Today we’d like to introduce you to Maya Bethke
Hi Maya, thanks for sharing your story with us. To start, maybe you can tell our readers some of your backstory.
My story begins in Ukraine, where some of my earliest memories trace back to when I was just 4 or 5 years old. I would accompany my grandmother into the forests to gather various herbs, flowers, roots, and plants, all of which had incredible healing properties. We would also collect wild berries, mushrooms, and even certain fruits from trees—many of which I don’t even know the English names for. These outings were so frequent that by the time I was 6, I had my own little wagon, just like my grandmother’s, to carry back our harvest.
Our house was always filled with the rich, earthy scent of herbs. It was a unique aroma that made a lasting impression on anyone who visited. People often commented on the distinctive smell, likening it to a blend of essential oils. My grandmother would dry many of the herbs, cook them, and grind them into special mixtures. She possessed an extensive knowledge of natural remedies, a wisdom passed down from her grandmother.
While my great-grandmother was known as a healer of all kinds of ailments, my grandmother focused specifically on the skin. She was like a skin wizard, capable of treating even the most severe forms of dermatitis or acne with her herbal remedies. Her approach wasn’t just about topical treatments; she created special mixtures for people to drink, cleansing the gut, which she believed was the key to healthy skin. She always said, “Everything starts with the gut.” If your gut is clean, your skin will be easier to heal. Conversely, if your gut is suffering, no amount of external treatment will be truly effective.
From a clean gut stems a strong immune system, a healthy liver, and well-functioning kidneys. My grandmother’s teachings instilled in me a deep understanding that the foundation of our overall health, including the health of our skin, is rooted in the gut.
One of the most powerful remedies my grandmother used for gut health was her fermented cabbage, a simple yet effective recipe passed down through generations. She would begin by chopping large quantities of cabbage and shredding a few carrots into the mix. Then, she added a bit of sugar, salt, and pepper, and would thoroughly massage the ingredients together, pressing the cabbage until it became soft. This mixture was then packed tightly into a glass container, weighed down with something heavy, and left at room temperature to ferment for 2-3 days. Once fermented, it was transferred into glass jars and stored in the fridge, where it would keep for a long time.
When people came to her with various skin conditions, the first thing she would do was offer them a jar of this fermented cabbage, teaching them the recipe as a foundation for their healing journey. But her use of cabbage didn’t stop there. She would also create a probiotic face mask from the fermented cabbage. After chilling it in the fridge, she would grind it using a manual meat grinder, although today a blender would work just as well. This cold, fermented cabbage was then applied to the face as a powerful remedy for acne and anti-aging properties.
Following the probiotic mask, my grandmother would use natural clay mixed with dried herbs as a secondary treatment. Her ability to assess a person’s skin and know exactly which ingredients would heal it was nothing short of remarkable. Through her treatments, I witnessed incredible transformations, watching as people’s skin healed and their confidence was restored.
We lived in a very poor household, without even basic amenities like a phone or indoor plumbing. Yet, my grandmother was a provider in her own way, attracting people from near and far who sought her healing touch. I would often see cars parked outside our home, with people eagerly waiting to see her. Even though she never charged for her services, people would leave us gifts of honey, potatoes, or sometimes money, in gratitude for the relief she brought them. It wasn’t uncommon to wake up in the morning to find a bag of potatoes and a heartfelt note of thanks left in our yard.
My grandmother never asked for anything in return, believing that her true calling in life was to help others. Her generosity and selflessness left a lasting impact on everyone she touched, and her legacy of healing lives on through the lessons she taught me.
Witnessing the transformative results my grandmother achieved with her natural remedies, I knew from a young age that I wanted to continue her work. By the time I was 8 or 9 years old, I had decided that I would become an aesthetician. I loved seeing the happiness and renewed confidence in the people my grandmother helped. Initially, I wanted to focus exclusively on plant-based medicine, but my grandmother advised me to combine the wisdom of nature with scientific knowledge, so I could offer a more comprehensive approach to skin care.
To pursue this path, I enrolled in a medical university in Ukraine that had an aesthetics department, where I studied for two and a half years. My mentor was a professor who specialized in dermatology and aesthetics, guiding me to become a medical aesthetician. However, when I moved to the United States, my Ukrainian license wasn’t recognized, and the university no longer existed to validate my credentials. Determined to continue my career, I decided to go back to school in the U.S. to obtain a license that would allow me to practice.
