Mark Farrell Interviews Skin Care Guru Shizuka Bernstein on Award Winning 101.9 RXP
Mark Farrell interviews Shizuka Bernstein about her work as a master aesthetician and a recent New York Magazine write-up of her as a skin care guru on his award winning entertainment, lifestyle and public affairs talk radio show, 101.9 RXP FM.
Listen to the interview:
Mark Farrell Interviews Skin Care Guru Shizuka Bernstein on Award Winning 101.9 RXP
Mark: You work very, very hard, and why not take care of yourself right?
Shizuka: Yes.
Mark: Our listeners work very hard, and why not find out the best services that are out there in terms of skincare, massages, making yourself more beautiful and complete. This show is frequency on 101.9 RXP. I’m you host Mark Farrell. Shizuka Bernstein is my guest this morning. She is the owner of Shizuka New York Day Spa. Hello Shizuka.
Shizuka: Hello.
Mark: Beautiful name you have.
Shizuka: Thank you.
Mark: You told me right before we started this morning that it means something very special. Tranquil.
Shizuka: Yes.
Mark: I can see that in your demeanor.
Shizuka: Oh yeah? Thank you.
Mark: You’ve had ten successful years in New York here.
Shizuka: Yes.
Mark: Congratulations to you.
Shizuka: Thank you.
Mark: You’re lauded by New York Magazine as the skin care guru.
Shizuka: Yes.
Mark: Also something else just came out in New York Magazine.
Shizuka: The article about the one use salve is, it’s called Geisha facial.
Mark: Geisha facial, so that means all these gorgeous women come in with beautiful silk robes and kimonos.
Shizuka: Unfortunately not.
Mark: Oh no, okay. Maybe the next incarnation of that.
Shizuka: Yes.
Mark: What does that really consist of, this facial? Geisha facial.
Shizuka: Well, the consists of Nightingale droppings. The birds.
Mark: The bird.
Shizuka: Yes.
Mark: The bird droppings. Really?
Shizuka: Yes, it’s …
Mark: I think I’ve read about this. This was around hundreds of years ago?
Shizuka: Yes, in Japan. Kabuki actors, and Geisha’s they used to use this birds droppings to cleanse their skin. Then still now that they use a lot of white makeup. The Japanese. The other Asians too. They admire white skin, so they always want … Including me. They want to have a white porcelain skin, so that those actors and Geisha that they feature to put their white makeups. They used to contain the lead, and it was poisonous. It was very difficult to remove, and there was a really bad skin disease among them. Someone, or somehow they started to use Nightingale droppings to cleanse their skin.
Mark: Fascinating, so obviously you’ve perfected this.
Shizuka: Yes.
Mark: I guess you can’t reveal the secrets.
Shizuka: That’s right.
Mark: It’s service now you’re providing.
Shizuka: Yes. We don’t, of course, we don’t use …
Mark: Of course.
Shizuka: … Nightingale droppings on our clients skin.
Mark: No, no, no now you use New York pigions.
Shizuka: They’re worse.
Mark: It’s cheaper, much more plentiful.
Shizuka: Yes. Those, it’s powder now. Sterilized by UV ray, and then it’s totally safe to use on the skin, and it’s powdered. Mixed with the rice bran. Which exfoliate the skin, to brighten the skin. I make it as a mask, or exfoliator, and it’s fairly popular at my salon now.
Mark: Now this is your specialty. You’re a master aesthetician.
Shizuka: Yes.
Mark: This is what you basically you formed your business around.
Shizuka: Yes.
Mark: This is your specialty.
Shizuka: Right.
Mark: Talk about skin care for women and men. Women first, because certainly women are much more likely to go for facials et cetera, and men are less likely, but it’s becoming more and more popular.
Shizuka: Right. The facial used to be just a luxurious thing for them.
Mark: Relaxation.
Shizuka: Relaxation, but now it’s … They can see the result right away, and if they want to have younger look all the time, that’s including men too. They want to take care of themselves, and the anti-aging is in their mind constantly now.
Mark: Everywhere you go it’s anti-aging this, anti-aging that.
