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Kelli Thomsen Beauty

Kelli Thomsen Beauty

Holistic Beauty for Your Skin, Your Day, Your Life: Portland Wedding Hair & Makeup | Makeup Lessons & Classes | Skincare Education

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the conscious blog

Shop Clean Beauty For All Ages

Eco Tips, Skin Care

In the heart of Portland, Oregon, where sustainability and conscious living are woven into the fabric of the community, my local beauty studio is a haven for those seeking personalized skincare solutions rooted in clean beauty and holistic well-being.

Tailoring your clean beauty routine to your lifestyle and age is a great place to start, because you’ll have unique needs, concerns and embrace a skincare routine that evolves with you, promoting a radiant and healthy complexion at every stage of life.

Let’s break down my healthy skin guide, highlighting the best products, their order of application, and the significance of ingredients for each stage of life.


20’s: Nurturing Youthful Radiance

To recap: start with a gentle cleanser to remove impurities without stripping natural oils. Use a serum rich with antioxidants to combat early signs of aging and environmental stress. Moisturize daily, opting for a product that includes sun protection to safeguard against UV damage. Begin using an eye cream to address any early signs of fine lines.

In your 20’s, focus on prevention and protection. Antioxidants defend against environmental damage, and SPF in your moisturizer helps prevent premature aging from sun exposure.

Kelli Thomsen

30’s: Proactive Healthy-Aging Routine

To recap: Incorporate an exfoliating cleanser to promote cell turnover and maintain a radiant complexion. Boost hydration with a hyaluronic acid serum to address fine lines and keep skin plump. Use a retinol cream at night to promote collagen production and combat early signs of aging, if you don’t have sensitive skin. Use an eye cream with peptides to target specific concerns like crow’s feet and dark circles. Press is a facial oil with hydrating ingredients like Argan Oil & Seabuckthorn Berry.

As you enter your 30’s, focus on hydration, exfoliation, and introducing ingredients like retinol to support collagen production and address early signs of aging.

Kelli Thomsen

40’s: Deep Nourishment and Renewal

To recap: Switch to a cream or oil cleanser for added hydration and a gentle cleansing experience. Use a vitamin C serum to brighten the complexion and reduce the appearance of sunspots. Use an anti-aging moisturizer with peptides and collagen-boosting ingredients. Opt for a night cream combining retinol and hyaluronic acid for deep nourishment and renewal. Press is a facial oil with hydrating ingredients like Argan Oil & Seabuckthorn Berry.

In your 40s, focus on deep nourishment and renewal. Vitamin C helps with brightness, and a night cream with retinol and hyaluronic acid aids in repairing and rejuvenating the skin overnight.

Kelli Thomsen

50’s: Intensive Hydration and Firming

To recap: Use a cream or oil cleanser with anti-aging ingredients like peptides and antioxidants. Try a serum with intensive hydration and firming properties. Choose a rich moisturizer with ingredients like ceramides and fatty acids for added hydration and skin barrier support. Include a targeted treatment for age spots or hyperpigmentation. Press is a facial oil with hydrating ingredients like Argan Oil & Seabuckthorn Berry.

In your 50’s, focus on intensive hydration and firming. Look for products that support the skin barrier, provide rich moisture, and address specific concerns like age spots.

Kelli Thomsen

65+: Gentle Care and Restoration

To recap: Switch to a gentle cleansing milk to cleanse without stripping the skin. Use a restorative serum with ingredients like peptides and hyaluronic acid for gentle anti-aging benefits. Opt for a rich night cream with nourishing oils and ingredients that support skin elasticity. Include a targeted treatment for wrinkles and fine lines Press is a facial oil with hydrating ingredients like Argan Oil & Seabuckthorn Berry.

In your 60’s and beyond, focus on gentle care and restoration. Look for products that provide hydration, support the skin’s natural renewal processes, and address specific concerns related to aging skin.

Kelli Thomsen

General Tips I Share With My Clients Of All Ages:

  1. Consistency: Consistent daily use of most products is key for optimal results.
  2. Patch Test: Always patch test new products behind the ear or on the inner arm to avoid potential irritation all over.
  3. Layer Products from Thinnest to Thickest: Apply products in the order of their consistency, from thinnest to thickest, to maximize absorption.
  4. Listen to Your Skin: Pay attention to your skin’s needs and adjust your routine accordingly.
  5. Wear Sunscreen Daily: Physical sunblock or mineral based SPF is the safest.
  6. Water Temperature: Wash your face and body with warm to hot water, never steaming hot. Rinse and end with a cold water splash to shut down pores.
  7. Don’t Pick: If there is a blemish that seems ready to come out, first hold a steaming towel on it and hold. Use two Q-tips to press on either side and if it doesn’t release easily, it isn’t ready to come out. Salicylic acid can also encourage it to come out and start its healing process.
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4751 SW Seymour Ct. Portland, OR 97221
kellithomsen.com/ | 503-890-5355

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Your Skin Needs Witnessed Regulation

Eco Tips, Travel

I’ve watched it happen hundreds of times in my studio.

