In this day and age, everyone is running around with barely any time to relax. Going to the spa is a perfect way for someone constantly on the go to finally stop and relax. Relaxation should be a part of the client experience from beginning to end. Employing these elements of relaxation can bring peace to any spa space.

LIGHT IT UP

Lighting is a big part of creating a relaxing environment. Choosing the right light bulb is just as important as the warmth of the lighting. Fluorescent lights are typically not recommended for a spa setting. Fluorescent lights flicker at a rate that stresses out the brain and can zap employees’ energy. Additionally, avoid using spiral, compact fluorescent bulbs that are filled with mercury because if they break, mercury dust could possibly be in the air for days, wreaking havoc on all the lungs that pass through. 

Holly Tanella is an international award-winning aesthetician and business owner with over 10 years of experience in the aesthetics industry. She was named the 2019 Top International Holistic Esthetician at The Skin Games and has owned BOHO Alternative Med Spa in Allen, Texas since 2015. Tanella is a wife, mother of five, and skin fanatic whose personal mission is to help her clients create healthy, glowing skin through alternative methods.

For decades now, there has been a clear focus for including vitamin C in a complete skin care regimen. However, the discussion of benefits always centers around what a great antioxidant it is instead of its role in making collagen and elastin. Additionally, there is a misunderstanding of the available literature that discusses which forms of vitamin C work best.

Savvy clients have moved beyond feel-good treatments and are looking toward result-oriented skin care to target specific skin conditions and address their individual concerns. This is especially true when it comes to treating mature or aging skin as this demographic is very often educated on the topic and willing to invest in skin care treatments and modalities that deliver results.
Turning to equipment or devices to treat skin is nothing new. The first high-frequency machine was developed by the scientist Nikola Tesla in the late 1800s. It was later used for medical purposes mainly as an antibacterial treatment before antibiotics were available. The French biophysicist Jacques-Arsène d'Arsonval later pioneered the use of high-frequency current in skin care treatments, and Elizabeth Arden helped popularize its use by introducing her Vienna Youth Mask in 1928, a device which claimed to have a rejuvenating effect by stimulating the circulation of blood through the facial tissues.1 High-frequency has been a treatment staple ever since.

Lila Castellanos has focused her energies into the beauty industry for the past 19 years, specializing in skin rejuvenation. As a licensed aesthetician, she has lent her expertise to several different environments including working as a paramedical aesthetician in the medical spa field as well as in both day spa and mobile spa business models. It was through these varied experiences, along with the interactions with her loyal clientele, that she honed her passion for improving and maintaining the health and integrity of her clients’ skin. Castellanos thrives on being able to use her extensive knowledge to customize each treatment to help her clients achieve the results they are searching for. Her adaptability and versatility are equally impressive in providing antiaging facials, treating acne, and minimizing the appearance of scarring or when addressing skin conditions that arise as a result of hormonal changes.

Of all skin concerns, antiaging continues to be the most prevalent across all age groups. The global antiaging market is expected to surpass around $119.6 billion by 2030.¹ 42% of women ages 25 to 34 and 54% of those aged 35 to 44 worry about signs of aging, like fine lines, wrinkles, and lost facial volume. More than a quarter, 28%, of the women surveyed under the age of 25 admitted that they too regularly worry about the toll aging takes on their skin. Furthermore, “millennials age 25 to 35 reported to have started using antiaging products as early as 26 years old. Their older counterparts, ages 55 and older, said the average age they began relying on antiaging products was 47.2.”²

FUTURE FORWARD

The future of antiaging skin care could look vastly different from the moisturizing creams and lotions of the past.For example, scientific research has recently discovered that reversing the signs of aging through cellular reprogramming may one day be a reality. This new technology for age reversal has been explored in the laboratory, where controlled doses of reprogrammed proteins reset what is termed, “the epigenome,” or the chemical marks on DNA that control which genes get turned on or off in a cell. As aging occurs, these markers get turned off. Reprogramming is a technology that can potentially flip the switch back, but it is still quite a way away from being ready for widespread use.³

