Today we’d like to introduce you to Lori Carhart.
Hi Lori, it’s an honor to have you on the platform. Thanks for taking the time to share your story with us – to start maybe you can share some of your backstory with our readers?
I had an incredible childhood growing up in central Oklahoma living next door to my grandparents’ family farm. I was a bit of a feral kid who spent a lot of time with the animals and running across 20 acres barefoot, freckled with stringy hair. I’ve always been a dreamer and have never felt limited in what was possible in my life. Those tender years spent on the farm imprinted my view of the world in so many ways. The sweetness of it still resides in my soul. It was a simple yet beautifully rich existence and both my grandmother and grandfather were living examples of how to live wholeheartedly. After they passed away, I felt a bit lost. When a friend of mine invited me to move to Chicago, I jumped at the opportunity to move to such a great city. This sounded like a great adventure.
In Chicago, I worked as a secretary and secretly started taking acting classes in the evenings. Somehow I signed with a talent agent and started to book commercials and joined the Screen Actors Guild. After 6 years in Chicago, a Los Angeles Talent agency invited me to come to Los Angeles. Loaded with optimism, I bought a car and packed up and drove Route 66 with a girlfriend blasting the B52s and Depeche Mode all the way. It was a great trip. While driving across the Mojave desert, I received a call from the agency who informed me that Michael Bay requested me as the lead for his new video. This was before his movie success. He was the new hot director at Propaganda Films. I shot several videos with him and some of them continue to haunt me to this day on YouTube!
After many years of being an Actor, I felt unfulfilled. The “Industry” is not for the faint of heart. I was very fortunate because I had a great agent and was a ‘type’ that was considered desirable. When I was on a set, I spent an enormous amount of time in the makeup trailer getting all the tips of the trade from the best professionals in the beauty biz. However, I never had a true passion for acting. I had chosen an industry that didn’t fit my “Okie” personality. Auditions could be impersonal and somewhat daunting and there was no job security whatsoever.
After a few years in LA, I broke one of my own rules and started dating an actor. Actors are great people, but when you are one, you understand how disheartening the job can be, so it was a healthy boundary that I had put into place when I arrived in LA. When I dated one… I married him! Actor Timothy Carhart and I have been together for 28 years. He is an amazing man and an integral part of my business.
After having three babies, I took a break and went on a ‘babymoon’. When my boys got a little older, I decided to break away from acting and (dramatic music!) get a normal job! In my new job quest, I searched the internet and found that a local retail store was seeking a counter-manager position for the classic skincare line Erno Laszlo. When I got the job, I realized that I was a natural when it came to consulting with customers about skincare. It all came quite easily for me. My many hours waiting on sets had been spent in the makeup trailer brushing up on professional tips of the trade from international makeup artists! I have always been curious about skin. It probably started as a little kid when I spent my hours spinning around in my Mom’s salon chair. At the ripe old age of 9, I was giving my sister and mother food facials. I was a mad scientist then, too! The beauty industry was in my blood. After one year on the job, I registered for Esthetic school.
My business started as a mobile spa service (Go Girl Facials). I brought the spa to clients of all types: pregnant women, young moms, cancer patients, the occasional couple and bridal parties. After three years, it was time to find a home for my business. I purchased one of the most exclusive medical machines in the industry, the Diamond Glow. The Diamond Glow is a medical-grade machine that exfoliates, extracts and infuses pharmaceutical-grade solutions by Skinmedica. The cost of the machine is $22,000 so it is mostly available in dermatologist’s and plastic surgeon’s offices. Very few Estheticians have the machine so this elevated my business to a higher level of service. I also added to my machine arsenal the Caci Microcurrent, which is also very expensive. The Caci was created for Bell’s Palsy and stroke patients. It is an electric current that stimulates muscle memory, the idea being that if a person’s face falls due to stroke, the machine stimulates muscle memory and the face balances out. I used it once on Bell’s Palsy and brought back a man’s smile! That was rewarding. But mostly, I use it on people who are concerned about sagging skin. It is very successful at firming the jawline and lifting the brows. These two outstanding machines combined provide optimal results. My clients love it!
For several years I was located in a boutique spa in Westlake and business was booming! It was perfect until Covid hit. Since esthetics is one of the few businesses where the clientele must take off their mask, I had to shut down.
In 2017 I became a certified Breathworker. When this happened, my husband built a cottage on our property nestled in the Santa Monica mountains where I could practice meditation and breathing. When Covid shut everything down, I moved out of the Boutique and placed all of my equipment in the cottage and it fit perfectly. When the world opened up again, my clients were all happy to make the picturesque drive to Malibou Lake.
Post-pandemic people were so freaked out and needed nourishment for the soul. Those years were traumatizing for everyone in so many different ways. Because of the pandemic, my clients now come in for facial services and also request Liberation Breathing sessions. Breathing is divine in nature and utilizes the purest modality in the universe: your breath. While breathing, you can heal old traumas and wounds and forgive the past. It is so holy. The Energy Facial blends seamlessly with Breathwork because the guest is led to an internal sacred space through a light meditation, essential oils & a warm seaweed soak of the skin. It is bliss!
You might say I’m a shapeshifter in the treatment room offering a wide range of services with medical-grade machines combined with holistic spa products. My menu has expanded and grown as I have grown. The pandemic led my business to its real forever home. I love it and feel so much gratitude! The cottage is sacred ground. It reminds me of my grandparent’s farm because it’s simple but beautifully rich.
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 wouldn’t say it was a relatively smooth road because it took several years to pay for the machines, but it was an important part of my business plan to elevate my treatments to a high level so the client would experience optimal results. I love blending high-tech machines with spa products like OSEA & Lilfox. It’s not your average facial!
On another note, I started my business with a partner and discovered a few months in that they were not in integrity, so I had to legally end the relationship. I recommend to anyone considering a partner to really examine their history as a business person and seriously consider their character before committing to be in a partnership with them.
We’ve talked enough about business. Is there anything would you like to tell people about?
I recently lost a son and have had a very difficult time finding grief resources. Parents and siblings need more support! I am writing a book about this and am in the beginning stages of forming a non-profit geared for families in grief. This is a natural extension of my business….I’ll keep you posted!
Pricing:
- Osea Energy Facial/Breathwork $185
- Diamond Glow $185
- Breathwork Session $150
Contact Info:
- Website: www.myskinevolution.com
- Instagram: skinevolution_ca
- Facebook: Skin Evolution
Image Credits
Melody Kennedy – Smudge Social
