Meet Crystina Abayan | Master Medical Esthetician / Co-Owner

We had the good fortune of connecting with Crystina Abayan and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Crystina, is there something that you feel is most responsible for your success?
That every day we step into our treatment room with the energy of LOVE, KINDNESS and HUMBLENESS and we bring that energy with every client. We are truly passionate about what we do for, not only peoples skin but how we are able to better their whole overall soul. When your able to come to a place where you not only come out looking amazing but you also felt safe and scene. It’s an experience your can’t replace. That’s why we go by our slogan of “Let your SOUL be FIERCE and your SKIN be FLAWLESS.”

Can you give our readers an introduction to your business? Maybe you can share a bit about what you do and what sets you apart from others?
We opened SKIN COLLBORATION July 12th, 2020. Probably the scariest thing I’ve ever done but obviously 100% would do it all again. Breaking away from our former place of business that we had been at for many years, to venturing out on our own, to opening our own place, in the start of Covid!? What were we thinking!? We were thinking, it’s now or never! No one was going to help or save us but us also since spas were shut down till who knew when.

Our whole career had been skin care and now we’re told we can’t work or bring in any money and if we did our licenses would be stripped of us, leaving us with no way to provide for our families. Also if the restrictions were lifted, for how long and would we even be able to make enough in such untelling times? Since we were commission based at 60/40 if the facial was $100. 00 our take home was $40. Definitely not enough to provide.

So we jumped and had faith that our education and passion would carry us through. But what about the money!? Right that part… we’ll some how we managed to still get licenses (when the offices opened to file our paperwork, which was a whole other difficulty) and rent paid for by doing anything and everything we could from door dashing to sewing and selling masks cut from my late step dads nice dress button downs, because unfortunately I happened to be one of those people who’s stimulus checks never came through. Gee thanks! Lol

It’s a very humbling experience, for you to be working in “Beverly Hills” an Estheticians dream land, having celebrity clientele such as Whitney Huston and plenty other big names one day and the next your considered “none essential” and can’t even put dinner on the table for you and your son and contemplating if my next journey in this life I’ve worked my butt off for the last 13 years of my life is now as our local grocery bagger so that I can be considered “essential” and make a check to put food on the table. To say it’s been easy is no where in existence. But the drive to push through and stick it out was stronger than ever. At this point I had no other option. It was now and I had no other option but to make it happen!

I think that looking back the one lesson I’ve learned and thing I’m most proud about is that even when I can’t see the light at the end of the tunnel, I know it’s there and it’s more beautiful than I could have ever imagined and so I will venture into that dark tunnel and I will take that journey into the abyss because I’ve learned to TRUST myself and have the confidence in myself that one way or another I WILL FIGURE IT OUT!

That’s why we are able to walk into the treatment room everyday with LOVE,KINDNESS and HUMBLENESS because each and every day we are beyond grateful for what we have and what we’ve built off of our passion and drive to persevere and here we are 2024, our doors still open and we continue to grow every year. I knew nothing of being a business owner, only of being an Esthetician so it’s definitely been a journey but I’m here and willing to learn whatever I need to in order to achieve nothing but the best. Looking back it’s now been 17 years since I chose to be an Esthetician to help and change peoples lives little did I know that in choosing that as my career it would end up not only changing others but mine as well taking me on the most exciting ride of my life and I’m even more excited to see what the future holds.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
Well first getting off the plane we would probably have to stop and grab a slice of pizza at one of my favorite pizza spots in Beverly Hills off of Beverly called Upper Crust. Since they sell pizza by the slices and by far the best pizza I’ve ever had. Then we would have to grab a coffee from Philz just across the street. Then head over to my girl Lindsey Garcia at Not Your Daddy‘s Tatties and get bestie tiny tats to remember the trip by because if you’re going to have anyone tat you it better be the best so it’s definitely going to be Lindsey. Then of course we would have to head to SKIN COLLABORATION to rehydrate that skin from the plane ride. After that we would head home for a girls night with some snacks a movie and a glass of wine.

Not necessarily in order but throughout the trip we would definitely have to eat at Schooner or Later‘s in Long Beach, California Chicken Café Beverly Grove, Delicious Southern Cuisine in Los Angeles, Urth Cafe on Melrose and Pops Bagels off of Fairfax for the most amazing gluten-free bagels anyone’s ever had. And for all other at home cooked meals since I do love to cook, Obviously we’re only going to TRADER JOES. My favorite place other than the spa of course!

For our outings we will definitely meet up with my girlfriends Breea, Claire, Mia, Lindsey and Alyssa at Lacma for jazz night. Or even stop in at a few museums/art galleries. Stop by the Improv on Monday nights and maybe take a few aerial yoga classes. Or even grab Shenhaz my business partner and head over to the Dorthy Chandelier Pavilion and catch the Opera as we like to often do. Of course we cannot leave out the beach so more than likely we will head over to Venice grab some bikes and ride them over to the Santa Monica pier.

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
My mom Lynn, who’s always been in my corner even if she didn’t see the vision I had dreamed up in my head, because I’ve definitely always been a dreamer. My sisters Jessica and Kimberly, for helping me out with my son. Being a single momma definitely isn’t easy. My Dad Vic, for instilling hard work ethics in me. I’ve always been a girly girl but I was also always in the garage with my dad building or tinkering on something, and I can hear him even now telling me put some elbow grease into it! Basically meaning, don’t stop, do more!My step mom Connie, for opening my eyes at a young age to skin care and what it was. Hence forming my passion from a very young age without me even knowing at that time. And last but not definitely NOT least my AMAZING clients, for loving me just as much if not more and sticking by my side through all the years to where we are now, together.

Website: https://skin-collaboration-inc.square.site/

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Image Credits
Marilyn Rogers Christine Chen Kaylub Price Alexis Hambly Lynn Abayan