Today we’d like to introduce you to Sarah McCune
Hi Sarah, we’re thrilled to have a chance to learn your story today. So, before we get into specifics, maybe you can briefly walk us through how you got to where you are today?
Sarah has been a licensed Esthetician for over 12 years with a continuous passion for holistic healing and a strong focus on flow and connection, not flaw correction. She specializes in face and jaw massage and currently offers treatments at her solo business called Mystic Skin Lab.
Before finding the right path she was left deeply disenchanted by the beauty industry and felt like giving up but was quickly inspired all over again after stumbling upon a Holistic Esthetician’s social media profile. The practitioner posted the most beautiful videos of various massage techniques that looked like a healing dance for the face and accompanied these artistic movements with different tools made of colorful stones. This opened up a new door for her and over the course of several years she became certified in different techniques and eventually developed the confidence to start her own small business in Los Angeles, Ca, a place she was born and raised. Unfortunately she lost the business immediately due to the Pandemic. She sorted out her priorities and decided to move to Austin, Texas in the year of 2020 and started all over.
She strategically worked 3 jobs to make it all work and surprisingly didn’t experience much burn out. The growth of her business has been going strong for the past 3 years and she even managed to spark the interests of a couple of local celebrities and is in the top 10 search results for “Gua Sha facial” and “Buccal massage.”
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
I started my business in Los Angeles and found a great space to practice out of in West Hollywood and rent was miraculously only $500. I thought “Wow, I’m so lucky!” “This must be meant to be!” Unfortunately, less than a month after getting everything prepared I was unable to launch my business because of the Pandemic. 9 months later I moved to Austin, Texas and started all over. I still had to make monthly payments for the business loan I was granted. That was the most aggravating reminder of how it failed. Once I moved to Austin I worked 3 jobs in the beginning to make it all work and I was very strategic about how much I was offering. I didn’t want to experience burn out and resent having a business so I allowed only 2 clients a day.
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your business?
I specialize in holistic skin care that nurtures both the body and mind.
My treatments are designed to promote natural beauty through a combination of ancient techniques, like buccal massage and Gua Sha. I offer a unique and transformative approach to beauty that goes beyond surface-level results. My signature treatment focuses on lifting, sculpting, nourishing and releasing tension.
What sets my business apart is my commitment to offering truly personalized care, using tools like Gua Sha to stimulate the skin’s natural healing abilities and buccal massage to deeply release tension and enhance facial contours. My clients leave not only with glowing skin but also with a sense of inner relaxation and balance. I pride myself on my holistic approach to beauty-seeing the skin as a reflection of overall health-and my ability to create a peaceful, nurturing space for every client.
I believe that beauty isn’t just skin deep-it’s a reflection of your overall health and wellness. That’s why my services are crafted to support both your physical and emotional well-being.
My buccal massage, a key offering, is a deep facial massage technique that targets tension in the face and jaw, promoting relaxation and helping to sculpt and tone the face naturally. Combined with Gua Sha, a traditional Chinese technique that uses smooth stones to stimulate the skin, improve circulation, and release facial tension.
I recently had the privilege of helping a client who had been struggling with major inflammation and puffiness on one side of her face due to a traumatic dental procedure. After the procedure, she experienced severe swelling and discomfort in her cheek and mouth, which led her to visit numerous practitioners in search of relief.
Unfortunately, despite her efforts, no one was able to provide a solution that truly addressed the root cause of the issue or brought lasting improvement.
Not only did I provide the hands-on treatment in our sessions, but I also empowered her to continue her healing journey at home with a daily routine. Over the course of several weeks, the inflammation and puffiness began to dramatically reduce. Her skin became more toned and sculpted, and most importantly, the discomfort and swelling she had been living with for so long started to dissipate.
What I’m most proud of is that I didn’t just treat her symptoms-l was able to offer a holistic, sustainable solution that allowed her to take control of her healing process. Through the combination of my hands-on treatments and the at-home Gua Sha routine, we not only reduced the inflammation but also restored balance to her facial muscles and overall well-being. She felt heard, supported, and truly cared for throughout the entire process.
This experience reinforced my belief in the power of Gua Sha as a tool for healing, and it’s a reminder that sometimes the most effective solutions come from combining ancient techniques with a personalized, holistic approach.
If you had to, what characteristic of yours would you give the most credit to?
The most important quality to my success is resilience. Running a small business comes with its fair share of challenges, from fluctuating market conditions to unexpected setbacks. What keeps me going is the ability to bounce back from adversity and keep moving forward. Resilience allows me to learn from mistakes, adapt to changing circumstances, and stay focused on long-term goals despite short-term obstacles. It’s not about avoiding difficulties, but embracing them as opportunities for growth and improvement.
This mindset has been essential in not only sustaining my business, but also driving it forward in an ever-changing landscape.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.mysticskinlab.com/
- Instagram: @Mysticskinlab