A client sits across from me for a makeup lesson, face freshly cleansed, and I place my hands on her temples to begin our facial mapping work. Her breath catches. Her shoulders drop two inches. Sometimes tears come.

“I didn’t realize I was holding everything so tight,” she says.

This is what the beauty industry won’t tell you: your skin can’t radiate when your nervous system is vigilant. You can buy every botanical serum, memorize every ingredient list, perfect your facial massage technique – but if you’re applying it all in a dysregulated state, you’re asking your body to do something it physiologically cannot do.

Radiance isn’t a product. It’s a state of being.

And you can’t think your way into that state. You have to be guided there.


From Terrain to Truth: What Regulated & Radiant Teaches

When I created Regulated & Radiant, I distilled 28 years of clinical skincare training, medical spa work, and beauty artistry into one truth: your skin is a terrain, not a problem to fix.

The course teaches you to read that terrain. To understand the five conversations your skin is always having – barrier function, inflammation response, oil production, cellular turnover, microbial balance. To build your personal pharmacy with botanical intelligence instead of marketing promises. To create daily rituals that regulate your nervous system first, apply products second.

You learn the language. You understand the method. You can look at your face in the mirror and finally decode what it’s telling you.

But here’s what I’ve learned after three decades of touching faces, reading skin, and holding space for transformation:

Knowledge lives in your head. Radiance lives in your body.


The Missing Piece: Embodied Prescription

You can watch a video of me demonstrating gua sha. You can read about lymphatic drainage patterns and fascial release. You can understand intellectually that slower, intentional touch signals safety to your nervous system.

But until someone guides your hands on your own face, adjusts your pressure, shows you where you’re unconsciously bracing – you don’t actually know if you’re doing it right. You don’t feel the difference between “doing the technique” and “allowing the release.”

This is why I’m bringing Regulated & Radiant into the sanctuary.

The course is complete on its own. I realize some of us need witnessed, hands-on facilitation to bridge the gap between understanding and embodiment.

Some of us need personalized prescription – not a general protocol, but someone who knows botanical skincare and nervous system regulation looking at YOUR specific skin, YOUR stress patterns, YOUR life circumstances and saying: “Here. This is what you need. Not what worked for someone else. What will work for the terrain you’re living in right now.”


Four Days at the Creek: The Replenish Retreat

Friday through Monday on my Portland sanctuary property. The place I’ve spent this past year building into what my nervous system needed to heal. Imagine a quiet, creek-side sanctuary. Step into the sauna, sit at the Japanese Ashiyu foot soak while sipping tea. Sit around the fire circle, surrounded by trees and chirping birds.

This isn’t a spa experience. This is terrain restoration.

You arrive early Friday morning. Maybe you’re local and drove across town. Maybe you flew in and found a nearby hotel. Either way, you’re walking onto land that’s designed to help your body remember what regulated actually feels like.

We start with sunrise movement. Not rigorous yoga or choreographed dance – just embodied presence as the forest wakes up. Then we gather for the work.


What Happens Over Four Days

Every single practice you learned in Regulated & Radiant becomes hands-on, personalized, and witnessed.

The Shiatsu Facial Massage you watched me demonstrate? I’m guiding your hands on your own face now, adjusting pressure, showing you where you hold tension in your jaw you didn’t even know existed. You’re not mimicking a video – you’re learning to read your own facial landscape.

The Botanical Assessment you studied? We’re doing it together with actual products in front of us. Testing oils on your skin. Watching how it responds in real time. Building your personal pharmacy not from a worksheet but from direct observation of your terrain. You leave with your exact prescription – not a maybe, not a general recommendation. Your specific protocol.

The Mini Facial is where everything integrates. You pre-book your slot, come into my studio, and receive personalized treatment using the method you’re learning. Not as a passive recipient, but as an active participant understanding what’s happening and why.


Beyond Skin: The Full Terrain

But we go deeper than skincare. Because your face is just the surface of a much larger terrain.

Traci Thomsen facilitates the energetics work – Success Codex, elements of Human Design, the patterns that keep you looping through the same cycles. This is about understanding the energy underneath the inflammation, the stress patterns driving the breakouts, the beliefs creating the vigilance.

Angela guides somatic breathwork. Not a specific modality or branded technique – just intelligent breathwork that meets your nervous system where it actually is and helps you move what’s stuck without forcing or performing.

Throughout the four days, we weave in the sanctuary practices: Ashiyu foot soaks, journaling by the creek and tea ceremony. Sauna sessions where heat meets release. Sunset movement as the day closes. A fire ceremony to release what no longer serves.

We provide daytime meals and snacks during retreat hours. Everything you need is here.


