Holiday Hours & Gift Deliveries

Hello dear friends!

I just want to give a quick update on holiday hours, Ablutions Skin Care shopping and gift certificates. As always, I’m available by appointment for you to shop for products, pick up gift certificates, etc… through 12/24. After that, it’s time for my annual off-grid holiday staycation with my husband until January 4, 2021. (We tell each other we’re going to relax but spend most of the time on house projects. Yay home ownership!)

I’m also available through 12\24 for product and gift certificate deliveries if you are in Raleigh. There’s no charge for local delivery. Call or text me 919.414.3666 by 4pm 12/24 for this service- it’s the fastest way to catch up with me this week. If your significant other is a regular client and you don’t know what they normally get or like, I can guide you to their preferences so don’t by shy about asking me for help. 

Finally, I don’t have to tell you what a bummer this year has been but I am so grateful for you who have continued to support me and my business, as well as other small businesses in Raleigh. Whether you’ve continued to get services, placed orders for products or just reached out to check on me, I can’t thank you enough. Here’s to a happier, healthier 2021!

Much love,

Monica

Covid-19 Re-opening Information

5/28/2020

Hello lovely friends! It’s been a long two months and we have so much to catch up on. I’ve missed seeing you all, hearing about your kids, pets, love life, vacations, happy events, sad events- everything! In light of re-opening, I wanted to share what I’m doing to keep us both safe and comfortable as we try to re-claim some sense of normalcy. Most of these procedures have been in place since I’ve been in business, so you probably won’t notice many changes other than the mask policy and entry door.

1 Because of the very up close and personal nature of my services, my training and continuing education as an esthetician has always had a very strong focus on sanitation and preventing the spread of disease. It seemed like a disproportionate part of my education and state board requirements when I was first starting out but now, especially, I’m grateful. All those slides of diseases, infections and other gross-out, paranoia-inducing photos and descriptions made me develop near OCD levels of disinfection procedures that have only increased over the years.

2 I’ll be working in masks and/or a face shield for the time being. If you’d like to wear a mask during your waxing or tinting session with me, it’s fine but I don’t require it. Wearing masks while getting a facial treatment isn’t feasible so if you’re not comfortable with that, hold off a bit longer on booking your facial and see how things continue to play out.

3 I’ll continue using disposable nitrile gloves for portions of facial treatments and all waxing sessions. I’m now wearing gloves for tinting services as well.

4 I’ve always preferred disposable implements where possible and that remains my policy.

5 Things that aren’t disposable (tweezers, microdermabrasion diamond tips, etc) are always wet sanitized (scrubbed thoroughly in hot soapy water and soaked in Hydrocide, a broad spectrum anti-viral, anti-fungal, germicidal solution) then sterilized in a UV sterilizer cabinet.

6 As always, all linens, facial gowns, headbands, etc are washed after every use in hot, soapy water with bleach.

7 Clients will enter my room from the hall door for the time being, avoiding the waiting room entirely.

8 I’m booking extra time between appointments for cleaning and sanitizing between each client. For this reason, please don’t come too early for your appointment- I won’t be ready and you’ll have to wait in the waiting room or the hallway, which I’m trying to avoid. Conversely, please don’t be late for your appointment because it makes me late for my next cleaning session and client. If you’re early, call or text me and see if I’m ready before coming upstairs. If you’re running late, call or text me so I can make adjustments to your session or contact my next client to give me a little more time if that works for them.

Obviously, this is subject to change as new information about the corona virus becomes available.

I look forward to seeing you soon!
Warmly,

Monica

New Peels, RIP Reflexology and Schedule Availability

Happy New Year! I hope you’re easing into 2019 comfortably and making an effort to do nice things for yourself more frequently.

I want to give a quick update regarding my service offerings. The best news- no price increases this year! Thanks to your many referrals, business is growing and I can absorb this year’s rent increase. It means a lot to me that you trust me enough to send friends and family my way. Thank you!

I’ve been dealing with some joint and tendon issues in my hands- the thumbs in particular. I was hoping my break would provide enough time off for things to calm down and heal but it didn’t have much of an impact. I’m sorry to say I just can’t do reflexology for the time being. I really enjoy providing this service so I didn’t come to this decision lightly. I do offer a shorter version of it in two facial treatments- Revitalizing Sandalwood & Hibiscus Facial and Organic Nirvana Facial. If you’re looking for full reflexology sessions, my office mate Joe Lizana offers it. Check out his website for more information.

In other news, I have been, and will continue to be adding more peel options to help you (and me!) cheat father time a bit longer. I’m declaring war on sun-damage and hyperpigmentation! Check the peel section of the facial page for more information.

Lastly, I am working hard to balance seeing clients, keeping up with my manufacturing production and shipping schedule, and taking care of my deaf, paralyzed dog. Some weeks will have more availability than others for these reasons, so I appreciate your patience during unusually busy times when my schedule fills up fast and you can’t get in exactly when you prefer. Don’t forget you can always text me (it’s the fastest way to get a response) to see if I’ve had cancellations or to be put on a cancellation list. Thanks for understanding!

I look forward to seeing you soon!

Monica

 

New Facials and Peels

Hello! First, a little news- I’m starting this blog to keep you up to date with news, since I’m a total failure at doing it via social media. I am not a fan of social media in general and as the owner of two very small but growing businesses, I can barely manage as it is without worrying about facebook, instagram, twitter, etc… I tried to hire someone to do it but quickly realized they couldn’t post anything if I didn’t provide them with content. So now, if you want to know what’s new, check here first. I’ll try to get to social media occasionally, but this will be the first place I’ll post anything relevant.

Now for the good stuff- I’ve just updated the website with 2 new organic facials and 2 new peels.

  • The Revitalizing Sandalwood & Hibiscus Facial is for dry, devitalized, mature and hyperpigmented skin.
  • Healing Lotus & Dandelion Root Facial is for sensitive, inflamed or active acne conditions.
  • Glycolic Acid Peel- One of the first peels I ever used professionally was glycolic acid MANY years ago and I’ve kind of rediscovered this peel recently. It’s just fabulous for so many skin conditions because it can be used on almost any skin type, depending on how long skin is exposed to it. This can be done as a peel only or you can add this peel to any other facial at half price.
  • Organic Green Papaya, Willow Bark & Vitamin C Enzyme Peel is a natural and highly active peel, depending on how long skin is exposed so it’s easy to customize for almost any skin type, including acneic, mature, sun-damaged and hyperpigmented skin. It is very smoothing, helps brighten dull or hyperpigmented skin and heals breakouts fast, thanks to naturally occurring salicylic acid in white willow bark. This peel is featured in Revitalizing Sandalwood & Hibiscus Facial, Brightening Vitamin C & Honey Facial and Healing Lotus & Dandelion Root Facial. You can also add this peel to any other facial at half price.

I’ve also created this handy, dandy chart for your convenience since I know it can be a little overwhelming to have so many choices. I hope you’ll find it helpful. Click the chart to enlarge.

See you soon!

Monica