Boothbay Harbor is welcoming another business, The Skincare Room. Owner and esthetician Irene Plummer brought her 115 Townsend Ave. business to life last month after making a big move from Brunswick.

Having made the twice daily commute from East Boothbay for five years, Plummer said she had the chance to take a vacant space next to Harborside Reflexology and Nail Care. She acted on her instincts to take the space.

“The drive was taking a toll on my body physically and taking a lot of time and energy,” Plummer said. “But I'm also an artist and I wanted more time to spend painting.”

Plummer had trained as an artist and made a living painting for about 40 years. Realizing she needed a job while she painted, she went to school at Capilo's Aveda Institute Maine for esthetics. However, when she opened The Skincare Room, she also began losing painting time. Moving her business, she has gone from an hour and a half commute to just over 10 minutes.

“Many of my clients are coming, but I'm hoping to get local clients, too … I also specialize in some things that most estheticians don't do, so some people are willing to drive.”

Before becoming an esthetician, Plummer worked in a skincare salon for six years. “I became interested in products and how they affect your skin, so I decided to go and learn how to give treatments.

“The way that I practice esthetics is about the health of the skin more than anything else. Healthy skin is beautiful skin … and a lot of that is about education. My treatments are really relaxing and that's helpful for stress and stress definitely affects the skin. It also affects your health and that affects your skin as well: If you have chronic pain or chronic digestive issues and things like that, it affects your skin.”

Plummer said one of the greatest points we overlook about the human body is that skin is its largest organ. Skin needs to be nurtured and cared for especially in the dry, cold climate of Midcoast Maine in the winter. Plummer also said the muscles of the face, neck, shoulders and head can get so tight it affects the whole body.

“When you can relax your face, you can relax your whole body,” and that’s where Gua Sha can come in, Plummer said.

Gua Sha, a traditional treatment in Chinese medicine, has stood for centuries and become extremely popular in metropolises across the world. “Gua Sha hits all the meridians of the face and so it's very soothing as well as making your skin look good. It helps to lift, tone, re-contour the face and bring out a glow … It’s huge in New York City and L.A.”

While she also makes recommendations for beauty products, Plummer sells primarily Le Mieux skin care cosmetics. As an esthetician, she cannot treat for things like eczema and psoriasis because those are medical issues, but she can recommend products to help with any kind of skin issue, “and if it's something out of my scope, I recommend a dermatologist,” she said.

The Skincare Room does facials, Gua Sha, microcurrent, ultrasonic, facial waxing, lash and brow tinting and Thai poultice facial massage. Plummer added, “I'm continuing a lot of advanced technique education – other techniques I'm developing like nano-needling …”

Most of Plummer’s treatments are done by hand. She is not a big believer in machines. One of her few exceptions is microcurrent, which Plummer said is the only esthetic treatment that reeducates skin and muscle to become more firm and toned.

“Most of my treatments are gauged toward age management … and working with your hands in general is more soothing. I think most things can be done with your hands.”

Plummer is available by appointment Monday through Friday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. and on Saturday from 9 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. Book a session at https://www.theskincareroom.me