Episode 102: Dara Levy
Dara Levy The Founder Of Dermaflash On The Future of At Home Skin Care
This week Samantha chats with Dara Levy, the founder of DERMAFLASH and former medispa owner. Dara set out to create a tool that met the desire for smooth, radiant, fuzz-free skin and revolutionizing at-home skincare with her dermaplaning device. Empowering people to take beauty treatments into their own hands, on their own schedules and in the comfort of their home.
The two discuss her revolutionary at-home devices, their benefits and how they will make you glow from the inside out. Dara also answers all your questions on what dermaplaning really is, pore extractions, taking care of your skin and what it means to remove that hair and if that's going to cause any hair growth in a different way than we want it to.
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Podcast Script
[00:00:00] Monetize your passion for wellbeing like a job you love every single day. Find a happy life from a healthy lifestyle. What's up guys. This is Spin, Skin and Other Addictions, a podcast by me, Samantha E Cutler of The Fit Fatale. Each week I'm going to take you deeper into the world of wellness with entrepreneurs who are building brands designed to better your life.
[00:00:27] So you'll be hearing from fitness gurus, medical specialists, and influencers in the world of fitness, health, beauty, and nutrition. I hope you guys love it. Let's get down.
Dara: I will tell you that the, the world's most iconic makeup artist, wouldn't dream of letting their A-listers walk the red carpet without first being flashed, because it creates a flawless canvas for makeup, as well as an incredibly receptive canvas for all of your skincare.
[00:00:57] Because you know, when you think about it, skincare. [00:01:00] Like you are putting on all these beautiful, expensive creams and potions and serums. But if they have to fight through the barrier to penetrate your skin, they're not going to be able to do the job that, that they can do post dermaflash, because what dermaflash does is it removes the barrier to product penetration.
[00:01:23] Sam: You're listening to spin, skin and other addictions episode number 102. 102 guys were climbing up there? We're getting up the charts. I feel like Casey Kasem, right? It's like number 1 0 2 in our countdown today. Anyway, we're going the opposite way. And we are climbing up here with such incredible guests that we're adding to this roster, today is no different.
[00:01:44] So I'm just going to ask you before we even start this intro. Do you guys know what Dermaplaning is? Because I didn't really know much about it or anything about it until this episode. And we're going to dive into what that is, but essentially it's removing the dead skin cells [00:02:00] from our face that allows us to have a stronger anti-aging exfoliation process, basically.
[00:02:06] So we're taking off the dead cells and as a result, we're glowing from the inside out and our skin is taken care of and glows and. It also removes the peach fuzz that we have in the process, which you guys are probably seen on Instagram. There's so many influencers talking about like shaving their face with different devices and removing that peach fuzz.
[00:02:25] So we talk all about that, but today I have Miss Dara Levy on the show, and I'm just going to say that she is the Dermaplaning guru. She really knows everything about the category so much so that what was once only available in Medi spas and clinics, she actually created a at-home device called Dermaflash, which is available at Sephora and tons of major retailers across the nation where you can perform dermaplaning almost as efficiently and to the quality of in-clinic , in the comfort of your home. And so this [00:03:00] revolutionary device is really cool to just hear about, but the process of the benefits of what it does for your skin is also so fascinating. So I'm going to just give it away and let Dara Levy take the scene here.
[00:03:13] She is the guru in this space. It's a topic that I didn't know anything about. Honestly. Really nothing about. And so it was so, so fascinating and we talk about pore extractions and taking care of your skin and what it means to remove that hair and if that's going to cause any hair growth, you know, in a different way that we don't want it to.
[00:03:33] So I hope you love this episode.
[00:03:36] Hey everyone and welcome to another episode of spin, skin and other addictions, a little emphasis on the skin today because we are joined by a skin enthusiast who I think you are all going to love and has so much information to share with us today on the podcast. I am joined by Dara Levy who is the founder of Dermaflash and inventive system for at home [00:04:00] category of dermaplaning.
[00:04:01] And you might be thinking, what is dermaplaning? Well, Dara's going to explain that to us today, and I'm really excited to have her here on the show. This is a brand that's really revolutionizing the space at home and without further ado, Dara, can you please tell us a little bit of your background before we dive into all the good stuff about Derma?
[00:04:20] Dara: So I've been a serial entrepreneur, my entire life, and kind of was ahead of the curve cause I'm a little older than probably most of you. Um, but I was actually a broker at the Chicago Mercantile Exchange in my twenties, which the Chicago mercantile exchange doesn't even exist anymore. But it was sort of this last bastion of pure capitalism where, um, much like the New York stock exchange, men scream and yell and, you know, they're all traders. And I became [00:05:00] an instant institutional broker.
