Worthy Convos: Danay Sweet, The Beauty Builder

Danay Sweet wants to get under your skin. As the owner of The Beauty Builder, a facial spa that only stocks its shelves with natural products, Sweet loves nothing more than to treat, educate and remind her clients that SPF is their BFF.

You are passionate about skin care. Is there a particular event that inspired your zeal- a bad sunburn or another painful/traumatic experience? 

My passion originates from a “wanting to help people” background. I was dead set on becoming a nurse but then my whole world was flipped upside down in 2011. My mom, who was my best bud, got diagnosed with stage 3 breast cancer. I spent so much time with her at appointments for chemotherapy and eventually the hospital. During this time, I quickly realized that nursing was not for me. I’m a super empathetic person, and the hospital setting was just too hard for me. After my mom passed in 2012, I still wanted to help people and sought after a career in skin care. It is 100% my calling. I get to help people and make them feel beautiful.

Photo courtesy of Danay Sweet

What is this Skin Classic treatment that The Beauty Builder offers? 

The Skin Classic direct high frequency technology is an affordable non-laser treatment for minor skin irregularities such as telangiectasis (broken capillaries), cherry angiomas, keratosis, fibromas, skin tags, hyperpigmentation, milia, sebaceous hyperplasia, and acne. Skin Classic treatments are quick, virtually painless, and work strictly on the epidermis to address common skin irregularities as the skin ages.

There are thousands of tempting and convincing beauty products out there. How can a consumer make an educated purchase?

Get your skin care advice from a professional. I hear about a new product every day and it’s an uphill battle trying to stay knowledgeable about all of them. Now that social media influencers are so prominent in our society, estheticians have our work cut out for us. Bottom line, we spent thousands of dollars to get licensed and pay so much money to stay educated about the most beneficial ingredients for the skin. Find an esthetician with experience and good reviews. Invest in one that takes time to educate you. I promise you I know more than the girl getting paid to advertise to you on Tik Tok.

Let’s talk facial peels. What are they exactly? It sounds medieval, especially when the word ‘chemical’ is in front of it.

Peels have gotten a bad reputation since that episode of Sex in the City where Samantha looks like a lobster. Let me tell you, peels have come a LONG way. Chemical just means it’s a form of exfoliation that works internally in the skin. There are many forms of chemical exfoliation. Some are superficial and some go a little deeper into the skin’s epidermis (your top layer.) Chemical peels target issues like fine lines, wrinkles, sun damage, and acne. On the flip side, services like scrubs & microdermabrasion, are considered mechanical exfoliation. These work externally on the surface to target concerns like texture and tone. Chemical peels are my favorite thing to perform but are best performed in a series in the colder parts of the year for best results.

What are a few of your favorite products?

I have worked with many clinical skin care lines and have finally landed on a line I adore and so do my clients. I carry Lira Clinical which is a clean crafted line that is plant stem cell based. The ingredients are sourced from the highest quality and work alongside your skin microbiome to improve it from the inside out. My favorites include Bio Hydra C serum which stimulates collagen and protects you from free radical damage. I also love the Mystiq beauty oil which helps hydrate the skin, balance your natural oil production, and gives the skin a beautiful glow. Lastly, and the ONE thing everyone should use, SPF!!! Solar Shield SPF with Tint is my go-to recommendation because it’s zinc oxide base but doesn’t leave you with a white film. It’s lightweight and perfect year-round. Sunscreen is your skin’s BFF as it protects you from UVA & UVB damage.

Women shouldn’t be the only ones focusing on skin care. Do your services and products treat the other species (men) too?

Absolutely! I like doing men’s facials, they are usually not the ones seeking out skin care services. I blame this on big brand marketing to men with products that do it all. If you scroll a men’s all-in-one product off the shelf, it will usually do all of these: cleanse, moisturize, shampoo, condition, brake fluid, & make you an omelet. I kid, but why is it that men only need one product in the shower and women need 76 different products on their counter? Most of my male clients come from referrals from their wives, moms, girlfriends, or fiancé. I want to help change the culture that its industry only geared towards women. Men deserve to be pampered and have pretty skin too!

If you could convince people to do one thing for their skin health, what would it be?

GET YOUR GUT IN CHECK! I talk about this with everyone. Your gut is directly attached to your skin. Your skin is your largest organ and it detoxes just like your liver and kidneys. If your gut health is off, your skin will suffer. I educate everyone about the effects of sugar, dairy, and processed foods on the skin. I’m also big into learning about your sleep schedule and water intake. Hormones play a huge role on our overall health. It’s imperative that all these things are working as one big happy ecosystem. They work as a team, but when one is not participating, the team fails. This is the part of my job I love. With The Beauty Builder, you get more than just a facial. You get a dedicated esthetician that has spent years learning and educating herself on the things that help the skin externally and internally.

Although she prefers burnt orange to purple, Hannah Bush is happy to call Fort Worth her new home. She began freelance writing a few years ago to break up the monotony of her 9 to 5 and to prove to her parents that she’s making good use of her journalism degree. When she’s not hanging out with her cat, Hannah can likely be found on a patio with her brand new husband, talking about her cat.