The aesthetics and spa industry has been growing steadily and is projected to continue its growth at a faster than average rate over the next seven years, according to the United States Department of Labor.¹ This increase is seen across spa modalities, as well, both on the medical and holistic ends of the spectrum, and everything in between. With changes in the industry due to the internet (YouTube and Instagram tutorials and increased online availability of formerly professional-only products), it is more important now, more than ever, for aestheticians and spas to find ways to stand out. Offering custom blended skin care is one way to do that.

1. Custom blended skin care is legal in most states. There is a huge cloud of misinformation about offering handmade or custom skin care in your spa or as a solo practitioner, and many aestheticians worry that they’ll risk fines or losing their license if they offer it. The fact is that it is legal to offer custom blended skin care in most states. However, aestheticians need to understand and abide by local, state, and federal regulations regarding the licensure, manufacture, storage, and dispensing of custom products.
2. Keep terminology strictly cosmetic. Aestheticians must stay within the definition of cosmetics when educating clients, as well as marketing and selling products and services. The Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act defines cosmetics as “articles intended to be rubbed, poured, sprinkled, or sprayed on, introduced into, or otherwise applied to the human body...for cleansing, beautifying, promoting attractiveness, or altering the appearance.”² Anything claiming to alter or affect the structure or function of the skin (or any part of the body) quickly puts a professional at risk of stepping out of scope. When custom formulating, it is imperative that the aesthetician does not make any claims that could be considered drug or health claims or that could be misconstrued as practicing medicine or acting as a compound pharmacist without a license.
3. Custom blended skin care does not always have to be made from scratch. Many spa suppliers offer pre-made bases that can be easily and quickly adapted to meet the needs of different aromatic preferences and skin types. These bases come already preserved and can be stored the same way any other backbar or retail products are stored. They can be modified quickly both for treatment room use and retail sales.
4. Custom blended skin care can be made from scratch. Some formulations are more complex and require more ingredients and technique, while others are very simple and quick to make. Anhydrous and dry products, such as cleansing grains, certain exfoliants, herbal and clay masks, cleansing oils, oil serums, and facial balms, are some examples. The raw materials for these products have a long shelf life when stored properly and can be made preservative-free.
5. Custom blended skin care may require separate insurance. Not all practice liability insurance companies cover custom blending as a service or handmade/custom blended skin care products (this is often the case with private label products, too). However, there are several product liability insurance companies who do. It is important to discuss plans with your current provider to assess coverage and obtain additional coverage if needed.
6. Custom blended skin care creates great profit margins. Since custom skin care must be purchased from a single source and is considered a service rather than just a product, it has a greater perceived value to the client. Be sure to include the cost of labor in the pricing and mark the products up according to market and demographics.
7. Custom blended skin care adds another billable service to the spa’s menu. For a truly custom experience, a thorough consultation is needed. This is something that can be set as a separate menu option or bundled together with additional services to include products. So, in addition to being able to charge more for products, spas can also charge more for both initial consultations and follow up and re-formulation consultations.
8. Custom blend clients are loyal and produce quality referrals. The fact that custom blend skin care clients can only get their products from the person who made them translates to instant loyalty. Products can be further customized to meet a client’s changing needs according to season, as the skin improves, and if preferences change. Every visit strengthens the client-professional relationship, which leads to more and higher quality word-of-mouth referrals.
9. Custom blend can expand business and brand recognition beyond the treatment room. The ability for professionals to meet with clients virtually through video conferencing can open a whole new revenue stream without dramatically increasing overhead costs. Aestheticians can meet with clients virtually for consultations and follow ups and can send products by mail. This allows aestheticians to continue to meet the needs of clients who have moved and who are restricted by busy schedules or mobility issues, as well as those who are not local.
10. Custom blended skin care is professional skin care. So many aestheticians get caught up in the notion of professional products, but the truth is that professional does not always translate to quality. A high-quality, custom blended product made with concentrated ingredients, specifically targeted to a client’s independent needs, will always produce amazing results. The perception of professional really has to do with the knowledge of the professional delivering the results – not so much with the product itself.

It all comes down to the fact that an aesthetician who has the knowledge to customize skin care formulations to meet the needs of individual clients will always stand out as a true skin care innovator and expert. All it takes is the right continuing education and legal due diligence. The ability to offer something that cannot be bought on Amazon or easily copied on YouTube is how to truly stand out and thrive in the current and projected future of this industry.

