Today we’d like to introduce you to Neddy Rodriguez
Hi Neddy, thanks for sharing your story with us. To start, maybe you can tell our readers some of your backstory.
I am grateful for the opportunity to do this follow-up interview eight years after our first article in VoyageLA. Thank you! A lot has happened since then, and I am in awe of the journey unfolding with each passing year. To share how it all began: I was a makeup artist working on set twenty years ago, using various mediums and products—from cosmetics to paint to latex on faces. That’s how my journey with skin and faces began. As I realized how naive I was about skincare, I understood that my art would never be as good as the quality of the canvas on which I was creating. So, I decided to attend esthetician school, not intending to practice skincare but to become a better makeup artist. However, destiny had a surprise in store for me, and I fell in love with skin histology and helping others achieve healthier skin.
Within 18 months of getting my esthetician license, I opened my first business: AWAKEN- Skincare By Neddy. My beloved private practice; it survived the 2020 pandemic and turned ten years old in 2024! Which could never have happened without the support and blessing it is to have such loyal clientele. In 2022, I became a published author, co-writing a book on skincare with my mentor, Tanis Rhines, called Face It! Harsh Truths Every Esthetician Should Know and So Should You. Never in my wildest dreams did I think I would have a book under my belt, but this journey hasn’t stopped surprising me yet. In 2023, I started yet another beautiful chapter: to become an Esthetics Instructor at the Academy Of Beauty LA- the same school I graduated from all those years ago, mentoring aspiring estheticians, which is so rewarding. Most recently, after being blindsided due to bad business practices outside my control, the location that housed my private practice was forced to close. That drove me and a couple of fellow Estheticians, previous suite neighbors of mine, to band together and create our own collective; in late 2024, I became co-owner/founder of OASIS Beauty & Wellness Collective in Culver City. We empower other beauty, wellness, and aesthetic professionals to build private practices by leasing our independent treatment offices. To this day, it feels incredible to be of service to others in the care of their skin. It is a privilege that I don’t take lightly or for granted. If I can help improve and heal someone’s skin—whether through a facial, a lesson, the pages of a book, or even a space to grow their dreams—and make them feel a bit happier or more confident, I know I’ve done my job.
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?
Smooth? Haha! Not at all. It’s exhilarating—absolutely! Every twist and turn feels like being on a roller coaster, where your stomach rises to your throat, and you think you’re going to die. Yet, you still throw your hands up and scream—partly out of sheer fear but also out of excitement. Then you realize that you didn’t die; you conquered it. That’s how the journey has felt.
Sitting here in this interview, I pause and think, “Did I really do all that?” When I try to justify it, I feel like I am following my intuition, getting on the ride, and surrendering to the experience while following the moments of joy that felt right, like clues.
There have been many struggles, but I think as I matured with experience, what appeared to be “setbacks” have ultimately been a crossroads of opportunity. I kind of- and I can’t believe I’m saying this; feel that they’re par the course and necessary; in life- in general.
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your business?
Awaken—Skincare By Neddy is very much my passion. As an esthetician and skin therapist, I focus on helping others heal and restore their skin in my cherished private practice. My specialty is facials, which I approach with meticulous detail, prioritizing maintaining and nurturing the skin’s integrity. My treatments are designed to be “anti-fluff,” meaning I don’t subscribe to the “steam and cream, you’re out the door” approach. Instead, I ensure that your skin receives the deep clean, attention, and stimulation it needs to begin the restoration process.
Since everyone’s skin can change, all treatments are tailored to your specific needs on that day. My goal is to partner with my clients and guide them toward healthier skin through better habits that are manageable and easy to adopt. I firmly believe in the philosophy of “less is more,” especially regarding treatment methods and product formulations.
I was devoted to holistic and organic products when I started my practice. Over the years, I have embraced new technologies and ingredients. However, my commitment to avoiding unnecessary filler ingredients, toxic formulas, and misleading marketing claims remains strong. That said, my clients know that I would never put something on their faces that I wouldn’t put on my own. Nor am I one to upsell toward a product or treatment enhancement just because. I want my clients to trust me and feel I have their best interests at heart.
We all have a different way of looking at and defining success. How do you define success?
Recently, I posed the same question in my esthetics classroom. Many answers were shouted out as I wrote them on the whiteboard. One of the responses was “Wealth,” which led to a deeper discussion. We realized that true wealth and success encompass “the freedom of time in a state of joy, and good health.”
I feel incredibly blessed and grateful to have had the time and opportunity to live out my dreams and some I didn’t even know I had. These experiences have unfolded before my eyes, allowing me to enjoy life while being in good health and collaborating with it. I no longer need to define success when I can live it daily.
Pricing:
- Facials start $125+
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.awakenskincarebyneddy.com
- Instagram: @awakenbyneddy
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Awakenskincarebyneddy
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nereida-rodriguez-77563a123/
- Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/biz/awaken-skincare-by-neddy-culver-city-2?osq=awaken-skincare+by+neddy
- Other: https://shorturl.at/3VR0f
Image Credits
Oasis Beauty & Wellness Collective founders photo : Chris Mortenson, photographer with The Argonaut news
