Founder of The Still Room Dermal Apothecary and The Holistic Skin Detective
It’s not all about skin
Hi, I’m Krystina, a Holistic Skin Health Practitioner with more than 20 years and over 35,000 clinic hours of experience working hands-on with skin and the people living inside it.
If those years have taught me one thing, it’s that skin goes much deeper than the surface. It’s part of a web of connected systems, both within us and around us, that can either survive or thrive. Over the last two decades, I’ve slowly watched many people’s vitality struggle under what we now term as modern day pressures. My passion now is focusing on what it takes for us to start thriving again.
I believe our skin is a barometer, showing where each of us is on our own journey through this busy life. This is why I feel generic information is not helpful and why people are becoming more and more confused after what they read online.
How my path unfolded
What began as a business development project has now grown into something much bigger. I owned and worked in my own natural skin and spa clinic, specialising in sensitive and reactive skin imbalances. There I developed professional skincare formulations and treatment programmes using the therapeutic properties of essential oils and herbal preparations.
My work has always been about the whole person, not only the skin. Alongside physical skin and body therapies, I’ve worked from an energetic perspective through Reiki and mind-body coaching.
Over time, I became curious about why some complex skin conditions responded beautifully to topical treatment while others didn’t. That curiosity took me beyond the treatment room, beyond what science had not yet been able to determine and into a different world of teachers around the world who understood the older languages of nature and live plants as medicine. In addition to a previous corporate career, my training includes:
- advanced dermal therapy and corneotherapy
- natural cosmetic chemistry
- skin and spa therapies
- aroma-science and the clinical use of essential oils
- traditional herbal medicine and flower essence creation
- Ayurvedic nutrition and culinary wellbeing
- certified mind-body and life coaching
- sustainable home & garden design
Learning about gut bacteria drew me to the soil: how healthy land grows healthy food, and how that food supports healthy bodies. I’m now studying Health Science at university, majoring in nutrition, to bring it all together through scientific research and learning about food sovereignty in communities.
Where my work lives now
My work is shared through two projects:
- The Holistic Skin Detective, where I publish scientific skin health research, connecting a holistic perspective with current science.
- The Still Room, where I teach a food-first approach to wellbeing. This includes regenerating soil, growing herbs and nutrient-dense food, living and eating through personal + plant energetics, and returning to traditional ways of growing, preparing and cooking food.
You can gain access to my work through each respective Substack link located on the home page or in my social media bio.
For me, these aren’t separate interests. They’re part of understanding many of the modern imbalances I see reflected in the skin.
My philosophy
My work has always sat somewhere between a (highly) pragmatic perspective of traditional and the scientific. I learned I have a gift in the art of observing a person in front of me, listening carefully and recognising patterns that don’t appear on a prescription list. And there’s the science of skin, body mechanics, formulation, plant chemistry and nutrition.
I believe the body has an extraordinary intelligence of its own. Quite often, we humans have a habit of getting in its way.
Online skin consultations
While I continue my studies, I offer holistic skin health consultations online. Each consultation includes a topical skin analysis and skincare advice. I also specialise in helping you understand why your skin may be breaking out through understanding the connection between your skin and your body, because your skin is often a reflection of your inner world.
Many non medical skin imbalances are easily resolved once we understand where your body is asking for your attention through your skin.
Together, we look at skincare alongside a food-first approach to bringing your body back into balance.
If you’d like guidance on the right skincare for you, or you have a persistent or complex acne condition that’s been hard to understand, you’re welcome to book a consultation using the link below.
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