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Tired of pushy packages and shaming consultations, Crystal Lee established her own business with the intention of rewriting the rules of Singapore’s beauty scene.
Crystal Lee didn’t set out to build just another beauty salon — she set out to change how people feel the moment they walk through its doors. Frustrated by hard‑selling, outdated practices, and the quiet shame many experience in treatment rooms, she launched Peachy Skin Bar in late 2019 with a clear mission: make beauty services welcoming, transparent, and truly uplifting for every individual.
Over a cozy conversation with Sarah Gideon, Lee reflects on opening Peachy just months before the pandemic hit, and on how her mum’s home salon, her own mental health journey, and a flat, no‑blame culture shaped the way she leads — and the kind of safe space she insists on creating for both clients and staff.
Q You launched Peachy Skin Bar at the end of 2019, right before the pandemic hit. Can you walk us through the moment when you decided it was time to shake up Singapore’s beauty landscape?
We opened Peachy Skin Bar in September 2019, not knowing COVID was around the corner. But the idea had been brewing for years.
I’d been observing the skincare industry for a long time — through news, forums, and conversations with friends and family. A common theme kept coming up: people dreaded going back to their salons because of hard‑selling and pressure to buy more packages.
I experienced it myself, too. On top of that, I grew up watching my mum run a home salon, and I was already working in branding and marketing for her. One day it clicked: I understood both the industry and the consumers’ pain points, so why not create something different? That’s how Peachy was born — a more inclusive, safe, and welcoming space for beauty lovers in Singapore.
Q You grew up surrounded by skincare — watching your mum run her home salon and picking up beauty skills as a teen. How did those early experiences shape the way you built Peachy?
My mum runs a small home‑based salon, which is very different from a storefront business in terms of scale and operations. But what I really absorbed from her wasn’t the systems — it was the relationships.
As a teenager, I used to help her with facials and would listen to her laugh and chat with customers. I saw how people kept coming back because they felt connected, cared for, and safe — and of course, because the results were there.
At Peachy, we may not know every customer personally the way my mum can, but I’ve built the business around that same principle: facials are a relationship‑based service. When people feel a bond with their therapist and trust the brand, they return.
Q Your company's ethos is built on “no hard-selling” and “no judgement”, which is rare in this industry. What does a judgment‑free beauty space look like to you, and why was it non‑negotiable from day one?
A judgment‑free space means clients can walk in without fearing they’ll be shamed for their skin. Unfortunately, it’s common in this industry to hear things like, “Your skin is so dirty” or “Do you even cleanse properly?” I find that degrading and unprofessional.
We don’t know how hard someone has already tried before coming to us. They’re here for help, not criticism. So I constantly remind my team that their words carry weight. Instead of saying, “Your skin is terrible,” we’ll say, “I see some clogged pores — here’s what we can do, and here’s a plan if you’d like to continue with us.” It’s respectful, informative, and less anxiety‑inducing.
On hard‑selling, I have a simple rule: especially on a first visit, don’t upsell on the bed. Let clients experience the facial in peace. If there’s something they truly need, recommend it gently and give them space to decide. We offer à la carte options, small bundles, and shareable packages so it feels more like a social, flexible facial experience — not a package‑driven pressure cooker.
Q You’ve said Peachy is about TLC not just for the skin, but also “the soul”. How do you translate that philosophy internally to build a culture where your staff feel psychologically and emotionally safe?
If I want my clients to feel safe, my team has to feel safe first.
We keep the hierarchy flat and the culture as blame‑free as possible. I prefer a ground‑up approach: I speak to the team regularly, ask what’s working or not, and listen to feedback from the floor. They know they can tell me, “Crystal, I don’t think customers like this,” and we’ll adjust.
When issues arise — like a complaint — I don’t start by blaming. I first try to understand what happened from the therapist’s point of view, then from the customer’s, before deciding what to do.
We also try to care for one another like family, especially since many of our staff are from overseas.
For example, one therapist recently went through menopause‑related health issues and needed to return home for a month. We rearranged things so she could go, and when she came back, I adjusted her schedule to reduce stress.
I approve leave whenever it’s operationally possible and encourage the team to cover and support one another. That sense of trust and care is what I hope translates into the client experience.
Q You’ve been candid about overcoming depression and personal setbacks. How did those experiences shape your philosophy as a founder — and the kind of workplace culture you wanted to build?
My personal setback actually taught me that as humans, we all go through challenges, and that translates to my staff also. Going through depression taught me that everyone has invisible battles. That deeply shapes how I see my team.
If I sense someone is “off,” I’ll usually ask for a one‑on‑one chat — over coffee if possible — and check in: Are they homesick? Planning a wedding? Stressed about something personal? Many open up when given a safe space.
"Because of my own journey, I’m more empathetic and human‑centred. I don’t see them as just staff hitting KPIs. They have emotional, mental, and physical needs that affect how they show up at work. So I prioritise their wellbeing and the overall health of the team, knowing that a supported team ultimately serves clients better."
Q You’ve broken so many norms in the industry — but what’s one barrier you’re still determined to break next, either personally or through Peachy?
A newer barrier I’m working on is what I call “product lock.”
Many salons guard their products and protocols tightly — clients often have no idea what’s being used on their skin. But today’s consumers, especially Millennials and Gen Z, are curious. They also get bored with the same treatments over and over.
So I’ve introduced a pop‑up style concept at Peachy. I actively curate retail brands based on their actives, efficacy, and popularity, then turn them into professional treatments through our own artisanal facial designs. Clients could buy these products off the shelf — but they don’t have our techniques, and they may not want to invest in full‑size products just to “try.”
I stay on the lookout for new ingredients, trends, and “hyped” products, and when something is genuinely good, we build treatments around it and train the team accordingly. We still use salon‑grade products and machines, including from medical aesthetic suppliers, but we’re more playful and brand‑agnostic when it comes to product choices.
The goal is to shift from a traditional, brand‑locked salon model to a more experiential, ever‑evolving facial bar—where “whatever is good, is good,” regardless of the logo on the bottle.
Lead image / Provided
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