One of my favorite aspects of being a part of the DERMASCOPE team is that I get to sit down with some of the most inspiring and influential people in the professional skin care industry and chat with them about their background, their achievements, and their aspirations. All of us in the industry see the brands, we know the products, we read about the ingredients and results, but there is so much more to discover through getting face-to-face with the individuals behind the formulations and the education that brands provide to aesthetic professionals. This especially goes for those companies that hold themselves to as high a standard as Ultraceuticals does. I recently had the opportunity to meet with Ultraceuticals’ global education ambassador and technical training manager, Tracey Beeby, and speak with her about all things Ultraceuticals. 

BUILDING BRIDGES

Tracey Beeby did not get her start in the industry employed with any professional brand. She started her own salon in Sydney, Australia in 1986, performing treatments and shaping the skin of her clients. After attending a lecture from Dr. Geoffrey Heber, founder of Ultraceuticals, Tracey instantly connected with the foundational integrity and sound science that held up the brand and Dr. Heber’s own personal practice. She began referring her clients to him – a gesture that many skin professionals know takes a lot of trust and confidence. Rather organically, after developing this professional relationship further, Dr. Heber invited Tracey to open up his second practice in Sydney, and subsequently to get involved with Ultraceuticals’ clinical testing. 

Ultraceuticals’ products are all extensively tested through their trial process, whether a formula is being updated or created from scratch. Participants with specific skin concerns are brought in and carefully screened to eliminate any possible confounding variables and generate the most informative outcomes. A product must impart significant results before it ever sees the market. 

“This ignited my passion even more,” Tracey told me. “I never knew what went on behind the scenes. I knew Ultraceuticals was different, but I didn’t know how or why. I wanted to learn.” 

EMPOWERED EDUCATION

Nurturing the aesthetician’s desire to learn is one of the biggest goals of Ultraceuticals as a brand. As global education ambassador, one of Tracey’s favorite jobs is to speak about the brand and deliver the passionate message behind it. 

“Dr. Heber is rather introverted,” she jokes. “But the heart of the brand is so big, and I love to talk to the world about that.” 

Tracey highlighted for me their team’s wealth of educational materials, from consultation tools and recommendation forms to before and after treatment instructions. These resources are intended to assist in what Tracey says are the greatest skills an aesthetician can have – consultation and retail. 

“When an aesthetician asks the right questions, recommends the right products, understands the ‘why,’ and relays it properly, the client won’t hesitate,” Tracey explains. “Aestheticians are in this industry because they care, which is a beautiful trait. But this must be channeled into homecare as well and we are being negligent if we aren’t recommending products.” 

Furthermore, with her experience working with products in the spa and behind the brand, Tracey believes the most critical factor in maintaining a successful relationship between a brand and its clinic partners is the education the brand provides. 

“When you’re in the treatment room back-to-back all day every day, you need to have the understanding and the verbiage of what you’re doing to treat clients in the best possible way.” Tracey tells me. “This is why Ultraceuticals’ Education Hub is a big part of our partnerships, supporting skin professionals with ingredient knowledge, product information, and any and all updates relevant to the provider.”

And according to Tracey, the partners are what make her job as ambassador and technical training manager so fulfilling. When asked about the challenging aspects of training doctors, business owners, and skin providers, Tracey admits that while it is extremely important to her to speak to the results of the brand, she does not consider it challenging. 

“It would only be challenging if aestheticians didn’t share that driving passion that fuels the beauty industry. But everyone who works with Ultraceuticals shares that passion.” she explains. 

Tracey leaves me with some final thoughts and recommendations for both aesthetician and consumer: 

1. Besides certain exceptions, clients should always be using actives in their homecare.

1. With peel season in full swing (which apparently doesn’t exist in Australia), providers must be confident that clients are using sunscreen.

1. On that note – broad spectrum sunscreen should be recommended all year round. 

When speaking with skin professionals, it is not rare to feel an overwhelming passion for helping people bleeding into the conversation. Tracey Beeby is certainly no exception to this, with her 35 years of involvement and her finger on the pulse of what it means to be a skin professional. It is assuring for not only current Ultraceuticals partners but everyone in the industry to know that people like Tracey are striving every day to provide the best possible products, education, and support that they can to uplift and move the industry forward. 

DERMASCOPE’S FIRSTHAND EXPERIENCE

After my conversation with Tracey, Ultraceuticals was kind enough to host me at a local partner spa for a full treatment. I spent the day with Bailey over at The Spa at Loews Arlington Hotel to experience the full Ultraceuticals line the way it was intended – in a dark room on a heated spa bed sporting an Ultraceuticals headband. 

The Spa staff were incredibly welcoming and accommodating, offering me a jasmine and ylang ylang enhanced hand towel upon the moment of my arrival and taking me on a full tour of the spa amenities. When I met with Bailey for my treatment, in true Ultraceuticals fashion, we did a thorough consultation, discussing my skin needs and history to ensure the most positive experience possible. Bailey was very excited to treat me to my first Ultraceuticals facial, exuding that same passion for skin that Tracey assured me all Ultraceuticals partners share. 

My treatment was amazing. After informing her about my sensitive skin and my status as a chemical peel virgin, Bailey opted to use the PHA Resurfacing Peel Treatment for me, a dual-action peel that gently calms and soothes while improving skin texture. I was nervous about peeling, itching, or burning but all I felt during the peel was the smooth application and Bailey’s gentle hands guiding my skin to a brighter, healthier complexion. Everything that touched my skin, from cleanser to moisturizer, felt comfortable and enhancing. 

KEY TAKEAWAYS

As someone who isn’t a licensed skin professional and seemingly always has an event to attend just around the corner, it can be hard to trust a stranger to introduce an unused line of products to my skin. But Bailey guided me through the treatment and every product felt like a dream. My skin was beaming for the entire week after my treatment, and I was immediately getting compliments from friends, coworkers, and even strangers about how great my skin looked! I opted to go without makeup to let my freshly resurfaced skin glow and spent the rest of the week reminiscing about how great I had felt at The Spa at Loews Arlington. 

All of this to say, as someone who had never experienced the full Ultraceuticals line or knew their history, I left my interview with Tracey Beeby and subsequent Ultraceuticals treatment a big fan of the brand, and with a few items in my online shopping cart.