Enrolling in a medical esthetician course shaped Kaithlyn Rauscher’s path to a thriving career in advanced skincare. With years of experience—including training for a skincare brand—she now runs Oliva Aesthetics, a successful home-based business offering the latest in medical esthetics. Carefully researching every treatment, product, and technology she uses, Kaithlyn ensures her clients receive the best results. Her business also gives her the flexibility to balance work and family life. In this interview, she shares how Blanche Macdonald’s medical esthetician course gave her the foundation to succeed and her advice for aspiring estheticians looking to do the same.
“I didn’t want to leave my baby in daycare—I wanted flexibility and to prioritize my family’s safety. I set up a room and spread the word about my new skincare business. Within six months, I matched my employee income, and my books were full!”
Q: Why did you decide to study at Blanche Macdonald? What did you think of the Global Medical Esthetics program?
Blanche’s Medical Esthetician course has a great reputation! Finding a job after school was easier with Blanche on my resumé. I took the medical esthetician course and it set me up properly for the outside world. Each teacher was passionate about the subject they taught. I remember Christina always being such a light and filling the class with energy every single day. When you have a teacher like her, it makes everything easier and more enjoyable. Not only did she have such a wonderful personality, she was also knowledgeable. I also loved that the students came from diverse backgrounds, with many from other provinces in Canada and even from different countries!
“The medical esthetician course set me up properly for the outside world. Each teacher was passionate about the subject they taught. I also loved that the students came from diverse backgrounds, with many from other provinces in Canada and even from different countries!”
Q: What were you doing before Blanche? Why did you decide to become a medical esthetician?
Before Blanche, I was in high school and involved in a special program that gave me extra credits and the option to graduate early, which allowed me to start working and figure out what I wanted to do. I was always interested in a medical esthetician course, but my parents wanted me to go to university. Given that, I decided to ‘test out’ the industry in my free time. My aunt had a spa in Victoria and I would travel there to work alongside her and her estheticians.
When I first started, I enjoyed nails and stuck with that for 7 years as my main focus while doing skincare, lash extensions and massages on the side. However, for the past 4 years, I have only focused on the skincare industry and now have my own business offering facials, chemical peels, microneedling, laser skin rejuvenation and laser hair removal. As I have gotten older, my interests have changed, so being able to pivot and try something new in the esthetics industry has been great!
Q: Owning your own skincare business is a great achievement! What was your journey like and what are you most proud of?
When I first told my parents I wanted to be an Esthetician, they weren’t on board. Coming from an immigrant mother, it wasn’t exactly her first choice, but she always supported me. I told her that if Esthetics didn’t work out, I would go to university. I worked hard while attending Blanche, balancing a job as an event coordinator and trainer for a skincare brand. After graduating, I worked at multiple clinics and spas to expand my experience and techniques. I worked a lot—seven days a week. What I’m most proud of is working my way up to owning my own business and showing my mom the success I’ve achieved.
“Blanche's Medical Esthetician course has a great reputation! Finding a job after school was easier with Blanche on my resumé.”
Q: What inspired you to venture into entrepreneurship?
Entrepreneurship has always been my first choice and my greatest achievement. But life presented many obstacles, making the journey challenging and long. I believed that when the timing was right, everything would fall into place. In the meantime, I built my knowledge and experience by working with other companies. When COVID hit, I was out of work with a new baby and conflicted about returning to my previous job. I didn’t want to leave my baby in daycare—I wanted flexibility and to prioritize my family’s safety. So, in July 2020, I set up a room and spread the word about my new skincare business. Within six months, I matched my employee income, and my books were full!
Q: You have successfully navigated the transition from student to business owner. What advice would you give to current esthetics students who aspire to a similar path?
My best advice is to explore different avenues of esthetics to find what you’re passionate about. Work in different spas and clinics to broaden your knowledge and experience various treatments and environments. This will help you build a business around treatments you love and believe your future clients will benefit from. It also saves you time and money by preventing investment in the wrong treatments.
“I remember Christina always being such a light and filled the class with energy every single day. When you have a teacher like her, it makes everything easier and more enjoyable. Not only did she have such a wonderful personality, she was also knowledgeable.”
Q: We love the look and feel of the Oliva Aesthetics brand! Could you tell us about your business concept and inspiration?
Oliva Aesthetics has come a long way. Over four years, I’ve changed the name twice, leading to two rebrands as I grew and wanted my brand to reflect my authenticity. I’ve navigated the challenges of running a business while discovering what my brand truly represents. Working with countless clients facing skin concerns that deeply impact their confidence inspired me to focus on fostering healthy relationships between my clients and their skin. The name “Oliva,” meaning “Olive,” symbolizes peace and reflects the calm, restorative approach I strive for in my work.
“Entrepreneurship has always been my first choice and my greatest achievement.”
Q: Could you tell us about the laser devices you’ve invested in/currently work with, the brands you use, and the laser treatments you offer?
After two years of offering facials, microneedling, and chemical peels, I realized a missing piece in my business—laser hair removal! Many clients were getting it elsewhere, so I decided to add it to my menu. I attended the Vancouver and Las Vegas spa shows to research options and found my laser at Sharplight Technologies. I invested in the Rapid DPC with laser hair removal and skin rejuvenation handpieces—my largest investment to date! Technology is always evolving, and my dream upgrade is Aerolase.
I work with multiple skincare brands, all tested on myself before bringing them in. Each offers something unique, and I carefully select products based on efficacy, clinical trials, ingredients, price, and brand support. My first brand was Glymed Plus Skincare—it has a wide range of affordable medical-grade products, great shipping, and an amazing education portal. Next, I introduced iS Clinical while searching for a Vitamin C serum. I loved their pregnancy-safe formulas, especially Super Serum Advance and Active Serum.
Other favourites include SkinBetter Science (best for retinol serums), Hydrinity (amazing HA serums), and Epicutis (great for post-treatment recovery). Skincare products are my passion and the backbone of my business!
Q: What treatments are you especially passionate about? Why?
It’s hard to choose just one—I’m passionate about every service I provide! I love regular facials because they let clients relax and enjoy peace. They’re also my most popular treatments. For medical skincare, my favourite is microneedling! I invested in the Skin Pen three years ago, and it’s been my best investment. It treats multiple concerns at once, has minimal downtime, no pain, and delivers amazing results!
Q: What’s next for Oliva Aesthetics?
My family is ever-growing and I recently just had my second baby girl! So after a month of recovery, I am ready to get back into work life and see my clients again!
