Honoree | Michelle Maynard, 360 Face Mind Body
Licensed Aesthetician Michelle Maynard, owner of 360 Face Mind Body in Coventry, at first pushed aside the suggestion that she enter the international skin-care competition Skin Games.
It involved videotaping her work on a client over a course of eight weeks. Aestheticians from around the world compete to be finalists, and then go on to the main competition and awards ceremony in California.
But Dasha Saian, CEO of Saian Natural Clinical – a plant-based skin-care line Maynard carries, was encouraging. She told Maynard she should get out of her comfort zone. Her company offered to sponsor Maynard in the contest, providing her with products, the pure, minimal-ingredient natural ones Maynard used on clients and with which she was already familiar.
As it worked out, there was a holistic category in the competition. It suited 360 Face Mind Body well.
The wellness spa offers organic products and treatments for clients with skin issues such as acne, signs of aging, or who just want a relaxing facial treatment. In the competition video submission, she was allowed to use technological tools of the trade, just as she does at her spa, such as an ultrasonic skin spatula for cell metabolism, infrared technologies for acne and micro-phototherapy LHE (light, heat and energy) for anti-aging treatments.
With years as an aesthetician, Maynard had mastered these devices. But the video portion of this contest submission was different.
She had to teach herself how to use a video camera; it wasn’t easy. With materials needing to be in before Jan. 1, Maynard submitted her video Dec. 27.
It was Feb. 1 when she got an email letting her know she was a finalist in her category.
Years ago – before she began helping people ensure great skin health – Maynard was insuring them in a small brokerage firm, selling life and health insurance policies at The Good Neighbor Alliance Corp. in Coventry, which her mother founded.
At 34, she took a leave of absence from the insurance firm and enrolled in aesthetics training.
Maynard took the leap, entering the skin-care world in 2004. She worked in other spas but always knew she wanted a place all her own, on her terms, with practices she thought clients would appreciate as well.
“I wanted to do my own thing. … When you work for spas, you have to do a lot in a little time, but some clients need more time,” she said. “I learned a lot about product ingredients.”
She opened 360 Face Mind Body in 2012, choosing natural product lines.
One product company she was interested in couldn’t divulge its inactive ingredients, said Maynard. They were passed over for totally pure skin-care lines, such as Farmaesthetics Skincare Boutique in Newport and others, where formula ingredients were an open book.
It’s an area where Maynard doesn’t compromise.
For now, she focuses on the support of her loyal clientele.
“I made it this far,” she said.
