Skin Confidence Starts Beneath the Surface
Ciara McCarron, owner of Avenue C Skin, shares why taking a whole-body approach to skincare can help women heal their skin and feel more comfortable in themselves again.
What inspired you to launch Avenue C Skin?
I’ve always had a passion for skincare. I was about 10 years old when my mammy gave me my first bottle of Oil of Ulay — showing my age now! — and told me how important it was to look after my skin. She’s the skin queen, so I learned from the best. I never imagined it would become a career though.
Before Covid, I was working with people who had been through traumatic experiences, and I started doing facial courses because I wanted another way to help people relax, unwind and reconnect with themselves. Somewhere along the way, I realised that while that work no longer felt right for me, I absolutely loved doing facials and holding that space for women.
After I had my youngest daughter, I decided to fully move into skincare, completed my VTCT Level 3 qualification and gradually built Avenue C Skin into the results-driven clinic it is today.
How would you describe your approach to skincare and treatments?
I always say I take a nervous system-led approach to skincare because more often than not, skin concerns are coming from deeper than the surface. A breakout is rarely just a breakout. There’s usually something else happening underneath, whether that’s stress, hormones, diet, lifestyle or nervous system dysfunction.
When we start looking at the skin through a whole-body approach, patterns begin to emerge and we can focus on finding the root cause instead of just managing symptoms. Your skin is the messenger. It tells the story of what’s happening internally.
One thing I noticed while working with women who had experienced trauma was how much stress showed up on their skin. Once they started healing emotionally, their skin transformed too. It all ties together far more than people realise.
What skin concerns do clients most commonly come to you with?
Most of my clients are dealing with dry, dehydrated skin and skin barrier damage, which can lead to breakouts, acne, inflammation, premature ageing and sensitivity to products.
When your inflammatory load is high, your skin tolerance becomes low, and that’s when people start feeling like nothing works for them anymore. Building a healthy skin barrier and maintaining hydration really is the foundation of healthy, glowing skin.
My approach in clinic is always calm, correct, maintain. When skin tolerance improves, everything works better and the results speak for themselves. Trends come and go, but healthy skin will always be the real glow.
Why is skin confidence so important to you personally?
So many women tell me they don’t feel comfortable leaving the house without makeup because of how they feel about their skin. When your confidence is affected every time you look in the mirror, it impacts every area of your life, from relationships to work and how you carry yourself day to day.
For me, helping women achieve healthy skin is about much more than vanity or quick fixes. It’s about helping them feel confident, comfortable and worthy in themselves again.
There’s nothing more rewarding than seeing someone go from hiding themselves away to walking into a room with confidence. Clear skin can completely change how someone feels about themselves, and being able to facilitate that transformation means everything to me.
What do you love most about the work you do?
Without question, it’s the women I meet. Building relationships and trust with clients is the best part of my job. They become far more than appointments in the diary.
You celebrate life with them. You hear about first dates, weddings, good news, difficult times and everything in between.
Every referral, review and recommendation has helped build Avenue C Skin, and I’m incredibly grateful to the women behind the skin concerns. They’re the reason the business is what it is today.
What are your hopes for Avenue C Skin going forward?
I have some exciting plans for 2026 and beyond. Before moving into skincare, I spent five years in the coaching and therapy space, and my dream is to bring both worlds together.
One of the things I’d love to create is an online community for women who want more confidence in who they are and how they show up, both inside and out.
Being uncomfortable in your own skin impacts every part of your life, so I want to help women on a deeper level, not just through skincare but through rebuilding self-worth and identity too. That’s something I’m really passionate about.
Contact Avenue C Skin
Address: Unit 6, Templemore Business Park, Derry, BT48 0LD
Tel: 07449185235
Website: www.avenuecskin.co.uk
Email: ciara@avenuecskin.co.uk
Instagram: @avenuec_ciaramarie
