Spa Celebrates 10 Years of Helping People Look Their Best
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When Kerry Scardino decided to open her spa Skinchanted in Peekskill, she hoped that she could perform about 10 facials a month, a good foundation that would pay the monthly bills and stay in business.
On Monday, the 10th anniversary since Scardino’s leap of faith, has yielded so much more than that. In the decade she’s been in business, Skinchanted has seen about 3,800 clients.
“So business is good, and right now, the challenge is finding good estheticians that are like-minded and want to work hard and to educate people on skin health,” Scardino said.
Many people are aware of the importance of skin health, but properly achieving that goal can sometimes be a bit more elusive. That’s where Scardino and Tara Bartelini, Skinchanted’s two full-time state-licensed estheticians, come in.
For Scardino, it’s much more than just what treatment might be best for someone’s skin to look their best. There are factors that come into play that go far beyond the surface.
“It’s kind of like a puzzle,” she said. “Someone comes in and they’ve got these issues and we like to see the body as a whole. So it’s not like, okay, use this stuff, it’s probably good for someone with your skin type. It’s okay, let’s talk about your diet, your water intake, about your hormones, what’s your sugar intake like, things like that. What’s your stress level like? Your sleep. So all of these things make the skin react.”
Both Scardino and Bartelini have their areas of concentration, as do part-timers that also help out. Scardino specializes in facials, is an oncology-certified esthetician and is trained in oncology facials, lymphatic drainage massage, reflexology and corrective airbrush makeup.
Meanwhile, Bartelini helps educate clients on full-body wellness with organic and natural ingredients and to minimize inflammation. She is a reiki healer and an Ayurvedic practitioner.
Growing up, Scardino was one of those young ladies who would help her friends, and even some guys, trim their eyebrows after school. After going to college for communications and public relations, she started off in that role for Estee Lauder before getting into the field of esthetics.
After her formal training was complete, Scardino performed laser liposuction in a Hartsdale physician’s office. By the time she opened Skinchanted in 2012, she become an oncology-trained esthetician, helping people undergoing cancer treatments to cope with changes in their skin or hair. There are also clients that come to Scardino’s spa for Botox and, of course, waxing.
There are also plenty of clients that seek help for sun-damaged skin, the number one reason for prematurely aging skin. Scardino urges anyone who spends any time outdoors to use sunscreen, even in winter, on their face. Some of the worst sun damage also occurs on overcast days, she said.
Furthermore, if someone is driving a lot, they should put on sunscreen on their face, particularly the left side, because of the glare.
“All of these things have an effect on our body and our skin, the biggest organ on our body,” Scardino said.
Blemishes and various skin conditions are often indicators of other problems in a person’s life. For example, a patch of eczema on the eyelids can be a response to stress while a breakout of acne on the jawline can be a hormonal reaction.
Perhaps a bit surprising to some, is that as much as 30 percent of Skinchanted’s clientele are men.
“I tell people that skin is gender neutral,” Scardino said. “Everyone’s got skin, so everyone has skin issues. Men, especially, don’t wear makeup to cover up skin issues, so it’s even more important for them to have good, healthy skin.”
About five years after Skinchanted opened, Scardino was forced to move into a larger space, a more than 1,000-square foot location on the fifth floor at 2 Stowe Rd. in Peekskill. It has two treatment rooms, one of which Scardino is currently renting.
For more information on Skinchanted, call 914-930-1421 or visit www.skinchantedspa.com.
Martin has more than 30 years experience covering local news in Westchester and Putnam counties, including a frequent focus on zoning and planning issues. He has been editor-in-chief of The Examiner since its inception in 2007. Read more from Martin’s editor-author bio here. Read Martin’s archived work here: https://www.theexaminernews.com/author/martin-wilbur2007/