References

1 “Skincare Specialists: Occupational Outlook Handbook.” U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Apr 2019. www.bls.gov/ooh/personal-care-and-service/skincare-specialists.htm.

2 “Cosmetics & U.S. Law.” U.S. Food and Drug Administration. www.fda.gov/cosmetics/cosmetics-laws-regulations/cosmetics-us-law.

Rachael Pontillo is a holistic skin care innovator, author, and educator. She is the best-selling author of the book “Love Your Skin, Love Yourself” and co-author of “The Sauce Code.” She is a functional nutrition practitioner, AADP and IAHC board-certified international health coach, licensed aesthetician, and natural skin care formulator and educator. She is the president and co-founder of the Nutritional Aesthetics Alliance, the creator of the popular skin care and healthy lifestyle blog, Holistically Haute, as well as the much-loved online course, Create Your Skincare. She is an avid herbalist, skin care ingredient connoisseur, and lifelong learner.

If you’re an avid skincare maker or consumer of small batch, artisan skincare products, I’m guessing that you’ve heard of ultraviolet glass bottles. This is a special type of glass that many natural formulators use to maintain the integrity of their products. Though it’s really violet in color, it appears black, and it’s become the preferred packaging for many of my students and colleagues.

Ready for me to say something shocking about how Miron violet glass actually doesn’t work how you think it does? I’m not going to–well not totally. I actually use the glass myself for many of my products because I believe it is the best quality packaging out there for helping to keep products fresh and pure. I don’t use it for everything, because it can be pricey–but for my clients who reuse their bottles and for my own household personally, I do think it’s worth the investment.

It is an exciting time to be in the skin care industry. Aesthetics technology is finding new techniques and ingredients to improve the skin; the industry itself has grown so much that many different specialties that were once tiny niches have expanded into major aspects of aesthetics. Holistic skin care continues to gain popularity with skin care professionals each day. Once believed to be less effective than conventional and medical aesthetics, holistic skin care products and practices have greatly improved and now boast results that are comparably dramatic and may be even longer lasting than conventional practices.
Though holistic skin care has gained popularity among aestheticians and consumers alike, regulation has not quite caught up with this rapidly growing trend. Therefore, there is still a great deal of ambiguity and confusion regarding terminology, efficacy, ingredients, labeling and shelf life of holistic products.

The human body was designed to heal and repair itself through its own immune system. Most of the time, it does an excellent job of doing so without outside help. However, there are many factors that interfere with the immune system’s ability to protect the body from invaders – some of which we cannot control and some of which we can control to a certain extent. The skin is a visual indicator of one’s overall health, and therefore immunity.

Clients come to the spa for several reasons. Some come with specific skin care goals, while some come just to relax. Others come to receive treatments and purchase products made with luxurious, therapeutic, efficacious, and often rare ingredients that are not available in the mass market due to cost and other factors. Some of these ingredients are products of the latest, most cutting-edge innovations in modern aesthetics science and technology… and others are centuries-old natural botanical extracts and essential oils.

Women, and now more men, consult with aesthetics professionals for a variety of different reasons. Some come with specific skin issues like sun damage, rosacea or acne, while others come more for the relaxing and pampering aspect of aesthetic services. Others come to the spa and receive facial treatments and purchase professional products in an effort to not only maintain healthy skin, but also to prevent premature aging and future damage. This last group of clients presents a well of opportunities for long-term relationship building and client retention, as well as for new prevention-oriented services.

Once the media grabs hold of something, whether it is a new gadget or technology, or a berry that has been used for thousands of years by the indigenous peoples of the Amazon; the public becomes completely inundated with a seemingly never-ending wave of news, talk and “miracle” products containing it. This is exactly what happened with the açaí berry.

It is always nice to believe that people don't "judge a book by its cover." Unfortunately, that does not happen in reality. People do judge other people and businesses by their physical appearance, and this is a fact that I do not see changing. Aesthetics may be a branch or anatomical science, but it is still a part of the beauty industry.
Your professional image is your portfolio. This is the package you present that will influence whether or not people in this industry (both professionals and clients) will take you seriously enough to see what you actually have to offer.