Founder of Obsidian Skin Care System and Jean Pierre Aesthetics and Spa Inc., Jean Pierre has dedicated her professional life to promoting health and wellbeing. Specializing in skincare and hair removal, Pierre fuses her Jamaican roots with her medical background to create products made with all-natural ingredients that work for all skin types. Pierre recognizes the importance of feeling good in one’s skin. The inspirational entrepreneur sat down with Elixuer, sharing her expertise on all things aesthetics, misconceptions in skin care, and how she has diversified the aesthetics market.
What has been the most enjoyable part of your journey thus far?
I would say it’s three parts. The first part is the ability to do what I want when I want, and how I want. The second part is the chance to work with young adults. Parents bring their kids to me from age 12. Working with teens who have skin problems, [I find that] sometimes they’re flunking school and the interaction with their peers is not what they want it to be. They become self-conscious and anti-social. I take care of their skin, [so] they integrate back with their peers and their grades go up. For me, [that] is something. It’s the reason I left‑ my nursing career at the top of the ladder to explore aesthetics. The third part is when I came in to remove laser hair and saw women who would not embrace me because they didn’t want their faces to [be touched by] anyone. They’d pull away, and people, especially in the Black community, [think] you’re too good to be hugged. It sends the wrong message. When they can bear it all and hug me and say, “You’re a miracle worker,” I feel I’m doing what I was supposed to do within this business. That’s my joy.
What are some misconceptions about Black skincare and beauty that you have helped to clarify with the Obsidian Skin Care System?
When I came into skincare, everybody thought [that] skin was skin — whatever it contains is the same. I came to hear that my skin was extremely oily. Black skin reflects light and gives skin the appearance that it’s oilier than it is. When one goes into a department store to get a product — you’re Black, you’re oily, but the skin could still be rehydrated. Instead, you’re given products to dry out the oil and your skin problem becomes worse. Another misconception is that Black skin is not sensitive, so you can use the harshest brush for exfoliation — that also is not true because it’s one of the most sensitive. It’s resilient in one way, but very sensitive in the other way because you can develop keloids, which are disfiguring. You can develop scarring, which is untreatable at times, and hyperpigmentation, which is very frustrating, particularly in a woman. They also say it’s difficult to cleanse, so you must use harsh cleansers. That is also not true because, again, you can get that hyperpigmentation. You can see white companies trying to evolve with colour in cosmetics, going to different grades because there are different shades of Black. A lot of companies are jumping on the bandwagon, making a lot of money. Sometimes, I think [it is] because of what I’ve put out there.
How does your background in nursing inform your practice as an aesthetician?
My medical background has given me a big edge on the market because I came in knowing anatomy and physiology and [knowing] about my own Black skin. I wanted to do it initially just for Black men and women. But soon, I realized if I can do Black skin, I can do everybody. My nursing [background] sets me apart because I don’t do one treatment. I don’t do an occasional treatment. I do treatments that dermatologists fail to do. When Damon Stoudamire walked into my spa, no one could help him. He came to Canada, and he went to several dermatologists [until] someone said, “Send him to Jean.”
You emphasise natural ingredients in your skincare products. What are some of your favourite ingredients?
Growing up in Jamaica, I was surrounded by natural ingredients that we picked from bushes. I pick herbs from my home to go into the skincare line to make it as natural as possible. Aloe vera is a great product in a skincare line, [so is] tea tree oil — it’s like a medicine cabinet in a bottle. Lemon and grapefruit [have] alpha hydroxy acid. There’s a lot of things that you can use in combination with other ingredients. A lot of times, I will custom blend a product.
Why do you feel everyone should use your product line?
My line is natural, and I have so many results with my line on my Black clientele, [so] it’s great for everybody else. I remember being on a show, and they called me specifically to speak about Black skin and my products. A‑ er the show, a lot of my white clients called me — it sounded like I didn’t treat white skin. And [they asked] why did I leave them out? I said the program was geared toward me speaking about my products directly on how it affects Black skin. It’s natural, it’s hypoallergenic, and it’s an evolving formulation. As new things come on the market, I can incorporate them to make my product a little bit better.
Ortheta Anan | Contributing Writer
