The best part of this job is learning from the women who shape Charlotte, and this installment of Founder Diaries is no exception. I had the chance to catch up with Toska Husted, who recently regained full control of her eponymous skin spa.
Turns out, there are no shortcuts to glowing skin or running a successful business. Let’s dive in.
When did your passion for skincare start?
I grew up surrounded by women who took great pride in how they looked, it’s very much part of European culture. Even when they were busy, raising children, working, managing everything, they still made the effort to present themselves well. Whether it was going to the grocery store or the bakery, they were put together. That stayed with me.
- I didn’t struggle with my skin, but I was always observant, how brows shape the face, how skin texture changes, how someone looks and feels. When I moved to London and enrolled at Steiner, it started as curiosity, but it quickly became something more.
- Once we began working on real clients, I saw the shift, not just in their skin, but in their confidence. That’s when I understood that skincare, when done properly, is about care, discipline, and understanding the skin in front of you.
At what point did you open your own business?
I opened my business in Charleston in 2010, shortly after moving from London, when I very quickly recognized a gap in the market. Skincare was becoming much more present, but the options felt very polarized. People were going from having little to no real skincare routines straight into dermatology offices or plastic surgeons, often being guided toward more invasive treatments.
- At the same time, there was an influx of med spas and what I would call more “fluffy” spa experiences—relaxing, but not necessarily results-driven. There was nothing in between.
- I wanted to create a space that offered both. Treatments that were focused and effective, but without downtime. An experience that felt considered and pleasant, but still delivered real, visible results.
- My approach was rooted in European methodology that was based on years of training and experience, where skincare is not just about correction, but about care and long-term skin health.
Over the past 16 years in the Carolinas, I’ve taken pride in bringing a different standard, introducing methods, techniques, and a way of thinking about skincare that wasn’t widely available at the time. In 2016, I opened in Charlotte after clients began traveling from there to Charleston for treatments.
- There was a clear demand for this approach, so I brought the same methodology and standard to Charlotte. That’s how the business grew into what it is today.
- This year we celebrate 10 years in Charlotte and I couldn’t be happier about it!
How did you know it was the right time?
I opened my first business in Charleston in 2010, which was about 14 years after I completed my training. For me, it was never about rushing into opening a business. I wanted to be certain that I had the knowledge, the experience, and the confidence to take full responsibility for the skin in front of me.
- By that point, I had spent years working on clients, refining my technique, and understanding the skin beyond just protocols. I knew what I was doing, and more importantly, I knew why I was doing it.
- I think this is where people often get it wrong. Skincare is something you can do a lot of damage with if you don’t have the depth of knowledge and experience. A few months of training is not enough to be working with acids, advanced treatments, or equipment without proper understanding. It’s not just about performing a treatment—it’s about knowing how the skin will respond, when to hold back, and how to adjust in real time.
- At the same time, when I moved to Charleston, I could clearly see that something was missing. That combination—experience on one side and a clear gap in the market on the other, is what made it the right time.
It’s widely reported that you have clients all over the world, including Kim Kardashian, Jennifer Lopez and Jennifer Aniston. I imagine skincare is very important to them! How did you become the go-to facialist in this crowd?
I never approached it as something to pursue. I’ve worked with a range of clients over the years—from well-known public figures to queens and royals—and what matters to me is that every face is treated with the same level of care and attention.
- I’m widely known for my pre-event, red carpet treatments, and that really comes from over 30 years of experience—understanding how the skin needs to look not just in person, but under lights, on camera, and within a very specific timeframe. That level of preparation requires precision and restraint. You have to know exactly what to do, and just as importantly, what not to do.
- Everything has come through word of mouth. That’s something I take a lot of pride in. When people see a real difference in their skin, they talk, and that kind of trust travels quietly.
- It’s always interesting, when I first meet a celebrity or a public figure and they find out I’m based in Charlotte, North Carolina, they’re usually surprised. There’s still this assumption that the best in this industry are in New York or Los Angeles. But I think that’s part of what makes it different. People seek you out because of the work, not because of where you’re based.
How did you decide to make Charlotte home base?
