Today we’d like to introduce you to Amaju Amoruwa.
Amaju, we appreciate you taking the time to share your story with us today. Where does your story begin?
My journey has been very interesting and rewarding at the same time. In high school, I remember having an ah-ha moment with my cousin as we discussed her path to medicine. I told her I wanted to be a Dermatologist but I didn’t want to go to school. Shameful! Fast forward thirteen years later, it’s ironic how I made my way back to something I spoke into existence. I am no Dermatologist but I am honored to work in the field along many brilliant ones!
Getting to where I am now took a lot of experiences to shape and redirect me to my innate purpose! Helping the community in my divine way! During college, I would skip class and drive from Riverside to LA every day to work on makeup gigs with L.A Models. I loved doing makeup, being a part of a team of artists, and bringing a specific vision to life! I also dabbled in hair and male grooming for some time because we all know how that goes when you’re starting out and hustling. You wear many hats! I eventually gained more skills by working alongside cosmetic brands, product development and marketing while simultaneously getting my bachelor’s and master’s degree. I continued to climb the corporate ladder and quickly learned that my genuine passion did not meet the reality of what I was doing. I had to do a lot of soul searching, discovery, and trial and error to really hone in on what serving the community looked like for me.
I ended up quitting my jobs and enrolling into school to focus on dermatology and aesthetics. Once that happened, I hit the ground running and never looked back. I wanted to be a force that advocated for and educated folks on skincare! All while highlighting the key physiological differences amongst ethnicities and skin of color and sharing tools for people to help themselves. This is the foundation for how I move the way I do and where I am at today! I focus on mentorship, constantly training or shadowing with the intelligent shapeshifters in the industry, researching, attaining more scope of practice and simply pushing the boundaries. I am thankful to have worked in a variety of settings from maternity clinics, med spas and plastic surgery in my position. And what I can say now, a great opportunity fell in my lap…I’ve curated a private space that allows me to have a tangible touch with the community.
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?
It has not been an easy road in getting here today, but as the African saying goes, “it takes a village.” I wouldn’t be where I am today without my tribe! Literally and figuratively. I pride myself in being a child of immigrants and first-generation Nigerian-American Itsekiri woman. With that comes working extremely hard without a blueprint or handout, but a genuine tribe rooting for you when at times you can’t even fathom what the future holds.
Yes, there are entrepreneurial obstacles, but there are also the mental obstacles too. I still navigate being seen and my voice being taken seriously in a very white-dominated field. More than 13 percent of the U.S. population is made of people who identify as Black or African American, but only about 3 percent of U.S. dermatologists (experts of dermatology) consider themselves to be a part of that group. 9.7% of the Hispanic or Latino ethnicity, and so on. So you can imagine the impact of racial disparities and concordance that trickle down! This can come down to the simplest thing like being properly diagnosed or simply brands acting as gatekeepers. It is heartbreaking to have people come in and hear crazy experiences based on negligent cultural competencies. Or even colleagues/mentees in the industry discouraged by incompetent people being amplified and given opportunities due to influence instead of actual knowledge and application. It’s a madhouse out there!
I am so thankful to have experts in the field who are mentors that look like me AND others of various ethnic backgrounds. They truly make an effort to advocate for all walks of life and be versed in the varying conditions and concerns that come with that. Same for my client base! I am always learning and I pride myself on implementing appropriate care across all cultures within my parameters.
Thanks – so what else should our readers know about your work and what you’re currently focused on?
I specialize in the field of dermatology, specifically facial and body care! I love how there is so much to still learn in the field, and it’s constant evolution. As of now, I see a lot of people concerned with discoloration, scars, acne and overall age management. That may change next year…
My work and approach to skin speaks for itself. And my clients can attest to that too! Education is so important to me and with every treatment plan I curate. At the end of every initial consultation, I always ask myself: “How can I empower them to understand and implement the importance of skin health?” That looks like: giving people the tools to be able to make educated decisions short term and long term, working in collaboration to reach a goal, and most importantly, helping them understand their own body and what it is trying to tell them. Most people haven’t tapped into their divine God-given power….knowing thyself and being able to heal yourself.
No matter how much I LOVE to provide a healing facial experience, I can’t spoon-feed people forever. All of my clients who meet their goals eventually taper down to a few visits a year and some still love to come in monthly as they sustain their results. By this point, they usually venture out to try new products of their liking and know what works for them without me telling them. They call it “Amaju approved.” And I am so proud of all of them!
Can you share something surprising about yourself?
Oh my! I like to stay under the radar, but I would have to say… I am naturally an introvert. I have to have my solo time and recharge.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.amareaesthetics.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/amareaesthetics
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/amareaesthetics
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/amareaesthetics
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/c/amareaesthetics
