Inspiring Self-Love Through Skincare - Christine Choi @soulglow.esthetics
- Kindred Curiosity
- Jul 2
- 4 min read
How do you practice self love? For many, skincare is a form of loving and caring for oneself. And at Soulglow Eshetics, skincare and self love are the pinnacle of the company's mission. Christine Choi, owner of Soulglow Esthetics, provides Korean-inspired skincare treatments to make her clients feel beautiful, both inside and out. Read on to learn about Christine's journey into skincare and her perspective on running a customer-facing business!
What made you curious about the skincare business?
Long story..! But, I originally wanted to continue my studying to become a psychotherapist. I earned my BA degree in Psychology and wanted to continue pursuing that dream, but I ended up working in the Real Estate industry for a while. However, I decided to switch my career to Esthetician from Real Estate since I have always had a big interest in beauty (Skincare, Make Up, Fashion..etc) especially skincare, so I thought being an esthetician can suit me really well. I’ve always wanted to do something that I can help people, especially for those who are struggling with their self-esteem and psychological trauma issues. Thus, being an esthetician with a psychology background would be a great alternative career option. I help my clients with their skin and I know a lot of people struggle with their skin that can negatively affect their self-esteem. So, I want to help them so that they can feel good about themselves.
Tell us about the product/service you are most proud of.
I offer holistic and therapeutic treatments for all of my facial treatments, which means I treat your skin concerns in more natural ways. Also, I focus on treating the root cause of skin problems/concern, so my main goal is to make the skin healthier. This goal applies to all of my facial treatments that I offer at my studio.
What do you tell yourself whenever you encounter a challenge or setback with your business?
I tell myself- “It’s okay and it’s totally normal that not everyone can like your service and you can never satisfy everyone. Just focus on the clients who keep trusting you and appreciate your work.”
If you could go back in time and tell your past self anything, what would it be?
Nobody is perfect, don’t be too harsh on yourself. You are already the best version of yourself.
How has your cultural identity influenced your journey so far, if at all?
I was born and raised in South Korea and I moved to the U.S when I was 16. So, I definitely have a little bit of both American and Korean cultural identities in me. I have always loved how my motherland (Korea) has established and offered so much advanced skincare products/treatments. Thus, I wanted to specialize in K-beauty skincare treatments because I think Korean skincare approaches with more personalized and holistic perspective from European/American skincare. This makes Korean skincare unique ultimately.
Through reading customer reviews, we can see the immense effort you put into community building and making your clients feel beautiful from the inside out. What do you find most rewarding about working with your clients?
My main source of motivation and energy in this career would be my clients! So, I feel incredibly happy and proud whenever I hear the experience my clients had with me helped them to feel happier just the way they are. Just like you said, I love to make my clients feel beautiful about themselves and love, appreciate themselves. Of course, it is important that their skin should be improved, but I think at the same time, I want them to feel loved, appreciated, and acknowledged after they leave my studio.
Your workflow with clients involves a consultation to find treatments that work best for their skin. What advice would you give someone who is new to skincare?
It is important to know your skin type and choose the right home-care skincare products according to your skin needs. Everybody has different skin and our skin condition is not permanent. It keeps changing, so you need to know what product you should use depending on your skin condition and concern. Monthly facials won’t fix all of the skin concerns you have, but if you have the right skincare regimen set up and continue the monthly facial with me, then you WILL see the improvement gradually.
You have a wide selection of treatments and services that you offer. Could you walk me through the process of introducing a new treatment to your business?
All of my facial treatments are K-beauty inspired treatments that mainly focus on treating your skin in natural, holistic ways.
What is the last thing you were curious about?
There is a new skincare product that was just released from the brand that I carry at my studio. I have not had a chance to try it out, so I was curious if this new product is as good as other products that I have tried from this brand.
Share another Asian-women-owned small business or entrepreneur that inspires you!
Ju Craft- Jinju Park, the founder of Ju Craft is such a talented and friendly artist who offers handcrafted beautiful macrame goods. She also teaches one-day classes for those who want to learn how to craft macrame goods.
What can the community help you with?
I opened my own skincare studio last year, so I am still trying to promote my business and build a stronger clientele. So, if the community can help me to promote my business and to connect with more potential clients/friends, that would be greatly appreciated!
Christine's story gives us a deeper look into the beauty industry and reminds us to continue forging the path that makes us feel the most beautiful. For your skincare and facial needs, you can find Soulglow Esthetics here:
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