Jessica L. Boaman, L.E. 

 My interest in skin and body care started as a young girl. I was a worry wart, and I internalized my feelings a lot of the time. I started developing ulcers on my skin. As a preteen, I experienced skin rashes and broke out in welts and hives… and then came acne. For my 14th Birthday, my mother gave me a book called "Worry-Free Living." Bless her heart; she was on to something, though. Through the course of seeking treatment for my acne, I learned that I was susceptible to many of the synthetic as well as natural ingredients in the products I was using.

Over the years, I became a walking chemistry "experiment." To clear and calm my skin, I used products directly containing ingredients harmful to my already sensitive skin. This routine created a vicious cycle of inflammation and injury. If only I could find that miracle product, I knew it was somewhere. It made sense because my father had worked as a chemist for thirty-five years. In our home, we believed in the motto “better living through chemistry.”

At the age of sixteen, while visiting my chiropractor, I was having a terrible reaction on my face and hands. I will never forget the look on his face when he walked into the room. “Oh my goodness…what happened to you? Have you been burned?” he asked me as he sat down. Little did he know of the shame and embarrassment I felt because of the way I looked. He was a very compassionate man and a great doctor who recognized the importance of a holistic approach to healing my body, mind, and spirit. After spending a lot of time with me, he referred me to his colleague, a local dermatologist/allergist, and I began testing and treatment.

We began with skin patch testing. 110 substances-- natural and synthetic were topically applied to my back. I was bandaged for 72 hours and not allowed to shower. The results were helpful…I learned that I was allergic to over 30 substances with varying degrees of severity. Many allergens were synthetic chemical preservatives, most notably the Paraben compounds. I became an ingredient detective, I noticed that Parabens were used as preservatives in foods, pharmaceuticals and cosmetics. They were very hard to escape. This was in the 1970’s.

Fast forward to the present day. Parabens allow your skincare products to survive in your medicine cabinet for months and even years. They also enter your body when you use those products. Once in the body, Parabens mimic the body’s natural hormones. They interfere and disrupt the function of the endocrine system, adversely affecting the body’s optimal function and homeostasis. Parabens have been attributed to the development of breast cancer, the onset of early puberty in girls as young as eight years old, and decreased sperm production and concentration in men and boys. Parabens can remain in the body’s fat cells and tissues for years, like the food, pharmaceuticals, and cosmetics they are found in. The good news is this… we are waking up to these statistics globally, and there are many healthy offerings in skin, hair, and body care today.

The following skin health milestones appeared in my teens. In addition to the acne I was fighting, I developed a skin condition called dyshidrosis, which, in conjunction with severe eczema, adversely affected my hands and feet. It was excruciating, itchy, unsightly, and difficult to treat. My hands and feet would blister, crack, and split, and my wounds would bleed and weep. Treatment over the years ranged from topical ointments, lotions, and creams to cortisone injections, oral medications, and intense UV therapy. The symptoms of severe eczema lasted through out my teens, twenties and thirties, they began to lessen as I entered my fortieth decade.

My fortieth decade brought me to the most significant health and wellness milestone to date. In 2002, a few months before my 41st birthday, I was diagnosed with malignant melanoma—the deadliest form of skin cancer.

I am convinced that my cancer developed over ten years of indoor tanning, which had become a year-round activity for me. I loved how I looked and felt after I emerged from the tanning booth. I used the most advanced array of indoor tanning products designed to enhance and maintain my tan and care for my skin…or so I thought. I was a licensed esthetician and routinely scanned my body for changes to my moles and the birthmark on my leg. I didn’t notice any visual changes on the surface of my skin when I exposed it to regular UVA and UVB light. Little did I know that change had already taken place inside my body-- in my abdominal cavity. Thankfully, the cancer would come through my umbilical tissue and would soon appear inside my navel, where I eventually detected it. I had a biopsy on a Thursday afternoon, and I received a call Monday morning to schedule my surgery. I am delighted to share that my surgery was a success, and there was no need for chemotherapy or radiation. I have been cancer-free since 2003.

Our skin is the body's largest organ; it is our body’s first line of defense. One of the most essential functions of the skin is protection. We must protect our bodies from harmful organisms, bacteria, and infectious viruses that carry pathogens that cause disease. We must nourish our bodies with clean water and whole, nutritious food. Now more than ever, our skin needs help protecting our bodies from solar radiation and ground-level pollutants. We must also educate ourselves on what we put in and on our bodies. Holistic skin and body care has many therapeutic benefits and is integral to optimal whole-body health and wellness.

I look forward to providing educational, therapeutic skin care services using products that are always paraben-free, cruelty-free, naturally plant-based, environmentally friendly, and suitable for all skin types. I specialize in teaching you how to care for your skin in ways that create a sense of well-being while you practice the art of self-care in your daily life. I look forward to working with you to optimize your health and wellness.