Halyna Nahuliak: "Put yourself in the center of your own life"

"Self-care is the language of love" ...In a world where self-care is becoming not just a fashion trend, but a necessity for maintaining a balance between the external and internal, these words have become the leitmotif of a new exclusive conversation on the pages of the BOMOND VIP fashion magazine with a world-class expert in aesthetic cosmetology Halyna Nahuliak - a cosmetologist, scientist, Licensed Esthetician in the USA and a licensed international esthetician, author of the book "Skin Code: Structure, Care, Rejuvenation".

In a new interview with the heroine of the DIGITAL cover, we talked about the professional path, about the portrait of a modern woman, about the key mistakes in care and the professional vision of anti-aging therapy. About the book, which was an attempt to translate the complex language of dermatology into the understandable language of conscious care, about the culture of Western cosmetology with its clear safety protocols and planning, and finally - about the unconditional truth in which each of us should flourish in the center of our own life.

Ms. Halyna, I would like to start our interview today with your words, which I am very impressed: "Self-care is not a uselessness, but the language of love." Tell us, please, what was the beginning of your professional history to the role of a cosmetologist, scientist, licensed aesthetician of international level?

My professional career began not with aesthetics as such, but with medicine and a deep interest in how the human body functions. Studying at a medical university, internship, working with diagnostics gave me a foundation — system thinking, clinical logic, respect for evidence-based science.

Cosmetology appeared in my life not as a "beautiful profession", but as an extension of medicine - an opportunity to work with the skin as an organ that reflects internal processes: hormonal, metabolic, psycho-emotional.

Over time, scientific research, author's methods, international practice, licensing in the United States were added to this. But the essence remained unchanged: I always work not with a "face", but with a person.

What is the portrait of a modern woman in your eyes?

For me, a modern woman is a woman in awareness. She can be very different: gentle or strong, vulnerable or decisive. But she has one thing in common - she no longer lives in a self-sacrifice mode.

She allows herself to take care. She understands that self-care is not about uselessness and selfishness, but about responsibility for your body, psyche and resource. This is a woman who is not afraid to be herself and does not compare her path with others.

In your professional philosophy, beauty sounds like an exact formula, not a random result of genetics or trends. When we talk about problem skin, in particular acne, what are the key mistakes in care you most often see in patients and why do they sometimes not give a stable result?

The most common mistake is to perceive acne exclusively as a superficial skin problem. Patients "dry" for years, change the means, aggressively clean the skin, but do not work with the cause.

The second mistake is chaos. When care changes every week, the assets are superimposed without logic, and the expectation of a quick result does not correspond to the biological capabilities of the skin.

A stable result will not be without the system: understanding the type of acne, the role of hormones, barrier function, inflammation and recovery. The skin loves consistency, not experiments.

Pigmentation is often perceived as a purely superficial aesthetic problem, although it actually has deeper formation mechanisms. What factors do you think are key in working with pigmentation?

Pigmentation is never just a "stain". It is always a story about inflammation, hormonal fluctuations, photodamage, sometimes about stress and disorders of recovery processes.

The key factors in working with pigmentation are inflammation control, competent photoprotection, working with the barrier and only then - lightening assets. If we start with aggressive "whitening", we only consolidate the problem.

Pigmentation requires patience and strategic thinking.

The issue of rejuvenation today goes beyond injections and hardware techniques. How does your vision of anti-aging therapy change, taking into account the long-term health of the skin, and not just the quick visual effect?

Today, rejuvenation for me is not "minus 10 years in one visit". It's about preserving the quality of the skin after 5, 10, 20 years.

My vision of anti-aging therapy is a combination of recovery, stimulation and protection. Less aggression, more biological respect for the skin. We do not fight with age, we work with it in partnership.

True anti-age is healthy, dense, functional skin, not just the absence of wrinkles.

The fact that you are the author of the book "Skin Code: Structure, Care, Rejuvenation" deserves special attention. Please introduce us to the book.

The Skin Code is not just a care book. This is an attempt to translate the complex language of dermatology into the understandable language of conscious care.

This is not another beauty book with "what to smear" tips, but a deep scientific and practical publication on how the skin actually works and "thinks". The book has already entered the funds of the leading libraries of Ukraine - in particular the National Library named after V. Vernadsky, the Yaroslav the Wise Library and the Book Chamber of Ukraine.

Today, it is read by both those who are just starting their journey in cosmetology, and practitioners with experience — as a source of systematic, understandable and honest knowledge about the skin without myths and marketing illusions.

Retinol remains one of the most effective, but at the same time the most controversial ingredients in cosmetology. What is the key difference between your "Retinol lifting code" technique and classic retinoid protocols?

Classic protocols with retinoids are often built on the principle of "be patient and there will be a result". My method is fundamentally different.

"Retinol lifting code" is my author's technique, created for those who want to get the result of retinol without fear of side effects. It is based on a well-thought-out synergy of retinoids and peptides, which allows the skin to be renewed gently and physiologically.

Retinoids are responsible for collagen stimulation and cell renewal, but in classic regimens, they often cause irritation and barrier depletion. My approach involves the gradual, adaptive administration of retinoids in combination with peptides that support and restore the skin's defense mechanisms.

As a result, we do not get an aggressive "rejuvenation effect", but a stable improvement in the quality of the skin: reduction of wrinkles and pigmentation, even tone, density and comfort. This technique is based on my scientific research on the synergy of retinoids and peptides in step-by-step skin remodeling and has become a logical combination of science and clinical practice.

Working in the United States as a Licensed Esthetician and cosmetologist, you are in a different system of standards and protocols. What approaches of Western cosmetology, in your opinion, should be integrated into the work of specialists in Ukraine today?

Western cosmetology clearly draws boundaries — these are protocols, safety, long-term approach and great attention to home care.

I believe that Ukrainian specialists should already integrate the culture of planning, documentation, patient education and prevention. Fewer "one-time procedures" and more systematic support and strategy.

At the same time, the patient must learn to take more responsibility for the condition of his skin and his own health. A cosmetologist cannot "do everything" in one procedure - the result is always the joint work of a specialist and the person himself.

I propose now to imagine that you and I are somewhere on the seashore ... And we have many postcards that we will send to every woman on the planet. What message would you write?

If I wrote a postcard to every woman in the world, I would write this:

Put yourself at the center of your life. First you, and only then the husband, children, friends and all the other roles. This is not selfishness, but necessity. If we forget about ourselves, the world will quickly do the same. You have the right to put everyone on pause and find time only for yourself - drink delicious coffee in silence, go to a beautician, go to yoga or just be alone with yourself.

Taking care of yourself is not weakness, but the language of love. You have every right to it.”

Author: Olena Liubchenko

Subscribe