[00:05:01] I was one of very few female members on the floor. Um, and had a group of like 15 men working for me by the time I was 30. So, during all of my different, kind of permutations and, and evolution. I've always been a skin junkie, always, always, always. And, um, when the Merc kind of came to an end and I was sort of over the financial kind of a game.
[00:05:34] I decided that I was going to open a med spa because I was tired of going from a beauty, like a hair salon to get a facial and a doctor's office, like a dermatologist to get Botox and a plastic surgeon's office to get Dermaplane. So I decided that I was going to put the best of the best under one roof.
[00:05:57] And it was really a little bit ahead of [00:06:00] today. Everybody kind of knows about med spas and it's the thing, but I opened a very high-end med spa in Chicago. And before I opened my door, I decided that dermaplaning was going to be the foundation of everything we did. So before I opened my doors, I trademarked our dermaplaning treatment, dermaflash. Not knowing that the universe had bigger plan in store for me. Um, and we did everything there. We did Botox and lasers and fillers and CoolSculpting. You name it. We did it, but the service we became really famous for was our dermaflash facial treatment. And, um, I am like never wanted to kind of sit around and, you know, have one little store and think that that's the be all end all.
[00:06:57] So I decided I was going to be like the next Estee [00:07:00] Lauder. And I was going to start a skincare line that would revolutionize the industry, me and like 6 million other people. And, in like this moment, like that aha moment that Oprah used to talk about I was in the shower and we were trying to think of what the hero ingredient for the skincare line was it going to be. A stem cell, a peptide, uh, an exotic oil, like what was going to be that hero ingredient that was going to make us different than everyone else? Yeah. I was taking a shower one day and I screamed at the top of my lungs. Oh my God. It's Dermaflash. And I want to get into really what dermaplaning is, but I realized that an at-home dermaplaning solution didn't exist anywhere, like you had to go into a med spa and they were an, and it wasn't in the ether yet. And like, I know Sam that, you know what dermaplaning is, but I think for sake of just kind of [00:08:00] explaining it.
[00:08:00] Sam: Yeah and please explain to our listeners what dermaplaning is and also some of the benefits at the same time?
[00:08:08] Dara: For sure.
[00:08:09] So dermaplaning in spa dermaplaning first of all, it's something that really can only be done in a medical setting, like a med spa dermatologist plastic surgeons office, because traditional dermaplaning is performed with literally a scalpel blade. So I often say that the elegance of the treatment really relies on the hand of the esthetician providing it because you're using a surgical scalpel to remove the top layer of dead skin cells built up environmental debris as well as peach fuzz.
[00:08:52] So it sounds scary, but it's really just a beautiful treatment and what it does, [00:09:00] our skin cells turn over every 28 days. That process becomes longer the older we get and what we're doing is removing that top layer of dead dull really it serves no purpose. And the skin that you reveal is this fresh young baby soft skin.
[00:09:24] And I always say, the skin you want is lying just beneath the skin you see. And I never got tired of watching someone come into my spa with their shoulders slumped and in a bad mood and kind of, you know, not feeling themselves. And literally 30 minutes later, walking out, standing straighter, feeling more confident, feeling better in their own skin and glowing.
[00:09:52] Like you need sunglasses to look at them because when you take off that top layer light is actually [00:10:00] able to bounce off of the high points of your face. So it gives you this lit from within glow. When you have a layer on your face of built-up debris. Which is really what dead skin cells are, light absorbs into your skin.
[00:10:17] So it doesn't refract, you know, how a baby looks all glowy and dewy that's because it's just this fresh young ripe skin. And that's what you get. And then amazing part is that it's instant. So fast forward to like my epiphany, um, where nobody knew what dermaplaning was because I launched in 2016, but we were in development for a couple of years because I realized after selling 6,000 treatments in under five years of my dermaflash facial, Every woman in the entire world deserves beautiful, smooth, [00:11:00] radiant, you know, kind of camera ready skin.
[00:11:04] And really people didn't even know what it was. And so we invented Dermaflash is the first, um, innovation, you know, there are now dermaplaning is like hot and, but I invented this category and I knew that it couldn't be done with a surgical spa home. So we've come up with this really amazing sonically powered magic wand that is so easy to use and it's so intuitive and it gives you that same spa quality result in the safety and comfort of your own home.
