Meet Derek Davenport, Owner of Urban Routine
Our products headline holistic treatment menus in spas all over the country and we are using this space to introduce our readers to some of the wellness warriors and estheticians making waves in the world of organic skincare.
Derek Davenport, owner of Urban Routine in Wichita, has been a licensed skin therapist since 2015. He started his journey working at an holistic spa in Dallas, Texas, where he found his calling and returned to school to qualify as an esthetician. Today, Urban Routine is a testament to Derek's skills and passion. He runs his spa with a vision to reconnect his clients with themselves through holistic skincare and redefining a routine that they will love.
"Skincare called me home and I feel blessed every day to be healing others while healing myself." - Derek Davenport
1: Tell us about your business values and mission.
Derek Davenport, owner of Urban Routine: We really have several missions at Urban Routine. The first is education. It is important to us that we keep up to date on current trends while honing our individual talents. Our company is built on a philosophy of "Skin-tegrity" as I like to call it; operating with integrity every day. My team and I also believe in a two-step approach to skincare: transformative and functional. As science expands, we always want the best and to be transformative in our approach to results but we also stick to our functional roots dating back to what our ancestors used to heal their skin from the inside out. I truly believe that you can have both and we have been able to prove that with Urban Routine.
2. What do you want your clients to experience when they visit Urban Routine?
Derek: EVERYTHING! We have a blended menu that is a one stop shop. If you have a busy lifestyle we have quick yet effective treatments. Then, our new “Soul Food” menu slows it down and connects the practicing professional with the client for a unique, one of a kind, healing experience.
3. Tell us about your staff?
Derek: I truly believe I have one of the best teams in the country! I’ve built a team of eclectic individuals who bring a special piece of themselves to complete Urban Routine. Each person has the ability to showcase their specialties and I do everything I can to support and encourage them to be the best they can be. They are supportive of my business decisions, and it has been a blessing to have a team that gets my vision and are a driving force for myself to keep pushing. I have seen many businesses and professionals get stagnant, so one of the things I enjoy about my team is their “how can we better the experience and ourselves” mentality.
4. What are the things you are doing or have done for the reopening of your location?
Derek: Training, training, training. We have spent many hours on training webinars, each of us taking our own classes and certifications and staying in touch with our clients to maintain progress with their skincare goals. We also just went through a renovation to be able to launch our “Soul Food” menu that will really create a healing space for these services.
5. What do you love most about the Dr. Alkaitis products that you work with?
Derek: I have had the pleasure of working with this amazing line for the past fives years. First and foremost I love the unique blends and results that are achieved. Second, the story and mission behind the brand tie in with our belief in functional skincare and how our ancestors and even current cultures use the earth to heal. Lastly, the support from Trish and the team make you feel like you are not just another account. They take the time to listen to your ideas and help you in any way they can.
6. What should your clients expect from Dr. Alkaitis facials?
Derek: We have rebuilt our Dr. Alkaitis facials to take our clients on a healing journey. To begin with, we introduce our clients to the healing properties and the aromas of the plants infused into the products and we finish with visible results.
7. What is your favorite Dr. Alkaitis product and why?
Derek: I love them ALL! It is really hard for me to choose just one. However, if I have to choose one product, the Cellular Repair Mask is an all time favorite. This reparative mask restores my skin when I need it most and packs a powerful punch of antioxidants that I’ve seen deliver incredible results for my clients. I blend mine with a little bit of night cream and honey for an even more nourishing blend.
8. Why do you think a skincare routine is important?
Derek: Our skin is, first and foremost, a reflection of our internal health. So we have to approach both internal and external care when working with clients and their skin. Our skin is also always in repair and protection mode from our environment, so our goal is to create a homeostasis, if you will, with the barrier of the skin and shift our routine as it shifts.
9. How often should someone have a facial?
Derek: Results from a facial on a cellular level last around two weeks. Since we are always on a progressive plan, we keep facials scheduled at every three weeks. This also allows for any scheduling conflicts to keep us right at four weeks if we need to move the appointment out. Now this would be for someone that has fairly balanced skin. If we are focusing on treating a client with acne, we may push for every 2 weeks with every other treatment being stronger.
10. How should your clients choose a facial treatment at your location?
Derek: There is not a facial that someone wouldn’t enjoy! It really depends on the client's beauty budget and what they are looking for. During our consultation we always ask how quickly are they expecting to see results. Our intro facials will get results but maybe at a slower pace while our more advanced treatments produce results faster. This also ties in to our new service menu where we are focusing not only on the health of the skin but the mind body transformation during the treatment. We are able to treat all of this in these new skin therapy sessions.
11. How has this quarantine experience changed or affected you?
Derek: This was one of the most life altering experiences for me. We had just invested so much of our business and personal money in to our expansion right before the shut down and I knew I had two decisions to make. I could approach this as a negative impact and ride the sorry train or I could try and make something negative into a positive. I wrote down the next morning "Find You" and that's exactly what I did. I shifted my entire routine and honestly rediscovered my passion for skin. For the business, we had to maintain positivity for our community and help them through this, so we stayed as active as possible and launched many opportunities to stay connected. My bucket list of certifications has also gotten smaller and I have new protocols launching that are some of the most healing experiences I've ever performed as a service provider. My team rallied behind me and got to work doing everything they could to keep our heads above water and we more than made it through. Upon reopening, we have felt like we are really getting to open the brand we wanted with this expansion.
12. What inspires you most? What is your secret passion?
Derek: Change inspires me. I've always embraced change; it's inevitable and I know the Universe will always nurture my passions if I stay true to them. I'm also inspired by the success of others. Failure is something I've never accepted and instead choose to focus on the lessons learned along the way. I'm inspired by the mentorship from professionals in every area of importance to me, and then of course the creators of the lines we work with. Their creativity inspires me to be more creative and push the boundaries in the treatment room to represent their product as best I can.
URBAN ROUTINE
511 East Douglas Avenue
WICHITA, KS 67202, US
+1 316-259-3288
urbanroutineskin@gmail.com
