Virus Diary: JMarie Skin Studio
LONGMONT — JMarie Skin Studio LLC is quickly working towards a weekend reopening as Boulder County’s shelter-in-place mandate expires tomorrow and is replaced with the state’s safer-at-home order.
JMarie is a full service skin care clinic offering skin treatments, permanent makeup, nutritional IV treatment, skin injections, massage, hair removal and other beauty services.
The Longmont-based skin clinic, and similar Boulder Valley personal service businesses, temporarily shuttered doors in March following public health orders to prevent the spread of COVID-19.
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During the duration of Boulder County’s stay-at-home order, which predated and extended beyond the state’s, only businesses considered essential could operate in public.
Being told that the business she poured savings into three years ago was not eligible to operate during the mandate was challenging for Jessica Brock, owner of JMarie.
“I think that it was really difficult to hear that my work and my business and what I do, my life’s work, is non-essential,” Brock said.
Brock said that business was steady up until it was ordered to close. Throughout closure, Brock launched an ecommerce store, selling skin products. However, she added that it’s not sustainable for the business and sales from the store was just enough to break even with its expenses.
Brock also offered virtual free consultations for her customers and skincare education videos on social media.
JMarie has six contract employees that plan on returning to work as the clinic reopens this weekend. However, that work will look very different.
Along with regulations for personal services by the safer-at-home mandate the Boulder County’s mandatory mask order also goes into effect May 9. In compliance with the order, JMarie employees will follow cleaning and personal protective equipment regulations. The five-room studio allows for work space distancing.
Moving forward, clients will need to enter with a mask, which JMaire will sell for $5 to those without one, to receive service.
Some services, such as facials, won’t be possible with masks. Treatments on the face that only require the top part of the face exposed will be available. This includes eyelash extensions and botox to the upper face. Any services on other parts of the body can also resume this weekend.
“The problem is that we make a living by touching people’s faces so it’s really difficult for not only myself but a lot of my peers in the esthetic industry because even though we’re going back to work there’s still so many things that we can’t do,” Brock said.