[00:11:47] So it's, it's really, it's miraculous. And I will tell you that sometimes if I, you know, it's been like a week, it's the, we recommend you dermaflash once a week because it amps up [00:12:00] microcirculation and encourages cellular turnover. And so it's not just about, you know, we're exfoliation on steroids with the benefit of removing that pesky peach fuzz that all women have, but it's really an anti-aging device as well, because it's telling your skin to behave younger.
[00:12:19] So the more you use it, the better your skin gets.
[00:12:23] Sam: And I want to ask you because I'm sure a lot of our listeners who are new to dermaplaning, but of course not new to skincare, not new to taking care of their skin and exfoliating and rejuvinating. They're probably wondering, well, I exfoliate. Right. Like I use some type of device or something at home to help remove those dead cells.
[00:12:44] What's the biggest difference? Like why should I turn to dermaplaning and to Dermaflash as a whole, instead of what they're typically doing for exfoliation?
[00:12:54] Dara: Well, first of all, most exfoliating like scrubs [00:13:00] or, you know, you can eat like the kind of, um, If you think about that, the old like Walnut exfoliator,
[00:13:09] Sam: I always think like device.
[00:13:12] Dara: Yeah. It's like, there's actually Walnut shells in that, but a lot of the scrubs are abrasive. They can cause inflammation and it's not appropriate for all skin types. Look we actually love to amp up that exfoliating treatment with some very low um, percentage acid. But the truth of the matter is dermaflash is exfoliation on steroids.
[00:13:42] Like you will not believe the amount of dead skin that comes off of your face with this device. So you can use your other exfoliating kind of tools and devices, but nothing will give you this sort of baby soft, renewed [00:14:00] skin. And there are other modalities, obviously, but even like Dr. Paragon, who is sort of the guru in the skincare industry when he's a friend of mine. And when I introduced him to dermaflash, he was like blown away by the fact that it doesn't cause inflammation because obviously inflammation is the devil. And so you're removing that top layer of dead skin cells and built up debris, but you're not.
[00:14:29] You're not damaging your skin at the same time. So it's really next level exfoliation and also exfolitation alone doesn't remove that peach fuzz. So this is like this one, two punch. A lot of people are mistaken and they think dermaflash is a hair removal device. And I like really that's the part that a lot of times get people obsessed because especially blonde women, they have a lot of baby fine peach fuzz.
[00:14:58] And when you [00:15:00] remove that, your cheekbones look higher, your jaw line looks tighter. You, you look like a different version of yourself. It's like you are you're on before and after. If you do half your face, you'll see your cheekbones higher. Your skin looks more toned. And that's because not only are you exfoliating but you're removing that vellus hair.
[00:15:22] We actually have a pre-flash cleanser. That is part of the treatment that, you know, men shave. We're not shaving, men shave to remove that beard like is like a piece of copper wire. Each strand of hair is like a piece of copper wire. So they need to lubricate their beards and get them receptive to the act of removal.
[00:15:46] With dermaflash we actually need your skin as dry as possible. In spa we actually prep the skin with acetone. That is the traditional. Yup. That is traditional it's still [00:16:00] going on today. Andpolishif you can imagine, like the stuff you put on your nails to remove your nail polish, that's basically what, you know, medical grade acetone would dry out the skin.
[00:16:12] What that does is it lifts all the debris to the surface, but it also makes the peach fuzz more accessible to removal. You know, if today's cleansers are beautiful and they have like humectants and moisturizers, and if someone says. I tried dermaflash and it didn't work. I know they didn't use my cleanser because we need your skin as dry as possible. So our cleanser, especially formulated to de-fat the skin, like take the oil out, give you that sort of old school, squeaky, clean, dry feeling so that everything comes off really easily. And then we have a moisturizer to replenish and, you know, sort of rebalance and nurture the skin after.
[00:16:57] But I also say it's the perfect time. Like [00:17:00] your skin is like this responsive sponge when you are done Dermaflashing. Like I love to do a sheet mask and then do like a lot of your, your beautiful serums and anything you're obsessed with as long as it's that doesn't have, like, you know, as long as it doesn't have a retinol in it, or a high glycolic or something like that, your skin is like, it's like a sponge.
[00:17:24] It absorbs. And the before and after is amazing. Like seriously, addictively amazing. And I will tell you that the, the world's most iconic makeup artist. Wouldn't dream of letting their A-listers walk the red carpet without first being flashed, because it creates a flawless canvas for makeup, as well as an incredibly receptive canvas for all of your skincare.
[00:17:51] Because you know, when you think about it, skincare. Like you are putting on all these beautiful, expensive creams and potions [00:18:00] and serums and whatever. But if they have to fight through the barrier to penetrate your skin, they're not going to be able to do the job that, that they can do post dermaflash, because what dermaflash does is it removes the barrier to product penetration.
