Inspiring Conversations with Daphne Luong of Innate Beauty Co.

Today we’d like to introduce you to Daphne Luong.

Hi Daphne, so excited to have you with us today. What can you tell us about your story?
My journey mirrors a more stereotypical asian upbringing, where I followed the traditional path of going to a 4 year university and obtained my B.S. in Biology to pursue a career in the health field. Before I completed my senior year as an undergraduate, I started to be realistic with myself and knew that going into the health field was not something I was especially passionate about. After graduating, I tried to search for a career path where I could utilize my degree, without any continuing further education, but there were only lab jobs available. Despite spending years and time on my Biology degree, I opened my mind and tried working in the finance world. I quickly realized that this also was not the path for me because it was definitely too corporate and, again, was nothing that interested me. Finally, after having jobs in sales, banking, retail, and healthcare, I found a career path in esthetics.

My esthetics story began shortly after the peak of COVID19 subsided. I’ve always been interested in skincare since I was a child because my mom started me early on a routine. However, I never thought of taking up a job in that field, because in the stereotypical asian household, that type of career path is not seen as valid and acceptable due to the instability of income. It is more or less seen as a hobby and not a real job where you can provide for yourself, let alone others. Against all odds, I decided to take a risk by quitting my full-time job at a financial institution and go back to school in order to obtain my esthetician license. Although very cliche, I thought to myself when I was on the fence going back and forth deciding if I really wanted to take a chance on this path. Without risk there is no reward. I already did not see myself working in the finance field for the rest of my career, so why not just try something that I actually find interesting. I was still young at the time and it did not take much time to secure my license, so I saw no cons to giving it a shot.

Once I became a licensed esthetician, I worked at an express facial company for about 3 years. During my 3rd year of employment, I decided that it was once again, time for me to step out of my comfort zone and challenge myself. I was getting too comfortable there and was not striving to want and do more, even when I knew I was capable of much more. From there, I opened my own business, Innate Beauty Co., and achieved one dream I always had for myself, but never thought would actually come to fruition. I became my own boss. No more PTO requests, no more timesheet adjustments; I had the freedom to do as I pleased without being restricted to certain policies and protocols that made no sense to me. Although being a small business owner comes with its own stress and uncertainty, I am glad that I can proudly say that I love what I do and I don’t even see it as a job or work. I get to help and educate while getting to meet new people and I couldn’t be more grateful.

We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
There inevitably was some resistance at first from my parents and extended family. Since their view on successful jobs is more traditional, there were many times where they suggested I should just be an esthetician during my free time as a hobby or on the side. There were also many dinner table discussions of suggesting other jobs such as an accountant, a lawyer, just the stereotypical careers that are known to have a big payday. I do understand where they were coming from and their concerns, because i know that they mean the best and are just worried for my future. However, one thing about me is, although I do consider and take everyone’s opinions seriously, at the end of the day, I am always going to go with my opinion or do what I already set my mind to. Even if I end up making mistakes, it’s always a learning experience for me; then I know what works and what doesn’t and I know to adjust or pivot. Thankfully I always had my close group of friends and cousins who believed in me from day 1 and were always supportive. Once the rest of my family and extended family saw that I was doing well for myself with this type of career path, they no longer questioned my decision and began supporting as well. which truly touched my heart.

Appreciate you sharing that. What should we know about Innate Beauty Co.?
At Innate Beauty Co. I pride myself in welcoming my clients in to a warm, comforting and clean atmosphere. I focus more heavily on skincare and education, with a dash of Korean lash lift services. I specialize in my custom facial service, where I analyze the skin and curate a treatment plan specific to the client’s skin concerns and skin goals that they would like to work towards achieving.

In my custom facial treatment, the most anticipated segments would hands down be the extractions and the PDRN microchanneling add on. My extractions are super detailed and precise, while still knowing where the limit is and when to stop. My extraction prep is very meticulous and is a multi-step method, which allows me to maximize on extractions. As we all know, there’s a huge buzz about PDRN as of late, but it’s not for no reason. The results are evident and speak for itself through the dewy, glass skin that you leave with, making it my most popular add on.

What I believe sets me apart from other estheticians, is that I am very straightforward with my clients and there’s no penny pinching when it comes down to the quality of products I use in my backbar. I don’t jump straight to recommending multiple add-ons or changing up your whole skincare routine on one visit. If I feel your skin really is needing a specific add-on or product/skincare routine change, then I will of course recommend it as needed; but I am not one to suggest it just for the sake of getting extra cash or testing the waters to see if the client is willing to pay for it. I always take a progressive approach with my clients and their skin, to make sure I’m not overloading their skin with too many different products or strong ingredients that will cause their skin to be overly sensitized. I also make sure my client is not overwhelmed by all the new changes in their routine (if we made any) and check in to see if they are comfortable and confident that they can stay consistent with the adjustments in place.

At Innate Beauty Co. communication is key, especially when educating a client about their skin and what works best for them not only topically, but also within their own lifestyle at home. I love receiving feedback and reviews from my clients where they tell me they learned so much from our session, and they understand their skin better. I’m very big about educating my clients about what could possibly be triggering their current skin concerns/conditions and how they can remedy it on their end at home on their own time. Even if you come in to receive your regular monthly facial, a big part of seeing the results lies within their at home skincare routine and daily life habits. Only so much can be achieved in a 60 min session if the routine is nonexistent for the remaining 30 days when they’re not in my studio.

If you’d like to stop battling your skin and understand it better, I highly encourage you to book a custom facial with me at Innate Beauty Co.! All new clients receive $20 off their service as a thank you for booking with me and trusting me with your skin or lashes. I offer the following services skin and lash services: custom facial (with the option to add on enhancements at an additional cost), oxygen peptide boosted facial, green sea peel facial, custom back facial, and Korean lash lift.

For clients who are not sure what enhancements/add-on they want to or should add, I recommend booking the custom facial and after the skin analysis during treatment, we will discuss a protocol that best fits your skin’s needs 🙂

Can you share something surprising about yourself?
I’m originally from Louisiana and moved to California when I was in high school. Despite all my yapping, I used to be super shy before I moved here but I’m grateful of that change. The lofi playlist I use in the studio is very different from my personal playlist, which consists of a mix of EDM, Chinese, and KRNB music. I usually relieve stress by going to music festivals with my friends or traveling.

Pricing:

• Custom Facial base price: $150
• Oxygen Peptide Boosted Facial: $220
• Green Sea Peel: $250 (face) & $350 (back)
• Custom Back Facial: $210
• Korean Lash Lift: $110

Contact Info:

• Website: https://innatebeautyco.glossgenius.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/innate.beauty.co/
• Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/biz/innate-beauty-glendale-6?osq=Innate+Beauty
• Other: https://www.tiktok.com/@innate.beauty.co?