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

Hi Kristen , thanks for joining us today. We’d love to hear about a time you helped a customer really get an amazing result through their work with you.

I had a gentlemen who began coming to me several months prior to the COVID-19 global lockdown. He was in his early 60’s and had suffered from severely scarred and discolored skin, due to mandatory dry shaving while in the military during the Vietnam War. He had been referred to many Estheticians in the Los Angeles area, and after consulting with them, he never developed any level of trust. Finally, he came to see me, as he was referred by a mutual friend. He was so grateful because I knew exactly what was necessary to get his skin back to a healthy and visibly pleasing state. Although, he was consistent with his professional in-office sessions with myself, he also followed the home care protocol that I recommended for him. After eight sessions, and his consistency with his daily skincare regimen we saw a significant difference in the clarity and texture of his skin. He was overjoyed because he spent the last several decades with scarred skin, and accepted the belief that there was no possibly of improvement. Now his confidence has soared, thus causing him to develop into a whole new person. I’m not exaggerating when I say “new person.” After getting his skin cleared, he embarked on a whole new health journey by becoming plant-based with his eating, and losing over 50lbs. He later shared with me, that I was his inspiration to become a healthy and confident person physically, mentally, and spiritually. His results are why I am dedicated to my craft, and love what I do! He is only one of many people who have shared similar stories with me.

Kristen , before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?

Kristen Drayton did not always have an interest in skin care and beauty. She was born with very sensitive skin which did not allow her to use many of the beauty products that were on the market without developing allergies and uncomfortable rashes. The most severe reaction Kristen experienced occurred when she was in her late twenties after using a popular fragranced brand of body wash where she suffered an allergic reaction which led to a condition known as: Post-Inflammatory Hyper-Pigmentation (PIH). PIH is an over-production of the protein melanin that occurs after an event of trauma to the skin. Kristen had undergone a severe case of PIH (discoloration) covering 90 percent of her torso. The effects of this condition left Kristen with extremely low self-esteem, so during the summer instead of wearing fashionable blouses and beachwear, Kristen wore long sleeve clothing or used body makeup to cover the unsightly dark blemishes that left her scarred by that earlier traumatic event. After seeing several doctors and receiving minimal help, Kristen began doing research into her own skin condition and found herself becoming interested in the subject of skin care and skin health. It was then that a friend recommended that she see an Esthetician who specialized in treating people of color with skin conditions and overtime, between the treatment that she received from the Esthetician and applying a few of the methods she learned from her own research, her damaged skin began to heal, and as it did, her confidence restored.

The results of her recovery inspired Kristen to pursue a career in skin care where she enrolled and completed her course of study from Citrus College in Glendora, CA in 2015, to become a Licensed Esthetician by the California State Board of Barbering and Cosmetology. Kristen also holds a B.S. in Biology from the prestigious HBCU Clark Atlanta University in Atlanta, GA.

Upon completion of her studies and licensing, in 2015 Kristen decided to go into business for herself and established “Natural Born Beauty.” In January 2021, Kristen decided to do a rebranding, and changed the name of her business to “Kristen Drayton Aesthetics.”

While continuing to develop her skills as an Esthetician, Kristen quickly discovered many opportunities for modeling. Modeling is something that she always had a desire for, and something that she was always encouraged to do, but believed she’d never become a successful model because of her severely blemished skin. In 2018, Kristen obtained her Certification in Makeup Artistry at the April Love Makeup Academy in San Gabriel, CA.

What sets Kristen apart from so many other estheticians in her field is her ability to directly empathize with clients who have melanin-rich skin, and are experiencing damaging skin conditions that are difficult to treat and negatively affect their personal self-image. Kristen is adamant about ensuring that each client she meets personally or through the virtual services she provides, leaves each session with an understanding of how to care for their specific skin type and how to attain the makeup look they most desire for themselves.

Kristen believes that it is never too early or too late to start your healthy skin care journey.

These days Kristen has expanded her love for skincare beyond the Spa treatment room. She currently works as an Instructor with Allan Hancock College in Santa Maria, CA, where she teaches virtual ZOOM courses on Ethnic Skin Care and Hair Care for Foster Kids and Youth. Due to the COVID-19 restrictions, Kristen has launched a series of virtual services via ZOOM in order to maintain connection with her current clientele and maintain her efforts of growing her business.

Kristen’s experiences inspired her to create a way that she could share all the years of overcoming her personal trauma, her love of teaching, her learned skill and knowledge of makeup and of healthy skin and the knowledge of the modeling world she gained being both behind and in front of the camera.

Kristen opened the doors of “Kristen Drayton Aesthetics LLC” in 2021 in the beautiful city of Glendora, CA, and continues to grow as she serves clients via in-person and virtually.

What’s been the best source of new clients for you?

Well I like to utilize speaking engagements, and workshops to meet new potential clients. For me meeting people in person is always best, because I’m able engage with person directly, and based on their energy I can tell if that’s someone I want to work with, and it’s the same for them as well. I like to participate as a guest speaker at conferences, and create my own events. As a result, many of those people end up becoming clients, and they also refer other clients to me.

Any stories or insights that might help us understand how you’ve built such a strong reputation?

I would definitely say always maintaining my integrity has been key. People do business consistently with people they trust. I always keep my word, and if something comes up that may hinder that, I communicate with the clients, vendors, partners, etc. I also over-deliver. In the book “Think and Grow Rich” it talks about the importance of providing at least 50% more than what the client has paid for. So far it’s working for me.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.kristendrayton.com
• Instagram: @kristendraytonaesthetics
• Other: https://app.acuityscheduling.com/schedule.php?owner=18472353

Image Credits
Photographer: Tyree Vance