WHO IS SKIN FOCUS: THE PEOPLE BEHIND THE BUSINESSJune 10, 2021NewsSkin Focus – Owner, Dawn Gareau
Written by Stacy Thomas
Photo by Angela Bliss
For Dr. Dawn Gareau, health is skin deep. But it also comes from the inside.
A naturopathic doctor, she uses integrative approaches with her team at Skin Focus to give all-around health and preventative treatments to her patients. The sense of community and family she feels in the clinic extends to Squamish and the network of practitioners who all combine to make the Sea to Sky a unique and healthful place.
“It’s unique, for sure, how we do things here. And I’m proud of what we’re doing in Squamish for sure, because I love this town and love the people in it,” says Gareau.
“It’s pretty phenomenal; Squamish has amazing people here, with so many backgrounds and varieties of knowledge, it’s great that we’re able to provide this. A naturopath can’t do everything, a G.P. can’t do everything. Working together – a physio, a massage – you’re a collaborative team. We have so many good people here, it’s amazing. People gravitate here for a reason; we’re all passionate about what we do.”
Hailing from Prince George, Gareau started out as a freestyle mogul skier on the Canadian national team, where the importance of health and wellness was instilled in her during training. After her ski career she moved on to dentistry, working as a dental hygienist for twelve years, and even considered becoming a dentist herself.
But her path was destined to lead her to naturopathic medicine, and at the age of 34 she returned to school for eight years to become a naturopathic doctor. She then practiced in sports medicine clinics in Whistler for several years before gradually transitioning into aesthetic medicine.
When Gareau worked in aesthetic dentistry, she was inspired by the drastic positive changes she saw in people’s lives when they were able to have confidence in the way they looked.
“You see the changes it makes in people, and when you see that, it makes you want to help more people,” Gareau says. “I never thought I’d get into aesthetics, I just gravitated to that area, and it’s satisfying to see people feeling good inside and out, and knowing that in the world of anti-aging, there are a lot of options, and prevention is key. That is part of what excites me, is there are a lot of things in medicine these days that we can prescribe and do to help prevent the aging process, and maintain, and feel better.”
Skin Focus opened its doors in April 2019, when a client offered her a room to rent on Winnipeg St. and she ended up renting the entire space. Since then, the practice has grown into it, with six professionals now offering various aesthetic skin services.
Balancing her thriving business with her homelife (she has a seven-year-old son) has been challenging but she says her strong group of girlfriends are the secret weapon she calls on whenever things get tough.
“Trying to juggle home life and a business as a mom is not easy,” she says. “It gets to me for sure, where I feel like I’m all over the place, and then trying to focus on my business. It takes a lot of tenacity and hard work…it’s a balancing act. But the support here has been great. I feel like they’re my family at this clinic.”
Skin Focus – Owner, Dawn Gareau
Written by Stacy Thomas
Photo by Angela Bliss
For Dr. Dawn Gareau, health is skin deep. But it also comes from the inside.
A naturopathic doctor, she uses integrative approaches with her team at Skin Focus to give all-around health and preventative treatments to her patients. The sense of community and family she feels in the clinic extends to Squamish and the network of practitioners who all combine to make the Sea to Sky a unique and healthful place.
“It’s unique, for sure, how we do things here. And I’m proud of what we’re doing in Squamish for sure, because I love this town and love the people in it,” says Gareau.
“It’s pretty phenomenal; Squamish has amazing people here, with so many backgrounds and varieties of knowledge, it’s great that we’re able to provide this. A naturopath can’t do everything, a G.P. can’t do everything. Working together – a physio, a massage – you’re a collaborative team. We have so many good people here, it’s amazing. People gravitate here for a reason; we’re all passionate about what we do.”
Hailing from Prince George, Gareau started out as a freestyle mogul skier on the Canadian national team, where the importance of health and wellness was instilled in her during training. After her ski career she moved on to dentistry, working as a dental hygienist for twelve years, and even considered becoming a dentist herself.
But her path was destined to lead her to naturopathic medicine, and at the age of 34 she returned to school for eight years to become a naturopathic doctor. She then practiced in sports medicine clinics in Whistler for several years before gradually transitioning into aesthetic medicine.
When Gareau worked in aesthetic dentistry, she was inspired by the drastic positive changes she saw in people’s lives when they were able to have confidence in the way they looked.
“You see the changes it makes in people, and when you see that, it makes you want to help more people,” Gareau says. “I never thought I’d get into aesthetics, I just gravitated to that area, and it’s satisfying to see people feeling good inside and out, and knowing that in the world of anti-aging, there are a lot of options, and prevention is key. That is part of what excites me, is there are a lot of things in medicine these days that we can prescribe and do to help prevent the aging process, and maintain, and feel better.”
Skin Focus opened its doors in April 2019, when a client offered her a room to rent on Winnipeg St. and she ended up renting the entire space. Since then, the practice has grown into it, with six professionals now offering various aesthetic skin services.
Balancing her thriving business with her homelife (she has a seven-year-old son) has been challenging but she says her strong group of girlfriends are the secret weapon she calls on whenever things get tough.
“Trying to juggle home life and a business as a mom is not easy,” she says. “It gets to me for sure, where I feel like I’m all over the place, and then trying to focus on my business. It takes a lot of tenacity and hard work…it’s a balancing act. But the support here has been great. I feel like they’re my family at this clinic.”
