Aesthetician Gillian Woods' own acne journey lead to opening G Made Beauty in East Patchogue

Aesthetician Gillian Woods  finds inspiration in the philosophy “Your body's ability to heal is greater than anyone has permitted you to believe.”

And for the spa owner,  that message runs more than skin deep.

At G Made Beauty — Woods' facials spa in East Patchogue — her clients range from middle schoolers to grandmothers. And each time she gives a tween girl one of her treatments, Woods, 26, can see herself — and recall her own challenges, insecurities and improvements when it comes to her skin. 

“When I was 10 years old, I struggled really badly with acne,” she says. “I was bullied a lot. I still get pimples, but my skin overall has gotten a lot better.”

At Beautybygill.com, she posts pictures of her imperfections. “I’m very raw and honest about it,” she says. Woods’ transparency sends a message of encouragement, empowerment and boosting self-confidence. She aims to help others appreciate themselves “and to feel less insecure when they have a pimple on their face.”

Woods’ experiences have changed her complexion — in every sense. “I’m able to understand and feel the emotions behind the struggles of troubled skin. People see that in me.”

Between her acne issues and keen interest in makeup that began as a girl, Woods saw a path to her future. But she didn’t want to just conceal flaws with makeup, she wanted to get educated about healing and understanding the different issues our skin endures.

After graduating from Sayville High School in 2015, she went to the New York Institute of Beauty in Islandia. She learned to care for skin and earned her aesthetician license.

She’s been focused since then on “transformative treatments through facials,” she says. Before opening her business in April 2022, she worked out of her home in Patchogue.

“I really don’t wear much makeup to work. My clients see me for me,” she adds. “Even though I have pimples here and there, my skin is hydrated and glowy. We’re not perfect and that’s OK.”

G Made Beauty uses natural products and offers hydrafacials, hydrogel facial masks, baby bump jelly facials and several other services. Woods has part-time lashes and makeup specialists and carries a curated array of beauty products. Facials run $130 and up. 

Most customers are women, but men come too. “Acne doesn’t discriminate,” she says. 

G Made Beauty, 250A S. Sunrise Hwy., East Patchogue, 631-487-6655, beautybygill.com.