“Don’t be afraid to put yourself out there and fearlessly pursue your dreams. Don’t be afraid that people won’t like you; one of your greatest assets is being your unique self. Believe in yourself and your ideas!”
-Shani Darden
As a brilliant esthetician and entrepreneur, Shani Darden epitomizes what it means to be a trailblazer. From a young age, she struggled with skin rashes. But even then, she endeavored to innovate solutions for herself. Using trial and error, 9-year-old Shani would make face masks to try and soothe her skin. Near her home, a small town in upstate New York, there was one dermatologist an hour away. But, since this wasn’t completely accessible, she mostly depended on herself. And upon growing into a teenager, she became entirely obsessed with skincare.
Before finding her true calling in skincare, later on,she moved all the way to L.A and broke into the scene through modeling and appearing in music videos. After training as a masseuse and esthetician, Shani started offering facials to Hollywood makeup artists and hairstylists, who then recommended her to their star clients, catapulting Darden’s reputation in the beauty industry.
Since then, she has built an A-list clientele. Jessica Alba, Kelly Rowland, Rosie Huntington-Whiteley, Shay Mitchell, Emmy Rossum, January Jones, and even Kim Kardashian have trusted Shani with their skin. In 2019, she opened her flagship studio in Beverly Hills where her signature facials (notably her famed retinol treatments and vibration therapy) have become the secret behind many of Hollywood’s flawless faces.
Shani has also launched her skincare line, with herRetinol Reform serum gaining cult status after celebrities like Kardashian publicly praised it.TheFacial Sculpting Wand is Shani Darden’s first beauty device, designed to bring a piece of her in-studio magic into consumers’ homes.
Most notably, Shani launched a facial wand that uses soundwaves to promote circulation, evenness, and cellular repair. In her facial studio, Shani often used acoustic waves on her clients, but she wanted to find a way to expand accessibility and give customers everywhere the opportunity to experience her expertise.
Over the years, Shani has not only become an authority in the beauty business but also a lead thinker in aesthetics and skincare. But, it goes further than success; she is breaking barriers for other women. Even though we’re talking about the beauty industry, did you know that almost ⅔ or beauty industry executives are men?Furthermore, according to Statista, 77.5% of small business owners are men.
To take it even further, about 4% to 5% of aestheticians are of African-American descent. Shani Darden is trailblazing and breaking the glass ceiling on so many different levels. Indeed, Shani Darden is someone who not only knows how to navigate challenges, but she shows other women that they can do it too – whatever the odds, despite the cards dealt!
Read more about Shani's Innovations here!
