and why you should be paying attention
“The beauty industry is always changing” As estheticians we’ve ALL heard it before, and we have even seen it in our treatment rooms. A big part of that change is beauty trends that come and go.
Everyone loves a good skin care trend (for better or worse…black pore mask…☠️) ⠀
At the beginning of the year I did some mad research on trends that will be hitting the industry this year and came up with the ones I thought could help YOU as a beauty professional stay in tune with your business, gain more clients, and in turn make you some more money! ⠀
customization
With so many advancements in technology, personalized products and services are no longer just for the wealthy and boy do we love it!! There are custom shampoo’s, vitamins, even stickers to decorate your credit cards!! Safe to say this trend is here to stay!
As an esthetician you are probably giving custom facials anyway, you look at your clients skin and decide what treatment to perform. You give home care recommendations based on their skin type condition, lifestyle, etc. SO BRAG ABOUT IT!! Put it on your menu! Make sure clients know that every treatment they see you for is custom to fit their individual skin needs.
However, to make something truly custom you also need really accurate information about their skin. This means you have to ask the right questions! Your custom facial should include a very detailed skin analysis and consultation.
Get detailed with their homecare and treatment plans, think of all the details. Present it in a nice way as well. Think about those custom vitamins that have the customer’s name on them. How special does that make them feel every time that they take those supplements!? VERY! and it keeps them coming back for more.
Here are some other ways to incorporate customization in your treatment room:
- Make a cute prescription pad to give your product recommendations
- Print out a well written “proposal” for the treatments your client will be receiving, you can include the cost, time between appointments, and how to use their products.
- Try out multi-masking. (multiple masks to treat multiple skin conditions)
- Ask your clients their music and scent choices
Skin analysis
Technology takeover! Tech is being incorporated into the spa industry at an alarming rate, skin analysis being at the front lines. There are machines, apps, cameras and more. SOME of them are able to assist you in getting a good overview of your clients skin. SOME…not so much. Be wise enough to see through a sales pitch…for example, this machine claims to dispense skin specific serums based on a cell phone selfie…how accurate can this be?
An accurate skin analysis is the key to providing effective treatments and in turn keeping your clients happy! I have recently incorporated the OBSERV 520 into my practice and have been LoOoving it! It photographs your client using 6 different light modes to give you crystal clear before and after photos. Learn more about the OBSERV system here!
So lets get down to dollars:
- Incorporate some sort of skin analysis machine or camera
- Do a meticulous skin analysis with the best machine, your well trained eyes and hands!
- Brag about your skin analysis
- Educate your clients on what you see and feel during their appointment
Ease of access
Consumers want things custom and they want them right now, delivered to their door. Ordering online is CONVENIENT which is why clients still purchase products on amazon and other third party retailers even though we warn them not too.
More and more skin care brands are turning to online sales to be more accessible to clients which isn’t always a win in estheticians opinion. Except for Glymed! Glymed offers their ReGen website which allows professionals to sell products online without having to have a huge back stock and you still receive a commission from Glymed! You could also create your own online store selling products you offer (if your skin care line allows it).
Another accessibility trend is subscription boxes, consumers pay monthly and receive a box in the mail every month. These boxes contain anything from beauty products to dog toys. So create your own!
Other ways to be more accessible to clients:
- Offer your client an auto shipment of their regular products
- Set up local delivery or local pick up of products
- Create a subscription box of “your favs”
- Set up a website to sell products online
- Utilize a product line like Glymed that offers an online product site
Sustainability
Today’s consumers place a big importance on the environment. Especially Millenials and Gen-Z. They are looking for products with minimal packaging, less plastic, less waste. Good for your wallet and good for the planet so hop on board!
- Cut back on single use items like plastic product cups etc.
- Use reusable items when possible. Towels instead of gauze, reusable cotton rounds
- Find brands whose vision aligns with yours. (Glymed & Berodin use biodegradable packing peanuts)
- Some brands offer reusable or refillable jars and bottles
- Offer recycling of bottles and jars for your clients
- Post ways for clients to reuse their used bottles and jars like these recycled planters from Emergin-C
SIMPLICITY
As a self proclaimed product junkie this is a difficult trend for me to get behind, but I do get it!
