The Functional Aesthetician

This week on The Functional Aesthetician Podcast, we're talking about nutrition, gut health, hydration, and supplements worth taking. We also talk about why so many women hear "your labs are normal" and still don't feel like themselves. My guest is Jackie Klein, a board certified holistic health practitioner and author of Holistic Healing From the Inside Out.  Jackie builds her...

This week on The Functional Aesthetician Podcast, we're getting into the gut-brain connection, hidden toxins, and the sleep habits that can quietly disrupt your mental health with integrative psychiatrist Dr. Krishna Taneja. Dr. Taneja treats the whole person instead of just prescribing and moving on, looking at gut health, toxin exposure, nutrition, and sleep alongside traditional psychiatri...

This week on The Functional Aesthetician Podcast, we're talking about protein and sleep, the two habits doing more for your energy after 40 than almost anything else. Plus we do a quick gut-check on the avocado oil controversy and why so many women over 40 are eating "clean," sleeping enough hours, and still feel tired, puffy, or stuck. My guest is Lillie Kane, YouTube creator and c...

This week on The Functional Aesthetician Podcast, we brought Zuzu back to talk about something most of us don't think about until something feels off. EMFs, electromagnetic frequencies, the invisible fields coming off your phone, your WiFi router, your smart meter, and just about everything else plugged in around you.  If you've been doing all the "right" things for your health...

This week on the Functional Aesthetician Podcast, we're talking about pelvic floor, painful sex, and HRT; three topics women in perimenopause and menopause aren't getting straight answers on.  If your labs came back "normal" but you don't feel normal, or your HRT isn't doing what you hoped, this episode is for you. Joining me is Kim Bilyk, an occupational therapist, t...

Ever wonder why your doctor makes it sound like pregnancy is inevitable the second you stop taking birth control?  In this episode, Samantha sits down with Chanana McGarry, founder of Womb Literacy, to talk about a natural, side-effect-free way to track your cycle that medical professionals are ever trained in.  Chanana shares her own journey from unplanned pregnancies to becoming a fertility educ...

Your labs come back "normal"  You've eliminated junk food You're doing everything right, yet you still don't feel like yourself.  In this episode, Samantha breaks down why the gut is the root cause behind symptoms that look completely unrelated: skin flare-ups, fatigue, mood swings, autoimmune disease, and perimenopause chaos.  She walks through what gut dysbiosis is, how...

Darcie Burtch, NLP practitioner, clinical hypnosis coach, and trauma toolbox creator, opens up about compound trauma, losing her dad, and the "superwoman cape" every woman needs to take off. Darcie Burtch has turned every bit of her traumatic life into a toolbox for healing.  In this episode, Darcie and Samantha talk about what trauma does to the body, why women are conditioned to "...

Most women are told their labs are "normal" right before they fall apart.  K Miller, the Harmony Coach, serial entrepreneur, mother of five, and homeschooler, spent years bouncing between doctors before an oncologist finally caught a severe iron deficiency, followed by a thyroid disorder and SIBO.  But this didn't fix the exhaustion.  It took slowing down, syncing with her natural r...

If you're over 40, stuck in perimenopause, and doing everything "right" by cutting calories, avoiding butter, choosing low-fat, and still not losing weight, this episode is for you.  Samantha sat down with Dr. Jocelyn Foran, an anesthesiologist, who reversed her own decades-long battle with ulcerative colitis by ditching the food guide and going carnivore. We talk about why insulin...

If your labs keep coming back "normal" but you still feel exhausted, foggy, and nothing like yourself, this episode is for you.  In this week’s solo episode, Samantha breaks down the confusing overlap between thyroid dysfunction and perimenopause, why Hashimoto's goes undiagnosed in women 40+, and why a standard thyroid test isn't giving you the full picture.  She unpacks why s...

What do you do when your labs say "normal" but your body says otherwise?  Samantha sits down with Moyra Gorski, a wellness educator, breast cancer survivor, and menopause advocate, to talk about alternative approaches to health, cancer, and menopause. Moyra shares her personal journey from a skeptical nurse to learning alternative approaches to health, including the breast cancer diagnos...

What if the root of your bloating, low energy, and even your skin issues isn't a mystery, it's your gut microbiome?  In this episode, I sit down with ZuZu, holistic health care practitioner and founder of Lily Fields Center and Holistic Health Educators, who reversed her own epilepsy over 35 years ago through food, and has spent decades teaching others how to rebuild their health from th...

Samantha sits down with microbiologist Kiran Krishnan to break down one of the most under-taught topics in skincare: the skin microbiome and its direct connection to gut health.  Kiran spent over a decade pioneering gut microbiome research before turning his focus to the skin, and what he shares will change how you think about acne, skin sensitivity, and aging skin for good. In this Episode, You’l...

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...

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...

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...

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 overlo...

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 is...

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 a...

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...

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. ...

In this episode, Samantha sits down with Megan McCue, a speech language pathologist and Botox injury advocate, who became seriously ill after a single cosmetic Botox session in 2024.  What followed was months of neurological symptoms, swallowing difficulties, hair loss, extreme anxiety, insomnia, and cognitive impairment.  Doctors dismissed her. The ER couldn't explain it. And no one connecte...

Are you struggling with chronic fatigue, hormonal imbalance, or PCOS and feel like nothing you try is actually working?  In this episode of The Functional Aesthetician, I sit down with Dr. Jaday Garcia, board certified doctor of natural medicine, functional medicine practitioner, and founder of MindBodyRestored to talk about the root cause healing approach that conventional medicine keeps missing....

This week, Samantha shares a full recap of her first-ever experience at the Skin Games in Dallas. From speaking on the holistic skin panel to connecting with some of the most inspiring aestheticians in the industry, this episode is equal parts behind-the-scenes and big-picture. Samantha shares what she witnessed, what she's building next, and why stepping outside your comfort zone is still th...