Renowned aesthetician, Tera Peterson is the co-founder of cult-favorite skincare brand nuFace. We sat down with her to chat about her glowing skincare secrets and borrow a thing (or two) from her wind-down routine. Take a peek and maybe take this as your cue to revamp your bedtime.
What inspired you and your family to start NuFACE?
NuFACE was born out of our desire to help clients look and feel their best. My mother, Carol, has been a practicing aesthetician for decades and witnessed the transformative power of microcurrent on her clients in the treatment room. I followed in her footsteps, becoming an aesthetician, and we knew there had to be a way to allow more clients to experience microcurrent technology. So we set out to create the first device of its kind: an easy-to-use, at-home microcurrent device that brings the treatment room experience into the palm of your hand!
What was your journey like from aesthetician to CEO?
While I’m so proud of my role at NuFACE, I still consider myself an aesthetician. In fact, you’ll notice I still keep the “& Microcurrent Aesthetician” in all of my bios! I think it’s important to remain very involved with clients face-to-face (literally!) so that you can hear their needs and learn how to provide better treatments. In fact, my mom and I are both still practicing aestheticians to this day – treating clients to personalized treatments at our events at NuFACE HQ and the House of NuFACE!
We’re all about incorporating new things into our wind-down rituals. How does something like NuFACE contribute to better rest?
Many of us have experienced the relaxing sensation of a massage – gently stimulating the muscles in the body and releasing that tension and a face massage is just as relaxing
A NuFACE® Microcurrent Facial takes that soothing massage feeling to new heights. Imagine the benefits of a gua sha, facial roller, or ice roller on the skin, but elevated with clinically proven technology! The spheres give a cooling, massage sensation; the microcurrent penetrates the skin down to the muscles. You’ll glide the spheres upward and back on the neck, jawline, cheeks, and forehead to relax and unwind while giving the face a more youthful, sculpted appearance.
You can customize your experience with additional attachments, like the Wrinkle Reducer Attachment that we use in the NuFACE x Lunya Smart Wind Down Routine. This Red Light attachment combines red, amber, and infrared light to gently smooth fine lines and wrinkles on the skin’s surface. It’s a calming, simple treatment to do before bed to unwind. In clinical studies, red LED is even shown to aid in sleep (that’s a bonus!)
Being a CEO is a position that requires a ton of time and energy. How do you lean into better rest?
Creating a calm rest environment is so important. It’s really difficult to get your best rest when your space is chaotic. As an aesthetician, I think about how I create a relaxing environment for clients in the treatment room by stimulating the senses - sight, sound, touch – and I try to incorporate those same elements into my own rest routine to get my best rest.
Before bed, I love to light candles and indulge in a long bath to wash off the day. Then I’ll slip into something ultra-comfortable and dim the lights. Once I’m cozied up in bed, I’ll do a red light treatment with the TRINITY+ Wrinkle Reducer to smooth lines and wrinkles overnight.
What does getting a good night’s sleep mean to you?
Getting a good night’s sleep is the ultimate form of self-care. It’s telling yourself that you deserve rest. Sleep is so critical for me, I really need a full 8 hours to feel my best. I always know I’ve gotten good sleep when I wake up refreshed and ready to take on the day.
Rapid fire question time…
Organic Cotton or Silk to bed?
I adore a silk pillowcase and sleepwear. You’ve heard it before, but as a professional aesthetician, I can confirm: the smooth texture of silk keeps your face from creasing at night and is especially helpful for preventing wrinkles if you are a side or stomach sleeper – although I urge all my clients to try to sleep on their backs, as stomach sleeping is so harsh on your skin!
In the evening: Reading books or watching TV?
To be honest, I love to unwind with TV before bed. It gets my mind off the stress of the day – whether it’s business or the craziness of raising twins.
Long baths or long showers?
I adore a long, hot shower. Preferably with the yummiest-smelling body scrub and shower oil. Right now I’m loving Osea, but I’m also a huge fan of L’Occitane. I also love my Vitaclean shower head – it makes every shower a steam shower and makes my skin feel ultra hydrated.
What’s on your nightstand?
- I always keep my TRINITY+ on my nightstand because I love doing my skincare in bed, especially the Wrinkle Reducer Attachment while I’m watching tv.
- A big glass of mineral water so I can drink it as soon as I wake up.
- Chapstick and Hand cream. My mom always told me that if your face doesn’t give away your age, your hands will! So I try to keep them nourished and moisturized 24/7.
- My Washable Silk Sleep Mask (from Lunya, of course) – I swear I can’t sleep without it now!