Shizuka: Right, right. I mean we want to postpone the …
Mark: The inevitable.
Shizuka: Right.
Mark: Shizuka, you’re typical facial, what does that actually do? It’s cleaning your pores, it’s rejuvenating your skin.
Shizuka: Yes, cleansing the skin, exfoliate the dead skin cells. That’s very important.
Mark: That’s what, removing a layer of dead skin?
Shizuka: Right. Extraction, which is cleansing, deep pore cleansing, and then the massage. The facial massage we usually use the manual, you know hands. By hands, our hands, or sometimes … Many times now we use some ionization, or micro current to stimulate facial muscles.
Mark: Ah-ha.
Shizuka: Then we finish with hydrating mask.
Mark: Because you face is very thirsty.
Shizuka: Yes.
Mark: I know mine always is. Now what about for guys? Because this is becoming more popular for men. Talk about all the benefits, and what they can expect, and why you should get a facial.
Shizuka: Of course that they are seeking anti-aging too, and they want to skin to look nice. It also that their daily regimen …
Mark: Mm-hmm (affirmative)
Shizuka: It’s called, the regimen many men don’t know how to take care of their skin. I’m surprised when I see their skin. It’s first time …
Mark: Coming in to your service sure.
Shizuka: … Coming in, yes. It’s very nice they start to be aware of that. The how to take care of their skin.
Mark: I would imagine men and women have different reason why their skin reacts or doesn’t react to certain circumstances, but men obviously shave on a daily, or semi-daily basis. Now you’re probably going to kick me right underneath this table right here when I tell you this, but when I shave I use soap in the shower. I don’t use shaving cream, and somebody told me once that’s a real big no-no.
Shizuka: Right.
Mark: Why is this?
Shizuka: That person was right. Well, soap is too harsh.
Mark: Too harsh.
Shizuka: Too harsh. It’s too alcoholine for your skin. Maybe it’s good to wash your body. You know like the underarms and …
Mark: Sure okay.
Shizuka: For you skin …
Mark: For your face.
Shizuka: Face, it’s too harsh. Especially just like you can use little bit, and then wash the t-zone if someone is really oily. In someone who has an oily skin. For the shaving it’s the soap stays there longer than you wash your face.
Mark: Interesting. Now explain the science behind it. How does it stay there for rinsing and washing your face?
Shizuka: Well, you are … I don’t shave, so I don’t know how to …
Mark: You don’t?
Shizuka: Watching my husband, and it seems like they shave … Like the shave same area over and over.
Mark: Yes.
Shizuka: Which irritates the skin already, and then the soap stays there even … You don’t rinse it every time you stroke.
Mark: Sure, sure. It gets absorbed by the pores.
Shizuka: Right, right.
Mark: That’s why people should use shaving cream.
Shizuka: There’s some regular shaving cream is fine. With no problem with that, but if someone has extremely sensitive skin, you can choose. Some skin care manufactures, they have the shaving foam for men, and of course. There’s some women use for their legs and things like that, but for face. Which contains some moisturizer, or the silicone based one it doesn’t … Those silicone based one doesn’t make lather.
Mark: Lather.
Shizuka: Usually, so some men don’t like it.
Mark: I see.
Shizuka: Some men want to see it.
Mark: It’s better for you skin.
Shizuka: Right.
Mark: Now if you have the proper shaving cream. What do you do afterwards? Because usually after you shave your skin feels really, really dry.
Shizuka: Yes, you need to moisturize your skin. Then you need to find the moisturizer suited to your skin type.
Mark: If you have oily skin you want a dryer lotion.
Shizuka: Right. Not contain oil. Many men they say that, oh their skin is so oily. They don’t need to put anything. That’s wrong. They need to … The skin needs to be …
Mark: Hydrated.
Shizuka: Hydrated, and they don’t need oil but hydration is different matter, different things. The skin needs to be protected by environment.
Mark: How much does your diet relay to how oily your skin is?
