We’re incredibly proud of NAA members and the unique ways that they apply Nutritional Aesthetics® in their personal and professional lives. It’s our goal to support them and share their wisdom by highlighting their stories with you in a periodic ‘Member on a Mission’ feature. Our latest featured member, Ashley Terry, is a licensed esthetician, eyelash technician, and makeup artist. She resides in Washington, where her business Ashley Lee Beauty offers a spectrum of services including facials that incorporate techniques like gua sha and lymph drainage.

Ashley says, “I always knew I wanted to have a career helping people. In 2014 I found my path to esthetics, immediately falling in love with my new career choice. I started my business in 2015 with the mission to help my clients feel more confident and beautiful on the inside and out. Around the same time I was struggling with acne which led to the start of my health journey. As I paid attention to how my body reacted to what I put in and on it, I realized that adapting a more organic, plant based lifestyle not only helped my skin but my whole being. With this knowledge and a new found passion for nutrition I began to incorporate a holistic approach to Ashley Lee Beauty. I absolutely love that I get to provide a space for clients to take a break from their daily lives, listen to their bodies, and just relax. Everyday, I am blown away by the fact that I am living my dream job and I am so very excited for where my path will lead.”

We spoke to Ashley about the role that Nutritional Aesthetics® plays in her business and her approach to skin health:

NAA:

What excites you the most about the Nutritional Aesthetics® Alliance?

Ashley Terry:

When I found the NAA I was so excited to find a community with a similar mindset. I love that this is a community of professionals who focus on health and wellness to achieve great skin and beauty, willing to share knowledge so we can all learn and grow together.

NAA:

How do you apply Nutritional Aesthetics® principles to your work?

Ashley Terry:

I only use vibrant, organic or biodynamic, whole plant products during my skin care treatments. Plants are so powerful and full of life! During client intake I ask about their diet, exercise habits, stress level, water intake, sleep, and more. I use the information they share to shed light on underlying issues that could be affecting their skin. I continually check in at each new appointment to track how their skin and overall health is improving. I love to help my clients create new habits that help them feel healthier.

NAA:

Please complete this sentence, and elaborate as much as you wish: “For optimal skin health, I wish people would do more of ___________________, and less of ___________________.”

Ashley Terry:

For optimal skin health, I wish people would incorporate more self-care time into their schedules and do less negative self-talk.

As a wife, stepmom, and business owner I know how easy it is to do everything for everyone else, forget to set time aside for myself and then go over the day in my head thinking about everything I didn’t do and everything I could’ve done better. Self-care is so incredibly important for maintaining and enhancing our health and total well being. We can eat the right food, drink all the lemon water, race to the gym, wash our face with the right products, but if we don’t slow down and put our hearts into those things they will only feel like tasks we need to check off our list. We live in a world that is constant go-go-go, and I have found that by taking 10-15 minutes to slowly wash my face, rinsing the day away, and massaging at every step I feel more centered at the end of the night. Self-care comes in many forms, we each need to find what works best for us. Taking time for ourselves allows us to be in a more positive state of mind. In this state we don’t get down on ourselves because we didn’t get to every single thing on our list, we find ways to reschedule our days to allow us to get things done and feel less stressed. When we are less stressed there is less stress on our entire body meaning our skin has the potential to be radiant and healthy.