Achieving healthy, glowing skin requires more than just the products you put on your face. Your skin reflects your lifestyle, stress levels, nervous system, environment, and the way you care for yourself day to day. While the beauty industry wouldn’t be called ‘a grounded space’ there are professionals in the industry who take a holistic approach to beauty and skincare. One of these is holistic skincare therapist Gretchen Oppenheim, who we sat down with to – to ask her about the trends we’ve been seeing in the skincare industry. Which serums and sunscreens to use, do peptides work, what is regenerative skincare? After this article on non-botox facials that actually work, we wanted Gretchen’s advice! (Note: If you’re in the Vancouver area, Gretchen’s holistic facials are the best we’ve ever tried – for pampering, intuitive guidance, a noticeable glow up.) Enjoy this Q&A:
Q: What is the biggest mistake people make when caring for their skin during the summer months?
A: Using skincare from another season.
Just as a garden has different needs throughout the year, our skin requires different care as the seasons change. Summer is not the time for aggressive treatments or over-exfoliation. It’s the season of protection, hydration, and nourishment.
I recommend focusing on mineral SPF for protection, antioxidant-rich serums to support the skin against environmental stressors, and barrier-restoring moisturizers to maintain hydration. I often compare serums to fertilizer for the soil—they deliver concentrated nutrients that help the skin thrive. Moisturizers, meanwhile, are like watering a garden, keeping everything fresh, resilient, and healthy.
Working with a season is the key to true vitality and glowing skin all year round. Sunscreens I personally love are from ColorScience. This Sunforgettable SPF 50 which has colour, and this completely sheer sunscreen
Q: How does chronic stress show up in the skin?
A: The skin is often one of the first places chronic stress reveals itself. It can show up as
Dehydration, redness, rosacea, sensitivity, dullness, and the deepening of fine lines and wrinkles. These are signs that the body and nervous system are under strain. When we’re constantly pushing, overdoing, and living in a perpetual state of “go, go, go,” our skin reflects that imbalance.
These changes are messages from the body. They reflect how we’re digesting life emotionally, mentally, and physically. The skin is not separate from our inner experience or how we’re digesting life. Skin often tells the story of what is happening beneath the surface long before we consciously acknowledge it.
Q: Explain the energetics of skincare and some simple ways to protect the skin during busy or overwhelming times?
A: One of my favourite pieces of advice is to intentionally enjoy the sweetness of life—in small, nourishing moments.
Treating yourself to a soothing facial mask while practicing slow belly breathing is an example of homecare I often share with clients during their facials. Simple, attainable “treats” like this help us ground, reconnect to joy, peace and calm the nervous system while supporting the skin.
Qi Gong based breathing exercises and self-care practices help create balance between the demands of everyday life and the body’s need for restoration alongside skin care products.
I often suggest our Tropical Mango Mask with deep belly breathing. The mask hydrates the skin and has a soothing, uplifting energy that can help nourish the spirit while delivering a gentle antioxidant dose of Vitamin C to the skin for brightness and resilience.
Every product has both a physical function and an energetic expression. When we thoughtfully match both the skin’s physical needs and its energetic needs transformation can happen with greater ease. This energetic aspect of skincare is rarely discussed, yet it is one of the most important considerations because the skin and our emotional well-being are deeply interconnected.
Q: Why do some people struggle to achieve glowing skin despite using all the “right” products?
A: Sometimes the “right” products aren’t actually right for the season or a particular individual.
For example, many people continue using highly active products or practice frequent exfoliation during the summer and winter when the skin is usually asking for something gentler, more protective, and more restorative in those aggressive seasons.
Other times, a product may be perfect for a friend or neighbour but completely unsuitable for your unique skin. There is no universal skincare routine because no two people are the same.
Certain actives are also better suited to specific seasons based on how they support the skin. Remember, the skin is a garden so you want to be using the most appropriate products for the season you’re in. For example I often turn to Vitamin A’s in the Fall for cell turnover and Vitamin C in the Summer for antioxidant protection.
Healthy, radiant skin is influenced by far more than products alone. Lifestyle, stress levels, energetic constitution, age, environment and personal preferences all play a role so that’s where my skin consultations play an important role in deciphering what products and intentional self-care you can practice at home to truly support your skin.
True skincare is individualized. When we stop chasing trends and begin listening to what our own skin is asking for, that’s often when the glow returns.
Q: What are some of the skincare trends that actually transform the skin?