The Transformation You’re Actually Seeking

You don’t come to this retreat to learn more information. You come because you’re tired of knowing what to do and still feeling disconnected from your own radiance.

You come because you’ve tried everything:

-the expensive serums & botox/fillers

-the 12-step routines

-the jade rollers & gua sha tools

AND your skin still mirrors back stress, inflammation and exhaustion.

You come because you finally understand that the answer isn’t another product. It’s learning to exist in a regulated state long enough that your body remembers what ease actually feels like.

Four days of co-regulation with other people doing the same work. Four days of being touched with intention instead of urgency. Four days of being witnessed and learning how to assess. Think of this as your custom prescription. We didn’t get it from an algorithm or a quiz. We understand it through your wisdom coupled with three decades of experience reading skin as terrain.

This is how you move from intellectual understanding to embodied practice.

This is how prescription becomes personal.

This is how you finally make everything come together in a way that actually makes sense for how YOU feel and what YOUR body needs to radiate through stress instead of shutting down under it.


What You’ll Receive

Your Welcome Kit includes – hair care matched to your type, exfoliant and vitamin C serums, beauty oil, custom masks and customized skincare, mineral sunscreen, gua sha stone and a journal for integration.

Innersense Hair Kit for your Hair Type

Glo Skin Beauty Exfoliant & Vitamin C Serum Drops

Om Beauty Oil

Epionce – Enriched Firming Mask & Skin Care Pack for your Skin Type

Epionce Sunscreens

Jade Gua Sha Stone

Journal – Rituals & Wellness by Wilde House Paper – for every order they will plant a tree!

Four full days of facilitation with me, Traci, and Angela. Your personalized skincare prescription session. Your mini facial. Access to all sanctuary experiences. All meals during retreat hours.

What’s not included: accommodation. If you’re traveling, you’ll find lodging nearby. If you’re local, you’ll arrive each morning and return home each evening.


Investment & Next Steps

The Replenish Retreat is four FULL immersive days.

You’ll understand your terrain. You’ll have your prescription. You’ll know what your skin needs and how to give it exactly that without second-guessing or chasing the next promised solution.


What to Bring

Comfortable layers for Pacific Northwest weather that changes fast. Swimsuit for sauna sessions. Water bottle. Journal and pen. Any medications or supplements. Movement clothes that work wet or dry – we’ll be near the creek. Sandals that can get wet.

Your willingness to be seen, guided, and supported.

Your readiness to finally stop performing and let yourself be held by this work.


The Wait List will open soon! If you’re signed up for my newsletter you have priority notification when registration goes live. The sanctuary is ready. Your prescription is waiting. Come home to your terrain.


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4751 SW Seymour Ct. Portland, OR 97221
kellithomsen.com/ | 503-890-5355

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REPLENISH RETREAT: Get The Clarity You Need To Move Through Your Life With Confidence

Eco Tips, Travel

NEW Dates Coming Soon: Come away with us!

Replenish Wellness Retreat

Escape into our holistic eco wellness retreats, where you will experience sacred energy healing, immerse yourself in holistic wellness and unlock the magic of your most vibrant and healthy self. Imagine a journey to deepen your connection with yourself, expand and experience deep healing, while soaking in the Pacific Northwest’s elements.

Replenish Retreat is a magical experience designed to:

• Recharge and replenish your mind, body +soul
• Raise your vibration through healthy food & nourishment
• Dive deep within yourself to work through limiting beliefs, old patterns, and break generational cycles
• Feel safe to embrace your truest self +connect with like-minded people
• Release anxiety, become more present and build more confidence and trust in yourself
• Awaken your soul’s mission and purpose through self-love
• Replenish yourself through deep healing, clarity, and joy by centering into your heart
• Connect with high vibrational woman from all walks of life
• BE FREE – relax, sauna, meditate, foot soak and stretch if you need
• Experience pure, genuine, soul nourishing fun in this nature filled adventure


Retreat Educators & Hosts:

Portrait of KELLI Thomsen - a Licensed Esthetician & Holistic Skin Educato

Hi, I’m KELLI – a Licensed Esthetician & Holistic Skin Educator specializing in skin health & wellness. When I’m not with my clients creating skin care solutions, teaching a makeup lesson or getting a couple ready for their engagement session or wedding, you’ll find me in nature. 

For the past 22 years I’ve helped people get consistent with their skin health. I have a passion for plant-based, botanical ingredients that repair & heal, coupled with a medical grade quality that encourages results. Helping others understand the correlation between their daily rituals and how they feel about their skin is the most important part of what I do. 

It’s my goal to find all the pieces that make you unique and curate a guide to help you protect and keep your skin feeling & looking its best. My greatest wish is that you leave the retreat replenished – weaving everything that resonates for you into your daily practices, so you have the tools to live your most authentic & vibrant life. 