[00:18:18] Sam: Right. That's fascinating. And can you share a little bit more on the difference and probably, I guess, debunking some of the myths around women who are afraid of quote unquote, like shaving their face. Right? This whole thing of, if I remove the peach fuzz, will it come back thicker or darker?
[00:18:39] Dara: You know what we actually.
[00:18:42] We know that that's an old wives tale that's been passed down from generation to generation. And to be honest with you, Sam, that is the question that we get way more than everything else.
[00:18:55] Sam: I'm sure it's scary because once it's there, you're like, okay, I can't do [00:19:00] anything about it. Now I have to keep shaving my face and it's this fear factor around, around the process.
[00:19:06] So how do you guys address that? And what's the truth.
[00:19:09] Dara: We invested in a clinical just to prove once and for all your hair. Again, we grow vellus hair, it's peach fuzz. It's like fine, baby, cut me, fluff. Men grow terminal hair, which is like copper wire. So when we remove the vellus hair, we're not taking it at the root.
[00:19:28] We're just going along the surface of your skin, removing what's lying on top. If you do use dermaflash weekly, or as we suggest, obviously your hair is not going to come back and you're going to remove it continually. But if you were to stop and by the way, once you start, I can't imagine why you would ever stop because it's so addictive, but your hair will grow back exactly as it was no thicker, no darker, no fuller, no different.
[00:19:56] The only way we can change [00:20:00] your hair growth is to inject you with hormones at the same time, and I'm not doing that. So, um, it is the biggest old wives tale. And like we invest in the clinical to prove once and for all you're here will not go back any differently than it was prior to dermaflash.
[00:20:20] Sam: Wow. That's, that's probably like everyone's biggest fear, that hasn't given it a try and I know there's so many devices, of course it don't have all the same benefits and the anti-aging and the exfoliation process, but there are, as you, I'm sure you're very well aware of and have seen whether that's across social media's and Tik Toks or various beauty bloggers, this sort of like facial hair removal trend. And I think that's probably why a lot of people are afraid of it as well.
[00:20:50] Um, you guys also have another device, which I'm personally extremely fascinated. I get blackheads and I'm definitely more acne prone or sensitive [00:21:00] skin wise. And of course, you know, that's always happening around my nose. Um, you know, getting little blackheads, you guys have another tool called Dermapore which helps extract those. Can you tell us about this as well?
[00:21:13] Dara: Yeah, it's also another little magic wand. So Dermaflash powered by sonic vibration that eases the glide along the surface of your skin, makes it a frictionless experience. Dermapore is powered by an ultrasonic vibration. So ultrasonic versus sonic. So you do Dermapore on a wet skin. And what that water does is it actually creates this WaterForce when paired with the ultrasonic vibration, that's pushing the debris in your pores to the surface, popping them right out painlessly easily and without picking. So again, [00:22:00] the glide is really elegant. You want your face wet and you want to keep it wet during the treatment.
[00:22:05] And the fun part about it is you see this sort of steam coming off of the device, when you're going across the surface of your skin, removing the impurities. It's not steam, that's the water evaporating from being pushed into your pores and that back out. So you get this sort of like really sensorial experience with that steam from the water, and then all of the little blackheads and whiteheads popping out and all of, you know, like the oil that you have in your T zone. No matter what I do, no matter how well I take care of my skin, black heads are like a real problem. And, um, The thing about pores, or nobody can change the size of your pores your size of your pores, your size of your pores. But what happens is when [00:23:00] there's blackheads and oil and debris and today with, you know, all the masks and breathing that reconstituted air constantly, that's clogging your pores.
[00:23:11] And, um, when you remove the debris that's living inside of your pores, your pores shrinks up because it's not being expanded with the gook. Does that make sense?
[00:23:25] Sam: Yeah, that makes so much sense and it's like almost so clear. Of course, that makes sense. Um, and when you go for an exfoliation, I'm sure some of our listeners, if ever, you go for an extraction, sorry, not exfoliation.
[00:23:38] Sometimes your pores are like huge after when you look because they've removed the stuff and you can almost feel like you can see inside of them.
[00:23:46] Dara: Then, but that's also like, I don't know, for me, I've been scarred by estheticians being too aggressive on my nose. Like I have like a little dent on my nose from two aggressive [00:24:00] extractions.
[00:24:01] And this is sort of, this is a kinder, gentler way to do it. I have to tell you guys, if you go to our Instagram. There is I think like last week there is an esthetician using Dermapore it's, I have to say it's really gross, but it's one of those things that is so satisfying. You can't look away and, um, but to really see the gook and goop that comes out, it it's unbelievable.
