Today we’d like to introduce you to Leslie Morand.
Leslie, please share your story with us. How did you get to where you are today?
My journey has been a long one. When I was four, my mom sold Avon to our small Lake community in the midwest, where we lived. I loved going to all the houses and listening to adult conversations. I saw how the benefits of having there make up done uplifted her customers.
Then when I was a young adolescent, I suffered from acne and facial hair now living in Ojai, CA. I tried every otc and department store products and finally went to a dermatologist. Instead of getting better my skin got worse and very irritated from the harsh topical medications.
I was then introduced to an Esthetician through a family I babysat for, back in the late 80’s they were in Salons. There were not many Spa’s in those days. She changed my life at 13. I would use my babysitting money and would go in every couple of weeks for deep facial cleanings. My skin cleared up, along with my confidence. I would then try to help many of my friends with there skin as a teenager. I enjoyed the salon so much I would go there on Saturdays and help around the salon. I also loved the relaxing and pampering part of the facial. I guess today you could call it self care. My mom had never had a facial until she was 50. When I purchased her a Gift certificate, she loved it and said that is what you were doing all those years. She was the generation where you took care of your family first. I realized the importance of self-care at an early age.
Fast forward, I was going to college to study child psychology and needed to work. I decided to take a break from College and attend an Aesthetics college since it had been one of the interests and personal passions. The plan was to take a break from college and then after I finished Esthetician school to then work and go back to finish college. I ended up loving esthetician school and could not get enough learning in. I was so fantasized how the skin worked and all the aspects. One of the school projects was to pick a product line and do Ingredient research. This was in the late 90’s there was no internet and all the information out there.
The skincare I picked was a very popular department store brand that I had used. Back then, they did not have the ingredients on the box. I had to ask the manager of the beauty department for the ingredient list. I was shocked to find out what was in the products. Many harsh ingredients like acetone and ingredients that can be toxic to the body. Back then, many were just linked to cancer and now many of them have been found to cause cancer and endocrine disruptors. This definitely sparked my interest of wanting to know more. I was like a little detective always researching. I received my license in Aesthetics in 1998. I then decided this is what I wanted to do for a career. I enjoyed helping people and making a difference in their lives.
I got my first job working for a prominent European Esthetician. She was extremely strict with etiquette, appearance and service techniques had to be precise. She had a very successful luxurious Spa in Seattle. I interned for a few months with her and learned amazing massage techniques that I still use today. I was introduced and trained with several skincare lines all from Europe, mostly France. One line, in particular, Decleor I fell in love with and ended up being a trainer freelance esthetician for them years later. I helped organize many skincare and wellness events.
I then worked and trained for another large spa salon owned by a French Morrocan woman. She was extremely strict as well. The good thing was I learned a lot about how to perform an amazing lymphatic massage Facial. I would have sometimes seven clients a day with no breaks. It was run like a sweatshop. I wanted to spend more time with the clients. During the time working there, I lost a few family members to cancer, which led me to research things in my industry that were linked to increase cancer and other health concerns.
While working there a client introduced me to her neighbor and a good friend who was a Plastic Surgeon who wanted to open a Medical Spa in 2000. It was the first medical spa in the Northwest. He had some of the newest lasers and skincare machines in the industry. The training and education I got while working for the Doctor were amazing. I ended up being the medspa manager and trained the other estheticians. I would also deliver the laser machines to different doctors. The favorite thing I learned there was to do Chemical Peels from gentle to medical-grade. I did feel after awhile. I got a better result using the plant-based products along with Peels. Some of the products and treatments I was starting to question for the results and long term effects on the body. The Dr relocated after a couple of years. I was disappointed when he decided to close and move his practice.
I then got to work with my favorite French skin care line as an Esthetician at one of the Nordstrom Spa. I also worked for the product line as a freelance esthetician and trainer at several different spa’s. I built a great clientele and following there. At Nordstrom, there were tons of makeup and skincare lines. When you work there, you get trained on all the products. It was difficult because many of them had ingredients which I knew were not good for their skin or body and if a client came to me to get results with skin issues, I could not say something that Nordstrom carried was not good for them.
I decided to go on my own with my Dad to open a boutique hotel and Spa in one of the islands in WA. I helped get the spa going. He ended up having two other partners later, which led me to decide to have my own practice. At the time, I was disappointed because I had visions of what I wanted later, I was grateful for the experience. I realized my desire was to have my own private practice than a large Spa.