Call it the Marie Kondo Effect, but people are looking to simplify and their beauty routine is no exception! Clients are wanting fewer steps, and fewer products.
While our job as estheticians is to provide products that will improve our clients skin, there are ways to accomplish this in a simple way:
- Recommend products that serve multiple purposes. For example Image claims their cleansers double as a toner!
- Start slowly with product recommendations. Give clients the BIG THREE first, and build from there. (cleanser, moisturizer, SPF)
- Have product testers available so clients can try before they buy
RETINOL
Retinol is finally getting the credit it deserves. It’s no longer a “prescription” it’s even sneaking into drug store products. Consumers are becoming more educated and less apprehensive to try retinol and once they do, they are HOOKED!
With all the social media exposure it’s just a matter of time until your clients start asking about what retinol can do for them. So make sure you KNOW!
- Educate yourself about retinol products. Try them out yourself so you know the benefits first hand.
- Educate your clients about the benefits
- Recommend and retail retinol products. Make sure they are available
- Start clients off slowly
Mineral Sunscreen
Our clients are getting smart! They are (mostly) aware of the dangers of sun exposure and are beginning to protect their skin. To make it even better, the recent ban on chemical sunscreen ingredients in Hawaii has sparked a major switch to Zinc & Titanium Dioxide.
We are also learning more about other sources of free-radical damage, leading to a big increase in products that contain antioxidants.
Like we need any MORE reason to talk about sunscreen, but here they are anyway!
- Educate! Talk about the importance of sunscreen
- Tell your clients about the ingredients
- Wear it yourself (obvi)
- Have retail options available. (Here is my favorite mineral sunscreen!)
Chemical peels
With more exposure to chemical peels people are becoming less fearful of them. Especially after learning of all the amazing benefits!
Chemical peels of all depths will continue to be a profitable service for estheticians. Make sure you are one of those estheticians.
- Consider offering a local influencer a chemical peel package in exchange for posts on social media talking about the peel and the process. Tagging you of course.
- Get a peel yourself and document the process
- Take it slow with your clients
- Offer treatment packages at a discounted price
Toner
Toner is usually the skin care step that people skip, but people are *finally* starting to incorporate it into their routines (slow clap).
Toners help to balance the pH levels and also help remove dead skin cells and product residue from the surface of the skin.
- Find your favorite toner and don’t shut up about it! (Here is mine)
- Include toner in your home care recommendations
Contouring
Beauty experts are predicting less contouring with heavy makeup and more contouring/sculpting treatments to achieve the look naturally. This can be done with microcurrent treatments, body sculpting treatments such as cryotherapy and radio frequency, facial massage techniques and tools like gua sha stones.
- Offer these treatments, or have referrals ready in your area for your clients.
- Invest in a microcurrent machine
- Have before and after photos available for these treatments so your clients see what is possible
- Retail gua-sha tools for clients to use at home
Tattoo Services
Nearly 40% of adult americans had at least one tattoo. Tattoos can be expensive and people want to protect their investment with treatments or products OR remove them all together.
- Check your scope of practice, to offer these services
- Have a relationship with a dermatologist or medical spa who does offer these services
- Add a tattoo brightening Microderm treatment, pair it with an enzyme mask and your clients will beg for more
- Retail products like brightening creams
Trends can be lucrative for business, but only if you are on the right side of the trend. They can go out style as fast as they come! SO be ready to jump on it and implement something.
- Pay attention to the big skin care companies. Even ulta and sephora. There is nothing wrong with imitating what they are doing.
- Be aware of what your clients are asking for. This can give you a really good insight into the consumer’s mind. (THIS TAKES INTENTION!!)
- Notice what you notice. Pay attention to your own habits and what you are drawn to.
- Track your social media ads, if one specific topic or treatment is getting a lot of action. FOCUS ON THAT!
- Find new trends yourself! Be a trendsetter, find extraordinary in the ordinary.