[00:24:30] Seriously,
[00:24:32] Sam: I'm going to have to go watch that after this!
[00:24:35] Dara: It's gross in a very satisfying .
[00:24:37] Sam: Exactly especially if it's yourself.
[00:24:40] Dara: Exactly like that. My husband wants me to do him and I can't because it's just too gross, but I do myself all the time.
[00:24:48] Sam: That's how you have your own, your own tool at home. And it also helps you absorb all of your products that you use after right?
[00:24:56] Dara: Yeah, so it's, it's very intuitive. It's [00:25:00] etched, it says extract. So you know on a wet surface, you go across the surface of your skin extracting, and then you flip it over. There are some waves that says infused, put on your favorite serum afterwards and let that ultrasonic vibration just melt your delicious skincare into your very clean, very receptive skin.
[00:25:23] And I also, I also like to put, again me with the sheet masks, but I love to put a sheet mask on and then infuse the goodies in with the back of my Dermapore.
[00:25:35] Sam: Right.
[00:25:36] Dara: It's really a nice trick.
[00:25:37] Sam: Are you doing that after your extraction?
[00:25:40] Dara: Yeah. So I mean, I would like if I'm going to give myself the whole facial treatment, you know, I'll do my, I'll do my Dermapore and then I'll do my lux and then I'll put a sheet mask on.
[00:25:53] If I'm just Dermaporing alone, I'll do the extractions and I'll put a sheet mask on and then infuse all the [00:26:00] yummies into my skin.
[00:26:02] Sam: So obviously you're pretty much the skin care goddess. You have created these two tools, um, you know, that are designed to have in clinic results at home that makes it accessible and easier and just for women to feel their best.
[00:26:21] And that's where I think we align so closely with this product, but I'd love to hear a little bit more of your personal routine beyond these products, because of course there are so many other factors that come into skincare, whether that's, you know, self-love, taking care of yourself, the way you eat, the way you hydrate, what are some of your kind of guiding lights or your, you know, must have moments when it comes to your skincare beyond using Dermaflash?
[00:26:49] Dara: I've I went through, uh, Uh, journey with I lost my husband to colon cancer in, um, 2002. [00:27:00] And when he was sick, we, I really like became a complete health fanatic, and a lot of what I was doing to save his life became sort of the way I live my life now.
[00:27:17] So, I mean, I think. If you don't have a really holistic approach to taking care of yourself, you know, you can have the most beautiful skin, but I, I doubt that you have the most beautiful diet at the same time. So I really believe that, you know, we are what we eat and that's not to say that like this pandemic hasn't really done me in. but, um, You know, I really believe in whole foods, green foods, you know, as close to the earth, sort of the, you know, the ends of the grocery stores where you should shop, not the middle. Um, so produce and you know, good, healthy. I think if you [00:28:00] can't read the label, you shouldn't consume it.
[00:28:02] Um, I'm a pescatarian. I don't eat any, nothing with four legs. Um, I do eat dairy and, um, uh, in like, I like cheese, but I don't drink milk. I am a skincare junkie because I consider my, um, I consider like everything R and D right. We're always looking to evolve. We actually have some exciting skincare kind of compliments coming in the future.
[00:28:33] Um, but I think sunblocks, sunblocks, sunblock, sunblock. If you are going to do one thing for yourself, I think sunblock is the most important. I'm currently obsessed with the unseen supergroup sunblock. I, after I do my skincare, I always put that on, on top. It's not, instead of, um, I think eye cream is beyond important. I think [00:29:00] everybody, you know, in your twenties start wearing eye cream because it will really protect your, you know, that skin is super thin under our eyes and it's really on easily damaged and hard to repair.
[00:29:12] So nurturing yourself, you know, you call it self love. And I think that that's the most beautiful way to put it because really the more you. Give to yourself, the more you'll get back. Right. So, I'm a skincare junkie so I have everything that's made known to mankind, but I'll, I'm a layer, right? So, and I, I cleanse depending on what my skin needs, if I feeling a little congested.
[00:29:41] I'll use certain cleansers. If I'm feeling, you know, a little bit, just like I wore makeup and I want to take it off. I'll use more of an oil based cleanser. I like the SK2 oil based cleanser. I liked the Tasha Camilla cleanser a lot. Um, I'm obsessed with the Eminence. Um, [00:30:00] it's a probiotic cleanser and they say it's for like acne prone skin.
