Give a warm Cosmedix welcome to this week’s Aesthetician of the Week: Annika Marshall from Empower Aesthetics.
Empower Aesthetics was born out of Annika Marshall’s dream to create a spa that could help women feel comfortable, empowered, and like the best version of themselves. As a working mom and experienced aesthetician, Annika opened Empower Aesthetics with the core mission statement: Educate, Inspire, & Empower. Over the years, Annika has used her multiple certifications to bring this mission to life by treating clients to a welcoming spa environment and offering continuing education to service providers in her hometown of Spokane, Washington.
Education runs through Annika’s work for a practical reason. Clients should understand why a product has been recommended and what to watch for once they start using it. Skin may feel unsettled after an enthusiastic week of layering exfoliants. For example, even if each formula seemed suitable on its own, a licensed aesthetician can spot that sort of overlap and pare the routine back in time.
Perhaps the client travels frequently, works in an air-conditioned room, or dislikes the feel of a rich cream during the day. A skincare consultation pays attention to such details. The resulting professional skincare advice is then built around a real routine.
Annika’s list is a useful reminder that more bottles don't necessarily mean better skincare. The purpose of each step and how the skin responds to it are important aspects to pay attention to.
Why Annikah Loves It: “This mist feels like droplets of heaven! It keeps skin hydrated and refreshed without making your complexion look greasy.”
Why We Love It: With Witch Hazel and Aloe Vera, this on-the-go mist deeply nourishes and hydrates the complexion and helps protect skin from environmental stressors. Mystic can be used throughout the day as a refreshing pick-me-up, under makeup for a priming moisturiser, or as part of a post-peel treatment.
Mystic earns its place here because hydration does not always need to arrive in a heavy layer. For instance, someone who dislikes repeatedly applying cream may find a mist easier to work into the day. It can sit after cleansing in a simple routine or provide a quick refresh when indoor heating leaves the complexion feeling less comfortable.
If you're considering Mystic after a peel, the instructions from the treating skin professional take priority over an everyday routine. A licensed aesthetician can advise on timing based on the treatment performed and the skin's condition.
Why Annikah Loves It: “Literally my go-to cocktail for anti-ageing. With this combo, you can see the look of your skin change almost overnight. It makes the skin look plump and glowing—I can’t live without it!”
Why We Love It: This dynamic skincare duo helps address everything from fine lines to an imbalanced complexion. Packed with antioxidants, Radiance helps restore a healthy-looking glow to the skin while helping improve the look of wrinkles and an uneven texture. Add in a few sprinkles of the Vitamin B Boosting Powder for a balanced blend of clarifying ingredients that help skin appear softer and smoother.
Annika enjoys the formulas as a pair, but that does not make the same combination automatic for every routine. Mixing products adds another variable that could be detrimental to someone who already uses an exfoliant or retinol several nights a week.
A skincare consultation is a good place to settle the less glamorous questions:
How much to use?
Which evenings to use it?
What should not be layered alongside it?
Why Annikah Loves It: “This is my must-have moisturiser. I love that it absorbs into the skin quickly, plumps the complexion and actually RETAINS moisture throughout the day.”
Why We Love It: Humidify is a deep moisturising cream that helps restore vital hydration to the skin. Formulated with Shea Butter, Oatmeal, and Niacinamide, this firming hydrator is clinically proven to help reduce rough skin texture, encourage a healthy skin barrier, and help smooth the look of wrinkles.
Humidify rounds out Annika’s selection with a critical job: helping skin hold on to moisture. That is a useful context for anyone tempted to treat every dry, tight, or uncomfortable spell as proof of a permanent sensitive skin type. At times, the routine itself has simply asked too much of the barrier: fewer active steps and a dependable moisturiser may be the more useful response.
Cold air, frequent exfoliation, a recent procedure, or several new products introduced together can affect how well the skin tolerates its usual routine.
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Important note: Do not use retinol immediately after a professional treatment, regardless of skin type. Once the recovery period has passed, sensitive skin may be able to use retinol and benefit from it. |
Annika’s choices make sense as a group because hydration and comfort are not treated as afterthoughts. They sit alongside targeted formulas and help keep the routine usable. Anyone considering Clean clinical skincare can take stock of what the skin is doing now, bring the current product list to a skin professional, and be honest about which steps actually happen each day.