From 2005 I rented a space in a wellness center with an amazing team of holistic practitioners. It was a great collaboration of holistic healers. There were Naturpath doctors from Baystr, acupuncturists, therapists, nutritionists, massage therapists and energy healers. We worked together to get results for our patients/clients. We did lots of events and workshops together. I loved working with this team of professionals and learned a lot. For years clients came to me wanting to know the best ways to slow down there aging without going under the knife. I was always searching and researching the latest products and treatments. It was important to get results and not be a gimmick for my clients. While there, I brought in some amazing non-invasive facial treatments that really grew my knowledge and practice.
In 2006 I had a client that introduced me to the Oxygen Facial. Her daughter worked in Hollywood for a famous singer who was getting the treatments done and connected me with her Esthetician. I was lucky to come to LA with a client of mine to test out the treatment. We were both impressed with the results. I ended up purchasing the machine. I was the first in the Northwest to have the machine. I had found after working for the surgeon. Many clients had requested the best way to slow down aging without going under the knife. I was always looking for things that worked and got results. I ended up working for Oxygen company training other estheticians.
In 2007 I was in France and found an amazing non-surgical facelift machine that did muscle lifting using microcurrent. I thought the results were great and many of the french women I met had been doing this for years. They still do and do not do all the fillers and cosmetic surgeries we do here in the US.
This was one of the biggest opportunities that set me apart. In 2008 I had an opportunity to be certified in France in-depth on cosmetic chemistry ingredients and advanced training. I ended up doing an internship at a leading cosmetic laboratory in the North of France that specializes in seaweeds and sea plants. There I got to work with some of the top Chemists in the cosmetic industry. I then realized why you need Chemists and a laboratory to produce skincare that gets results. Which later would influence me to do my next big project, my skincare line.
A couple of years later, my favorite french skincare line Decleor I talked about was starting to change. I could tell many of the formulas were not the same. The products seemed to be watered down and certain ingredients were added that I recommended my clients avoid. They had been bought out by a large cosmetic company. This happened to many of the Skincare brands I had trained and used in my practice. My number one goal was for my clients to get results without compromising their body and health.
Then it was time to formulate my own skincare line that no one can water down or add chemicals that I found to be unhealthy, unsafe for the environment, health and well being of my clients. I was led to a laboratory in the USA where the seaweeds were already being imported. I spent a couple of years trying out different formulas to see what blends worked. During that time, I found out I had thyroid hormone issues. Many ingredients in the skincare industry increase disrupting hormones. I used all the years of helping people with skin issues, wanting healthy products (since several family members passed away from cancer and then my own hormone thyroid issues) and created a line to help with certain issues. I also had a few requirements no animal testing and lab that were friendly to the environment.
It did not happen overnight. It took me a few years of experimenting and trials. I now have a skincare line that is considered clean beauty and gets results. I then moved to San Diego in 2016 and end of 2017, started my practice in La Jolla. I also have many of my NW clients still using my products they order online and we message or Video chat often to keep them on a skincare routine. I brought together all the years of training, education and facial treatment success. I am now working on sharing my knowledge with training other Estheticians in a workshop form on holistic esthetics.
Great, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
It has not been a smooth road. Looking back each hurdle got me to grow and learn more about myself and learn more about my industry that helped me to where I am now. My advice stays positive, do not get caught up in anything. When one door closes, another one opens and mostly for the better. Learn as much as you can about your self and how to grow in your industry.
Please tell us more about your practice. What do you do? What do you specialize in? What sets you apart from competition?
I talked a lot about it on my journey. I am a Holistic Master Esthetician in California and Washington. I formulated my own natural skincare line I sell online and in my skincare boutique in La Jolla.
I specialize in clean, beauty skin care products. Holistic facial treatments for acne and anti-aging skins that are non-invasive and get results. I am known for my facial experience many clients come for a 2-hour luxury Facial from head to toe/ using energy work to calm the mind and body, I use my years of training to change clients skin and create a relaxing experience. What sets me apart is my years of experience working in the holistic and medical skincare field and the education I got in France. My passion is to help people.
Which women have inspired you in your life?
In my life my mom inspires me. She is truly one of the strongest kindest women I know. She always is thinking of others and how to help others, even if she is not having her needs met. When I was young, she would always watch neighbor’s kids or people she met who needed help.
She took care of her parents when they got older. She would fly every month to be with mother in the nursing home the last year of her life. She enjoyed interactions with all the people in the home and most of the time. They just wanted to talk to. Through that, I inspired to want to help people.
Contact Info:
- Address: 7661 Girard Ave Suite 100
La Jolla, CA, 92037 - Website: www.levieskincare.com
- Phone: 425-445-8349
- Email: lesliemorand@gmail.com
- Instagram: @levieskincare
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/LeVieSkincare
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/levieskincare
Image Credit:
Simone @ Coastline Video for just a couple of them
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