Shizuka: Most dermatologist are saying that diet is …
Mark: Everything. I noticed certainly, I was on diet once just for some more of cleansing type of thing. Then I realized in a couple days I was well aware that my skin was much less oily, mush more clear, et cetera. It’s amazing in a few days.
Shizuka: Right, right yes. Then also alcohol and cigarette …
Mark: You had to bring up alcohol huh?
Shizuka: Cigarette.
Mark: Does alcohol dry out your skin?
Shizuka: Alcohol
Mark: I guess it dehydrates your body.
Shizuka: Usually, alcohol does makes more broken capillaries. Not the dryness or oiliness. The cigarettes makes the skin makes really older.
Mark: Sure, sure, yeah.
Shizuka: Than the actual
Mark: What about the … You were just talking about moisturizers and stuff like that for men and women. You should possibly look for something with some sun protection in it. SPF.
Shizuka: Yes.
Mark: Because even in the middle of winter you can still get …
Shizuka: Yes.
Mark: Yeah.
Shizuka: It’s difficult for men to apply sun protection everyday, but it’s better to do that. It’s easy. There is one that sun protection moisturizer sun protection in it. You don’t need to apply two layers.
Mark: Because you feel weird walking around with a bottle of … What’s it called? Panama Jack, or whatever that suntan lotion is. Now of course another very popular things that’s been going on for, oh jeez I don’t know, maybe seven years now. Is the Brazilian wax.
Shizuka: Yes.
Mark: I read somewhere that he Brazilian didn’t actually begin in Brazil. It began on Park Avenue.
Shizuka: Yes.
Mark: Is that true?
Shizuka: It is true. The founder of that salon, they are from Brazil.
Mark: It started here in New York City.
Shizuka: Like the pizza right.
Mark: Like a pizza, I like your analogy there. Of course that’s very popular.
Shizuka: Yes.
Mark: Yeah, yeah. For men of course, men are getting everything waxed nowadays. Their backs, their arms, eyebrows. Is that good for the skin?
Shizuka: No.
Mark: No. I like your answer, very succint no.
Shizuka: You need to of course, you need to find the good wax not to irritate your skin. Then after the treatment it’s very important you know again apply soothing cream, or moisturizer, or aloe vera gel just to protect you skin from those harsh procedure. Then I recommend the permanent solution.
Mark: What does that do?
Shizuka: The laser hair removal, IPL hair removal. Those are common hair reduction, it’s called. Not the permanent hair removal. Electrolysis is the only one. The needle one.
Mark: Shizuka, why would somebody choose to have the hair reduction versus the hair removal?
Shizuka: On many people it becomes permanent hair removal, but because of the nature of the laser and IPL, what they can do, it’s limited. Electrolysis we can do on anybody, everybody. Skin color, hair color.
Mark: Are there any side effects?
Shizuka: Yes.
Mark: Hair grows back?
Shizuka: Well, side effect there are laser and IPL, we need know the skin type very well. We can …
Mark: How do you determine someone’s skin type? Under magnification?
Shizuka: Yes, and also that we have a questionnaires, and we try to understand the region that you are the skin type. You know, you’re mother father.
Mark: Yeah. Now you’re five feet away from me. Can you tell what type of skin I have?
Shizuka: You are the type two. The skin type two.
Mark: Type two, and what is type two. Hopefully a good type.
Shizuka: Well, it’s just this is from one to the it’s called the Fitzpatrick. Dr. Fitzpatrick that he made …
Mark: The scale.
Shizuka: Yes, and then we use his scale when we treat our clients. Skin type one is like a northern European, Scandinavian,
Mark: Oh, I see the actually pigmentation of the skin.
Shizuka: Right, blondes and blue eyes.
Mark: Okay, so number two is?
Shizuka: It’s like a Caucasian, the light skin, the fair skin, but the darker hair.
Mark: Features.
Shizuka: Features yes. It’s little mixed. Then as you go down, the skin becomes darker and darker.
Mark: You would be a number two as well?
Shizuka: No, I would say like between three and four.
Mark: I want to be three or four.
Shizuka: My origin I think it’s actually four.
Mark: You’re lucky. I think you’re a ten. Because you’re beautiful. You’re easy on the eyes as well.
