You can’t throw a rock in Los Angeles without hitting a place to get a facial. From the Beverly Hills legends as famous as their celebrity clients, to the expanding chains and franchises bringing scale, accessibility and convenience to the market, there’s no shortage of practitioners ready to treat your skin.

That being said, it’s still possible to carve out a niche in this saturated space, and “master therapeutic facialist” Andrea Ámez has done just that in the discreet West Hollywood studio she opened four years ago. Victoria Monet, Lily Rose-Depp and Rowan Blanchard are among the cool-girl stars who come to the “IYKYK” esthetician for holistic, customized facials that are as effective as they are relaxing. (Having been lucky enough to get one myself, I can attest to this.)

Ámez, who studied art history before deciding to pursue a beauty career, sets her practice apart in a few ways: Alongside more traditional elements like deep cleansing, (painless) extractions, exfoliation, “clean”-yet-effective products and the latest tech modalities like lasers, LED, microneedling and microcurrent, she famously incorporates bodywork techniques into her treatments — hence the title “therapeutic facialist.”

“I have always worked alongside acupuncturists and body workers, I’m really lucky. I’ve had really strong influences in my career in wellness beyond facials and aesthetics. And my mom, coincidentally, is a nurse,” Ámez says of how she arrived at this identity. “I do a little medical, a little bit of bodywork techniques, which really are just rooted in massage therapy, and then a little bit of light TCM and cranial sacral therapies as well.” The goal is to create “a 360 approach that involves the body and the skin,” as she puts it. And while she embraces the latest devices and innovations in tech and science, she’s a “hand person” at her core.

“I really think my best asset and my greatest tool are my hands,” she emphasizes. “What it comes down to is movement and the power of touch. And with that comes this really amazing intimate trust that you get from a client and it’s the most amazing, special thing in the world.”

Ámez also specializes in treating those of us with melanin-rich skin, which has unique needs and sensitivities, like being prone to hyperpigmentation.

“I’ve always talked about inclusivity and really treating people with melanated skin types because it was really hard for me to find someone that I honestly felt comfortable with, especially in L.A.,” she says. “I’ve had the best mentors who were all older white women, like Eastern European, and they taught me so much. But I thought it would be really amazing and great if I could work with a Latin person, or I just would’ve felt more comfortable with a Black esthetician, which of course there are, but it was hard during the mid-2000s. And so that was a big thing that inspired me.”

Beyond creating a space for women of color to feel comfortable and safe (as I absolutely did during my treatment), Ámez thoughtfully caters to the distinct characteristics of melanated skin that most estheticians overlook, like through her gentle hand-extraction technique: “Even something as little as too much pressure can create a little bit of bruising [in darker skin],” she explains. “I’m so hyper aware of the little details.”

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In the video above, Ámez shares more about her unique approach to skin care, as well as her career journey, opening her own studio, what her high-profile clients tend to come to her for and more. (Plus, get a peek at my own treatment experience.)

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