Ask the Expert: The Energetic Facialist, Alex Sands

Radiant Skin from Within: The Transformative Effects of Energy Work on Skincare

As the stresses of life, the world, and being an entrepreneur weigh heavily at times, I've become really interested in the way that energy and trapped energy can affect the body, mind, and essential needs of the healing process. This is how I discovered Alex at SKIN/CRAFT, who piqued my interest in how energetic work can affect not just emotional wellbeing and healing, but also the outer effects of attention to energy on skin health. Alex is an industry expert, licensed master esthetician, and founder of SKIN/CRAFT — a bespoke facial studio with a loyal client base (@the_energeticfacialist).

With certifications in Emotion Code™, Body Code™, and Reiki, Alex has built a foundation for applying her own fusion of crystal, quantum, and sound therapy healing modalities to support each client's unique energy needs — and the results are fascinating.

 

Stephanie: What piqued your interest in energy work?

Alex: There's a lot that goes into answering this question, but if I had to simplify it down to one instance that truly shifted everything for me — literally my entire life — it was receiving my first Reiki treatment after a friend referred me to a local practitioner she worked with at a spa. I vividly remember leaving the appointment and sitting in my car thinking, "my life will never be the same after today." And it wasn't.

Stephanie: I've heard a lot lately about trapped energy. Can you share what that means and why its release matters?

Alex: My favorite phrase to use with new energy clients to explain this exact phenomenon is "we are a society of suppressors." From a very young age, we're taught to stop crying, to not feel pain when we get hurt — reassured with "you're okay" — and to keep moving along as if nothing happened, because being strong is how you survive.

And while that all sounds beneficial in the moment, you'll usually realize once you approach adulthood that you've developed subconscious programs and limiting beliefs from not processing your emotions or traumas — which can create a false reality that affects your lifestyle and relationships.

Releasing trapped energy supports you in getting back to the core essence of who you are, and how you'd most benefit from showing up, before the world molded you. I like to tell clients an energy session is like using window cleaner on a dirty piece of glass — it simply removes the muck so you can see everything more clearly.

Stephanie: I love that you infuse energy work into your esthetics treatment rooms. Can you share your philosophy on why? Will one see better results with this unique approach?

Alex: I truly believe we are all energetic beings living in a human body. I also believe the root of all dis-ease starts in some energetic form — whether emotional or otherwise — and further manifests physically if left unresolved.

Adding energy work to my clients' rituals allows me to get to the root cause of an imbalance and support it energetically. This is usually done by releasing the trapped energy, bringing awareness to the client, and activating supportive energy. From this access point, we can reinstate the flow of healing on all levels — physical and energetic.

For example, a client of mine came to me because of chronic cystic acne she couldn't get rid of no matter what she tried. Once I was able to make her comfortable with allowing me to support her skin healing through energy work (some clients do opt out of this feature), I was able to uncover that her acne started around the time of multiple traumatic family events she hadn't fully processed, and the energy became trapped. Once she was made aware of this correlation, her body and energy were able to process the events and support the healing process — and her skin finally cleared up within weeks.

Stephanie: I wish you lived nearby — I'd be there monthly! Can you share what makes a SKIN/CRAFT energetic facial so unique, transformative, and results-driven for your clients?

Alex: That is so kind, and I wish so too! What makes SKIN/CRAFT so unique is my well-rounded, integrative approach to skin and wellness. I'm an eternal student with a lot of tools in my belt that I intuitively pull from for each individual client, making it truly customized on every level. I also have an affinity for decadence, so I've woven the "woo" with luxury, layered in my integrative approach for drool-worthy results, and topped it all off with holistic green beauty — so my clients feel good about their ritual.

Stephanie: I'm fascinated by your curated, certified offerings in Emotion Code™ and Body Code™. Can you explain more about each, and the types of results one can expect?

Alex: Trapped energy is something more people are becoming aware of, and Emotion Code and Body Code support that in a very practical way. A session works through the client's subconscious mind — your inner record keeper — and once that connection is established, we use its wisdom to guide the session and tell us what we need to know to support the client's goals.

I break all this down in the energy client consult, which is required for all new energy clients, so they can feel comfortable with the process.

As far as the difference between the two: Emotion Code is a tool to explore any trapped emotions a client may have — spoiler, we all have them! We can determine the emotion and additional information about it, like how old you were when you trapped it, and then release it. I like to tell new clients, "it's like talk therapy, but less invasive."

