Garwood's Body Department Gets Makeover, Thriving During Pandemic

GARWOOD, NJ — Union County native Lauren Cruz had just opened her business The Body Department in Garwood when she was forced to shut down due to the coronavirus.

Yet while many businesses began shuttering for good, Cruz was able to reinvent herself and is now thriving amid the pandemic.

Cruz of Kenilworth opened her medical spa at 343 South Avenue in November after the idea came to her at 2 a.m. one night when she couldn’t sleep.

"This was during a time I felt lost in the direction that I wanted to go in with my career. I felt stuck at my job and it wasn’t feasible long term to continue doing my other services from home," Cruz said.

Cruz previously was working at the European Wax Center but also had a passion to open her own salon and offer several other services.

"I think it's an environment I always knew I wanted to work in without being able to pin point it until this. I always had the underlying desire to go into the medical field so that I could do cosmetic procedures, such as fillers, Botox, laser hair removal and paramedical tattooing," Cruz said.

Being a mother of two, working full-time and going to school at the time did not seem feasible until she was able to open up her own spa where she could make her own hours while still providing the procedures that were within her reach, like paramedical tattooing.

When the pandemic hit, Cruz closed through June and she lost about 30 percent of her clients who were scared to come out. But she says she has gained many new clients due to her focus on revamping her business' image through social media and marketing.

"I gained more of a following and that helped," Cruz said. "It's strange I feel like, considering the times, we are doing pretty well."

As part of her revamp, Cruz launched her e-commerce business side with her husband Rob where she began selling at-home services online such as the teeth whitening system.

"We definitely plan to continue expanding on that and offering more branded products and systems that our clients and customers globally can use from the comfort of their homes. Especially during these times, we can make sure that’s an option," Cruz said.

Along with her online sales, the Body Department also offers full body waxing, permanent hair removal, full-service eyebrows such as tinting, laminating, microblading, para medical and cosmetic tattooing and Laser Teeth Whitening. The Body Department also has professionals who offer facials, massage, eyelash extensions, and injectables.

"One thing that I think sets us apart is our full-service eyebrows. Most eyebrow places will offer hair removal alone or solely brow enhancement services. Being that I can skillfully offer everything when it comes to eyebrows, I can be sure to provide them with exactly what they need," Cruz said. "Since we offer full body cosmetic procedures, our clients rarely need to visit another establishment to fulfill their beauty needs."

For more information on The Body Department visit
thebodydeptnj.com or facebook.com/thebodydeptnj or call 908-875-6241.

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