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“Wellness and beauty when I was younger wasn’t the forefront of my priorities,” Mackenzie Cota, RN admits. “I’ve come a long way from cleanser, running stadiums, and the tanning bed five times a week.” Today, her definition of beauty is quieter, deeper, and far more intentional—rooted in nourishment, consistency, and self-respect. Counting protein intake, committing to a thoughtful skincare routine, and prioritizing sleep are no longer afterthoughts, but non-negotiables. That evolution—from hustle and surface-level habits to holistic wellness and inner alignment—mirrors Mackenzie’s personal and professional journey, one shaped by grit, growth, and a deep desire to help others feel confident in their own skin.

Born in small-town Medford, Oregon, Mackenzie’s family relocated to California due to her grandfather’s work, eventually settling in Fresno where she attended Carden School. After graduating, she chose a path far from conventional. “I didn’t go the traditional route,” she admits. “I waited on school to pursue modeling, signed with a modeling agency in Los Angeles and had jobs throughout California. I eventually moved to San Francisco.” Despite her fast-paced lifestyle, Fresno remained a frequent stop—home base amid constant motion.

“I remember going from San Francisco to San Diego on a train for a six-week job, but that’s just how modeling was back then—it was a grind. Instagram wasn’t the monster it is now. You had to prove yourself by being really available.” That availability often meant sleeping in her car to secure early casting calls before driving hours back to bartending shifts in San Francisco or Fresno. “That was the hustle and I honestly loved every bit of it.”

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Modeling in 2009 bore little resemblance to the influencer-driven industry of today. “Now we have Instagram, followers, content creators, and photographers that love collaborations with each other and even YouTube. It’s amazing how much exposure someone can get in the modeling industry now or the level of collaboration that can happen today without consistently sitting at those tables and have those meetings.” Back then, success required headshots submitted in person and countless auditions walking “in what felt like the skinniest, tallest heels to prove yourself, every time. Doing that all with zero online presence—it was amazing, but also a very humbling experience.”

A pivotal influence in Mackenzie’s life was her grandmother. “She raised me half the time,” Mackenzie shares. “She was an esthetician herself before having children. She was very consistent about her skincare routine, always had healthy glowing skin, and prioritized her health.” Her grandmother’s sudden passing from cancer left a deep imprint. “She passed away from cancer a few weeks after it was discovered, and as a 16-year-old, that grief was hard. So finding a career outside of modeling, esthetics felt like the only thing that made sense. I really wanted to help people feel better about themselves.”

Returning to Fresno wasn’t part of the plan, but it became a turning point. Mackenzie enrolled in beauty school, earned her esthetician license, and began practicing chemical peels and eyelash extensions. Quickly, she realized her clients’ needs extended far beyond the surface. “I actually bartended my way through esthetician and nursing school at multiple restaurants in Fresno/Clovis for years,” she recounts. “After becoming a licensed esthetician, I worked at a salon and spa until we had our first daughter.” Today, she and her husband Dustin are raising three little girls: Kensington, Madelyn, and baby Autumn.

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Pregnancy and childbirth deepened Mackenzie’s fascination with the body’s complexity. “During my final year of nursing school, I worked in labor and delivery (L&D) at Clovis Community Hospital, and also at Dr. Bautista’s functional wellness office. At Dr B’s office is where my passion for hormones really began.” She now balances ER work at St. Agnes while growing her career in medical aesthetics at Brilyn Health & Anti-Aging.

Each chapter of her career contributes to her comprehensive approach. “My esthetician background helps me guide patients on skin health, my L&D and functional medicine experience helps me explain hormone changes from childbirth and aging, and my ER background keeps me grounded, cautious, and safety-focused with every procedure.” Even bartending played a role. “It taught me how to connect with all kinds of personalities and make people feel comfortable, which is such a big part of aesthetic care.”

One hallmark of Mackenzie’s practice is her emphasis on blood work. “I’m huge on listening to your body. Not only does your body ‘keep the score’ but it is always telling us what we need or do not need,” she explains. “Treating patients’ issues from the inside out is a priority. If there is something we can do naturally, let’s do that first.”

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Education anchors that philosophy. “Are your hormones at an optimal level? How’re your vitamins and supplements? What deficiencies might you have?” she asks. Many patients, she notes, are unaware of underlying imbalances. “Referring them to a provider I know and trust to go over their blood results with them has been sometimes life-changing for them. Then, let me help supplement you. I love an IV or vitamin injections for deficiencies.”

Her personal wellness mirrors her professional values: hydration, skincare (including retinol), regular hydra facials, and movement. “Currently, breastfeeding is my cardio these days,” she laughs, “but usually hot yoga, reformer Pilates, and weight training are my perfect balance.” Protecting her peace is non-negotiable. “I’m very intentional now about who and what I allow into my life, and creating those boundaries has made me a much better mom, wife, and provider. I also prioritize my internal health just as much as the aesthetic side—like hydration, hormones, gut health—because when those are supported, everything else feels better and can make literally every aesthetic procedure look better.”

