Issue link: https://www.ascpskindeepdigital.com/i/1544125
60 ASCP Skin Deep Spring 2026 A rmenthia Carr believes you can teach anyone anything. In fact, her son's first word was "phalanges." Or maybe it was "mama" first, then "phalanges" and "clavicle" shortly thereafter. The curious case of her son's anatomy knowledge came during Armenthia's search for a creative way to teach her class of esthetics students a complex chapter on anatomy and physiology. On their first attempt, the entire class failed the chapter exam. That drove Armenthia to find a way to connect them to the course content. "The biggest thing was I couldn't teach to the test. I had to teach them to where they understood the information," Armenthia says. "But that was my eye-opener: If I don't understand the information, how can I teach other people?" Thus, Armenthia turned to her best student: her son, who was barely old enough to walk and talk. "I started teaching him anatomy and physiology, and muscles and bones, and nerves of the face and the body," she says. "In order for adults to understand it, you have to put it in terms to where kids can understand it." Armenthia's passion for education has always been a part of her professional journey. While her first love was makeup, Armenthia followed what she considers a traditional path: attending college after high school, then securing a job in corporate America that took her from her home state of Arkansas to Texas to Illinois. After getting let go from her job during a round of downsizing, she decided to return to her love of beauty and pursue an esthetics education. Four days before graduating, Armenthia found out she was pregnant with her son. Her pregnancy didn't cause her to slow down, though, and as soon as she passed her state board, she decided to pursue her instructor program, lovingly earning the nickname "Miss A" from her students. Even after her son was born, Armenthia never lost momentum. "That fire in my belly—my purpose—never dimmed," she says. As a single mother, she launched the first esthetics program at Paul Mitchell The School Little Rock in her home state of Arkansas, where she became the lead skin specialist. Over the years, Armenthia has educated and mentored more than 1,000 beauty professionals—both in the classroom during her time at Paul Mitchell and through her successful business IAMA Artistry. IAMA Artistry's online and in-person education for estheticians spans from state board exam prep to ingredient knowledge to skin of color, a niche specialty Armenthia holds close to her heart. She's also found success educating her peers on social media—she's well known on Instagram and TikTok (@ur.skin.therapist) for her often viral content about skin care trends and client communication. As if that weren't enough, Armenthia created a clean, vegan cosmetics line in 2019 (which is undergoing a rebrand), through which she can share her appreciation for cosmetics with other beauty enthusiasts. With more than 15 years of skin care experience under her belt, Armenthia splits her time between performing treatments at her twin sister's med spa, Lotus Luxe Med Spa in Little Rock, educating and mentoring fellow estheticians, and creating social media content. In her free time, Armenthia raises her blended family with her supportive husband, travels, and continues to build her business. "I want to see how far my business and my brand can go and be the change in the beauty industry that I want to see," she says. To explore more about that mission, ASCP Skin Deep sat down with the 2026 ASCP Esty of the Year. Skin Deep: You spent some time in corporate America before you pivoted to beauty after you were let go. What was going through your mind when that happened? Armenthia Carr: I was scared because I didn't know what my next steps were going to be. It was instilled on my twin sister and