Today we’d like to introduce you to Raena Tripp Mason.
Raena, please share your story with us. How did you get to where you are today?
Ever since I was young, I had a strong pull towards beauty and even more of a desire to help people. I was never the girl playing house and dreaming of a family (although I am lucky enough to have both). I had an image in my head of being a successful career woman. I can remember sitting in my dad’s shop where he had his own window treatment business, writing invoices and helping with the business end of things. I knew then that I was going to have a “shop” of my own someday – and I knew in order to do that I would have to obtain it on my own.
Over the years, I have discovered my passion for beauty and holistic practices through my own health and skincare journey. my mother and father have always been conscious to alternative therapies and have instilled that in myself, which I feel as though has made a big impact on my life and brought me a niche for my business. Starting in my early childhood, I dealt with migraines, intestinal and skin and body image issues. I began practicing integrative therapies to help alleviate chronic issues. By the age of 11, I was using acupressure to alleviate my migraines and around the age of 15 utilizing hypnotherapy for school and studies.
After high school, I decided I wanted to live the college experience. So, after a year away at a four-year college, I decided it just wasn’t for me. When I returned home, I enrolled in the business management program at a community college. I remember writing a paper on a local business that I was interested in, I interviewed a local spa owner and low and behold that would become my first job in the spa industry! I loved the idea of having a business that helped people feel better about themselves.
During my second semester, I was in a life-altering car accident. I had to quit my job at a local restaurant and leave school to focus on healing – what would take months. In that time, I was able to reflect on my life and decide what I really wanted to do with my career and where I was headed. A big question was, am I making a difference? So that’s when I decided to look into a career in aesthetics.
I enrolled in esthetics school while working a full-time job, running the front of the house at a five-star restaurant in Boston. I loved everything about it and couldn’t wait to start my career.
I have worked in the customer service industry since my very first paying job at 16. I guess you could say I am a people pleaser. Since I have worked in many different spa type industry businesses. From my first industry job with one other esthetician, practicing medical aesthetic services, to a spa with over 50 employees. Before going on my own, I worked with a start-up boutique spa and salon, for me, a business type, it was exciting being a part of something brand new! There, I was the only skincare specialist, helping to build the department to what it is today, along with acquiring five plus awards along the way in the five years I was there for. There, I felt at home, a location where the people were supportive and where I was lucky enough to build an amazing clientele who have become more like friends. But something still was missing. There, I was able to build a strong foundation which was a catalyst for finally, my own business.
Has it been a smooth road?
Nothing ever worth having comes easy, and that’s what I have had to learn over the years. My parents divorced when I was five, and circumstances weren’t always the most stable, so having to learn to jump and land on my own 2 feet has been challenging at times. Thinking about all the challenges, there are so many both small and large. But I would say the biggest has been having the confidence to take risks because, without risk, there is no reward. Fear is a huge obstacle that can creep up on even the most confident individuals – and it can paralyze you. There is a fear of making mistakes, but I have realized that mistakes are learning curves and will help to make your business even better. There have been many people over the years who have made me feel less than, or not good enough. But for every one of those people there have been 10 x’s as many people who have been encouraging. You have to learn to weed those negative people out and surround yourself with the positive uplifting ones.
So let’s switch gears a bit and go into the Sanara story. Tell us more about the business.
Sanara is still very much a baby. It started in January of 2018. I am an esthetician/skin therapist that specializes in niche services that are hard to find. My business definitely veers off the “conventional” skincare practice.“ Sanara meaning; to cure, heal and restore, and that’s what I strive to do each day… it is a neighborhood skincare studio that offers a mindful approach to non-toxic skincare and beauty services. Each service is personalized to meet your individual needs. With almost a decade of experience, I have perfected and crafted luxurious treatments that utilize both ancient and modern modes of technology and healing. I harness a holistic approach with result-driven treatments, where the skin is treated as a whole. I look at what the skin is telling me and decipher what it could possibly be linked to and the best course of treatment.
My continuing education and training have been with world-renowned leaders in the field of beauty, skin and health care. One being certified in Oncology esthetics and advanced training with the founder (Becky Khuen). Another is Gua Sha, a traditional Chinese medicine massage technique with Dr. Ping Zhang, an internationally renowned pioneer, researcher and practitioner in the field of anti-aging Traditional Chinese Medicine. It is a magical treatment using energetically charged stones to move energy, reduce puffiness, lift and sculpt the face and neck. I also hold certificates and advanced training in Thai and lymphatic facial massage, reiki, and extensive volume eyelash extension training with published industry leader Leah Lynch.
It is my personal mission within my business to help my clients feel confident and beautiful from the inside out. I am passionate about providing services and educating clients to help improve their self-image, build confidence, relieve their stress and overall have a loving relationship with themselves. I believe our daily routines should be a ritualistic experience, taking the time to love and care not only for our skin but for our body and mind! I encourage my clients to look at the bigger picture when treating their skin which is why I consider my self “wholistic.”
My favorite and the proudest aspect of my business is my specialty in the field of oncology. It has led to relationships and involvement with non-profit cancer organizations such as Look Good Feel Better program (American Cancer Society) and the North of Boston Cancer resource (NBCR) – whose mission is “to provide a resource directory of healing therapies and programs available in North of Boston communities in support of cancer patients, their families and providers.” My most recent involvement is with Sparks of Light, a one-day event that allows participating spa and individuals across the country to offer their healing gifts for free to those battling cancer. It is truly rewarding working with these groups and individuals
How do you think the industry will change over the next decade?
The beauty industry is so overwhelmingly big. It is a whopping $445 billion industry and increasing! We are in the midst of a revolutionary change. For the future of the industry, I see it leaning more towards health/wellness and alternative therapies! I recently left a salon and spa where I was renting from to relocate in a wellness center because I do feel strongly about this transition.
The skin is the largest organ of the body, so it only makes sense that what we are putting in and on our body and how we treat ourselves is going to determine the health of the skin. There has been much research on how stress, environmental pollutants, toxic ingredients, genetics, and other factors affect the aging process. Other countries are years ahead of us with this knowledge and I think it’s just now that people are raising an aware consciousness that beauty is more than just treating specific conditions and seeing it truly more than skin deep. Everything is connected and because of this, I see more and more estheticians and beauty therapists acquiring an education in nutrition/wellness, to be able to link the two and advance the effectiveness of results.
Props to California, recently becoming the first state to ban products that test on animals and I hope more will follow suit. Europe has banned over 1,300 ingredients in their cosmetics and the U.S. – only 11 until recently, you can bet on seeing more ingredients added to this list.
Pricing:
- Custom Facials $60-$200 +
- Volume Eyelash Extensions Full set $300. Fills $70-$100+
Contact Info:
- Address: 1 Merrimac St Unit #7
Newburyport, MA 01860
Inside Blue Water Wellness - Website: www.sanaranaturalbeauty.com
- Phone: (978) 360-3889
- Email: sanaranatural@gmail.com
- Instagram: @sanaranaturalbeauty
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/sanaranatural/
Image Credit:
Kate McNamara, Freebird Photography
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