Portrait of Traci of LoveSeedHypnosis, educator at Mexico wellness retreat Replenish Retreat

Hi, I’m TRACI – certified health coach and hypnotherapist 🙂 I’m passionate about exploring the depths of the collective waking dream in each moment; honoring the invitation to unveil the multidimensional mysteries of the soul. 

Astrology, Human Design and Gene Keys have been important tools in helping my clients discover the places with-in and with-out that don’t feel true, well or free. 

Tuning into the nervous system’s bio-field expression gives me an accurate picture of the blueprint of one’s evolutionary landscape and rhythms.

I create custom medicinals and experiential exercises, to help entrain, fortify, stabilize, balance and free your unique nervous system throughout its involutionary/evolutionary process.

My greatest wish is that we all get to thrive and live authentically as the unique expression that we came here to be! 

It is my honor to bring my world work to the Replenish wellness retreat community, where we will all meet our individual expression…to play and co-create at the evolutionary edge, of this collective shift in consciousness.


Portrait of Angela, certified breathwork facilitator & reiki practitioner

Hello,  I’m Angela – a certified breathwork facilitator & reiki practitioner, with training in fascia release, lymphatic drainage, & energy clearing techniques. 

I have always been fascinated by the body’s inner workings and I draw inspiration from both our internal ecology and the ecology of our broader communities. Together in this wellness retreat we will explore a variety of practices to help you feel more resourced, aligned and connected to the wisdom held within each of us.  


Included in our RETREAT PACKAGES:

• Daily lunch and snacks +drinks (non-alcoholic) & unlimited filtered water

(fresh, local cuisine made on-site for the daily meal and all dietary restrictions are welcome)

• Daily movement classes +breath work and journaling

• Skin & Body Wellness Workshops +Welcome Kit that includes custom products & tools (Pre-Retreat Questionnaire Required to customized product needs)

• Exclusive Daily Human Design Experiences (Pre-Retreat Questionnaire Required)

• Closing Evening Farm to Table Dinner


YOUR REPLENISH RETREAT WELCOME KIT

This kit is curated to encourage self-care routines with bath & body essentials tested by an esthetician

1. OM Beauty Oil created by esthetician, Kelli Thomsen – an all in one facial oil that hydrates, nourishes and preps the skin, taking it from dull and dry to replenished. Each participant will receive a sample bottle of OM beauty oil made with organic Moroccan Cactus Seed Oil, Argan Oil and Sea Buckthorn Seed Oil to renew and restore your skin’s natural biome.

2. The Daily Jade Gua Sha Facial Tool has been a part of beauty regimens for centuries. The Jade stone is known to help sculpt facial features leaving you with brighter, glowing skin. It can be used with your serum or beauty oil to renew the skin by increasing blood flow and flushing out lymphatic drainage, stimulating skin for radiant results. Participants will get a Jade Gua Sha Tool to use and take home. Care & Benefits: Rinse and cleanse the Jade Gua Sha Facial Tool after use. Dry and store in a well-ventilated area.

3. Facial Cloth – each participant will receive a cloth for their personal use.

These airy and soft facial cloths are excellent for our fragile skin. Absorbent and lightweight, they make product removal a breeze, making it easy to move around facial features. They heat well, are made with 100% cotton and the gentle cloths get softer after each wash. They are my go to makeup remover and skin care removing cloths.

4. Hydra Bright Liquid Exfoliant by Glo Skin Beauty is a life saving, queen of exfoliants and safe for all skin types. Clinically-proven to smooth, refine and brighten skin with a unique blend of five alpha hydroxy acids & poly hydroxy acid. This gentle liquid exfoliant boosts the efficacy of serums, moisturizers, and other treatments. The radiance-renewing ingredients are mandelic, lactic, gluconic, and tartaric acids. 1 ounce bottle for each participant.

5. Enriched Firming Mask is an Epionce favorite! Each participant will receive a deluxe sample.

This hydrating mask is expertly formulated with botanical ingredients to help soothe and improve the visible appearance of elasticity and firmness of the skin. With highly emollient properties and a proprietary blend of barrier lipids, Enriched Firming Mask helps calm visible redness and irritation. Gives skin a visible boost of hydration. How to Use: Evenly apply to clean skin. Leave on for 5-10 minutes then rinse. For additional hydration, do not rinse. For best results, use weekly.

6. Daily Shield Tinted SPF 50 Sunscreen by Epionce provides broad spectrum protection and the tinted formula has an extra special way of evening out skin tone, while imparting a natural-looking healthy glow. I love the water-resistant formula, enhanced with botanical ingredients for antioxidant benefits. It provides a sheer protection in just the right amount of color to let skin look bare. It’s ideal for daily use, alone or under makeup to provide optimum protection from UV exposure. It is recommended by the Skin Cancer Foundation as an effective broad spectrum sunscreen, and was awarded “Best Under Makeup” by the Shape Magazine 2017 Sun Awards. Each participant will receive a deluxe sample of each.

