Tucked away in a small upstairs suite near the Coronado Post Office is Island Esthetics, a serene sanctuary for skincare and sugaring owned by San Diego native Heidi Sparks. With a strong love of the ocean, Heidi has kept sustainability at the forefront as she created products to use for her services such as facials and hair removal for men and women, from teens to seniors.
While working in the corporate world, Heidi decided she needed a drastic change and simultaneously began cosmetology school, where she found her niche in helping clients look their best. She opened Island Esthetics in Coronado six years ago, just before the pandemic. Today, her focus is on customized facials, and sugaring, a gentle, yet effective method for removing for unwanted body hair.
Three years ago, not happy with the original products she was using, she began working with a chemist to develop her own line of skincare products which she says are sustainable, refillable, ocean-friendly, with no endocrine disruptors. Sparks says the products work well for all skin types, especially for those prone to sensitivity and acne, which she personally understands. “I enjoy helping people look their best and have noticed a difference since I started using these products, and my clients are also seeing amazing results,” she shares.
One of her most popular products is sunscreen, which is reef and hormone safe, and glides on and hydrates the skin. The face wash, with hyaluronic acid, is hydrating and can be used not only on the face but other areas too, like after hair removal sugaring. Her line of oils and moisturizers are non-comedogenic and designed to promote healing, calm the skin, reverse razor bumps, and stave off infections. Her barrier repair serums with peptides and ceramides prove especially good for rosacea. The Glorietta Bay Spray features hibiscus and rose, to help with fine lines, wrinkles, and to calm the skin.
Heidi believes in simple, quality driven treatments, without gimmicks or fillers, for her customized facials. After evaluating a client’s skin, she designs a treatment plan tailored to their individual needs. Services may include microdermabrasion, dermaplaning, peels, lymphatic massage, Celluma light therapy, and wet dermabrasion. Facials range from $80 to $240, with options lasting from 30 minutes to 90 minutes. She shares that the healthy aging facial is one of the most popular.
The business is split about fifty-fifty between facials and hair removal, a popular service for both women and men. The sugaring method is more organic than waxing and utilizes a cooler temperature. It can be used for hair removal on all areas of the body, including the face, underarms, back, and bikini areas, with prices starting at $45. “Most of my clients schedule monthly sessions and find that the more they do it, the less hair growth they have,” she comments.
Heidi also shares general skincare practices to do at home, including lymphatic massage to reduce puffiness, cleaning eyeglasses regularly to help prevent breakouts on the nose, and changing pillowcases frequently for acne-prone skin — daily for severe acne, or two times a week for moderate conditions.
Heidi advocates for simple skincare routines rather than multi-step regimens, recommending a morning routine of cleansing, serum, moisturizer, and sunscreen. For nighttime, cleanse and apply a clarifying serum and moisturizer. She admits that she only gets around to using face masks on occasion, but suggests monthly masks for optimal results.
In her free time, she takes her rescue dog Chanel to the beach, spends time with her husband and three daughters, and enjoys the outdoors, whether it be hiking, paddleboarding, kayaking, snorkeling, diving, taking pictures of birds or just watching the beauty of nature.
Future plans include selling the environmentally friendly, sustainable line of products that she uses at home, and hopes to add to her line. Her all purpose cleaner, shampoo, hair serums, and others are gentle and free of systemic ingredients. “I nerd out on the ingredients found in the products I use. My love of the ocean makes me want to use sustainable and refillable products, especially after seeing the plastic debris when snorkeling in the ocean,” she shares.
Island Esthetics is located at 1309 Ynez Place, Suite B (upstairs), in Coronado. Open six days a week, appointments can be made by visiting islandesthetics.com or calling 858-774-4305. Island Esthetics can also be found on Instagram and Facebook at @island.esthetics.
