Meet founder and esthetician Beth Lautz
About Beth
I became an esthetician because of my own cystic acne — the kind that showed up like a beard of purple grapes that wouldn't clear, no matter what I tried. It was my aunt, an esthetician herself, who helped me get it under control for good. That experience changed the direction of my life.
Before that, I was on a corporate path in banking. It never quite fit, even with a great team around me. So I asked myself when I'd actually felt happiest — and the answer surprised me: it was during my own skincare routine, morning and night. That small ritual gave me a sense of peace and control I wasn't finding anywhere else.
I followed that thread, left banking behind, and enrolled at the San Francisco Institute of Esthetics and Cosmetology, a Paul Mitchell partner school. The moment I walked in, I knew I'd found my people. Between the chemistry of skincare and the healing power of touch, I knew this was it.
Since then, I've spent over 15 years working across spas, education, and luxury settings — nearly a decade of it specializing in moderate to severe acne in a clinical setting.
My favorite part of the job hasn't changed: helping people fall back in love with their skin. Watching someone look in the mirror and truly see healthy, balanced, brilliant skin looking back — that's the whole reason I do this.
McLaughlin Studios began as my mother's dream — a small jewelry-making business born from her love of gems, minerals, and the quiet joy of learning something new. She had a gift for stringing pearls and an even greater gift for sharing her creativity with the world. All while working, raising a family, and holding everything together, McLaughlin Studios gave her something precious: a space that was entirely her own.
That legacy lives in me.
My path looked a little different — no children to carry the name forward — but I found my own way to honor what she built. I'm breathing new life into the small, women-owned business my mother created, this time through my passion for skincare science and esthetics. It's my craft, my calling, and my love letter to her.
McLaughlin Studios is still a space for creativity, still rooted in care, and still carried forward by a brilliant McLaughlin woman on the family tree. Just with her own special flavor.