Shizuka: Thank you. No, I think that everybody, again the Japanese people or Asians, want to have one. It’s the opposite always.
Mark: Yeah, it’s interesting right?
Shizuka: Yes.
Mark: Of course your spa offers massages and all kinds of different services. Now what do people look for? How do you choose a spa that had good massages? How do you know how spa’s differ? How do you choose the right spa? Besides looking through New York Magazine.
Shizuka: I think they have to know what they’re looking for. What they are seeking for.
Mark: Sure, so if you’re looking for a certain type of massage?
Shizuka: Yes.
Mark: Swedish, sports, hot stones.
Shizuka: Right, and also the atmosphere too. They want to … They want between the massage and therapist and the client, of course there is chemistry.
Mark: Oh sure.
Shizuka: The best massage therapist cannot please everybody. The communication is very important.
Mark: Yeah, I’ve experienced that. Because I’ve actually … I tell people usually on the rare times I get a massage, I like a very deep tissue massage. I say, don’t worry you’re not going to break me. Give me a real deep soothing massage. Then I’d say maybe three times I was like wow this is killing me.
Shizuka: It’s too much.
Mark: I was too afraid, too intimidated to say, okay you know back it down a notch.
Shizuka: Right, yes. It’s communication
Mark: I was actually sore the next day.
Shizuka: It happens. That happens. We try to understand, it’s a skin care part too. We try to understand what client is looking for, and what their goal is. Goal has to be the same. If the clients expectation is too high, and we cannot do, we cannot reach that high level from one treatment. She or he is going to be disappointed.
Mark: Hmm, and you don’t want that.
Shizuka: No.
Mark: No. You don’t want somebody walking out of spa being disappointed right?
Shizuka: No.
Mark: Shizuka Bernstein is my guest. She the owner of Shizuka New York Day Spa, that’s located on 7 West 51st Street in New York City. My names Mark Ferrell. The program is Frequency on 101.9 RXP.
Yeah, you have all these different services, you know all these different spa’s, you know New York, New Jersey, Connecticut wherever you go in the world.
Shizuka: Yes.
Mark: Everyone, you have to cater to everybody.
Shizuka: It so many now.
Mark: Especially casinos. They have them like all kinds of packages. How do you choose a massage I mean? How do you know whether you’d like a Swedish one, a deep tissue massage, you name it? Hot stone therapy?
Shizuka: Hot stones therapy is very popular.
Mark: Geisha girls walking on your back, I mean all these choices.
Shizuka: No, we don’t do that.
Mark: That’s next year. You need to introduce that.
Shizuka: Well, the Swedish massage that you need to … Client wants to have a gentle stroke, not too harsh on your back, or legs. That is good. Usually the massage therapist they use either oil or the massage cream, so it’s a very nice relaxing massage. If you have a back pain, you may want to have a deep tissue. It depends. Like someone that has a back pain, and they don’t want to … Just to relax the muscle, maybe Swedish is better. It depends on what you need. Hot stone massage is
Mark: Sounds painful.
Shizuka: No, no. It’s very warm, and then it’s beneficial because it’s warm stone, it’s relaxing the muscle right before the massage therapist work on that area.
Mark: The warm stones get placed on that area.
Shizuka: Right.
Mark: They remain there for a few minutes, and then they get removed, and then a massage therapist actually works on that particular region.
Shizuka: Right.
Mark: Hmm.
Shizuka: It’s very …
Mark: What would be the difference between a hot towel verses a warm stone?
Shizuka: Well, the hot towel’s very good too. It’s because of the nature, in it has water, so it evaporates or like …
Mark: Ah, much quicker.
Shizuka: … Quicker. Not evaporates the temperature. The temperature …
Mark: Dissipates.
Shizuka: … Dissipates very very quickly, and especially as soon as you take the hot towel from your skin. That … The moisture evaporates and it takes your temperature out from there too.
Mark: Interesting.
Shizuka: Hot stone is already really, really hot. It’s confined, so it stays that warm there for a long time.
