Business: Glos Skincare Studio
Address: 216 S. Main St., Naperville
Phone/website: 331-444-9464; www.glosskincarestudio.com
Owner: Daniela Condratiuc, 38, of Aurora
Years in business: 7
What does your business do? “I do skin care. It’s all customized treatments for skin care, like facials and chemical peels. It depends what my clients need,” Condratiuc said.
What happens when a new client comes in? “When the clients come in, they don’t know what they need. We’ll do a consultation, go through the skin care routine they do at home, talk about their life, talk about their work, how busy they are. Do you have time for skin care or just want to see me?”
What sets you apart? “I don’t accept tips. I have a no-tip policy. I prefer them to use that (tip) money to come see me again. … I’ll never tell you if I see something wrong because many times people are used to something. I’ll ask what you are looking for, what bothers you.”
What’s your background? “Before I came to the states, I was a med student in Moldova. I wanted to be a plastic surgeon. … How did I get here? When I was a med student, an educational program opened up in the United States. I was 22. I was going to do it for the summer. … That was 16 years ago. Here I am. … I decided to study esthetics, skin care. I’d still be helping people. … I was in Vermont. I decided to move to Chicago. … I’m a city girl.
“I worked for a plastic surgeon, Dr. Steven Dayan, in downtown Chicago. I was assisting, paperwork, anything. … Then they hired me. I was in the right place at the right time. I became a medical assistant, helping them with patients, pre-surgery. I did it for a year, then I was head of the esthetic department for five years.”
What’s the goal? “I want the client to leave here feeling good overall, relaxed and refreshed. … My goal for them is to feel good and see a difference in their skin. … It’s all connected.”
Do you like your job? “I love my job. … I’m investing more in better products. … It’s not that I want to make a lot of money. I’m happy to make money, but my first priority is helping people and I love doing it.”
What’s your business philosophy? “It doesn’t matter how often you come in — every month, every six months, once a year — I’ll treat everybody the same. … This is a safe zone. I do my job and want to make sure you are happy. … When I leave work, I leave everything here. At home, rule No. 1 is we don’t talk about work.”
What’s the price? “It depends but it usually starts from $180 up to $375.”
What’s a chemical peel? “Chemicals that help your skin exfoliate.”
What should we know about skin? “Our skin regenerates every 28 days when we’re in our 20s. Every 10 years adds 10 more days. That’s why we find wrinkles. Our skin is exposed to sun, wind, heat. But I can’t tell people to not smoke. My husband smokes.”
What should we do for our skin? “Three steps. The basics. Wash your face, use a toner, use a moisturizer. Not too complicated.”
Is it best to moisturize at night or in the morning? “Both. In the morning and in the night. Wash your face and moisturize, especially when it’s cold outside like now. Use a moisturizer with sunscreen in the summer.”
What about competition? “There are a lot of places around, but we are all different. … I feel that everyone has different knowledge, everybody has a different approach. The difference is I am connected to my clients. I take my time to listen to them. … I love competition because you always want to do it better. … If somebody comes to me and they went (before) to somebody else, I’ll never say any bad word about a different professional.”
How often should we have a facial? “Once a month.”
What are your hours? “Usually 9:30 to 3:15 Tuesday through Friday. On Saturdays, 9 to 5. I’m off Sunday and Monday. … Appointment only.”
Any negatives? “I have days when I say, ‘I’m done.’ We all have those days. … I don’t like the social media part. It’s not social media that brings in clients. Most are on referrals.”
What’s your advice for someone starting a business? “Go work for somebody (in that field) first. Get the experience. See how it is.”
Steve Metsch is a freelance reporter for the Naperville Sun. If you know of a business you’d like to see profiled in Down to Business, contact him at metschmsfl@yahoo.com.
