Today we’d like to introduce you to Idali Larez.
Hi Idali, thanks for sharing your story with us. To start, maybe you can tell our readers some of your backstory.
I got my start in makeup artistry, but it didn’t take long to realize what I really loved was the skin itself. The science of it, the care of it, the quiet ritual of tending to someone with your hands, and the vulnerability that lay in the connections. In 2016 I moved into esthetics, and I’ve spent the almost-decade since building real expertise and learning everything I can. I am now a licensed esthetician and CIDESCO-certified educator, which means I’ve spent my years refining my skills, but also teaching them to other passionate estheticians.
Sacred Skin came out of wanting something different than the industry norm. It came to me clearly and naturally. A true reflection of who I am. No upsells, no rushed 30-minute slots, no pressure. Just intentional facials rooted in real clinical skill, held in a space where you can come exhale fully. I chose Houston’s East Downtown neighborhood for its rich history, but also its opportunity for community — it felt like the right place to build something that could become exactly what it was meant to be. A space where the goal is to create genuine connections and help people achieve their best skin, to be their most confident selves.
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
Not smooth, but I wouldn’t call it a bad road either, just an honest one. For most of my career I never pictured myself owning a business of my own. Then, quite suddenly, I felt this pull to create a space that was entirely mine, one built around how I actually believe skincare and wellness should feel. That shift alone was a kind of struggle: unlearning but also learning so much at once. The pressure is very different.
Business isn’t the easiest thing, even with all my years of experience in the industry. Nothing about running your own studio is intuitive the first time you’re doing it — the operations, the systems, the decisions that have nothing to do with skin at all. But it’s also been the most rewarding thing I’ve done. Sacred Skin has only been open since the end of May, so I’m still very much learning as I go, and I’m at peace with that. Two months down, lots to go.
As you know, we’re big fans of Sacred Skin. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about the brand?
Sacred Skin is a private, appointment-only facial studio in Houston’s East Downtown neighborhood. I’m the sole esthetician. Every treatment, every conversation, every moment is in my hands, which means the experience is deeply personal from the moment you walk in.
I specialize in intentional, results-driven facials built around stillness as much as skill. My menu is deliberately simple: three treatments — The Sacred Facial, The Reset Facial, and The Restorative Facial — each designed to give your skin real clinical care while giving you space to actually be present in your body. This monthly ritual meant to serve you, because everyone deserves this.
What I’m most proud of, brand-wise, is that Sacred Skin feels exactly like what it says: good for your skin, and everything beneath it. This isn’t a silent, meditative experience. It’s a ritual, and part of that ritual is the connection between us. I want readers to know this isn’t a spa in the conventional sense; it’s a sanctuary built around genuine human connection and presence, a decade of expertise, and the belief that skincare should leave you feeling more like yourself, not less.
If we knew you growing up, how would we have described you?
Growing up, I read a lot and spent a lot of time alone — I was genuinely happy in my own head with a book. I was homeschooled, so I had a lot of free time to try different hobbies, always jumping to whatever new thing caught my interest. I’ve also always been kind of silly — always trying to make people laugh, then and now.
I started working at 14 and just never stopped.
Looking back, it makes sense. The quiet, the curiosity, the silliness, the early work ethic. It’s all the same energy that led me here.
I am looking forward to how I’ll change in the next 10 years.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://sacredskincollective.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/_.sacredskin._/
Image Credits
Unies Gonzalez