Mark: Now does this date back? I know massage dates back to, jeez, hundreds of years ago, correct?
Shizuka: It think so.
Mark: Yeah, I mean through the Roman era and I’m sure in Japan.
Shizuka: In Japan Shiatsu.
Mark: Yeah, hundreds and hundreds of years ago. Is this a very older form as well?
Shizuka: Yes. Yes, it’s popular massage in Japan. It’s called Shiatsu. It’s more pressure point. It’s not relaxing massage.
Mark: Now what is aroma therapy?
Shizuka: Aroma therapy is using aroma, essential oil to each for the skin or for body, the essential oil has an own ingredient. Certain scents for certain body parts. It’s relax the muscles, it relax the mind, hydrate the skin, or dry the skin things like that.
Mark: Interesting, so why would somebody go to a spa to get this done? Can they do this at home?
Shizuka: Yes.
Mark: Oh, you can.
Shizuka: Mm-hmm (affirmative), yes, but it’s … Aroma therapy is the massage therapist has to learn, or a skin care specialist has to learn the what kind of essential oil works for certain skin …
Mark: Body part.
Shizuka: Certain skin and certain body parts.
Mark: Skin type.
Shizuka: Of course you can learn, but it’s many people it’s just that they want to go to the spa and then just get it done.
Mark: Of course, is that very popular, aroma therapy?
Shizuka: Yes, I mean they want, very popular, and just relaxing.
Mark: I love the overall scents when you go get a massage. I mean when you walk into a spa it smells so heavenly.
Shizuka: Yes.
Mark: What does your place smell like. I’m sure that’s part of the whole allure of the spa
Shizuka: As soon as you … We are located on the sixth floor, and as soon as you …
Mark: The elevator door opens.
Shizuka: The elevator door opens and then that’s
Mark: Scent comes wafting right in.
Shizuka: Yes, yes.
Mark: You feel like you’re transfixed, elevator or transformed into another place.
Shizuka: Into another place, yes. Especially our place is in the middle, in the middle midtown, and very, very busy area. As soon as clients come in, they already they feel relaxed.
Mark: In the middle of an oasis.
Shizuka: Yes.
Mark: Are there any new trends out in the spa world in terms of healthcare treatment et cetera.
Shizuka: Yes, the photofacial is very, very popular at our place.
Mark: Photfacial.
Shizuka: It’s intense pulsed light, we call it IPL, and it stimulates the skin. It’s similar to laser treatment, but it’s not a invasive. It’s a very very invasive treatment, and it’s much less, almost none downtime to client, so we like that. Everybody likes that. Then I think you will get the immediate result.
Mark: Does Shizuka New York, you spa, offer any green or organic treatments? Because of course it’s very in vogue. I read that a lot of spas across the world are using treatments, ointments, et cetera that are much more pant based.
Shizuka: Yes. Actually myself is very, very environmental conscious.
Mark: Ah, congratulations.
Shizuka: Thank you. Of course product that we use botanical based product, hypoallergenic, and then like my skin scare product package I didn’t want to use extra paper into the insert.
Mark: Wasteful packaging.
Shizuka: Right, so when you open the package those directions and the warning on the
Mark: Are printed right on the box. That’s great.
Shizuka: Yes.
Mark: Does the product work?
Shizuka: Yes.
Mark: Who cares if it works, you’re saving on packaging.
Shizuka: Well it does. It does, and then the services as well. There some like very green that we have. We don’t have a green … It’s called green pedicure, but we have the … We use the organic ingredients, and actually edible, but it doesn’t … It’ drain, like we concerned about the drain too.
Mark: Sure, sure.
Shizuka: It’s very clean, those type of the things that we offer.
Mark: Now in a perfect world Shizuka. How often should ladies men get massages and/or facials and body treatments?
Shizuka: Well the messages it depends on the again how …
Mark: How active you are.
Shizuka: Again like your needs.
Mark: If you’re an athlete.
Shizuka: Right. It’s some people et every week, but there’s some people don’t need every week, just the once a month or once in awhile. They don’t feel that they have back pain or shoulder pain, and then just the relaxation wise. As you want, right. Then a facial the women I recommend five, six weeks.