A: Skincare is dynamic and ever evolving so there’s “new” news all the time. The things I’ve seen recently trending that I personally love are:
LED light therapy masks. These have been around for quite some time and in recent years have become increasingly popular for good reason. They’re easy to use and give results. I use the Celluma panel in spa and I LOVE the instant plumping and long term skin smoothing it provides. That particular device has both red, blue and green light so I think of it as a “holistic” LED light option. Each colour tends to a different aspect of skin care. The Celluma Pro is the gold standard, but there are lots of other options from Celluma that I’ve heard good things about.
Facial massage, facial sculpting and Facial Gua Sha. Tried, tested, TRUE. These are extremely simple methods to incorporate into your routine and they work! Facial massage has been part of facials and facial care since day 1 and facial gua sha is rooted in 5000 year old chinese medicine, It has stood the test of time and it works every single time.
Peptides in skincare. Although not new to the skincare world, topical peptides have been getting a lot of attention lately, and for good reason. (It’s important to note these are different from injectable peptide therapies.) In skincare, peptides are short chains of amino acids that serve as the building blocks of proteins such as collagen, elastin, and keratin. They’re commonly included in well-formulated skincare products to help support the skin barrier, improve hydration, reduce the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles, and promote firmer, more resilient-looking skin. I absolutely love this peptide serum from Osmosis.
Another trend I’m seeing – and especially excited about – is regenerative skincare. Regenerative products are designed to support the skin’s innate ability to repair and regenerate itself, working with the body to heal intrinsically. Regenerative skincare targets the skin’s natural repair pathways to help protect against everyday stressors while supporting long-term skin health and vitality. Formulations often include ingredients such as DNA repair enzymes, antioxidants, and peptides that encourage the skin’s natural healing and renewal processes. While the science behind regenerative skincare isn’t new, the conversation around it is growing. There is increasing awareness that our skin has an incredible capacity to repair itself when given the right support and nourishment. Rather than relying on excessive intervention, this approach focuses on creating the optimal conditions for the skin to function at its best – promoting healthier, stronger, and more resilient skin over time. All of the skincare brands I work with at Wildflower are regenerative focused brands: Bioogique Recherche,, Osmosis Beauty and Laurel Skin all formulate to support skin’s natural regenerative processes.
Q: Top three serums you love and why?
A: It’s hard for me to pick just three! There are so many great ones I carry in the spa. When choosing a serum, they key is to match the serum to the needs of your own skin. For a general overview, I’ll share the following because they’re appropriate to the energy of the Summer season:
- Osmosis Beauty Replenish Serum a favourite for keeping skin deeply hydrated in summer months and formulated with collagen supportive peptides to keep skin strong and plump
- Biologique Recherche Collagen Original Serum, a plumping anti-wrinkle serum that helps support the skin’s structure, improving smoother, firmer skin
- Osmosis Beauty Catalyst AC-11 is hands down the best Vitamin C serum out there. A blend of Vitamin C, Amino acids, Zinc, Copper and AC-11 – an extract from Uncaria tomentosa, ( cat’s claw.) These ingredients support collagen synthesis, antioxidant defense, and skin repair simultaneously.
And a fourth product I need to mention is Laurel Skin Hydrating Elixir 2: A soothing serum-mist hybrid that is sprayed directly onto cleansed skin, this blend of 25 medicinal plants treats imbalanced and inflamed skin in need of both hydration and relief. This is perfect for oily or breakout prone skin all year round but great for everyone in the summer months to calm and cool sun drenched skin. Almost every facial I offer at Wildflower includes the Laurel Elixir!
Q: Beyond skincare products, what is one beauty or wellness habit you swear by for glowing skin?
A: Rest! It’s a real beauty thing. If you’re not getting enough, it will catch up to your skin. So lay down, breathe deeply and do whatever meditation works for you. This can be as simple as focusing on your breath or taking a few minutes to day dream while you lay on your back and do nothing. If your mind or body feel busy, shake it off before you lay to rest. There’ s a Qi gong exercise I share with clients called Trembling Horse that’s great for moving excess energy out of the body. Visit me and I’ll share it with you!
About Gretchen Oppenheim
Gretchen Oppenheim is a Holistic Skincare Therapist and Intuitive Practitioner. After working for years in luxury spas, she witnessed first hand how the beauty industry is often more disempowering than it is empowering. Today, she offers a unique blend of Qi Gong + Energetic Chinese Medicine with skincare therapy, to support radiance on all levels. Book a holistic facial with Gretchen at Wildflower Beauty Bar, which includes a personalized skincare plan and intuitive facial reading.
