{"id":25083,"date":"2021-11-27T21:23:52","date_gmt":"2021-11-27T21:23:52","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/cekan.ca\/regional\/hamiltons-wyskt-is-the-facial-bar-you-just-have-to-visit\/"},"modified":"2022-11-28T20:34:44","modified_gmt":"2022-11-28T20:34:44","slug":"hamiltons-wyskt-is-the-facial-bar-you-just-have-to-visit","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/cekan.ca\/burlington\/hamiltons-wyskt-is-the-facial-bar-you-just-have-to-visit\/","title":{"rendered":"Hamilton’s WYSKT is the facial bar you just have to visit"},"content":{"rendered":"

As one of Hamilton\u2019s newest beauty and skincare services, WYSKT Facial Bar is making a big splash and is looking to grow in 2022.<\/p>\n

Founded as a home-based business by RN and Certified Medical Skincare Specialist Klarenz \u201cKlare\u201d Balonzo in 2019, WYSKT (which stands for \u201cWhat\u2019s Your Skin Type\u201d) recently celebrated its 2nd anniversary. Having navigated the challenges of the past two years, it\u2019s remarkable to consider that WYSKT originally began as a side hustle.<\/p>\n

\u201cI was working as a nurse in Toronto,\u201d says Klare. \u201cOne of my colleagues mentioned she was doing facials on the side as a side hustle. I was working as a full-time nurse then and thought that was a great idea. I\u2019ve always loved skin care and beauty, so I took a course in skin care in July 2019 at a community college. That\u2019s how it started. I then enrolled at George Brown College in the Medical Skincare Therapist program.\u201d<\/p>\n

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By July, 2019, Klare was already administering classic facial treatments, and in November 2019 she opened WYSKT in the apartment her and her family shared in East York.\u201d When the pandemic struck in 2020 and lockdown measures were imposed on health and beauty businesses, Klare was forced to shut down her services.<\/p>\n

Later that summer, drawn by the comparatively cheaper housing prices, Klare and her husband bought a house in Hamilton and relocated just as many restrictions were being lifted. This gave Klare the opportunity to re-open WYSKT in a new city.<\/p>\n

\u201cMoving my business here from Toronto, I had to build my new Hamilton client base from scratch,\u201d says Klare. \u201cI tried to keep up with marketing, but as a home-based business, I felt I wasn\u2019t as visible to new customers, so I decided to join Milk.\u201d<\/p>\n

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The partnership with the Concession St-based Milk Beauty Bar has proven successful for Klare, as she now has the advantages of a storefront and pedestrian traffic, especially as COVID-related restrictions have gradually eased up in 2021.<\/p>\n

Klare explains that when working with clients, she has found that many of them don\u2019t know their skin type, which is critical to determining proper treatment solutions. This is particularly pertinent as we enter the winter months, when dry skin becomes a common ailment.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhen I assess their skin,\u201d says Klare, \u201cmy clients will often say \u2018my skin is dry\u2019, and when I examine them, I find that it\u2019s neither. In fact, your skin type is often the opposite of what you might think.\u201d<\/p>\n

Klare notes that having \u2018dry\u2019 skin is different from having \u2018dehydrated\u2019 skin, which is often a temporary condition versus the actual, ongoing state of your skin. \u201cDehydration means you are suffering from water loss, which can happen even if you have oily skin,\u201d says Klare. \u201cA dry skin type lacks oil, not water. Often, clients will then use a harsh product with very active ingredients which can strip away the moisture barrier at the top of the skin, which then makes the \u2018dry\u2019\u2019 conditions worse.\u201d<\/p>\n

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Klare says she is about educating clients about their skin types and guiding them towards choosing the right products and treatments that will actually benefit them.<\/p>\n

As the pandemic\u2019s impact continues to ripple through the economy, and as many individuals respond by becoming entrepreneurs, Klare offers some advice for other home-based startups.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat really helped my business is social media marketing,\u201d says Klare. \u201cMost of my clients came from my Instagram. When you don\u2019t have a brick-and-mortar storefront, it\u2019s hard for people to see you. Social media lets them know that you exist. People look at the pictures and videos, anything you post. I spent a lot of time creating educational content, making sure my videos look good. I also get other skincare therapists who follow me because they get inspired by my work also. It really helps a lot for exposure.\u201d<\/p>\n

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What sets WYSKT apart from other skincare and beauty companies is Klare\u2019s collaborative approach: rather than telling the clients what they should do, she builds relationships. \u201cMy clients and I work in partnership towards a common goal: for them to have healthy, beautiful skin. I don\u2019t set myself up as an authority: I\u2019m working with them. I follow up and stay in touch with them. Working with me is a conversation.\u201d<\/p>\n

WYSKT also has the advantage of Klare\u2019s own background as a medical professional, with the website noting that Klare ensures that \u201call products and equipment are medical grade and backed by extensive research and science.\u201d<\/p>\n

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Presently, WYSKT offers a focused menu of services, from classic facials and body treatments to dermal cleanings and hydrodermal peels, the latter of which can provide immediate results.<\/p>\n

They also offer the very popular 24 Karat Gold Therapy Facial which uses a mask made up of real gold to restore and rejuvenate dull, mature, sagging skin for a youthful glow. This ultra-luxe facial also helps minimize fine lines, lighten acne scars, and reduce inflammation of acne \u2014 not to mention makes you feel like a million bucks as your skin literally absorbs gold.<\/p>\n