Mark: Five, six weeks.
Shizuka: Every month is the ideal, but if you’re too busy every two months is good. Every week or every two weeks, unless the women need to achieve some special result. Unless that, it’s too much facial is not good for you either.
Mark: Sure.
Shizuka: Then for men I want my male clients to get every quarter.
Mark: Mm-hmm (affirmative) every three months.
Shizuka: Every season changes. Because the season changes of course the air is different, the temperature is different, your skin reacts differently. Then they need …
Mark: It acclimates or it doesn’t acclimate.
Shizuka: Right, and if they need a really good poor cleansing.
Mark: Don’t use soap when you shave.
Shizuka: No.
Mark: That’s the one thing I learned today, and I will try to change that habit, and so should you if you’re out there using soap and shaving. Shave in the shower is actually very good because it opens your pores.
Shizuka: Very good yes.
Mark: You get a very deep and clean shave.
Shizuka: Yes, and the end … Many men use toner to close their pores, but would like you to use cold water.
Mark: Cold water?
Shizuka: To finish you’re …
Mark: Shave process.
Shizuka: Shave or you know wash your face. Then can I say one more thing?
Mark: Absolutely Shizuka. It’s you radio show.
Shizuka: Oh thank you. Well one thing I have, you know being an aesthetician …
Mark: A master aesthetician.
Shizuka: Thank you. I have noticed men don’t wash their face at night, unless they take a shower. They should. The morning they take a shower, so the face clean.
Mark: Sure, but I rinse my face off throughout the day.
Shizuka: Okay, that’s good.
Mark: Go in the bathroom wash your hands, put some cold water on your face.
Shizuka: That’s very good, yes.
Mark: You know in New York City you get that funk on you.
Shizuka: Right, yes. The end of the day the me don’t use the makeup so they think they don’t need to use … They don’t need to cleanse their skin, but again the New York has a lot of pollution, and then just the oil from your own skin. You need to cleanse your skin before you go to sleep.
Mark: Understandable.
Shizuka: That is really important.
Mark: You heard it here from Dr. Shizuka. Shizuka Bernstein, owner of Shizuka New York, they’re located on 7 West 51st Street. The phone number is 212-644-7400, and you’re online at ShizukaNY.com. That’s S-H-I-Z-U-K-A-N-Y.com. Again beautiful name
Shizuka: Thank you.
Mark: Thank you so much for the insight on, you know what to do and how to do it.
Shizuka: Thank you so much.
Mark: There’s a lot of great services and companies out there. Wherever people go. On vacation, and in their daily life, and they need to care of number one. Your body.
Shizuka: Yes.
Mark: Even if it’s just a … That’s actually a great thing to do for other people for gift ideas.
Shizuka: Yes.
Mark: I’ve determined that’s a great thing to do for women, a little spa treatment here and there, and it’s a great gift certificate to give. Next thing you know, it’s a great gift and you’re done. Of course you must get some good facials, because you just radiate.
Shizuka: Thank you.
Mark: A real pleasure Shizuka.
Shizuka: Thank you.
Mark: My name is Mark Farrell, this has been a Frequency on 101.9 RXP, the rock of New York.
Mark Farrell is host of the award winning entertainment, lifestyle and public affairs talk radio show on CD 101.9 FM and 101.9 RXP FM. Guest highlights include: Robin Williams, Hillary Rodham Clinton, Lance Armstrong, Dr. Oz, Bob Vila, Oliver Stone, Quincy Jones, Peter Max, Rosie Perez, Ken Burns, Mariel Hemingway, Danny Boyle, Sade, Joe Pantoliano, Joseph Abboud, Chrissie Hynde, Peter King, Mira Nair, George Martin, Diana Krall, Suze Orman, Chelsea Handler, Warren Haynes, Cyndi Lauper, Kenneth Cole, Rudolph Guiliani, Vincent D’Onofrio, John Leguizamo, Sue Simmons, Moby, Denise Austin, Greg LeMond and countless everyday people accomplishing extraordinary feats.