The poet who penned the now-famous adage “beauty is only skin-deep” clearly didn’t understand proper skincare. One person who does? Denise Dubois, owner of Complexions Spa For Beauty & Wellness, with locations in Saratoga Springs and Albany. “I’ve been a practicing esthetician for 35-plus years and have worked with a lot of different skincare brands during that time,” Dubois says. “As I’ve gotten older, I’ve developed a greater appreciation for clean beauty, because what you put on your face can have an impact on your total wellness.”
After more than three decades trying other brands, Dubois is now on the cusp of launching her own line of green skincare products, under the brand name Dubois Beauty & Wellness. “Clean beauty’s not a luxury—it’s a lifestyle,” Dubois says. “That’s our philosophy with everything we do at the spa, and skincare is just one more piece of that total body experience.”
Starting in January, Dubois Beauty & Wellness will be available for sale at both Complexions locations in the Capital Region. This spa-grade skincare line will consist of 14 products, featuring a selection of high-performance facial cleansers, toners, moisturizers, specialty serums and hydrating mineral water sprays made with essential oils and local Saratoga mineral water. “I wanted to use natural ingredients from the Northeast,” Dubois says. “So the skincare line is inspired by our local nature, and uses the best clean ingredients to deliver exceptional results.” The new line holds a high standard for clean, natural, and organic ingredients and never uses parabens, petrol-based products or, with the exception of milk and honey, animal-based ingredients. Also, as part of the company’s dedication to creating a truly green skincare line, Dubois Beauty & Wellness doesn’t use any ingredients that are hazardous to the environment, and has reduced any excess packaging. She says, “We want each product to reflect our commitment to sustaining our natural resources.”
A graduate of the Catherine E. Hinds School of Esthetics in Woburn, MA, Dubois has been working on her skincare line for three years. “It’s been a lot of researching ingredients and testing products,” she says. “We actually did a focus group with our spa clients to determine what the skincare program was going to look like.” Though it hasn’t been an easy process, Dubois says it’s been worth it, and she’s ecstatic that Dubois Beauty & Wellness will be available early next year. “We all want beautiful skin,” she says. “Our mission is to make sure that what you put on your skin supports your total beauty and wellness.”
