Sisters Bring the Spa Love to Armonia Skin Care
Armonia Skin Care in Bird Rock has been successfully running on the power of pure sister love since 2004 when Danielle Kindley, Portia Mekenas and Briana Likert opened their doors. The women say that, without a doubt, the business would never have lasted and grown were it not for working together and leaving the drama at home.
California is a saturated market brimming with spas and salons, but Kindley says what sets their business apart is the plastic surgeon-style results women get in a relaxed setting.
“We refer our clients to Dr. Amir Karam for things like Botox, fat transfer fillers, as well as surgical options. And our clients get special pricing, but we are known for our facials and chemical peels. I spend about 80 percent of my time talking women out of super-invasive treatments and into procedures that are really effective but can be done without a lot of downtime,” Kindley says.
The owners say the majority of their clients are mothers, women in their 20s, and teens.
“They’re out in the sun at the playground or running around; they don’t want to do some treatment that keeps them from ever going outside and risking burning their skins forever. Laser treatments are becoming a thing of the past, whereas chemical peels are only two to three days of downtime,” Likert says.
The spa recently added a fourth treatment room, has three hair stylists, and offers manicures and pedicures by appointment only.
“Since 2008, we’ve scaled back our treatment menu. Not only are customers more financially strapped, and for them this kind of service is the first thing to go, but we’ve realized our strength is in doing what we do well, not offering a million options. We customize skin-care repair for clients. Whether it’s facials, microdermabrasion or chemical peels, we design a plan that works for the individual,” Kindley says.
It’s difficult to imagine that three sisters could work together day in and day out without fighting or having the business implode. But the sisters insist that although the first year was tough, it has turned out that a family business is the best thing the women could have done. The women help each other through good times and bad—baby-sitting crises and colic; Armonia Skin Care soldiers on.