“Then, of course, there are the little things, like going to bed early or taking five minutes in my car after school drop-off to myself. It sounds funny, but those small pauses are like a reset button for me. They help me show up with more clarity and softness in every area of my life.” Every day, Mackenzie looks forward to helping people look and feel their best. “I truly love that people are putting a spotlight on their unique features instead of over filling like they used to. I’m noticing that more and more, people in this industry are realizing there is so much beauty in their natural features. I hope I speak for most of the injectors when I say this—tell us what you love and let us help you complement it.”

Mackenzie champions a conservative, enhancement-focused approach to aesthetics. “I think women often feel like they need to change so much about themselves when most people just need small tweaks and some support with the things you can’t see, like vitamin deficiencies, hormones, sleep, hydration, gut health, or stress,” she suggests. “I never want someone to walk out looking overdone or feeling like they need to chase perfection. I’m very honest with my patients about what’s not necessary, and what will actually support their natural features. For me, aesthetics is about enhancing—not transforming—while also focusing and supporting overall wellness.” Her goal is alignment, inside and out.

Motherhood has sharpened that lens. “Experiencing pregnancy, postpartum, and all the changes that come with becoming a mom made me so passionate about understanding hormone shifts, healing, and how a woman’s body evolves over time. It shaped the way I approach aesthetics, too—not as a way to ‘fix’ someone, but caring for yourself, honoring your body, and feeling good in your skin. It reminds me why wellness matters and why confidence is such a powerful part of a woman’s health.” Raising daughters in the age of social media has reinforced her commitment to authenticity and boundaries.

Authenticity is essential. “This industry is beautiful, but it can also lean toward comparison and pressure, and I never want my daughters to grow up feeling like they need any of it to be enough. That awareness has really shaped how I show up both at home and at work,” she shares. “Over the past three years, I’ve become very intentional about the energy, people, and influences I allow around us. The boundaries I have today are almost unrecognizable compared to what we accepted three years ago and that’s definitely been one of the healthiest shifts for our family.”

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This trickle-down effect enables Mackenzie to meet each client where they’re at. “Working with clients every day, I’m constantly reminded that people are genuinely so beautiful in their own ways. When we’re younger, it’s easy to fixate on the things we don’t love about ourselves, and I see how deeply words can impact someone’s confidence. Because of that, I’m mindful about how I speak to my patients, my clients, and especially my children,” she says. “This career has definitely taught me so much about people, but motherhood has really taught me even more about purpose. Bringing those together has shaped me into the woman—and the provider—I am today.”

Even Mackenzie will admit: “Looking and feeling your best with multiple children, specifically with a newborn, are two entirely different things—most days you really do have to choose one. Every mom who has walked through this season knows that balance kind of just becomes a moving target for a while. Some days, ‘looking my best’ simply means I managed to wash my hair, while ‘feeling my best’ means I got five consecutive hours of sleep, (but probably have spit up on my shirt),” she chuckles. “What keeps me really grounded right now are the small rituals that help me feel human again. We’ve been doing slow Pilates sessions—my older girls even join me—then we get our post-workout smoothies, having date nights with my husband, an ‘everything shower,’” she laughs, “and, most importantly, giving myself grace in this beautifully chaotic chapter.”

The year 2025 ushered in more than one major life moment for Mackenzie. After being together for over a decade—not to mention four years of friendship prior—Mackenzie and Dustin celebrated their 10-year anniversary with a vow renewal-style wedding in Hawaii surrounded by a small circle of friends and family in February. “Our original wedding plans were actually set for 2020, but like many others, the pandemic shifted everything! Between the pandemic and a very challenging chapter of life, we were tested in ways we never imagined, our plans were put on hold. But through the grace of God, we made it through those seasons. Coming out the other side, we felt incredibly grateful to recommit to one another with the people who truly know our hearts. Shortly after, we welcomed our rainbow baby, Autumn, a blessing that made that season of renewal even sweeter.”

A couple years ago, Mackenzie went through a season where she was truly struggling. “My hair wasn’t just thinning,” she divulges. “I had actual bald patches—60% of my hair was gone. I was getting fitted for wigs and using color spray to cover them. My girls watched me walk through that, and they also watched me change my lifestyle, address my health, and really rebuild my boundaries and my health. It was really tough, but going through it truly made all of us so much more aware of what we put in/on our bodies and who/what we allow around us.” That experience taught her that wellness isn’t perfect, and it’s not always pretty. “It’s showing up for yourself even when you’re discouraged. It’s choosing healing over hiding. And truly letting my kids see me fight for my health so they learn to fight for theirs, too.”

Mackenzie Cota’s story is not one of perfection, but of presence—choosing intention over excess, wellness over pressure, and grace over comparison. In both her life and her practice, she embodies a modern definition of beauty: one rooted in health, honesty, and self-respect. “I want my daughters to know that their true beauty comes from who God created them to be—kind, confident, and grounded—not from how they look on the outside,” she says. “I want them to see that confidence and grace come from within, and that caring for yourself is an act of gratitude, not insecurity.” By living that truth daily, Mackenzie isn’t just caring for bodies—she’s shaping a quieter, more empowered future for women to feel at home in their own skin.

Editorial Director Lauren Barisic
Photographer Justy Bolin
Stylist Alma Wolverton
Hair Melissa Souza
Makeup Amanda Rios
Jewelry provided by Orloff Jewelers

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