[00:30:04] But it's my favorite cleanser. Like I just adore this cleanser. I'm not big on fragrance. So I, um, I try to avoid anything with any kind of fragrance. And that's got like a lot of, sort of any perfume or additives, unnecessary additives in it. Um, I am loving the Augustinus Bader moisturizer the, the heavier one, the cream it's everywhere.
[00:30:33] Have you tried it?
[00:30:35] Sam: I have not. No, but you're giving us so many gems right now. I'm like going to add to cart on Sephora or wherever I can find.
[00:30:43] Dara: Yeah. I mean, I, you know, I, I go back and forth. Lately I've been really obsessed with Alastin and they make a beautiful, beautiful tinted moisturizer. It's SPF 30, it's a universal color. I think it is really the best tinted moisterizer I've found. I [00:31:00] wear it instead of makeup. It gives really a beautiful layer of coverage and a beautiful glow. You've got to try it. I think you'd love it. And I've actually been using their eye cream and their neck cream, and I I'm kind of digging that line right now.
[00:31:15] Yeah. Current obsession.
[00:31:17] Sam: Yeah. I definitely have to check it out. I'm not familiar with it. Um, but one thing I do want to talk about, cause I know you're really into this and it's something that I care about so much as well and speak constantly about across my social platforms is mindset and we touched a little bit on self-care and self-love and I think the two go hand in hand and you know, I naturally progress towards this because of my love for skin and fitness and health. And I think it's sort of the glue that holds everything together. As we said, that self-love piece, how has mindset been incorporated into not just your beauty routine and your skincare routine, but also building this [00:32:00] company and really being able to visualize and manifest a business and a dream and a life that you want. And of course, you've come a long way. I talked to a lot of different founders, whether they're at the beginning of their career, just starting or sort of in the middle of the struggle, but I think you're a lot more seasoned as an entrepreneur and in building this company.
[00:32:20] So I'd love to hear your take on that.
[00:32:24] Dara: You know, I love that you're asking this because, um, and anybody in my team will tell you. I believe that you reap what you sow. That our thoughts become things and that if you say you can, you will. And if you stay you, can't you 100% won't because mindset is everything.
[00:32:47] You know, we, we have the ability to sort of create our own. Our own reality by our thoughts. And, and I love that you sort of ascribed to [00:33:00] this because it's hard to live this 24/7. And you know, of course like we're human negativity can come in, but there's this very delicate balance. And if you have positive thoughts and sort of a positive outlook, and you, you think. You think yourself in a situation that you aspire to be in, you're actually creating your own reality. And if you do that, the majority of the time, there's sort of like this tipping point where you feel like I know that when I'm in a good mindset, I'm manifesting things all the time and there's like, have you ever read the power?
[00:33:44] Sam: No, I haven't.
[00:33:46] Dara: Okay. You have got to order the power when we get off of this call, seriously. This, um, this book changed my life, but it was so interesting to [00:34:00] read it because it's how I was, how I, I thought my whole life, but it put it in, it crystallized it for me. And it gives you tools like manifesting tools.
[00:34:10] I have, I always have a vision board and, um, people would come up and see my vision board and not believe that I hadn't put stuff up after the fact. Like, I will put things on my vision board that I want to happen. And then I'll kind of forget about them, but because once you put it out there, it's out there in the universe and the universe is sort of bringing to you what you are desiring, but you have to like, it's gotta be, you have to think positive thoughts, because if you think negatively, the more negatively you think the more negative crap is going to happen to you.
[00:34:49] And so the more, the more positively you think the better your life.
[00:34:53] Sam: Yeah. I mean, I'm totally in line with this. I also am a big believer in, as you said, [00:35:00] like the, you know, vision boarding and, and visualizing yourself where you want to be, not just where you are, but also in writing things down. I think that's the same power of, of visualizing it, of, of building a a mood board or like an aspiration board or vision board.
[00:35:16] But I'm a big believer in just like writing it down. Like this is my goals and not in this goals of what they will be, but this is where I am, right. In like a present tense. I am this, I am feeling this, I am achieving this. Um, and in really positive affirmations. And I think we, we sort of, you know, guide ourselves into, into this reality and we create it and we convince ourselves of it.
[00:35:40] And then we begin to live it.
[00:35:43] Dara: A hundred percent. Like if you, even if you're faking till you make it, you know, kind of like I am achieving whatever that goal is, whatever, you know, whatever that moment is that you're [00:36:00] hoping to achieve. And, you know, I have a lot of, you know, things left in my life that I'm hoping to do and hoping to achieve, but like every morning I wake up and I thank the universe for the amazing day I'm about to have.
