AS I APPROACH Sage & Pine Holistic Skincare on a dreary morning in Albuquerque, the warm aroma of frankincense floats in the doorway. The scent brings a sense of calm before I even set foot inside the old adobe home. Dove gray walls, crystal accents, and leafy plants carry the soothing ambience throughout the spa. A hint of earthy and floral notes from the skin-care products makes me take a deep breath.
“We wanted a space where we could implement all the things we value in our work,” says Tessa Nickerson, who opened Sage & Pine with Shelly West in 2022. The aestheticians met while working at another business and wanted a studio that used plant-based skin-care products to create a haven where fine lines and blemishes weren’t viewed as blights to correct.
“A big part of our practice is about embracing aging as a beautiful thing,” Nickerson says. You won’t find lasers, needles, or peels here. Instead, Nickerson and West focus on rest, comfort, and relaxation to help make the skin you have look and feel its best.
from left
Shelly West gives a facial; Tessa Nickerson prepares a room.
Photograph courtesy of Sage & Prin Holistic Skincare.
Sage & Pine facials feature only natural products, including locally made oils and balms made with ingredients like foraged prickly pear and Russian olive berries, which stimulate your body’s collagen production, and piñon nuts, which are soothing and hydrating. On their menu are skin-care lines including Dryland Wilds, made in Albuquerque, and Loam and Amúu Body, both from Santa Fe. “Our skin absorbs so much of what we put onto it,” Nickerson says, noting that they’ve seen more positive results while using the natural products. “It makes us feel more connected to the practice.”
To further that connection, Nickerson and West have implemented ayurvedic healing methods that help balance the impact New Mexico’s climate has on our skin. The spa’s signature Southwest Seasonal Facials are designed to combat seasonal stressors, such as dryness in the winter or sun exposure in the summer. “It makes such a difference if your skin care matches the season,” West explains.
In the hands of Nickerson and West, treatments take on the form of a ritual. A Sage & Pine mask is applied with brushstrokes that follow my bone structure, swirling around my cheeks and across my forehead. Tailored to each client’s specific lifestyle, the process feels transcendent.
“A big part of our facials is about relaxing the nervous system and getting your body in a nice ‘rest and digest’ state,” Nickerson says. “Not only are we taking care of your skin, we are also taking care of your stress, and that plays a big role in your skin health.”
When I leave Sage & Pine, the sun is shining, I have less tension in my jaw and neck, and my skin feels soft and looks glowy. “We want to help our clients love and embrace their skin,” West adds, “whatever that looks like.”
Read more: Bison Star Naturals brings the essence of New Mexico to your self-care routine.