Body Code looks at six main categories that branch into many subcategories to get to the root cause of suffering in the mind, body, and spirit, and then restore balance and wholeness. Don't let the name fool you — it's not only for bodily issues. I tell clients to keep an open mind and bring any topic to the table for exploration.

Post-session, everyone receives energy differently depending on the area of exploration. Most clients feel lighter, happier, and gain a sense of clarity once the session is complete — and great sleep that night is a small bonus!

More in-depth info can be found on my website.

Stephanie: I'm personally very interested in Emotion Code™ work right now as part of the next step in my own healing journey. If I can't get to you in Arkansas, how can I find someone to guide me on this journey?

Alex: I actually switched all of my energy rituals to virtual once I relocated to Rogers, Arkansas — but if you're like a lot of my clients and prefer meeting in person, you can visit discoverhealing.com and use their provider finder to see if there's anyone near you.

Stephanie: What types of results can you expect from an energetic facial?

Alex: A deeply-lit-from-within glow that radiates for days, and that "facial drunk" feeling.

Stephanie: I deal with frequent autoimmune/Lyme flare-ups that affect my entire body, but most visibly in my cheeks. Stress is one reason — I know I'm not alone in this skin-related manifestation — so do you have any recommendations to help calm redness from inflammation, rosacea, and stress?

Alex: I'm not a "pro" when it comes to the ins and outs of autoimmune disease, but intuitively I feel like exploring some at-home enema recipes — chamomile is my personal favorite — to help open up your lymph passageways would be a great asset in physically supporting the body from the inside out, and putting it in a rest-and-digest state to help reduce stress and inflammation.

I also love using Medical Medium recipes and protocols to support the body's natural healing abilities from an integrative approach.

And lastly, I'd say it's time to book an energy session with me so we can look at the root cause and get you some clarity and tools for support!

Stephanie: For those of us who don't live in your neck of the woods, do you offer virtual consultations? Also, do you have three simple tips or modalities you'd recommend trying at home?

Alex: At the moment, my only virtual offerings are for energy rituals. But if you've made it this far in the interview, I hope you've come to understand how connected your skin issues are to your body, and how connected your body is to your energy — which basically means I can support your skin without ever touching it or selling you a product.

Since we live in a hustle-and-bustle world, my favorite tools — outside of an energy session — for supporting my overall wellbeing are:

• Happy Bum Co. at-home enema kit — I'd suggest looking up some recipes and starting with a much smaller dose of coffee, 1–2 tsp per enema. I'll be sharing a lot about this in the future, but it's completely changed my mental health, gut health, skin, and energy levels. Use code SKINCRAFT for a discount, or shop here.
• Mikaela Maclean's Energy Cleanse / Energetic Beauty Sleep — I play this yoga nidra every night as I drift to sleep to effortlessly support my energetic needs. It's relaxing, easy, and makes me feel supported after a long day. Grab yours here.
• Omnilux LED mask or Lyma Laser — one is more budget-friendly than the other, but I can't live without either for supporting my skin between treatments and healthy aging. Both are available at SKIN/CRAFT, and I often recommend them to clients and friends who want to take their results further at home.

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Expert Fast Facts

Favorite Wellness Practice or Beauty Ritual: EFT tapping, Yoga Nidras by Mikaela Maclean, and a crystal-infused bath.

One Thing You Can't Live Without: I'm a Gemini and Manifesting Generator, so I can never pick just one thing! The two things I can't live without are fresh watermelon juice and my lavender-lemon-patchouli Zum mist by Zum.

Favorite Place You've Been: I haven't had the luxury of traveling much, but I thoroughly enjoyed my trip to Colorado a handful of years back.

Favorite Restaurant/Café/Coffee Shop:

• Restaurant: The Pedlars Pub (great pizza) and Bentonville Taco & Tamale Co.
• Coffee/Café: Onyx Coffee Lab and Hail Fellow Well Met

Current Desert Island Skincare Products — Top 5:

• Dermal Serum by Proteger
• Green Melon Hydrosol by LILFOX
• Cupu-Cool by LILFOX
• Flower Goo by LILFOX
• Fortune Teller or Guardian Angel by Solara

Favorite Solara Product: It's a tie between Fortune Teller and Guardian Angel! I like to have both on hand to support my skin in all its phases — I love the glow I get from Fortune Teller and the plumpness I get from Guardian Angel.