SKINutritious // Holistic Acne Clinic

I had never had acne until I hit 30 and was in the midst of wedding planning. 9 months before my wedding, I started to get cystic acne on one side of my face. Each month that got closer to the big day, the acne became progressively worse. The acne was painful and each one left a hyper pigmentation mark. I was trying everything from proactive to drugstore cleansers, steroid injections and laser treatments by dermatologists. Nothing helped until I found Elise. Elise is a miracle worker! I had 3 months before my wedding and she helped change the way I felt about myself walking down the aisle. I was back to my confident self and able to wear my hair up which I did not think would be possible. The diet, lifestyle tips, skin care regimen and treatments have changed my skin and my life. Elise is professional, warm and so passionate about her work and her clients. Anytime I had a question she would immediately respond. Not to say I never get a pimple here and there, but they are not cystic and they go away much quicker. I can not thank Elise enough for helping change my skin and the way I feel about mysel!

I guess I’ve had a Unilocal account for years now, but I’ve never felt the need to review anything till now. Elise has been an absolute life saver for my skin and my well-​being. I have been suffering from acne since age 13, and at 22 years old, I was seriously sick of it. Like most other people, I had tried EVERYTHING on my stubborn, sensitive skin and nothing worked long term. I had even tried all of the natural remedies out there, but nothing worked. I was so hopeless for so long, until I moved to SF and found Elise. Not only is she well-​informed about acne, but she also knows so much about health and that is seriously hard to find. She clears your skin from the outside AND the inside.
From day one, she has been so sweet, caring, and understanding. She teaches you all about how your LIFE affects your skin (stress, diet, hormones). After the consultation, I seriously felt inspired by her knowledge and her pure, good vibes. After the first treatment, I could see results– not kidding. I knew my skin was loving it already. She also suggests vitamins/​supplements if she feels that’s something you need, and she literally created a whole booklet and ebook/​cookbook for you to have as well. I was willing to try anything she told me, so I started taking the vitamins she recommended and I also started eating healthier (although I was already plant-​based) and I started using many of her products. I am not exaggerating when I say that all of it worked harmoniously and my skin has never looked better. I didn’t even think it was possible for my skin to be this clear for this long.
The ‘after’ picture I posted here was from October, and that was only a few months into treatment. My skin just keeps getting better and better.
I highly recommend Elise to anyone who not only wants clear skin, but who wants to change their life for the better. Unfortunately, I have to move away from SF so I won’t be able to see Elise for a while, but I’ll be continuing all of the life tips she has taught me and I will definitely continue to use all of her products (which by the way, are all wonderful. I’ve tried a lot of them and none of them have broke me out, they’ve only done wonders for my skin). I don’t know how she does it, but it’s like magic.
Thank you for everything, Elise! I am eternally grateful for all that you do.

This is definitely a higly overdue review that I’ve been meaning to do for a while now. I initially came to elise almost 3 years ago. She is hands down the sweetest and most informed person. Not just about acne, but overall health as well.
Background: I have had acne since I was in my early teens and have literally tried everything (I’m 23 now). Antibiotic creams, oral contraceptives, and even accutane. They would work for the time being, until my body was used to it or I stopped using them.
At that time (about 3 years ago), I couldn’t afford the ‘every two weeks’ or ‘monthly’ facial, due to the fact that I lived in San Ramon and other financial reasons. It was either daily regimen products, or facials every month. So the last few years, I’d use her products and see her for facials when I could.
Fast-​forward to present day, my skin is so much better than it was when I first saw her. I’m planning to go to her for facials more diligently until my skin is where I’d like it to be.
Although my skin isn’t currently pimple-​free, her facials, in conjunction with lifestyle changes and her products will without a doubt make a difference. I live around the San Jose area and don’t mind the drive to see her for facials. I wouldn’t go to anyone else :)

My entire life I have had horrible acne. I tired many products and nothing seemed to work. After looking for acne relief on Unilocal,I came across Elise and hit the jack pot! She is wonderful and incredibly nice. Best of all, she can cure acne!!! After a month of using her products and some facials, I had clear, soft skin. I cried when I finally saw my face clear and soft. I never thought I would have clear skin but Elise made that possible. She deserves an award! A million thanks to Elise.

