Written and photos by Katie Chandler

Every day a new skincare hack or serum blows up on the internet. "This got rid of my acne instantly" or "This serum changed my life," are claims we often hear right before the next fad comes. Peyton Ragen, owner, and creator of 417 Sacred Skin focuses on a different approach. "I believe that true beauty starts with healing yourself. When you feel better about your life, body, and surroundings, the outside matches that." Before going to esthetician school, she knew she wanted to focus on natural ingredients but never knew her holistic business would start even before she graduated. 

Combining her dream to work for herself and her passion for having the creative freedom to pursue esthetics, 417 Sacred Skin was born. Renting her first space in October of 2020, Peyton moved into her first full space two months later in December. 

While she's also had close friends supporting her, much of the business relied on her figuring it out herself. Being a fairly new practice to the Springfield area, there is no beginner's guide to opening a holistic spa. "What happened is that I took the leap to start my business right out of school, which is pretty much unheard of."

She now offers different holistic services such as Facial Massage, Gua Sha, Facial Cupping, Buccal Massage or Intraoral Massage, Ear Seeding and Ear Reflexology, Chakra Alignments with Tuning Forks, Guided Meditation, Sound Baths, and Reiki. However, 417 Scared Skin is more than skin deep, "I wanted to create a space focused on providing an experience and really caring for my clients on a deeper level than just how their skin looked!"

Unlike traditional skin care spas, Sacred Skin is not a quick in-and-out service. 

"I focus on where you are energetically, emotionally, and spiritually... I believe true healing starts within the body to get external results." Peyton has even created her own 45-minute facial massage technique called "Sacred Flow." Currently, she teaches this technique to other Estheticians in the Springfield area but hopes to expand and travel further to teach others. 

Creating a client-first business, Peyton believes holistic care stands out from other businesses. A thought process that challenges the status quo that your skin needs quick fixes to be perfect. "[Clients] deserve to be nurtured, and regardless of how their skin may look by societal standards, it's beautiful just the way it is. There are other ways to heal our skin than products alone."

If you want to try something new and trust Peyton to help heal your skin, you can find her on Instagram @417ScaredSkin