Find Your Career in Beauty Therapy
with Michaella Portelli
In many clinics and spas across Australia, a holistic approach is taken to beauty therapy and skin treatments for long-term skin health. This means looking at more than just whats happening on the surface of the skin, and exploring the internal factors that contribute to skin health and function.
This week on the “A Career in Beauty Therapy” series, we chat with the amazing Michaella Portelli – nutritionist, PT and food lover about the importance of healthy living and its impact on beauty therapy.
Michaella is an accredited Nutritionist and a certified PT and group fitness trainer. She completed a Bachelor of Human Nutrition in 2017 at University of Canberra and has been teaching group fitness and PT for over three years. Michaella has always enjoyed food, nutrition and moving her body and so sharing these passions with other people daily, brings her so much joy.
Michaella started her nutrition and PT business, HealthyHer after graduating in 2017. Offering a range of services to her clients including, personalised meal plans, nutrition consultations, personal training and small group fitness, Michaella appreciates that each of her clients are different, with different goals, different circumstances, different lifestyles and different interests. Her clients are her friends and she loves seeing their confidence, happiness and wellbeing improve as they achieve their goals. This is what gives Michaella fulfillment in her career and is one of the reasons she loves what she does.
Now, some of you may be thinking,”what does nutrition have to do with beauty therapy?” And there is a strong link! While most nutritionists don’t perform beauty therapy treatments, they do understand how important proper nutrition is and how it affects our skin health.
What is your experience when it comes to achieving healthy skin from a nutrition perspective?
We need to eat the correct foods to not only give us energy, but to help with recovery and overall health of our organs, muscles and bones. And I am sure you all know what the biggest organ of our body is – our SKIN! So understandably, nutrition plays a MAJOR role in its health, recovery, appearance and aging process.
We can use the most expensive skin products and treatments in the world, though if your diet is out of whack – so will your skin! I recommend drinking plenty of water and consuming nutrients such as: Vitamin A, E, C and Omega-3 fats to improve the moisture and elasticity of the skin. Foods such as nuts, berries, grapes, avocados and salmon should be consumed regularly to obtain these nutrients! Though as with all things, if you have any specific concerns about your skin you should be consulting a professional, such as one of the lovely ladies at ACTI.
You’ve worked in a cosmetic clinic performing a range of different treatments. What did you like most about your time in the beauty industry?
We are all human and we all love a good pampering! One of the things I loved about working in the beauty industry was how relaxed and happy people were after a treatment. I could tell they felt refreshed and confident and this oozed health and happiness. Health is not just about the food we eat or how much we move our body. It is about feeling confident in your body, taking time to spoil yourself and ensuring your mental health is prioritised!
If you could learn anything more in the beauty industry, what would it be and why?
I would love to learn more about how and why different skins react to different products and treatments and whether or not our skin can adapt to these or if we are predisposed to certain treatments! I have really tough skin and can take any amount of skin needling – but if you give me too many chemical peels my skin will break out like crazy! Likewise, I have found my skin reacts best to natural, chemical free face products and is less likely to break out with these products! I wonder if I kept using chemical products and treatments if my skin would adjust or if it would actually do me more harm?
We are so grateful to Michaella for sharing her experience in the beauty industry and how her career in nutrition is so important when considering a holistic approach to beauty therapy.
For more guidance about your future career in beauty therapy, chat to the expert team at ACTI at 02 6176 3411.