So, of all the times I’ve used Unilocal,I’ve never written a review for anyone. My experience with Elise was so amazing I had to share! Elise was so wonderful when I went in for my initial visit a couple days ago. I have struggled with acne for 15 years and it has had its ups and downs. After about a year of clear skin with break outs here and there, for some reason, a couple weeks ago my entire face broke out into pimples that were red, achy and painful. Nothing I was doing at home was helping. I make my own skincare products to ensure good quality ingredients, but even using those wasn’t helping. I usually get 5 – 6 new small pimples everyday and usually I can take care of them, but this time was different.
I have REALLY hard to manage, dry eczema type skin on my face and the more dry it gets the more I break out. So, it’s not the typical oily skin = acne. Within 3 days of using the products from Elise I have ZERO new pimples and the ones I did have ALL went away. I do have hyperpigmentation left from the breakout, which is very common for me, but no inflammation.
As someone who has had to deal with acne for 15 years, I have done the whole journey from multiple dermatologist, medications, accutane, prescription topicals and finally a couple years ago, switching to natural skin care products made at home from various carrier oils, essentials oils and home made exfoliants but NONE of them have cleared my skin so quickly as the products I purchased from Elise.
If you have problem skin, even skin you may think is so unique and untreatable, Elise may just be your person! In a matter of a couple days, she has made me feel so much better about my skin and hopefully that it will continue to improve!

Elise is the absolute best, and I don’t know what i’d do without her. I used to have terrible hormonal acne and pigmentation, and she’s cleared it up. I’ve seen multiple dermatologists, taken several types of medicine, and had laser procedures done, but nothing’s ever made much of a difference. Elise showed me how to make minor lifestyle changes and use healthier products, and within weeks I saw a difference.
She’s also incredibly warm and welcoming, and creates an incredibly soothing and relaxing experience. She’s always a joy to talk to, and she’s never tries to push products or appointments. Once you meet her you’ll immediately understand that her end goal is to help improve your skin and life. You won’t find anyone as honest and helpful as Elise in this business :)

After two years of acne filled fun i decided to go see Elise. I hadn’t had a facial in 10 years and decided it might be worth trying after 2 years of dermatologists and prescriptions. What made me choose Elise was the fact that she was also a nutritionist. Elise is very welcoming and the experience of getting a facial was very relaxing. I really feel like what helped my skin the most was the diet plan she gave me. I think it is something i will stick with for life as it really helped with a lot of the digestion issues i was having as well as the hormonal acne. I also really liked how simple the ingredients were in her products they were very gentle and non irritating. Although I am back to my prescription differin and no longer using Elise’s skincare line, I really feel like Elise gave my skin the jumpstart it needed to finally clear up. Also her peels really helped fade the scarring I had on my cheeks i noticed this after the third appointment i had with her.

Oh my goodness, I love Elise! She is the absolute loveliest. She is full of knowledge when it comes to skincare. I’ve been going to SKINutritious for almost two years now and she has completely transformed my skin. I have struggled with acne since high school, temporarily disappearing only to reappear in my mid-​twenties. I had some bad cystic acne around my jaw and temple as well as scarring and dark spots from the picking I had done. But today, it’s been a looooong time since I’ve had anything cystic and my skin is looking better than ever. I love Elise’s philosophy, her products are the best ever, and I trust her advice and judgement implicitly. I couldn’t recommend her any more highly. Thank you, Elise!

Elise completely transformed my skin!!! She not only cleared the acne on the surface, but also got to the root cause of what was causing my breakouts. She truly cares about her patients and is extremely knowledgable about the nutritional aspects of acne. Its been almost a year of seeing Elise and now I come in for maintenance treatments, continue to use her products and my skin has never looked better. Thank you Elise, I’m so glad I found you!