[00:36:14] And before I go to bed, I thank the universe for the health and happiness of my children and husband. And, you know, I kind of like, I just put it out there and I feel that that is just so important. You know, it I'll give you an example. So I'm in the process of moving into a house that I've been building for three years.
[00:36:35] Um, I don't suggest building in a pandemic. It's not fun. And, um, I saw this house and I put it on my vision board and I forgot about it literally. And then we ended up buying it, like, I don't know, five years later, it just like, things like that.
[00:36:54] Sam: That actual house?
[00:36:56] Dara: Well we ended up tearing down that house, but [00:37:00] that's the piece of property that, that house was on, was on my vision board.
[00:37:04] Sam: Wow.
[00:37:04] Dara: And I put things on my vision board that are crazy, that have come true. So it's just, you know, it's, it's the power of the mind. It's the power of positive thought. And I think it, a lot of people might think it's a little hokey, but like. The easiest way to start and you know, like easy way start. If you're late for something and you're thinking bad thoughts and you're late and all of a sudden then traffic gets worse than you hit every red light.
[00:37:37] And then you can't find a parking place because you're just sort of amping yourself up in a negative way. But. I, you always will think, oh, I'm so grateful for that parking place. And I'm going to get right in front of Starbucks when I pull up to Starbucks and inevitably it happens. It's like, you just, you can start with little things like that or thinking about like, you [00:38:00] know, oh, I love that white flower.
[00:38:02] I, I so grateful that I'm going to see that white flower today. And then in the oddest place, you'll see that white flower you know, I have my spirit animal is a hummingbird. And, um, like a lot of times when I need like a little bit of guidance from the universe. Give gratitude for that hummingbird. I'm going to see an inevitably, I remember one time I was like, ah, I need to see a hummingbird.
[00:38:30] I'm so grateful. I'm going to see hummingbird. And we went around, we were in California, nowhere where I would know where a sign was or anything driving into the wine country. And it was an old apple ad and it was this gigantic hummingbird on a billboard. It's just, you know.
[00:38:48] Sam: You can't make this stuff.
[00:38:50] Dara: You can't make this stuff up and telling you and the thing I, and I've studied a lot about it. And, you know, and like I said, I lost tragically, lost my first [00:39:00] husband and the signs are everywhere, but you, you have to choose to acknowledge the signs and instead of passing them off as a coincidence, or, you know, oh yeah.
[00:39:16] That song just came on because it came on. But my signs are everywhere and I don't really look at the signs is, oh, you know, he's talking to me, but more of things are good. The universe is good, you know, you're aligned you're yeah. Life is going to be good. Regardless of the trials, tribulations, stresses and realities that we all face and just being alive, you know, it's stressful.
[00:39:44] Sam: Right. It's interesting. You know, I'm a very big believer in signs. I would say more than almost anything else. When you're in your darkest moments, you can ask the universe for a sign. And I'm also a very big fan of Gabby Bernstein. I've had her here on the [00:40:00] podcast and we've spoken a lot about the meaning of signs and how to sort of, you know, look for them or find yours, et cetera.
[00:40:07] And, um, we were, I was just talking earlier. With your team about my engagement and so many people asked me, I just got engaged a few weeks ago, and everyone that asked me, did you have any idea? And I had no idea except that I had a sign around our relationship and it was showing up everywhere, everywhere, everywhere, everywhere.
[00:40:32] And I was like, okay, something is going to happen.
[00:40:35] Dara: What was the sign?
[00:40:36] Sam: And it was a blue jay. Oh, and it was everywhere. And there was, there's never blue jays where we were. And I told this to my now fiance and he goes, okay, that's crazy. Because the day that we got engaged and I was getting ready, like getting dressed to propose to you, I opened the bathroom window and there was a blue jay.
[00:40:56] And he's like, I don't know what this means, but it means something. And it came [00:41:00] to him.
[00:41:01] How crazy is that?
[00:41:03] Dara: Oh my God. I'd love it.
[00:41:06] Sam: So those are the stories that are just...
[00:41:09] Dara: Congratulations.
[00:41:11] Sam: Thank you. But when you say signs, it's just like, you can't like these things are just so vivid once you acknowledge and are open to look for them.
[00:41:22] Dara: And you know, I think a lot of people pass it off as, oh, you know, it's coincidence. Right, right. And if you don't embrace it, if you don't acknowledge it, if you don't like kind of open your eyes and say, wow, then they won't come as often because you know, you have to be sort of in that mindset to accept that.
