Kathleen “Tess” Adams wants to see the best in everyone.
In 2010, the childhood-athlete-come-cosmetologist joined forces with her yogi sister, Sadie, to open Take Care Face & Body in Manhattan. Since then, she has been helping to reinvent the concept of beauty through well-being, taking a holistic approach to everything from meditation to skincare. Today, the sisters have two locations: their original destination in New York City’s West Village and a West Coast clinic in Santa Monica, California.
Here, Tess Adams explains why skin tells the story of what lies within:
Live The Process: What first sparked your interest in skincare and wellness?
Tess Adams: My sister Sadie and I come from a very active family. I was an athlete, so growing up there was an awareness about health and well-being with an emphasis on body recovery and longevity. For my sister, that translated into her becoming a yoga teacher and Ayurvedic practitioner. She integrates that knowledge into our training program—about the various layers of skin and how they correlate to different tissues in the body. We see the face and skin as a diagnostic tool, an indication of the global health of the body’s systems. We study and apply natural medicines and ancient techniques for skin health, recognizing the skin as an effective way to transmit remedies to the body.
LTP: How did you come to start Take Care Face & Beauty?
TA: Take Care opened in 2010 after Sadie had been teaching and practicing out of her apartment for years. As her practice broadened its reach, she asked for my support in opening a professional location, which was our first storefront in Manhattan’s East Village.
Many approaches in skincare include techniques that provoke a healing response by injuring the tissue (intensive peels, injections etc.). Our treatments are noninvasive, non-thermal and incredibly relaxing. They stimulate the body’s natural healing process by way of support. We are about to launch a Cranial Sacral facial, which is incredibly supportive.
LTP: Why is it so important to marry beauty and wellness together?
TA: Good circulation and cohesion in the various layers of tissue are reflected in healthy, glowing skin.
Because we are committed to taking care and teaching care, each of our treatments combine wellness with beauty. Authentic beauty comes from a calm presence and self-love!
LTP: What other wellness practices keep you feeling healthy, balanced and beautiful?
TA: Along with yoga, I take boxing classes twice a week. Cardiovascular exercise is such an important part of my routine.
Take Care has three signature products that both my sister and I use religiously: Tone (our toner), Levity (our hydrating mist) and Generation (a serum we use around our eyes and/or on problem areas). I believe keeping your products natural and very simple is the best way to treat the skin.
I also Skype in every Monday to the meditation circle my sister has cultivated at The Ground Space in Santa Monica, California. Connecting with my community through movement and meditation plays a big role in keeping me grounded in my practice.
LTP: What does happiness look like to you?
TA: Happiness is when I am on the subway and able recognize the divinity in all of the people: to be in amazement of this life and all of its forms and expressions; to be grateful, kind and compassionate in the simplicity and awesomeness of being.
LTP: What does it mean to you to “Live The Process” and how can we all do that more each day?
TA: To me, living the process represents staying fully present in the ever-changing stages of our lives. The path of self-care is a conscious one. Staying in a state of nonjudgmental observation towards ourselves is so much a part of that. Take Care offers intention practices, meditation and holistic skincare. I encourage everyone to take care of not only their bodies, but of their minds and spirits too.