I am in my early thirties and although my skin was never terrible, it has never been great since my 20s. I accepted it because I didn’t want harsh antibiotics on my face. I wasn’t a believer that natural products worked… and then I found Elise! What I love about her is that she met me where I am — she looked at my diet and found some triggers and was able to put in some and trial and error until finding out what activated breakouts (milk hello I’m talking to you). She also knows there are things that happen and our diets can’t be perfect always, so she has some products that are really good. I’m a huge bel

Acne has been something I’ve struggled with for several years now. I’ve been to every kind of dermatologist, tried many different treatments, and have been on an antibiotic for the past two years. I discovered Elise on Unilocal and after reading the reviews and deciding to go, I’m so glad I did.
Not only is Elise a beautiful soul, she is an extremely talented esthetician. From the moment I met her she has been nothing but welcoming, kind, and supportive. As someone who is very into health and nutrition, I was thrilled to learn that Elise’s skincare program involves living a healthy lifestyle and nourishing mind, body, and spirit. Her skincare products are AMAZING and I honestly look forward to my treatment days with her because it feels like I’m in a spa. After about 3 months of regular treatments and guidance, my skin is the best its been in a while and I have had multiple people tell me that my skin is «glowing!» In addition, I was able to completely get off my antibiotic.
To sum it up, if you are looking for an honest and natural way to take of your skin, see Elise. You won’t be disappointed.

This review is just simply to say a huge ‘THANK YOU” to Elise and to give a «RECOMMENDATION SHOUT OUT» to her practice SKINutritious!
We cannot say enough about what Elise has taught and done for our son. Her treatments, products, and diet/​lifestyle recommendations have finally cleared up his acne after years and years of trying virtually everything out there?
Elise has performed a «miracle» in our eyes. And we will be forever grateful!

I had such a great experience with Elise’s treatments. For about a year, I suffered from mild to moderate hormonal/​stress acne. After trying many products that just didn’t work, I finally went to see Elise for a consultation – and that was the most enlightening session I have ever had! I learned so much about how my diet, stress and hormones could affect my skin. A lot of it made so much sense as Elise explained different factors such as milk, stress, lack of sleep, and hormones and how they correlate to my breakouts. She has helped me improve my eating habits as well as with adapting a stress free life.
As for the treatments, I always leave with amazing skin that still keeps me glowing even days to week after! The clover oil and mandelic exfoliant that she recommended have been my HG skin serums. I’m almost done with my 2^nd bottle!
I have incorporated other natural and non-​natural products that have helped keep my skin clear for the past 3 – 4 months now. The only concern I have now are the hyper-​pigmentation, but they are fading, slowly but I can definitely see an improvement.
I haven’t gone to get a facial in the past 4 months, as I didn’t really need it. But I will definitely keep buying my serums from Elise!

I have struggled with acne most of my life. I needed someone who was going to get down to the bottom of was going on with skin once and for all with a natural approach. No more hard prescriptions. I was over ALL OF IT.
As a holistic practitioner myself I am very picky about what I put into my body. When I sat with Elise for my first visit I was totally inspired by all her knowledge. She takes skincare to a whole new level by focusing on the inside as well as the outside.
I’ve been going to see Elise at least once a month for the past few months and I can honestly say she is the best thing that happened to my skin. I don’t break out as often, my skin is smooth, glowing and feels like it’s never been healthier.
I also absolutely LOVE her skincare line she developed herself. I mean, really, can this girl get any more amazing?
Thank you Elise for being you and all the services you provide to keep us glowing and healthy.

I just want to say thank you to everyone who has reviewed Elise. You’re reviews helped me feel comfortable with going to her. I went today for my initial consult and 1^st treatment.
Let me say from walking inside I felt comfortable, welcomed, and excited. Elise was super nice and very detailed in everything she was speaking to me about. If I didn’t know what something was she explained it to me. I have NEVER felt so comfortable with allowing someone to touch my face.
I enjoyed my first visit can’t wait to see my progress and share the next time I see her.
I’m ready for the change internally to help heal the external. Thank you Elise for the confidence!

*This review may be helpful to ladies who are on a smaller budget.* If you are on a tight budget, it can be hard to know what is worth saving up for and investing in. I just had an initial consultation with Elise and it was definitely an excellent investment because you get so much personalized information. As a student on a tight budget, I also really appreciated that she is not one of those business people who tries to push a million products and services on you that you can’t afford. She really spent a lot of time getting to know my individual situation and made realistic recommendations for my lifestyle. I am also certain that the information I received will not only help my skin, but my overall health and well being too! I really want to try some of her special treatments and products in the future. Thank you Elise!