Charlotte felt like the right balance for me. It’s a city that’s big enough to grow a business, but still small enough to feel manageable and grounded. I love having four seasons, the greenery, the pace, for me it’s a beautiful place to live and work.
- Practically, it also makes a lot of sense. The airport is about 20 minutes from me, and I can get to the East Coast, West Coast, or Europe very easily with direct flights. That accessibility has always been important, especially with clients coming in from different places.
- But beyond that, I’ve found that the clientele here really value a more disciplined, European approach to skincare. There’s an appreciation for consistency, for technique, and for doing things properly, not just quickly. That alignment made it a natural place for me to build and continue growing the business
You sold the business in 2025 and recently regained full control. Why did you shift away from Toska and what brought you back?
I partnered with private equity in 2023 to scale the business. At the time, it felt like the right next step. Over time, it became clear we didn’t see the business the same way, especially when it came to standards, decision-making, and how skincare should be approached. By 2025, that misalignment became too significant to ignore, and I stepped away.
- In March of this year, when the business later faced challenges, I stepped in and reacquired it as its original founder. Taking it back was about restoring the integrity of the work and rebuilding it the way it was always meant to be.
What’s your personal skincare routine?
I focus a lot on how my skin feels at any given time. I pay close attention to external factors—especially living in Charlotte, where we have high humidity, pollen, and long stretches of very strong UV exposure. All of that affects how the skin behaves, so my routine is always adjusted with those things in mind.
- I don’t follow a rigid routine just for the sake of it. I think about what my skin needs in that moment—whether it needs more support, more protection, or less stimulation. The foundation always stays the same: proper cleansing, controlled exfoliation, maintaining the skin barrier, and daily protection.
- I’ve never done lasers myself, and I don’t use prescription-strength skincare as part of my routine. I believe those have their place, but they should be used for short-term correction under the guidance of a doctor, not as something you rely on long term.
- It’s less about using more, and more about using the right things at the right time. Skin responds best when you understand it, not when you constantly change it.
What’s a skincare product or treatment that’s overhyped and one that’s underhyped?
What I find overhyped is the idea that certain ingredients should be used by everyone. You often hear blanket advice like “everyone needs vitamin C” or “everyone should be using retinol,” and that’s simply not how skin works.
- Not every skin can tolerate those ingredients, and when they’re used without proper understanding, they often lead to irritation and a compromised barrier. Skincare should never be one-size-fits-all.
- What’s underhyped, in my opinion, is a well-formulated cleanser. It’s the most basic step, but it’s also one of the most important. At the spa, our cleansing milk is consistently one of our best-performing products, both in treatments and retail, because it supports the skin without disrupting it. If cleansing is done properly, everything that follows works better. It’s not the most exciting step, but it’s often the one that makes the biggest difference over time.
We’re heading into summer. Do you have sunscreen suggestions for us?
The best sunscreen is the one you don’t skip—the one you actually like using. Consistency matters far more than anything else.
- I personally keep a few options in rotation, depending on the day and what I need—tinted sunscreen, clear formulas, and lighter sun drops. It’s important that it feels good on the skin, otherwise people tend to avoid reapplying, which defeats the purpose.
- That said, I do believe mineral sunscreens are the best choice, especially for daily use. They’re more stable, they sit on the surface of the skin, and they tend to be better tolerated, particularly for sensitive or reactive skin.
Anything else we should know about skincare and/or running a business?
Whether it’s skincare or business, the principle is the same—you have to be willing to stay disciplined and not get distracted by what everyone else is doing.
- I’ve always felt more comfortable leading than following. I’m aware of what’s happening around me, but I don’t build my decisions around it. I prefer to stay original in how I think and how I approach both skincare and business.
- In skincare, most people are doing too much. Too many products, too many treatments, too much switching. Skin doesn’t respond well to that. It responds to consistency, to understanding, and to knowing when to step back.
- The same applies to business. It’s very easy to follow what seems popular or what’s growing quickly, but that doesn’t always mean it’s right. You have to be clear on your standards and stay aligned with them, even when it would be easier not to.
- In both, the real results don’t come from doing more—they come from doing the right things, consistently, over time.