7. Intense Defense Serum by Epionce is a complete multivitamin for the skin to be used every morning and evening. It’s formulated using botanical sources of Vitamins A, B, C, D and E and is clincally proven to improve the signs of aging. Each participant will receive a deluxe sample.

natural skincare products available at Mexico wellness retreat, Replenish Retreat by Kelli Thomsen Beauty

SHOP TRAVEL ESSENTIALS


About the Retreat Locations

Nestled in the SW Hills of Portland, tucked in the beautiful Pacific Northwest. Your time with us will give you the opportunity to immerse yourself in nature. You will deepen your movement and meditation practice. You’ll journey through a series of human design experiences that will tune you into your unique gifts. All of this will set the stage for a new way of listening to your body. You’ll have the chance to immerse yourself in soul nourishing energy with a deep dive into your daily habits. We can’t wait to meet the people who are ready to join us on our next legendary wellness retreat!

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4751 SW Seymour Ct. Portland, OR 97221
kellithomsen.com/ | 503-890-5355

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Do This Daily For Your Best Complexion

Eco Tips, Skin Care

In the world of beauty, some things are timeless. They endure because they are not just effective; they add genuine joy to our daily lives. This is precisely why ancient beauty tools have found their way back into our modern daily skincare rituals. As a dedicated holistic esthetician, I’ve always been drawn to traditions deeply rooted in their connection to our well-being. Whether it’s Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) or ancient holistic practices, these gems offer us invaluable insights for radiant skin and a harmonious life.

My journey has been shaped by years of hands-on experience. I started with Shiseido, emerced in Japanese traditional Shiatsu. Then I dove into understanding Chinese Gu Sha and cupping. Most importantly I noticed how these practices had a profound impact on my health and wellness. This knowledge, combined with a passion for clean beauty, led me to the philosophy of Elemenal Beauty. I invite everyone to embrace their own custom self-care practice in the morning and evening.

The ancient art of gua sha massage has been cherished for centuries for its profound support of a healthy sleep cycle and aiding in stress reduction by awakening Qi along our meridian pathways. This blog is an invitation to weave this self-care practice into the fabric of your daily life.

Let’s Dive In:

The Gua Sha Magic Unveiled: Gua Sha Massage is a powerful means to stimulate the flow of energy to your face, resulting in a lifted, toned, and plumped complexion. When embraced as a daily ritual, it facilitates cellular turnover, leaving your skin radiant and rejuvenated.

You may be wondering why you need a facial tool, and the truth is, you don’t need one. Yes, you can use your hands to get a ton of flow and movement, but the crystals do hold amazing energy and my personal favorite is a budget-friendly jade stone $18, boasting rounded ridges along its outer curvature—ideal for encouraging lymphatic drainage and best results.

Important Considerations:

  • Avoid using on irritations, breakouts, open wounds, or raised scars.
  • If you’ve recently undergone fillers or Botox, wait a month or consult your healthcare professional.

How To Prep The Skin:

  1. Cleanse first and rinse
  2. Spritz a hydrasol or complexion mist onto your face.
  3. Warm Om Beauty Oil in your hands and gently press it into the skin on the face, neck, and chest.

My Daily Three Step Gua Sha Technique:

The Neck:

  1. Back of the Neck: Glide the gua sha tool gently up your spine from the base to the hairline, using the large U-shaped notch (4-6 times).
  2. Front of the Neck: Use feather-light strokes to glide the tool from the front of your neck towards the tip of your chin, allowing the gua sha’s weight to do the work (4-6 times on both sides).
  3. Side of the Neck: Begin at the top of your shoulder and glide the tool upwards along the side of your neck, ending just below your ear (not recommended during pregnancy).

The Face:

  1. Forehead: Start in the center of your forehead. Using the flat side of the gua sha, gently lift from the tip of your nose to the hairline. Repeat on both sides, lifting from the eyebrow to the hairline.
  2. Side of the Eye: Gently stroke from the center towards the side to address crow’s feet.
  3. Jawline & Cheekbone: Using the large notch, anchor your chin with the opposite hand and gently swipe upwards along your entire jawline, ending at the edge of your ear.

The Eyes:

  1. Use the small tip to gently lift from the inner corner of the eye under the eyebrow to your temple.
  2. Use the ridged side between your eyebrows, gently pressing and lifting with your peace sign fingers to alleviate tension.

Remember to think of this as a breathing fresh Qi and vitality into our faces, detoxifying our meridian systems. Think of it as clearing a traffic jam within your system, allowing the energy to flow freely. The routine takes about 6 minutes, with 3-4 strokes per movement. If time permits, you can certainly indulge in more strokes per movement, as I encourage 5-6 strokes per movement for maximum benefits.


