The Skin Refinery
Women (and men) run daily miles through obstacle courses of obligations, never stopping to rest and regain mental clarity. Overloaded parents or ‘I have a deadline’ businesswomen forget to stop and grab a water handed to them by a therapeutic source. Society is dramatically distancing itself from the sidelines of sufficient self-care.
“It’s a form of therapy. I’ve noticed self-care has become more of an industry. A lot of women come and feel better when they leave. I really love that aspect of it,” Jess explained.
Jess Authement is owner and operator of The Skin Refinery located in Downtown Houma. There, she loves to hand out “cups” of holistic rejuvenation to rampant runners ensuring whole body betterment.
“Skincare and bodywork are also self-care. I have always felt strongly about the mind and body connection to it. It’s more than just skincare. It’s more than external,” Jess said.
Therefore, Jess attended esthetician school in 2012 and graduated in 2013 to start honing a timeline of holistic skincare. Before becoming a solo esthetician and requiring a license for over ten years, she started a mobile tanning business. Jess traveled to customers’ homes and conducted spray tans/ tanning parties.
“Within a few months, I knew I wanted to go further into esthetics,” Jess stated.
In 2016, Jess decided to rent a booth area in The Beauty Shop owned by Monique Cuttingham. She performed solo esthetician work for one year. At the time, she beautified clients’ skin and spirit under the name of Skincare by Jess.
“I got into this line of work because I loved all the beauty things. I also had a lot of insecurities as women do. Growing up, it made me feel better when I did skincare and beauty,” Jess said.
“I felt better being in that world, so I wanted to make other women feel better about themselves. I just wanted to highlight their natural beauty more holistically and naturally,” she added.
Jess desired a spa-like atmosphere where she could help cultivate women’s worth and prune insecurities. Thus, she rented workspace from 2017 to 2018 at the Houma Massage Company. Clientele grew like a Pothos plant that trailed over a massage table and esthetician chair.
In 2019, expansion was needed to house more services and occupational assistance. Therefore, a building was leased for about 6 years and Skincare by Jess evolved into The Skin Refinery. Eventually, the space that was being leased became sellable. Jess had prior thoughts of independently owning her own establishment and further refining her brand. Thus, on December 29th, 2023, she moved into her current location on Verret Street. Jess’ brand, The Skin Refinery, is a horticulture of holistic care that maintains a habitat of ‘where luxe meets holistic’.
“It’s an environment where you can come and treat yourself. You get to be a little fancy and luxurious, but it is also holistic and nourishing,” Jess stated.
“We are using our hands as or main modality. We are going in with a more natural approach without using toxic ingredients,” she added.
The clinical products that The Skin Refinery offers (even the massage cream that is used during massage therapy) are blended with proven scientific elements and potent plant-based power resulting in dynamic effects without harmful toxins. Clients can trust that the comprehensive care that they will receive will be free of harshness in products and in the atmosphere, producing an overall laid-back “chair” experience.
Therefore, Jess wholeheartedly believes in holistic wholeness and has created a serene and safe space that minimizes the gap between the daily grind sideline and nourishing naturopathy. She assists each client with a lenient nature and “leans them back” into a restful state.
“I like being a place where women can come and feel safe. I’m not going to push products or a series of treatments on them. I like to be able to provide a space where they can tell me their concerns or needs without feeling more insecure,” Jess said.
Moms, or women in general (including men), can “grab a cup” of Jess’ non-toxic and restorative services that includes facials, peels, microdermabrasion, and dermaplaning.
After receiving treatment, clients will leave feeling fortified and comprehensively refreshed. Jess and her fellow esthetician, Farah Billiot, value each woman’s worth and understand the concept of their vulnerability. In turn, they seek to improve self-esteem and strive to enhance the beauty that is already evident.
Jess’ daughter, who is attending Omega School, will soon be employed as an additional esthetician in March of 2025. She will also help in complimenting a client’s original glow.
“I hope clients leave feeling more secure in who they are and know they don’t have to change anything about themselves. They can just enhance what they already have,” Jess stated.
“I also want clients to feel like they got a lot of self-care and therapy out of their sessions on top of correcting their skin issues,” she added.
Therefore, Jess is an amply accredited Esthetician and is extremely knowledgeable in corrective procedures and reinforcing skin barrier behavior. She has multiple certifications (and increased training) in an array of skincare methods such as microdermabrasion and dermaplaning. Additional certifications were received in the expertise of chemical peels such as the Lira Peel (smart peel technology that reduces acne and pigmentation issues).
“In my personal life I also like to take a more holistic approach; the more natural approach,” Jess said.
Evidence of Jess’ integrated insight is accounted for with a Holistic Nutritionist Coach certificate. She is enthusiastic about the harmonious triad modality of mind, body, and soul. Thus, she offers her nutritional knowledge free of charge to all who “sit in her chair” amongst soft white tranquility and aromatherapy.
“I want the entire experience to be an experience for the entire mind, body, and soul,” Jess stated.
To keep in accord with The Skin Refinery’s whole wellness objective, in March of 2024, Jess traveled to Paris, France to train for a holistic facelift experience called, Kobido. It is a facial massage technique that was practiced by the ancient Japanese culture. Jess was trained by Florence Lovall, who was previously mentored by the master of the Japanese craft.
Along with the practice of Kobido, massage therapy performed by massage therapist, Angelle Trosclair, completes the holistic essence of The Skin Refinery. These offered hands-on modalities are performed amongst white-like silence that succumbs to the senses of aromatherapy and dreamy music that peacefully triggers white sand dreams.
All services at The Skin Refinery entail the essence of organic elements that benefit the internal and external. Therefore, comprehensive care culminates within “cups” that are given out daily to stimulate adequate self-care.
“I offer these services to the community because there are not many spaces they can go to get the overall experience they can get from us; the internal and external work,” Jess said.
Jess has established a “getaway”, a “sideline” where obligated runners can rest and receive services that ultimately enhance tired glows and uplift mental lows. She has situated a space where clients can come and receive corrective “cups” of holistic healing, and leave lightened of any insecurities.
“I want clients to leave feeling really good about themselves and that they found a place where they can feel at peace,” Jess ended.
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