate the skincare industry and treat skin in the ways she believes in. (Which happens to also be a way that works very well, we think!)
Come into the studio and you’ll notice a sterile but welcoming environment. It’s minimalistic, but full of personality. Of course, you’ll see Cassie around Skin MPLS, because she works alongside her staff with a never-ending passion and loyalty to them and her clients (who are very lucky because she’s not able to take on many new clients at this time). She has a way of making you feel completely comfortable, while being honest about what your skin needs. The positive changes she has made in people’s skin are evident, with plenty of Skin MPLS business today being referrals of her original clients. We asked her to pass along some wisdom, so all of us can aspire to better know, and love, our skin.
What is the most common mistake people make when treating their skin?
I always say that it’s hardest to solve your own problems, and this rings true in skincare as well. I always see people misjudging their skin type and skin conditions and that means they’re using products that aren’t aligned to what their skin actually needs.
What skin trend drives you the craziest?
MLMs! (AKA Multi-Level Marketing companies and Pyramid Schemes) This is always a tricky situation when a friend or relative is recommending and selling you skincare. But the reality is that friend/relative knows NOTHING about skin or skincare products. And also, if that product was so great, I assure you that a skincare clinic would already be carrying it! So stick with professionals and professional skincare lines for results and real skin changes.
How important is diet when it comes to acne?
For some people, diet is so important when it comes to their acne. The main food items that can flare acne are dairy (if you can’t avoid dairy though, it’s best to go organic and full-fat when possible), soy, sugar (this includes white breads, pastas and rice), gluten, seaweed and peanuts. However, there are plenty of people that are acne-prone that diet doesn’t seem to play a role in their breakouts – so diet isn’t everything!
What are your thoughts on genetics vs lifestyle for anti-aging?
For those lucky few who have good skin genes, genetics can really set you up well – but don’t rely on genetics being everything because it probably only makes up 20-30% of anti-aging while lifestyle constitutes the remaining 70-80% of anti-aging. Even if you’re handed poor genetics, you have the chance to make up for it by following a healthy lifestyle and dedicated skincare routine.
Do you believe in using all one line or mixing and matching?
The skincare companies want you to believe that you should stick with just one line “for optimal results”! But with the right know-how and the help of a professional, you can really piece together a monster of a skincare routine by mixing and matching. In my opinion, one company can’t be masters at everything – formulating an SPF is entirely different than formulating a serum. I believe that each company does some things really well – so I try to capitalize on those things and then get other parts of my skincare routine from other lines that specialize in those areas.
What skin advice would you give to a 21 year old you?
Luckily for me, skincare was important to me back at age 21. I should have known I was destined to be an aesthetician. I’ve always taken care of my skin (since I was a fifth grader!) and slept on my back to avoid sleep wrinkles! But, and you can probably guess what my answer is, I wish I never would have entered a tanning bed or laid out tanning on spring break. Fortunately, I didn’t tan that regularly, but being fair skinned, I’ve always been susceptible to sunburns and even got sunburn blisters regularly as a kid. SO MANY REGRETS! Now I actually have sun anxiety a bit and actually love my face complexion the way it is. When I get a spray tan at The Glow Lounge, I don’t have my face sprayed because I don’t like the way my face looks with a tan. However, my arms and legs NEED that bronze!
Have you found the perfect eye cream?
Why yes I have! Funny that you’re asking me this, because since I was in high school my biggest complaint about my skin was my under eyes. I’ve been treating them (and searching for the best eye product on the market) since then! Here’s what I’ve been doing for the past few years and am so happy with the results – In the mornings I apply Le Mieux’s Eye & Lip Cream, this is a totally different product than most under eye products. It’s thick, gooey and tacky. You really want to warm it up between your fingers before applying it and then press and roll in gently into the under eye area. Then In the evening’s I use my NuFACE Trinity Pro with ELE attachement under and above my eye and then end with Vivant’s Wink Eye Rejuvenating Cream. My philosophy is to work on chipping away at crow’s feet overnight while working to fill and nourish the skin during the daytime. If you’re above age 27, you’ll love this combo.