Episode Description
“Ethical beauty begins with consent, care, and the courage to see the whole person.” — Rachel Leoni
In this episode of Women Like Me Stories & Business, Julie Fairhurst sits down with Rachel Leoni, founder of Vita Felice Medispa in New Westminster, British Columbia, for a powerful conversation about ethical esthetics, trauma-informed skincare, scar work, client safety, and building a beauty business rooted in healing instead of trends.
Rachel shares the heart behind Vita Nova, her program offering complimentary specialized treatments for survivors of third-degree burns, violence, and human trafficking. Together, Julie and Rachel explore how scar work may help improve mobility, support confidence, and help people feel safer in their own bodies again.
This conversation goes deeper than beauty. Rachel explains why trauma-informed care must begin with consultation, consent, emotional readiness, and respect for each person’s story. She also speaks honestly about the limits of what one provider can do alone and her hope to expand Vita Nova with like-minded professionals, including mental health support.
Julie and Rachel also discuss ethics in the beauty industry, including Rachel’s fight to prevent the term “vagacial” from being trademarked and controlled by a single company. They talk about client safety, TikTok beauty trends, microneedling, chemical peels, sugaring, and why stronger treatments are not always better.
Rachel also breaks down why sugaring can leave such a noticeable glow and how proper technique can make the difference between short-term maintenance and longer-lasting results.
If you care about ethical beauty, trauma-informed esthetics, skincare, scar healing, or building a profitable beauty business that truly helps people, this episode is for you.
Subscribe, share this conversation with a friend, and leave a review so more listeners can find it.
Reach out to Rachel:
Vita Felice Medi Spa https://vitafelice.ca
www.instagram.com/vitafelicemedispa/
www.facebook.com/vitafelicemedispa/
If this conversation stirred something in you… good. That’s where change begins.
Make sure you’re subscribed, share this with someone who needs it, and if you’re ready to tell your story, step into your voice, or build a life that actually feels like yours… You’re in the right place.
I’m Julie Fairhurst, and this is where stories turn into power.
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