But before that, I had a life-changing experience. Just three weeks before graduating, I met a man from Israel. We fell in love, and he invited me to move with him to Israel, where his sister, also an aesthetician, could help me build my career. In Israel, I spent the first year learning Hebrew and helping around her spa, Dreamland Spa. After a year and two months, I got my first client, marking the beginning of my aesthetician career.
Over the next several years, I gained extensive experience, working at Dreamland Spa in Israel, then helping to establish new branches in Croatia, Cyprus, and the Dominican Republic. In each location, I played a key role in managing, training, and expanding the business. However, when I moved to Kansas after marrying my first husband, I faced significant challenges because my license wasn’t recognized, and I couldn’t practice as an aesthetician. This setback led me to return to the Dominican Republic, where I could continue my work.
Eventually, my husband convinced me to move back to the U.S., this time to San Diego. Determined to follow my calling, I enrolled in a cosmetology program to earn a California aesthetician license. Finally, with all the knowledge and experience I had gained, I decided to open my own spa in 2017. And that’s how Kiwi Spa was born.
Kiwi Spa started as a single-room operation, but I always dreamed of creating a space where two people—whether they were friends, family, or partners—could enjoy facials together. I found a room large enough to fit two beds and began building my clientele. I named it Kiwi Spa because the kiwi fruit is a superfood, beneficial for both our bodies and our skin. One of my favorite skincare recipes involves mixing kiwi with coffee to create a mask. When applied, this mask exfoliates the skin while the kiwi’s natural acids penetrate deeply, boosting the skin’s glow, firming it, and infusing it with essential vitamins. The result is instantly radiant and rejuvenated skin. There are several reasons why I chose the name “Kiwi Spa.” Firstly, kiwis are always natural and never genetically modified. Secondly, the pattern of a sliced kiwi, with its vibrant green center, is not only visually uplifting but also scientifically proven to have a positive effect on mental health. Studies from New Zealand, where the kiwi is the national fruit, show that regularly viewing this pattern can increase serotonin levels, helping to alleviate depression. In fact, it’s recommended to place a kiwi poster in the bedrooms of those suffering from depression as a natural mood booster. Additionally, green is the color of life and my favorite color. Kiwi is also my favorite fruit, symbolizing vitality and happiness. Altogether, these reasons made “Kiwi Spa” the perfect name, and our clients love it.
In the beginning, I offered free custom facials in exchange for Yelp and Google reviews, as well as social media posts. This strategy quickly helped me build a loyal clientele. In the first month, I hired my first aesthetician, Luna, who has been with Kiwi Spa since 2017. Over time, we expanded, first by renting additional rooms in the same complex, allowing us to accommodate more clients simultaneously, and then by adding new services like a VR lounge.
Today, Kiwi Spa is a thriving business in San Diego, known for its commitment to natural and effective skincare, and I couldn’t be prouder of how far we’ve come.
At Kiwi Spa, we take pride in offering a truly unique experience rooted in our commitment to the purest, natural, vegan, and cruelty-free ingredients. All our ingredients are locally sourced from family-owned farms across the United States, ensuring the highest quality. While 25% of our ingredients are certified organic, the remaining 75% are equally pure, even though they lack formal organic certification. Our dedication to purity is uncompromising, as we believe that only the best nature has to offer should touch our clients’ skin.
When COVID-19 struck, many businesses faced uncertainty, but we saw an opportunity to fulfill a long-held dream. With our spa closed for several months, I decided to turn this challenge into a chance to create something extraordinary. I borrowed $250,000 and invested it into formulating an all-natural, vegan, cruelty-free skincare line inspired by the traditional recipes of my grandmother. However, I wanted to take these timeless remedies to the next level by incorporating medical-grade molecules, which are much smaller and can penetrate the skin more deeply. Throughout my career as an aesthetician, I’ve seen that the best results come from these advanced formulations, and I was determined to merge my grandmother’s wisdom with modern science.
The journey began with creating our first skincare products based on my grandmother’s recipes. While effective, the initial formulations had a few challenges—they were a bit too potent, and the texture wasn’t quite right for modern skincare. I wasn’t satisfied with anything less than perfection, so I brought in an expert biochemist to refine the formulas. This led me to partner with Tony Vogel from Dermodality, who helped us create some of our most powerful serums and peels. Additionally, we enlisted Annabell Catania , another skilled biochemist, to develop our deodorants, cleansers, toners, moisturizers, and sunscreens.
