Today we’d like to introduce you to Christine Giustra.
Christine, can you briefly walk us through your story – how you started and how you got to where you are today.
After college, still struggling with acne and trying to appear professional in the work world, I came under the care of an amazing clinical Aesthetician and soon learned how much benefit is available from this type of focused, structured care. As I trained and expanded my knowledge base, I noticed that most businesses offered either results-oriented or relaxing spa treatments, and early on determined that spa services should ideally incorporate both. As a matter of fact, in the 12 years since I entered this field, more and more has been studied and published on the links between stress hormones, inflammation, and early aging of the face and body, so it feels great to know that my intuition guided me to practice in a way that maximizes the benefits of both styles! I founded and ran Skin Studio New Orleans from 2008-2015, at which point I moved home to Atlanta to be closer to my family. Spa Aeon opened at the end of 2017 and hit the ground running with a beautiful team of Aestheticians, Massage Therapists, and Manicurists who share my vision for an uplifting environment for customized treatments. You could consider all of us a bit nerdy in that we’re constantly digging into and questioning new techniques and theories in our respective practices. I’m an educator at heart, and I feel great about the knowledge base and consistent customized delivery of our skin and body programs at the spa. Scaling while customizing is hard, and it takes really smart people, like my colleagues here! My major project this year is the development of our skincare brand, Nectin. I took time out incrementally between 2011 and 2014 to study Cosmetic Chemistry at UCLA’s Extension program, so I am able to work with a handful of specialized labs that are receptive to my years of clinical observations and protocols as we develop the formulations. We’re perfecting and launching one product at a time, and you can check them out in our online store and of course, schedule to meet with one of our Aestheticians for a consultation at the spa.
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?
The trickiest thing about entrepreneurship is needing to hold multiple, conflicting possibilities as truth at the same time, and act accordingly. You must continually run the worst-case-scenario script to avoid and fix mistakes while still having a soft, positive expectation and orientation to the way things are going. It’s a little like measuring and cutting at the same time.
Please tell us about Spa Aeon.
My business just lights me up every time I walk into it. I actually try to leave and come back several times a day so I can put myself in guests’ shoes coming through the door, taking in the plants, lighting, and atmosphere, and always picturing myself as the one on the treatment table. I am so, so proud of the people I work with who investigate fearlessly into their respective specialties. Product and treatment marketing is incredibly slick in our industry, and the therapists at Spa Aeon are critical and inquisitive in a way that leads us to customized solutions rather than stock treatments. I’ve never backed down from my conviction that spas should be havens for treatments that are both physiologically effective and emotionally nourishing, so even as we boldly add cutting edge treatments to our menu, we do so paired with a lot of nurturing and care, which I think will always be exceptional and make people feel special.
Do you look back particularly fondly on any memories from childhood?
I’ve opened and closed several businesses, and the moments of funky luck (car accidents, oil spills, divorce) that produced what seemed like certain failure have been followed with incredible good fortune. The good fortune always, always, always comes in the form of people, and the people who get curious and excited enough about your projects to help you with them are the real MVP’s.
Pricing:
- Our most popular skincare treatment is the Infusion Facial, lasting 75 Minutes, incorporating Ultrasonic, LED, and Microcurrent skin rejuvenation customized with cosmeceuticals for any skin type. This treatment is currently priced at $120.
- Our most popular massage therapy session is the 75 Minute Therapist’s Favorite Massage, which gives time for a full body massage with intensive therapy in your problem areas. This treatment is currently priced at $135.
- We are known for some truly cutting edge aesthetic therapies, including Microneedling for collagen synthesis and scar revision, innovative Coral Calcium Peeling for stubborn pigmentation, Pulsed Light for redness prone and rosacea skin, Fibroblast Plasma Lifting for enduring lift results, and Needle-Free Filler for lips and face. These services are usually recommended after one or two facials to get your skin and home care in top shape. Read more on our website!
Contact Info:
- Address: 1459 Oxford Rd NE Atlanta, GA 30307
- Website: SpaAeon.com
- Phone: 404-496-8763
- Email: spaaeon@gmail.com
- Instagram: @spaaeon
- Facebook: facebook.com/SpaAeon/
Image Credit:
Images: Cara Clements
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