Elise is fantastic! I have struggled with skin issues for my entire adult life and within a few months of working with her my complexion has drastically improved. Elise takes a holistic and comprehensive approach to understanding all of your skin needs, including considerations for diet, lifestyle and genetic predispositions. The scheduling process is completed through her easy to use website and her office is conveniently located several blocks from the 16^th St BART stop. Outside of my appointments, Elise has been really responsive to emails and happy to offer suggestions on a variety of subjects… If you have done the dermatologist route, as I did for years, and seen no results– it’s time to to check out Elise!

I found Elise on Unilocal and the reviews are true — her practice is amazing. She knows more about acne than anyone I’ve ever met!
Elise has the science and research behind her claims about skin health, which is far more than I can say than my experiences with dermatologists. When I was seeing her on a bi-​weekly basis, my skin was amazing and my acne cleared up quickly. My pigmentation from past breakouts FINALLY started to fade thanks to the products she recommended. Her cookbook came with delicious, inspiring recipes that I still use quite often. I highly recommend investing in the products she recommends, especially the clove oil & mandelic acid.
Even though I’m not seeing Elise anymore, I’m following her recommended diet, cleansing, and supplement regimen. My acne did come back, unfortunately (stressss), but my skin is 75% clearer than it used to be. I’m super grateful for the progress that Elise helped me make.
One thing to note: Definitely don’t cancel an appointment with less than 12 hours notice, because you’ll be charged for it. (I never miss appointments but happened to have a debilitating migraine one day. It was unfortunate that I had to lose out on ~$ 100 because of it.)

Elise is the best! I’ll preface this review by saying that I unexpectedly had a bout of cystic acne now in my 20s and was completely devastated/​had no idea what to do. Turns out, it was related to diet. I visited a traditional dermatologist who was terrible (see the review here:
for the full story) and then found Elise literally as I was sitting in my car outside the office of this dermatologist, near tears and desperate for real help.
Many months later, my cystic acne is completely gone (credit also goes to my integrative MD who helped fix a lot of the internal stuff!) and I see Elise every month or so, to help diminish acne scarring. Her products and her methods are so consistently effective, it’s incredible. I’ve never had SO much consistent success with any face product. My favorite is her clove oil serum, which dissolves acne like magic for me.
She’s also incredibly sweet, genuine, and helpful and it’s such a treat to go see her!
If you’re even considering seeing her for skin problems, I couldn’t recommend her highly enough. Please don’t continue to use harsh products from traditional derms on your face, that treat the symptoms of acne and not the cause! If you have recurring skin problems, your body is trying to tell you something. A holistic approach is the only way to go to really resolve these issues and I haven’t come across anyone else who is as effective as Elise at targeting and eliminating problem skin.

For my 400^th review I thought it only be fitting to deviate from reviewing food for a brief moment.
My story is pretty typical, acne since 16, tried everything I could from proactive all the way to seeing a dermatologist but yet still could find no relief. I seriously had given up and accepted that acne was here to stay and that was that. Well, I’m not one to give up so after getting over my frustration I did some research and decided it was time to seek help from a source I never considered, a esthetician.
I had no idea what I was getting into but I knew I had to try something new and hopefully was in good hands. I 100% agree with Liz, Elise demonstrates a clear passion for what she does and really wants to help others feel good about their skin. I was even more impressed by her level of empathy and understanding of what I had experienced and was so forthcoming about her own.
What could have been an extremely embarrassing and vulnerable time turned out to be an amazing, lighthearted experience. She was engaging, caring and thorough, everything I would want from someone to help me through this process. It was definitely uncomfortable at first discussing my acne with Elise especially since her skin was amazing and secondly she was a girl! However, I was quickly put to ease by her easy going demeanor which really helped me to feel less awkward.
Here’s me to a new experience and hopefully 1 month from now I will see some change! No promises but who knows!
Overall Thoughts
While I am uncertain if this path I am on will change my life, I am certainly glad I started my journey with Elise.