[00:41:43] Sam: Absolutely. And you have to be in the mindset of like accepting, but also wanting to feel good. And I think sometimes. A little bit, like we need to take these small little steps to put in the work, to get to where we want to [00:42:00] be. And often I hear from so many people that they're trying to take such a big leap, whether that's in skincare, right.
[00:42:06] Or whether that's in feeling good in any way, it's going from zero to 100. Versus let me try little tools, little tricks, little things slowly to get me there. And as you said, like just pick, driving a Starbucks and this is going to be the spot I need the parking spot. Let that be your first step.
[00:42:23] It doesn't have to be, I'm getting the house tomorrow because I decided.
[00:42:28] Dara: Exactly. And it's an again, you know, put the house up on your vision board. And then know that it'll happen. Right. But you're right. It's baby steps. And that's why I really encourage you. I need to read the power again, because you know, the one thing is it's sort of my Bible, you know, like, because we all slip back in to negativity, it's hard not to we're human and it's much easier to be negative than it is positive.
[00:42:53] And that's, you know, what you find, if the people around you are very negative, you have to find like, sort of that [00:43:00] detour out of that negativity into this place of positivity for yourself because no one else is going to do it for you. You have to do it for yourself.
[00:43:11] Sam: Absolutely. And is that The Power? Is that by, um, Rhonda Byrne?
[00:43:16] Dara: Rhonda Byrne.
[00:43:17] Sam: The same as The Secret.
[00:43:18] Dara: She wrote The Secret, The Power is The Secret on steroids.
[00:43:23] Like The Secret is about gratitude, right? Because if you're grateful that changes everything. It's, you know, it's, it's about if you have an attitude of being grateful and, and really acknowledging the, and grateful to the universe for making things happen, you know, really. Um, so The Secret's more about gratitude as your baseline, but The Power is more about manifesting.
[00:43:54] Sam: Right.
[00:43:55] Dara: So it's amazing.
[00:43:57] Sam: Yeah. I'm, I'm really excited. And I [00:44:00] love that we've, you know, touched on self-care, self-love, you know, manifesting, affirmations, but also on the power of Dermaflash and products and tools that are at your disposal to feel good. Right. And that these now are accessible.
[00:44:19] Dara: And the thing that I, I also will say, like, you touched on it, but like my commitment and one of our pillars is creating, you know, this is not hope in a jar.
[00:44:31] This is actual, meaningful transformative results that happen instantly. So with most devices, you have to take a hurry up and wait attitude. You have to, you know, use this three times a week for six weeks. And at the end of six weeks, they'll see a 40% reduction in whatever, like yeah. Who complies and really who remembers what baseline was.
[00:44:56] With Dermaflash, it, you [00:45:00] literally are your own before and after your results are instant and like actually transformative. And I really feel that my devices empower women to feel really good about themselves in their own skin, regardless of whether they choose to wear makeup or no makeup at all, it really, you know, paint your face.
[00:45:26] Don't paint your face. You're going to have beautiful skin. And you will feel better in your own skin. And that gives me like when I see people's results and it just never gets old. I mean, my results don't get old. It's so joyous.
[00:45:44] Sam: That's incredible.
[00:45:45] Dara, thank you so much for being with me today for chatting, for telling us all about Dermaplaning, something that you know, I know a little bit about, but now I feel a lot more educated on [00:46:00] understanding the benefits. And I'm really excited. I just got my hands on a Dermaflash.
[00:46:04] So I'm going to be testing this out\ and I love that you gave us so many tips on the before and after. Cause I'm literally going to do half my face and see the difference. I'm excited.
[00:46:13] Dara: You, you, you have to let me know.
[00:46:16] Sam: I will send you a photo.
[00:46:19] Dara: And it's really easy to use. And I think that, um, I know that you will be obsessed.
[00:46:25] Sam: I can't wait. Lastly, can you share with everyone listening where they can find you where they can find Dermaflash? I know you, you mentioned that video that you shared of the pore extraction on your Instagram. If you can just share those social handles and our website. So any of our listeners can find it.
[00:46:43] And of course, as always everyone, I will share it in show notes, linked below.
[00:46:48] Dara: Um, well, obviously you can follow us on Instagram at Dermaflash and then dermaflash.com for our website, which will give you more [00:47:00] in-depth sort of understanding and tips and tricks and, um, before and afters and all that exciting stuff.
[00:47:06] Sam: Thank you so so much, really appreciate you having been on here and given us so much information so much of your time today, which I know is limited as a business owner.
[00:47:17] So I really do appreciate it.
[00:47:19] Dara: Well, thank you so much for having me on. I really enjoyed it. And I'm so excited for your blue jay marriage.