Esthetician Spotlight: Morgan Strong
Meet Morgan Strong, a licensed esthetician, and discover his expert skin care tips, daily routine, and professional insights for healthy skin.
Our Co-Founder and CEO Ada Polla was recently in Kansas City to train one of our newest FACE FOUNDRIÉ partners, and was so excited to hear that this team is opening a second location this Fall. And even more excited that Morgan, the lead aesthetician who has been spreading the Alchimie Forever love in KC has been promoted to regional manager to manage this opening! This was the perfect opportunity to highlight Morgan.
AP:What was your journey to becoming an esti?
MS:I had worked women's retail for a long time and I loved being able to help women feel beautiful, so I wanted to figure out how I could turn that into more of a long-term career. I went and got my Associates in Business Marketing and then I just felt like that still wasn’t quite what I wanted to do. Everyone always told me I’m pretty decent at hair and makeup, so I thought I’d explore becoming a cosmetologist (great way to make people feel beautiful right?). I set up a meeting with a Paul Mitchell admissions counselor and the more we talked, the more I felt like the esthetics program would be a great fit for me. I started and I have loved it ever since! I’ve been licensed for over 4 years now and I get to make people feel more comfortable and confident in their skin and there’s nothing like it honestly!
AP: Where do you currently practice?
MS:I am the Area Manager of FACE FOUNDRIÉ Kansas City and our soon to open location, FACE FOUNDRIÉ Overland Park! FACE FOUNDRIÉ Kansas City has been open for 2 years now and Overland Park is set to open Fall 2026. We are so excited to be on the Kansas side soon!
AP:How did you discover Alchimie Forever? What was your first Alchimie Forever product?
MS:I discovered Alchimie Forever through our corporate convention we do every year. The first year I attended, Alchimie Forever had a vendor booth and they were a line that I hadn’t heard of prior. I got several samples of the product line like the Purifying Gel Cleanser and the Soothing Body Lotion and I loved them. Once they were an approved retail line, I jumped on having them in our store!
AP:Favorite Alchimie Forever product and why?
MS:My favorite product is a tie between the Firming Gel for Neck and Bust and the Kantic Brightening Moisture Mask. The Firming Neck and Bust Gel is great for anti-aging and working on smoothing that tough neck and bust area. The Kantic Brightening Moisture Mask is great for hydration, but also just soothes and brightens the skin. I use it once or twice a week and my skin eats it up. Both of these products filled a hole in our retail assortment that I was super excited to bring to our client base. We carry all the FACE FOUNDRIÉ approved products from the Alchimie Forever line and it’s all very popular with my estheticians and our clients!
AP:What Alchimie Forever product do you use or recommend the most to clients?
MS:The product I love to recommend to clients is the Kantic Brightening Moisture Mask. Like I said earlier, it filled a hole in our retail assortment because not many people are using treatment masks at home. Plus it’s really great for almost anyone! Everyone wants smoother, brighter skin!
AP:Your #1 skin care recommendation to your clients.
MS:My number one skin care recommendation to clients is some form of exfoliation! Most people are exfoliating incorrectly or not at all, so I love getting them started on something like the Alchimie Forever Gentle Refining Scrub! It’s a physical scrub with the cranberry seeds and jojoba, but it also has those fruit enzymes to gently break down the dead skin cells and reveal brighter, more refreshed skin.
AP:What’s your skin care hot take/unpopular opinion/controversial idea?
MS:I don’t love Tretinoin! I know it’s big in the skin care world, but it just is so harsh for some people and I think there’s better options out there.
AP:What’s one thing you avoid at all costs when taking care of your skin?
MS:I do not pick at my skin, I NEVER go to bed without taking my makeup off, and I always sleep on a satin/silk pillowcase (high maintenance maybe but I swear they are a game changer for hair and skin).
AP: Can you talk about the connection between self care and skin care?
MS:It’s simple to me: skin care IS self-care. We only have one skin, it doesn’t grow back like hair or nails, so might as well take care of it! People try to eat well, work out, balance work and personal life, taking care of your skin should be in there too! I look forward to my nightly routine, it’s something that I “get” to do, nothing that I “have” to do. I think that mindset helps a lot!
AP: What’s your favorite form of self care (ie. how do you unwind)?
MS:My favorite form of self care is going to the sauna! I love sitting in there and sweating out everything. Then getting to come home and do my full nighttime routine and cuddle with my dog? Unmatched!
AP:Take us through your morning routine
MS:I’ll be honest, I’m awful and the only thing I do in the mornings is apply SPF, but I am very dedicated to my nighttime routine! I will do a pre cleanse, then a second cleanse with either a gel cleanser or a creamy cleanser depending on how my skin feels, then I will tone, apply either my mandelic acid exfoliating serum or the retinol serum from Alchimie Forever depending on the night, then a hydrating serum and a moisturizer. Twice a week I will skip the moisturizer and sleep in the Kantic Brightening Moisture Mask. Sleeping in it is my fav! I get the best glow in the morning!
AP:What are you excited about right now?
MS:I’m super excited to have Kansas City in such a productive place. We’ve been open for a little over two years now and seeing how much we’ve grown is so awesome. And I’m obviously super excited to open Overland Park! Stepping into the area manager role is a big step in my career and it’s just a very exciting time overall!