Today, Kiwi Spa proudly offers 20 meticulously crafted products, with more on the horizon. These products deliver remarkable, transformative results for our clients, and our latest innovation—the 21-Day Skin Transformation Kit—takes this a step further. This kit is a masterpiece, combining our best products with powerful tools like the Gua Sha, Dermaroller, and Dermaplaning tools, along with detailed video instructions for at-home facials. Whether our clients live far away or prefer the convenience of home treatments, this kit provides spa-quality results from the comfort of their own space.
The 21-Day Skin Transformation Kit is divided into three main components. First, it includes a day and night regimen, covering all the essentials for daily skincare. Second, it offers a mini-facial that clients can easily perform at home once a week, delivering immediate, visible results. The third component is very important, it’s our Deep Pore Cleansing Facial which is essential for anyone starting to use our skincare products. This facial is crucial because it deeply cleanses the pores, effectively preparing the skin to fully absorb active ingredients. The facial includes self-extractions, a custom peel, and a special enzyme that pre-opens the pores, ensuring that your skin is ready to receive the maximum benefits from our products. This facial is comparable to the professional treatments you would typically receive at a spa. However, with our kit and detailed instructional videos, you can achieve the same results from the comfort of your own home. This deep pore cleansing process is vital for achieving clear, healthy skin and enhancing the effectiveness of our entire skincare line.
For those who desire a personalized touch, we offer complimentary Zoom consultations to customize each kit to individual needs. We’re proud of what we’ve created, and the feedback from our clients has been overwhelmingly positive. Over the past seven years, Kiwi Spa has served over 15,000 clients from 27 states and 15 different countries. We’ve earned glowing reviews on Yelp, Google, and TripAdvisor, thanks to our dedication to providing the best customer service. We follow up with each client, offering custom regimens and ongoing support to ensure their skin continues to thrive.
One of the most unique assets of Kiwi Spa is our Jet Peel Technology. Jet Peel is not a chemical peel, but a transdermal infusion. This innovative technology, originating from Israel, uses pure oxygen combined with medical-grade ingredients, delivered to the dermal layer of the skin at an incredible speed of 777 miles per hour. This treatment is non-invasive, highly effective, and exclusive to Kiwi Spa—making us the only spa in San Diego to offer this advanced service.
Our success stories are documented on our YouTube channel, where we showcase the incredible transformations our clients experience. All our models are local to San Diego and are happy to share their results with anyone interested. Their glowing skin speaks volumes about the effectiveness of our products and treatments.
Looking to the future, we envision Kiwi Spa franchises in every city and state across the United States and beyond. Our dream is to create oases of happiness where individuals and groups can come together to transform their skin and their lives. By combining the latest technologies with natural remedies passed down through generations, we strive to make people happy and achieve truly transformative results.
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
There was some struggles but I was able to manage them with the help of family and friends and I am truly grateful to have them.
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your business?
At Kiwi Spa, we specialize in personalized, nutrient-rich skincare treatments designed to meet each individual’s unique needs. Using 100% organic, hand-crafted skincare blends free from toxins, parabens, and harmful chemicals, we provide holistic skin treatments that promote glowing, healthy skin. Our most popular services include blackhead removal, deep cleansing facials, anti-aging treatments, and customized skincare plans designed to address specific skin concerns.
Mission:
Our mission is to empower women to feel beautiful, confident, and glowing from the inside out. We believe that by offering the best in natural skincare, combined with a personalized, holistic approach, we can help women achieve radiant skin and a more positive mindset. We also strive to educate our clients on the importance of natural skincare and healthy living for long-term beauty and wellness.
Vision:
Our vision is to expand Kiwi Spa into a global beauty empire, where women all over the world can experience the transformative power of natural, holistic skincare. We are also dedicated to giving back to the community through charitable efforts, such as supporting animal shelters and providing access to clean water for those in need, aligning beauty with a greater social mission.
Pricing:
- $125
- $145
- $189
- $205
- $255
Contact Info:
- Website: https://kiwi-spa.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kiwi.spa.san.diego
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/kiwi.spa.san.diego
- Twitter: https://x.com/kiwispa_
- Youtube: https://youtube.com/@kiwispa
- Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/biz/kiwi-spa-san-diego-3
