The Functional Aesthetician

Samantha Dench
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Join licensed esthetician and student of functional medicine, Samantha Dench, to explore the deeper connection between your skin, gut, and hormones. The mission is to help you get to the root cause of your skin problems so you understand what your skin is trying to tell you.

  1. 2d ago

    Perimenopause, Cortisol & Weight Gain: What to Do When Harder Workouts Stop Working

    If you've been pushing harder in your workouts but seeing fewer results, this episode is for you. This week I'm joined by Katie, a fitness professional and host of the Wellness After 40 podcast, to break down exactly why exercise needs to change in your 40s, and what to do instead. We're talking about the real reason HIIT workouts can backfire during perimenopause, why cortisol and insulin resistance make certain workouts work against your goals, and the specific fitness shifts that support your hormones instead of stressing them further. Katie also shares her simple framework for choosing workouts that fit your life, plus her full weekly movement recipe for women navigating midlife hormonal changes. Whether you're a devoted HIIT class-goer or just starting to wonder if your current routine is serving you, this conversation will completely shift how you think about movement after 40. ➡️ In this Episode, You’ll Learn: Why HIIT workouts can spike cortisol and stall fat loss in perimenopauseThe three types of movement every woman over 40 needs in her weekly routineWhy recovery is as important as the workout itselfThe truth about cold plunging for women Why walking is more powerful than most women realizeHow to start strength training if you've never done it, and why heavy weights matter➡️ Connect with Katie Website Instagram Listen to Katie's Podcast: Wellness After 40

    25 min

  2. Jun 9

    Cortisol, Perimenopause, Skin Microbiome: Why Women Are So Hard On Themselves

    Why do so many women in their 40s look in the mirror and feel like a stranger is looking back?  In this episode, I sit down with Dr. Natalya Borakowski, naturopathic physician, founder of Desert Bloom Skincare, and creator of the Unveil You platform, to talk about the science behind mirror anxiety. We also talk about how perimenopause rewires the brain's self-perception, and chronic stress is quietly destroying your collagen. If you've ever caught yourself picking apart your reflection, feeling like you've aged overnight, or wondering why your skin isn't responding the way it used to, this episode is for you. In this Episode, You’ll Learn: What mirror anxiety is, and why it's not vanityHow the loss of progesterone increases brain sensitivity and makes every "imperfection" feel like a threatWhy chronically stressed women are often unaware they're stressed The cortisol-collagen connection: how elevated cortisol breaks down your skin from the insideYour adrenal glands become your primary hormone source during perimenopause, and why that matters for your skinThe truth about the skin microbiome, over-exfoliation, and why stripping your skin makes aging worse"Glass skin" and social media beauty standards: why that glowing look may signal inflammationThe danger of anti-aging ingredients (retinol, salicylic acid, and Botox) being used too youngDr. Natalya's mirror exercise and how to build what she calls "mirror hygiene"The three free anti-aging tools every woman should be using ➡️ Connect with Dr. Natalya Website Instagram  Linkedin ❤️ Free gifts  Enjoyed this episode? Leave a review on Apple Podcasts, it helps more women find this show.

    38 min

  3. Jun 2

    Acne and Gut Health: Clearing My Skin Naturally After Accutane, Client Testimonial

    What if the missing piece in your acne journey wasn't more skincare products, it was your gut? In this special episode, Samantha sits down with her client Teresa, who spent years battling acne.  She tried Accutane and birth control before booking her first facial and discovering what was really driving her breakouts.  Teresa shares her full journey, from her first facial to running a gut test, and her journey to clear skin through healthy eating and the positive impact her diet has not only on herself, but her family too. In this Episode, You’ll Learn: Why most turn to Accutane and why this is  a "band-aid fix" How acne comes back after stopping birth control, and what led to a different approachTeresa’s surprising gut test results The lifestyle and dietary changes that cleared her skin and improved her overall healthHow she navigates temptation, travel, and falling off the wagon Why she started reading ingredient labels and what she found in "healthy" foods

    15 min

  4. May 26

    The Skincare Step Nobody Talks About

    In this episode, I'm joined by Jen Sugermeyer, founder of ATA Cosmetics, a tool that is completely rethinking how skincare and makeup are applied to the skin.  Jen shares her powerful self-love journey, and how that transformation led her to build a brand rooted in the philosophy that attitude, thoughts, and actions shape everything. We're breaking down why application is the most overlooked step in skincare, your  lymphatic system is your skin's cleanup crew, and what actually happens when you apply products with your fingers (spoiler: it's not great).  If you've been spending money on good skincare and not seeing results, this episode is going to shift something for you. In this Episode, You’ll Learn: Why application method matters as much as ingredients and formulationHow the lymphatic system impacts skin health The skin-brain connection and why intentional touch is a form of self-careHormonal changes in perimenopause affect your lymphatics and skinWhy fingers and sponges waste your product and introduce bacteriaThe "up and out" technique you can start using todayHow to turn your skincare routine into a nervous system reset➡️ Connect with Jen Website Save 15% with code: ATA15 Instagram

    26 min

  5. May 12

    Perimenopause, Thyroid, and Cortisol: The Real Reason Your Skin Is Changing in Your 40s

