We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Crys Rivera a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Hi Crys, thanks for joining us today. If you had a defining moment that you feel really changed the trajectory of your career, we’d love to hear the story and details.

I worked in the beauty industry for several years before transitioning into a corporate role. A few years into that career, COVID hit, and I found myself flooded with texts, emails, and calls from people looking for esthetic services after so many businesses had closed. I bought a massage table and began seeing clients out of my apartment.
One appointment changed everything for me. A client came in who hadn’t seen his family in over a year. As I rested my hands on his shoulders, he began to cry uncontrollably. In that moment, I realized this work was about so much more than facials. Human connection and touch are essential, they ground us, comfort us, and remind us we’re not alone.
That experience was monumental for both of us, and it made me question whether I could continue in a corporate job where I didn’t feel I was making that kind of impact. It was then that I decided to leave corporate life and create a space of my own, a safe haven where people could walk through the door and, even for a little while, leave the outside world behind. People need spaces like that. More than ever, they need to feel cared for, connected, and seen.

As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your background and context?

I often joke that I got into this industry backwards.
Growing up, I struggled with severe acne that left me feeling like I needed to hide. I wore my mother’s foundation to school and remember classmates asking what was on my face because my skin was so inflamed. Even under the care of a dermatologist, I couldn’t seem to get control of it. My original dream was actually to become a forensic psychologist, but because of my own experiences, I found myself drawn to beauty and enrolled in makeup artistry school instead.
I specialized in paramedical camouflage makeup, which allowed me to work with burn survivors and others who had experienced trauma that altered their appearance. Helping people feel comfortable enough to move through the world again was some of the most meaningful work I’ve ever done. But while I was helping people conceal, I realized what I truly wanted was to help people heal.
One day while at school; I looked down the hall and noticed a group of students in white scrubs. Curious, I asked what program they were in and learned about esthetics. That conversation changed the trajectory of my life. I sat down with a counselor, enrolled, and never looked back.
Today, I’ve been an esthetician for over a decade and a solo business owner for more than five years. I opened Heal With Crys because I wanted to create a space where people could fall in love with the process of caring for themselves and their skin. Whether someone is navigating acne, dark spots, sensitivity, or signs of aging, my goal is to help them understand that healthy skin is a journey, not a destination. Aging is a privilege, and I believe it is possible to embrace that process without compromising the natural integrity of the skin.
What sets my work apart is that I don’t believe skincare exists in a vacuum. Skin is connected to stress, lifestyle, confidence, self-image, and overall well-being. My treatment room has always been about more than facials. Over the years, clients have consistently told me that time seems to stop when they’re with me. They feel safe enough to slow down, breathe, and simply receive care. That level of trust is something I never take for granted.
Today I offer customized facial treatments, waxing, brow and lash services, corrective skincare, curated home-care routines, and retail products across a variety of price points because I believe skincare should be accessible. One of the additions I’m most proud of is Brazilian lymphatic drainage and buccal massage. While many people seek these services for sculpting and visible results, what excites me most is their ability to support nervous system regulation, stress relief, and overall wellness.
The thing I’m most proud of isn’t a specific treatment or accomplishment—it’s the relationships I’ve built. My clients are the reason I know this is my purpose. They showed me that this work is about connection, trust, and creating a space where people feel seen.
If there’s one thing I want people to know about me and my brand, it’s that you can come exactly as you are. This is a collaborative journey. I often tell clients that I’m in their back pocket because I’m just a phone call or message away. My role isn’t to chase trends or make you look like someone else. It’s to help you discover what works uniquely for you.
In a world where people are constantly comparing themselves to others, I believe customized care is one of the greatest forms of self-respect. My mission is simple: to help people look in the mirror and fall in love with what they see. Not because they’ve become someone else, but because they’ve learned to appreciate who they already are.

Can you share a story from your journey that illustrates your resilience?

One of the greatest examples of resilience in my journey was choosing to start my business during COVID with no Plan B. I didn’t have a large savings account waiting for me. I wasn’t sitting on a safety net. I had debt, uncertainty, and a decision to make.
At the time, I was working a corporate job, but I couldn’t ignore what was happening around me. People were reaching out constantly looking for support, treatments, guidance, and connection during one of the most isolating periods many of us have ever experienced. The more I listened, the more I realized that this wasn’t just about skincare. People needed a place to feel cared for.
I made the decision to bet on myself and leave the security of a traditional paycheck behind. It was one of the most terrifying decisions I’ve ever made, but I knew deep down that what I was building was bigger than me. I wasn’t just creating a business; I was creating a space where people could come to reconnect with themselves, feel safe, and be reminded that they deserved care too.
There were plenty of moments where I didn’t know exactly what the next step would look like. I had to learn to adapt, pivot, and trust myself. Resilience wasn’t having all the answers, it was being willing to keep moving forward without them. Every challenge became an opportunity to learn, adjust, and continue building.
Looking back now, I’m proud that I didn’t wait for perfect conditions. If I had waited until I had all the money, all the certainty, or all the guarantees, Heal With Crys might not exist today. My resilience came from believing in the mission more than I feared the risk. Sometimes the most important thing you can do is take the first step and trust that you’ll figure out the rest along the way.

We often hear about learning lessons – but just as important is unlearning lessons. Have you ever had to unlearn a lesson?

One of the biggest lessons I’ve had to unlearn is the habit of hiding.
Growing up with severe acne, I spent a lot of my younger years trying to conceal myself. I wore makeup before I really knew how to use it, avoided drawing attention to my skin, and carried the belief that if I could just fix what I saw in the mirror, I would finally feel comfortable being seen. When you’re struggling with something so visible, it’s easy to tie your worth to your appearance and convince yourself that acceptance exists on the other side of perfection.
What I’ve learned over the years is that perfection was never the goal. Acceptance was.
My struggles with my skin ultimately led me to my life’s purpose. They taught me empathy. They taught me how deeply appearance can impact confidence, relationships, and the way we move through the world. Most importantly, they taught me that healing is about so much more than what we see on the surface. Today, my work isn’t about helping people hide their perceived flaws. It’s about helping them feel comfortable enough to be seen. My goal is to help people build a healthier relationship with themselves, one rooted in acceptance, trust, and care rather than criticism. I want people to understand that they don’t have to wait until they reach some perfect version of themselves to feel worthy of confidence, connection, or joy.
I often tell clients that skincare is a collaborative journey because I don’t believe confidence comes from a treatment alone. It comes from learning to trust yourself, care for yourself, and recognize your worth throughout the process. The younger version of me believed she needed to hide until she was “fixed.” The woman I am today knows that we are worthy of being seen long before we arrive at the finish line. Helping others discover that for themselves has become one of the greatest privileges of my life and the foundation of everything I do.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://healwithcrys.com
• Instagram: Heal With Crys

Image Credits

All photos were taken by me, Crys Rivera