Recap of My Step-by-Step Gua Sha Routine:


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4751 SW Seymour Ct. Portland, OR 97221
kellithomsen.com/ | 503-890-5355

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Transition to Sustainable Beauty

Eco Tips, Makeup Artistry

I typically hold onto my beauty samples with good intentions. I plan to use them. Unfortunately, I find a drawer full of the plastic containers at the end of the year. One thing that has really helped me is to politely turn these samples away. Alternatively, I collect them and donate them to the less fortunate.

During the holidays, I feel grateful when I donate all of my samples. This gratitude is what sparked me to share this blog. We are all becoming more conscious in our daily lives. Now, more than ever, I’m asked how to build a more sustainable beauty routine. It’s important to consider what to keep in mind when making new purchases. Deciding which options are best is key. I’m asking everyone this important question – How can we set higher standards for our self-care?

  1. Choose natural, bio-degradable ingredients – Go through your current regimen. Look at what ingredients are in them. Dig into how the company sources their ingredients. Investigate the impact all of this has on the earth. Determine whether it helps or hurts. This research is a great place to start. What we use matters!
  2. Pay attention to the packaging of your products and how you store them. Glass, metal, wood, bamboo, hemp & seagrass have all become very reliable for packaging. They allow for recycling or upcycling. They are also the perfect option for organizing your essentials in your bathroom or purse.
  3. Be aware of your local recycling programs. Discover zero waste companies in your area.
    Learn more about your Oregon recycling programs here. Discover other free recycling programs here. Find out how to recycle, compost, and sort out garbage in the PDX metro area here. Plus, find zero waste companies in your area for refilling skin and body products, house essentials, and cleaning tools. UTILITY zero waste in Portland, OR is setting new standards!
  4. Ditch any disposables – Natural, bamboo pads for makeup removal is a better option than cotton. Try muslin cloths for exfoliation instead of other options. Use a mini fan brush for putting on mascara instead of a disposable wand. Instead of plastic razors, use metal handles with metal heads that are replaceable.
  5. Look at what the water content is. The most important factor is a higher content of quality oils & botanicals. These can penetrate your skin barrier, made up of lipids, ceramides and fatty acids. Additionally, when using a water, choose a nutrient-rich version. It should contain rice water, green tea, or added plant and herb benefits.
  6. Where are the products sourced and what is the company philosophy? Do your research! Use websites like Environmental Working Group and check for certifictions like Leaping Bunny. Do these companies have reef safe standards within their sun protection? What standards are they setting within their platform? Are they creating solutions or are they just part of the greenwashing and trendy hype?
  7. Use refillable beauty products like Om Beauty Oil available online and pickup at my studio.

You may decide that some items are not needed anymore. This could happen when you try a new beauty routine. You aren’t sure what to do with these items. Don’t throw away your new or lightly used toiletries and skin & body care. Our local women’s and children’s shelter can use your items. It’s the perfect time of year to pay it forward. To make this a habit, set a reminder on your phone each month. Remember to grab unused items and supplies. Drop them off at Kelli Thomsen Beauty or Rose Haven during your next visit.

Rose Haven is located at 18th & Glisan NW Portland. They are a day shelter and community center. They serve women, children, and gender non-conforming folks experiencing trauma, poverty, and physical and mental health challenges. Restoring stability and dignity for 3,500 guests annually, they are always taking new and gently used supplies. Please call with any larger donations 503-248-6364 and they are open until 4 PM most weekdays. See their needed supplies list here: https://rosehaven.org/helping/donate-supplies/

If you are looking to transition to sustainable beauty and want to meet me for a personalized makeup lesson, please schedule HERE

I can’t wait to help others be intentional and more conscious! Take a deep breath. Write down 3 things you want to do to be more sustainable. Reward yourself once you finish them. Then, do a happy dance for me! Cheers to Mother Earth – May she prosper & grow!

For a sustainable wedding, look to these local vendors below to kick off your conscious special day (vendor list from photo in blog)

Ecotrust / Redd on Salon > https://ecotrust.org/our-venue/#redd

Ellie Asher Photography > http://www.theashersphoto.com/

Greater Good Events > https://www.greater-goodevents.com/

Bramble Floral > https://www.bramblefloraldesign.com/

Arden Event Collective> https://ardeneventco.com/

Your Perfect Bridesmaid > https://www.yourperfectbridesmaid.com/

Claire La Faye > http://www.clairelafaye.com/

White Pepper Catering & Venue > http://www.whitepepperpdx.com/

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4751 SW Seymour Ct. Portland, OR 97221
kellithomsen.com/ | 503-890-5355

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Why Vitamin D & Sun Protection Matters

Eco Tips, Skin Care, Travel

As a licensed esthetician and advocate for skin cancer prevention, I ‘ve learned there is a balance in getting ideal amounts of Vitamin D, while protecting oneself from the damaging effects of UVA/UVB rays.