    Are you in your 30s, 40s, or 50s and your skin suddenly feels like a stranger's?  You haven't changed your routine, but your skin is dry, breaking out, and aging faster than it ever has, and nobody seems to have answers. In this solo episode, Samantha breaks down exactly what is happening hormonally and why your skin is the first place it shows up. This is the conversation your doctor isn't having with you,  and the one you've been searching for. You'll learn why perimenopause affects far more than your cycle, how your thyroid could be the missing piece nobody has checked, and why cortisol is quietly driving your skin changes, your weight gain, your exhaustion, and your mood, and what you can actually do about all of it. If you've been told your labs are normal but you still feel awful, if you've Googled your symptoms at midnight, or if you're doing everything right and still not seeing results, this episode was made for you. In this Episode, You’ll Learn: Your skin is directly affected by every hormonal shift happening in perimenopauseBreaking out AND having dry skin at the same time is not a contradictionInsulin resistance and cortisol both increase during perimenopause and both accelerate skin aging Thyroid dysfunction affects 8-10% of perimenopausal women and is frequently missed Your gut health directly impacts your thyroid, your hormones, and your skin, and they all need to be addressed togetherChronic stress during perimenopause hits differently because your hormonal safety net is thinnerSimple, skincare, blood sugar stability, nervous system support, and daily movement are the foundational tools to start withWorking with a functional medicine practitioner means getting answers that go beyond what traditional blood panels revealConnect with Samantha: Instagram  TikTok

    23 min

  6. May 5

    Holistic Skincare: How Gut Health Impacts Your Skin

    In this episode of The Functional Aesthetician, Samantha Dench sits down with Kisha Hamilton, award-winning licensed esthetician and founder of The Rebeauté, a corrective skincare sanctuary rooted in holistic healing.  Together they talk about the gut-skin connection, what a compromised skin barrier actually looks like, and how a barrier-first approach can transform stubborn skin conditions like acne and hyperpigmentation. Kisha also shines a light on global skin and explains why corneotherapy and barrier repair are essential for achieving real, lasting results for these clients. She also shares what she’s working on for estheticians. In this Episode, You’ll Learn: •  Why acne can signal vitamin and mineral deficiencies •  The supplements Kisha recommends for clear skin •  What is TEWL and why it’s disrupting your skin barrier •  A barrier-first skincare protocol, and why actives shouldn’t come first •  Understanding global skin and how its structure differs from mainstream skincare education •  Kisha’s upcoming training for neurodivergent estheticians ➡️ Connect with Kisha Website Instagram

    26 min

  7. Apr 28

    Perimenopause, Insulin Resistance & Your Thyroid: Why Your Body Isn't Broken

    If you're gaining weight, exhausted, and doing everything "right" eating less, exercising more, and nothing is working, this episode is for you. Holistic nutritionist and menopause health coach Lora Ulrich breaks down the hormonal cascade that happens during perimenopause and menopause, and why the old rules simply don't apply to your body anymore. Lora shares her story: from a childhood thyroid condition, to a surgical menopause, to becoming one of the leading voices in midlife metabolic health.  She breaks down the connection between estrogen decline, insulin resistance, cortisol, and weight gain in ways that actually make sense, and more importantly, what to do about it. This episode covers the thyroid's role in hormone health, why your doctor may be missing key markers, how blood sugar instability masquerades as anxiety and brain fog, and the metabolic shifts that actually work for a menopausal body. In this Episode, You’ll Learn: Why estrogen decline makes your cells less responsive to insulin and what that means for fat storageThe hormone health triangle: insulin, cortisol, and thyroid and why order mattersWhy slashing calories and intense cardio is working against youWhat a complete thyroid panel should look like (TSH is not enough)How to structure meals to stabilize blood sugar without counting or deprivationThe truth about intermittent fasting during perimenopauseYou are not broken your body just needs a new strategy➡️ Connect with Lora Website Facebook Instagram LinkedIN YouTube ✅ Download Lora's FREE Guides Fast Metabolism Recipes Happy Hormones Checklist

    31 min

  8. Apr 21

    Nervous System Safety: The Missing Piece in Chronic Stress, Skin & Weight Loss

    If you've been doing all the "right things" eating clean, exercising, taking your supplements, and you still can't lose the weight, clear your skin, or feel better, this episode is for you. Samantha sits down with Stephanie Lee Hayes, somatic educator and founder of Roots and Rituals, to unpack the nervous system piece that most practitioners (and even therapists) are missing.  Stephanie explains how chronic stress and unprocessed trauma keep your body locked in survival mode and why that makes healing nearly impossible, no matter how hard you try. If you've ever felt like your body is working against you, this conversation will finally give you the language, and the tools, to understand why. In this Episode, You’ll Learn: What nervous system safety actually means, and why it's the missing link in healingWhy "doing everything right" still isn't enough when your nervous system is stuck in threat modeHow trauma (even the kind you don't think counts) gets stored in the body and blocks repairThe surprising connection between your nervous system, skin inflammation, and weight loss resistanceWhy high-achieving women are especially vulnerable to chronic stress dysregulationThe real reason urgency and rushing are keeping your body in survival modeA simple, accessible grounding practice (external orienting) you can use today to start calming your nervous systemWhy self-compassion isn't just "feel-good advice" it's nervous system medicine➡️ Connect with Stephanie: Website Facebook Instagram YouTube Free Guide: Why You're Not Broken

    24 min
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About

Join licensed esthetician and student of functional medicine, Samantha Dench, to explore the deeper connection between your skin, gut, and hormones. The mission is to help you get to the root cause of your skin problems so you understand what your skin is trying to tell you.

Information

  • Creator
    Samantha Dench
  • Years Active
    2025 - 2026
  • Episodes
    34
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © 2026 The Functional Aesthetician
  • Show Website
    The Functional Aesthetician