My Journey as a Licensed Esthetician
Hey there! It seems only right that my first blog post be an introduction so here we go. As I’m sure you have figured out by the name of this website, my name is Ava Lemons and I’m a licensed esthetician. I’ve been in practice for nearly 18 years now. Before I start spilling all my skincare knowledge, I’d love to to share my journey that lead me to esthetics so we can build trust and community. Read on!
How It Started
When I started, I was 18 years old, a bit apprehensive about college, and thought I wanted to be a makeup artist. I had only had two facials ever at this point and did not even know that the talented women who performed those services were called estheticians. After poking around a bit on the Internet, I found and esthetician school and immediately enrolled- much to my family’s skepticism. I know their hearts were in the right place- their main concern was that a trade certification wouldn’t take me as far in life as a degree.
I’ve always been determined (or stubborn, depending on who you ask), so in January 2003, I moved out of my childhood home in Chicago and to the sleepy town of Wheaton, IL to begin my esthetics education. On my nineteenth birthday, I received the gift I wanted the most: a job offer at an Aveda spa that I had my eyes on since before I graduated school. Once hired, they sent me for continued education courses at the Aveda school in Chicago’s Lincoln Park neighborhood. This inspired my career-long love of learning as much as I can about skincare: tips, techniques, ingredients, and the science behind it all.
I spent 6 months at this spa performing facials, makeup applications, and waxing services. I was proficient in all of these, but my desire to become a makeup artist began to wane, and I never enjoyed being a waxer. Facials were my favorite, but at this time, estheticians were expected to be able to perform all these treatments. I moved on to two other spas, over the next decade until I began to realize I wasn’t as fulfilled as I knew I could be. I felt like the spas I worked at were only a job, and esthetics was my career.
In spring 2014, I took another giant leap and decided within the span of 11 days that I was going to hold a yard sale to get rid of most of my earthly possessions and move to Los Angeles. It took me quite a while to settle into my new West Coast life, but by the summer of 2018, I hit the jackpot and landed a job at Heyday Skincare. What drew me to Heyday was they only provide facial treatments- no waxing, no lash services, no body treatments. They even forwent the archaic paper forms that clients filled out (and often got lost in high volume spas) and kept client records electronically so they were always accessible. This really aligned with my visions of a modern niche place to work.
How It’s Going
Above all, my thirst for learning was quenched by the education stipend Heyday offered which allowed me to take continuing education classes that may otherwise have been unaffordable. To date I’ve gotten advanced education in LED light therapy, skin analysis, and different forms of facial massage.
My biggest accomplishments though are the long term connections I’ve built with my clients. My clientele is like family to me. I love being a part of their lives, and a highlight to their day. It’s the most rewarding part of the job. I cannot express how much fulfillment and happiness I get seeing the same beautiful people month after month. It’s more than a paycheck, being an esthetician is my entire being. Which leads me to the creation of this blog.
Where I’m Headed
While a blog can’t top the one-on-one client interaction of a facial: the power of gentle, healing touch, and the organic conversations, I feel it is a way to further share my gifts. The last few years I’ve really owned up to and stepped into my calling as an esthetician, and I have the intention to reach out to as many people as possible. The creation of this blog is the best way I know how to continue to build community and share my knowledge.
Moreover, I’m shocked by the amount of misinformation in the online world in regards to skincare. Estheticians’ voices have been pushed to the back while influencers and celebrities who lack an educational background in skincare are seen as a source of truth. Some of the information I’ve stumbled across is simply bad advice while others borders on dangerous. I want to be a trusted source that cuts through the noise and allows people to understand their own unique skin and how it should be treated.
I am so honored and excited to have you join me now and invite you to become an active participant of this blog. If you have any ideas on subject matter you would like to see me cover, I welcome you to submit those ideas to help me keep the content fresh and relevant to you. I really look forward to you reading along to find out what I have in store next.
Your Esthetician and Best Friend,
Ava Lemons