There are some key things that I recommend doing to minimize the chance of skin cancer and maximize intake of Vitamin D:

  • Finding shade, putting on a hat and wearing sunglasses mid-day – the prime time for over exposure.
  • Getting sun in the morning and afternoon – The best way to know how long to stay in the sun during these safer times, is to figure out how much time it takes to get the first sign of a burn (when you start to get pink) and then cut that time in half. For example, if it takes an hour to get pink, then 30 minutes in the sun is safe and will increase your Vitamin D levels.

There are some common myths about Vitamin D, so a quick background is important for everyone to fully understand why it’s vital daily. Vitamin D is not a regular vitamin, it’s a fat-soluble steroid hormone that we are designed to obtain through sun exposure. Many people think that diet is sufficient for optimum levels, but we are realizing from new tests and many studies in the past decade how wrong we have been. When Vitamin D levels are low or even average, we are increasing our risk of disease and infections. The only way to know if we are vitamin D deficient is via blood testing, but there are some signs and symptoms that are prevalent in people who are deficient: darker skin, feeling sadness regularly, 50+ years of age, being overweight or having higher muscle mass, achy bones, head sweating and issues with digestion. 

Sun protection products for skin cancer prevention

Vitamin D, Sun Protection, and Skin Cancer Prevention

The optimal range appears to be somewhere between 50 and 70 ng/ml. There is so much information out there about how important it is to get our levels up, because the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reported that 32 percent of children and adults throughout the US are vitamin D deficient and this number is growing!

I have some amazing tips for keeping your sunscreen regimen healthy:

  • Do not use sunscreen as a tool to prolong your time in the sun.
  • Avoid sunburn.
  • Slather on at least 30 minutes before exposure.
  • Do not use tanning beds.
  • Examine your skin and check for new moles or growths regularly.
  • Make sure to use enough sunscreen and cover all areas including your scalp and ears! (1 ounce of sunscreen, about the amount you can hold in your palm, to fully cover all exposed areas of your body. Rub the sunscreen thoroughly into your skin.)
  • Reapply sunscreen after getting in water and every 2 hours for optimum protection.
  • There is no such thing as sweat proof or water proof.

Here are my favorite sunscreen brands that I use and recommend to my clients

  1. Daylight Tinted Radiance Moisturizer SPF 32 with LSR10® 
  2. Epionce Ultrashield SPF 50 (Find at Kelli Thomsen skin care & makeup artistry)
  3. Glo Skin Beauty Solar Shade & Tinted SPF 30 (Find at Kelli Thomsen skin care & makeup artistry) 
  4. Badger SPF (Find at New Season’s & Walgreen’s)
  5. Coola SPF (I will have a link to this in my store)
  6. Goddess Garden Organics (Find at Fred Meyer, Market of Choice and Costco)
  7. Acure Organics SPF Spray (Find at New Seasons)

There is also a great App that everyone should have! When in doubt you can refer to the Environmental Working Group Healthy Living App to check all products you want to put on your body:from head to toe:

for Apple & iPhone users

for Android users

“Preventing skin cancer isn’t about blocking the sun, it’s about finding the balance between getting the right amount of sun at the right time of the day for your skin type.”

With Love & Awareness,

Kelli  

Kelli Thomsen Beauty
Portland Oregon Licensed Aesthetician

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4751 SW Seymour Ct. Portland, OR 97221
kellithomsen.com/ | 503-890-5355

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Follow @KelliThomsen on Instagram

Happy Spring Equinox🌷it’s a new season and there a Happy Spring Equinox🌷it’s a new season and there are so many new faces here, so it felt like the right moment to show up and introduce myself properly. 

I’m Kelli - I have been a holistic esthetician and wedding beauty artist for over 25 years. The person in my chair matters to me. Not just how they look when they leave, but how they feel. Whether they feel like themselves and genuinely seen and cared for.

If we are working together on your wedding, I’m thinking about you long before I arrive - every detail, timeline, moment,  I’m holding space for it all and care deeply.

If you are a skin membership client, I track your terrain month by month like it is the most interesting story I’ve ever been told. Because it means so much to me that you’re advocating for your skin health. 

If you are in a makeup lesson with me, I’m not teaching you a look. I’m teaching you to see your own face - your features, your biology, to feel your nervous system.

Beauty is not a formula. Expect this account to get more intentional and educational. I’m so happy you are here for it! If you’re ready for terrain-based skin care that photographs luminously - COMMENT SPRING and I’ll send you my NEW 2026 SKIN PREP GUIDE. 

Photography @katyweaverphotography
Kaya came to me naturally beautiful and nervous. S Kaya came to me naturally beautiful and nervous. She left radiant and confident. Luckily, I got to be there while she let herself feel it. 

Then she immediately sent me these gorgeous photos and told me she’d been getting a ton of compliments on her hair & makeup - which made my whole week.

