Each month Yon-Ka Paris features our top spa partners as a way of helping you find the very best when it comes to luxury skincare experiences.
Due to their commitment to excellence when it comes to high touch, luxurious, and professional spa treatments, we award Laurie Espil-Goode (owner of Renew Esthetics) with our February 2023 “Partner of the Month”.
About Laurie Espil-Goode
Laurie Espil-Goode was born in Arizona. In 1987, now located in New Braunfels, Texas.
Initially thinking her life’s work would be as a teacher, she was instead encouraged by her sister to pivot to the beauty industry.
More than 31 years ago, she began her journey as an aesthetician and, in doing so, ended up creating one of the first day spas in Texas (Retreat Day Spa).
Having faced numerous challenges in running the day spa, she managed to overcome them to create a relaxing, inviting, peaceful, and charming atmosphere in her four different locations.
Fast-forward to today and Laurie is now owner of private med-spa practice, Renew Esthetics and is celebrating 30 years of a Yon-Ka Paris partnership.
Not only is she a veteran of the spa and beauty industry, she is also a Master Esthetician.
We sat down with her to find out how she’s built one of the most prestigious and well-liked med-spas in her area…
Bochi: Tell me about your first experience with Yon-Ka products and when you brought Yon-Ka to the Retreat Day Spa?
Laurie: That was really fun. Being a German community, as I stated earlier, I wanted to definitely honor that.
So I brought in two different German skincare lines and tried to make them work for me, but they were not what I was thrilled about. So I, in an ISPA Conference in Dallas, I heard about a place outside of Santa Fe, it’s called Ten Thousand Waves, and my son was looking at colleges and on a trip to Northern New Mexico, I took my husband and my son to 10,000 Waves.
I received a Yon-Ka facial and I was so surprised being from that part of the world. My skin wasn’t dry, irritated, dehydrated—none of those things. After I was out in that cold, dry weather after the facial, three days later, still loving my skin.
So I went home and. Worked for about another nine months with my German line. And then I went back to that spa, same esthetician, and she said, what took you so long? Why are you still not using Yon-Ka? And I said, because it’s, I don’t want to upset my community. And she said, they will be fine because it’s a European line.
Just go for it, you can do it. And lo and behold, in ‘92 I went with Yon-Ka. I was so young and intimidated by making changes in something that I had become collaborating with, with the German lines. But the minute I moved over to Yon-Ka, my whole life changed. My aesthetic department flourished immediately.
Bochi: I guess we can say that we’re celebrating your 30 year anniversary with us.
Laurie: It’s so amazing. Never looking back!
Bochi: Speaking with you, not only are you a business owner, but you’re also an aesthetician. So as an aesthetician, what are your favorite aspects of Yon-Ka treatments?
Laurie: I would say now that I’m in the medical aesthetics world it solidifies what I’ve always been amazed at.
So when you begin the treatment with the Phyto Bain warm essential oil immersed towel, I love the way that that settles the room. The aromas settle everything the minute the client comes in. But because now when I’m doing those more difficult procedures that are about to occur, I can go all the way to the demo step.
And so it’s of course the cleansing, the emulsion, and then going right on into the, the skin’s almost transformed so that I can go forward and make diagnosis as to what to do with the skin. So, my favorite part of Yon-Ka in the treatment world is the first few steps.
Bochi: Why do you still choose Yon-Ka now?
Laurie: I choose it because I can actually assess what I need to do with the customers or the patient’s skin. So I begin with Yon-Ka, one, to help them calm their nervous system. And then two, to be able to diagnose where to go with that person’s skin.
They may have said a lot of things in their consultation, but when I am actually hands on looking at their skin after the homage stuff, I know what I need to be doing with. So it’s even in my consultation, I will cleanse their skin, use the emulsion and do a treatment. And then I can tell them what I’ve evaluated that we should be doing with their skin as far as doing those medical grade treatments.
So I have to do that in order to prepare their skin for whatever procedure I’m going to perform on them. But then I love to be able to take them to a healing phase. When they go home using in their home care, I know their skin is going to heal properly.
So it’s a win-win and it makes it a guarantee that I will have no issues with their skin. I will check in with them after the procedure, maybe a day or two afterwards, and I already know the answer. I know that their skin is safe and fun. So Yon-K is a healer. And if you’re going to do something that takes their skin to a step that is much further than what they’ve been receiving at a spa I’m protecting myself and them with Yon-Ka.
Bochi: I love that. I always learn so much from you. So kind of a fun, maybe challenging question. What are your favorite your products, let’s say top five.
Laurie: Lotion PS, any of the Excellence Code products, and I really love Nude Perfect. Because, being from Texas, we wear a lot of sunscreen, but I wear a little foundation and that gives my skin a flawless look.
Bochi: Moving on to the next question. What are your highlights of a business partnership with Yon-Ka, what stands out to you?
Laurie: Well, I’ve been through several reps and I have enjoyed all of them. The training has never failed me, so that has helped me with the success of having.
For my six estheticians, I am positive they have received excellent training coaching from what they received from my Yon-Ka educators. So in all those years of having Yon-Ka from the very beginning, those trainers are amazing, superior representatives.
Bochi: Well, thank you. We absolutely value your partnership with us. Is there anything else you’d like to add?
Laurie: In a world that is requiring so much information, and that your clients receive so much information, to be able to hone it down to the solid education that I have received from Yon-Ka makes it so that I have no problem communicating to my clients what I’m doing for them, what the product is doing for them, and it all goes back to the work that you guys have done for us. So thank you. It makes it very easy to be an esthetician in a changing world.
My biggest highlight was going to Paris.
Catherine took care of us and put us into a beautiful. Little boutique hotel in the seventh run and, and my daughter-in-law and I got to be picked up in this beautiful black Mercedes. They took us out to the headquarters and there they were showing me what they do in the operations there in Paris.
I was in the laboratory and I got to meet the scientists and saw how the essential oils that are sustainably produced. And to hear about the farmers that they purchased the products from, and then to watch them manufacturing them.
Oh, it was, it was a dream come true. So, so beautifully orchestrated.
Bochi: That’s so special. I’m so glad that you were able to go visit our headquarters in Paris and especially you because you have such a passion for Yon-Ka and so for me that that even means so much more that you were able to go.
Laurie: The female owned operation that is specific to making sure that everything that they produce is remarkable. It’s not generated in some huge lab. It’s, it’s perfect. Everything about Yon-Ka is so well done. I’m honored to be carrying it.
Bochi: So, Laurie, is there anything else that you want to share with us before we conclude this interview?
Laurie: I would say that it’s through all that I’ve seen in the 31 years of owning a small business that if there was something I wanted to tell other people that are considering opening up a day spot or beginning a day spot is to utilize the Yon-Ka staff. They have always make you feel welcomed and don’t be don’t be concerned about a silly question because there is no silly question.
Economic times are tenuous. We don’t know what’s happening. Even through recessions in the past I kept using Yon-Ka, and it made me a better aesthetician, a better business owner, and it made the customers so satisfied.
Bochi: I understand what you’re saying. I love that too. It’s that the investment is worth it, right? So yes, it might be considered a luxury line, but the results are there.
Laurie: Oh, it so pays off it in so many ways. There’ll be no regrets at all, ever.
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