This is why I do this beauty work. Not to change anyone, but to help them show up as the most luminous version of themselves at the moments that matter.

To the most beautiful season of your life - Kaya. Cheers, Mama 🧡 #cleanbeauty #naturalbeauty #oregonmakeupartist #makeupmama
This is for the person who’s been scrolling weddin This is for the person who’s been scrolling wedding beauty with a quiet knot in your stomach.

The one who doesn’t wear much day to day and can’t picture themselves in a full face of heavy makeup. 

The one whose partner says “you’re beautiful without makeup” and means it. 

The one who wants to feel something special on that day without losing themselves in the process.

I see you. 
You’re not being difficult. 
You know what matters to you.

I’ve done over 500+ weddings and the most powerful moment is never the dramatic transformation, it’s the person who looks in the mirror and their eyes fill because they look like themselves, elevated. 

More luminous. 
More present. 
The version of themselves they feel on their best days, made visible.

That’s what intentional, botanical beauty means in practice. I read your skin before I touch it. I use formulas that work with your biology, not over it. I enhance instead of transform.

I’ve spent 28 years, from clinical esthetic training to eastern practices at Shiseido to evaluating 20+ professional product lines, learning how to do exactly that.

You don’t need to arrive knowing what you want. You need someone who knows how to see you. This is what we do - each artist on the team is here to help bring out your innate radiance. 

✨ Now Booking 2027 | Link in Bio ✨

#naturalbeauty #pnwwedding #botanicalbeauty #cleanbeauty #weddingmakeup
This is your reminder to be yourself in a world th This is your reminder to be yourself in a world that demands we distract ourselves with what "we should be"!

throw away the matching dresses
throw away the getting ready robes that match
throw away the presentation 
throw away others advice
throw away any noise around others traditions

It's the year of the fire horse - BE YOURSELF!

planning + design: @hostedby.co
florals: @novella_floral
photo: @elissadeline
venue: @rockyhillevents
rentals: @ardeneventcollective
beauty: @kellithomsen
bar: @bliss_bar
catering: @thehivecateringco
dessert: @milkglassmrkt / @laurettajeans
draping: @runestoneevents
photobooth: @stumptownbooth
dj: @rockyvertone
transportation: @columbiawinetours 

#firehorse #ChineseNewYear #OregonWedding #WeddingBeauty #PortlandMakeupArtist
The Year of the Fire Horse happens every 60 years! The Year of the Fire Horse happens every 60 years! Liz and Ashton's wedding at @theorchard.hr was fire meeting intention, capturing the energy of this exact spirit.

Bold beauty, rooted tradition, a dance led by the team at (@whitelotusliondance) that brought the entire room to life. The kind of celebration that reminds you what it looks like when culture, love, and beauty are honored with real care.

This is what I have been speaking to over the past few weeks - fire doesn't have to scatter. It can be directed. It can be precise. It can hold tradition and power in the same breath.

25 years of doing this work and being able to share in moments like these still stop me in my tracks. Not because they're perfect. Because they're intentional. Because every detail was chosen, not defaulted to.

That's the energy I want for all of us this year. Not more. Not louder. Not faster. Directed. Regulated. Rooted. On fire in the way that lights a room instead of burning it down.

Happy Lunar New Year 🔥 #ChineseNewYear #FireHorse #RegulatedandRadiant #WeddingBeauty #OregonWedding

Bride & Groom: @lizkmoss + @ashtonmoss13
Venue: @theorchard.hr
Planning + Design: @gatherevents @ambervotel
Photography: @emilywoodruffphoto
Floral: @colibripdx
Beauty: @kellithomsen
Catering: @celilocatering
DJ: @djcaseykay
Dessert: @edeske_patisserie
Entertainment: @whitelotusliondance
Rentals: @ardeneventcollective
Gown: @saintbridal
2025 was full of flashy 12 step skin care routines 2025 was full of flashy 12 step skin care routines! Here’s what no one tells you about these rituals: not only can they wreak havoc on your microbiome, but they have to flex with your life or you’ll abandon them completely.

After 25+ years of working with real people through real life - weddings, grief, moves, breakups, illnesses - I know that rigid doesn’t work. What does work? Learning what your skin is actually telling you. Dryness isn’t always about hydration. Breakouts aren’t always about oil. Redness isn’t always about sensitivity. Your skin speaks a very specific language, and once you understand it, everything changes.

That’s where modalities like LED light become powerful - not as a daily must-do, but as a strategic tool that serves your skin’s current needs. Different wavelengths address different concerns, and together we can customize your treatments to work with your life, not against it.

Consistency at home + strategic in-studio support = your healthiest skin. Let’s make 2026 about intentional, true to YOU steps with #cleanbeauty ingredients that support your optimal health.

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    4751 SW Seymour Ct.
    PORTLAND, OREGON 97221
    503.890.5355
    KELLI@KELLITHOMSEN.COM


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