Exosome Excitement

The use of exosomes – extracellular vesicles (EVs) that contain a specific composition of proteins, lipids, RNA, and DNA – are now being researched for their application in skin healing and antiaging. Exosomes are derived from endocytic membranes and can transfer signals to recipient cells mediating cell-to-cell communication. Exosomes play significant roles in various biological functions, including the transfer of biomolecules, such as RNA, proteins, enzymes, and lipids, and the regulation of numerous physiological and pathological processes in various diseases.⁴

Exosomes can be used as nanocarriers to deliver small molecules to promote tissue repair. Preclinical studies of exosomes in tissue engineering and regenerative medicine have been carried in the fields of bone and cartilage repair, nerve regeneration, liver and kidney regeneration, skin repair, and vascular tissue regeneration. Alginate, which is a substance extracted from seaweed such as brown algae, sea lichen, and Japanese kelp, is currently being studied to create a scaffolding for exosome release to deliver tissue regenerating extracellular vesicles.⁵

SKIN AGING DEFINED

Skin aging is caused by both intrinsic and extrinsic factors. Intrinsic aging is caused by the cell’s biology and genetics and leads to age-related cell degradation, called cellular senescence. With this, histological changes occur within the basal cell layer. As a person ages, proliferation of cells in the basal layer reduces. The epidermis then becomes thinner, and nutrition between the dermis and epidermis decreases. This decrease also leads to a decrease in keratinocytes, fibroblasts, and melanocytes. Research also finds that with intrinsically aged skin, the extracellular matrix, comprised of elastin, fibrillin, and collagen, degenerates. Oligosaccharides also degenerate, which, in turn, influences skin’s moisture barrier. 

The epidermal barrier is a collection of specific diverse functions, many of which occur primarily within the stratum corneum. These include maintenance of water content and balance (permeability barrier), prevention and responses to invasion by microbial organisms and antigens (antimicrobial barrier and immune response barrier), reduction of the effects of ultraviolet light exposure (photoprotection barrier), and mitigation of the effects of oxidative stresses (antioxidant barrier).⁷ All of these important barriers exist in skin.

Lydia Sarfati is an international industry leader with over 46 years of experience as a spa owner, consultant, and aesthetician. She is the founder and CEO of Repêchage, the first company to bring seaweed-based skin care treatments to the United States market, and the president of CIDESCO Section U.S.A, the world’s major international beauty therapy association. She appears at industry tradeshows, is the author of Success at Your Fingertips: How to Succeed in the Skin Care Business and The Repêchage Book of Skincare Science & Protocols, and is a contributing author to textbooks such as The Milady Standard Esthetics: Fundamentals, 12th Edition, and Oncology Esthetics.

Medical-Grade Myths 

There are many misconceptions regarding the regulation of skin care products and services. Creative marketing terms only further the confusion. 

In the United States, the licensing board of each individual state regulates the scope of practice of skin care professionals. Those professionals include, but are not limited to, aestheticians, nurses, and physicians. Depending on state regulations, performing some types of skin care services may only be authorized to doctors or aestheticians working in a medical spa under a doctor’s supervision. Examples of those services are higher-strength chemical peels and lasers. In short, aestheticians, and often nurses, are limited in their scope of practice while physicians are not limited at all. In the cases where a desired service is out of the professional’s scope of practice, they may choose to work under a doctor’s supervision and give up some of their income to compensate the medical doctor, or they may be on the doctor’s payroll as an employee. However, the term medical aesthetician is not regulated either, and there are no medical aesthetician licenses.

Catherine Atzen is an innovator and trendsetter in the spa and wellness industry and was recognized by DERMASCOPE Magazine as an AIA Legend for her lifetime contributions to the field. She is credited with coining the term “day spa” and setting industry standards for high-end, clean, and effective skin care. Atzen has trained over 20,000 professionals worldwide and has had 225 articles published. She founded ATZEN which has more recently became ATZEN Superior to Organic Skin Care when she took the line to new heights by incorporating the best organic ingredients with naturally derived high-performance cosmeceuticals to truly transform one’s skin.

Most people don’t sleep enough or get quality sleep. I wish I could tell you that I’m writing this article because I always get enough rest. However, the truth is, I struggle just like you. As a single mom of two tweens and a teenager, a business owner, and head of household, getting proper sleep is my biggest downfall. My goal for 2023 is to focus more on myself and sleep is a self-care must, which I am improving on. Getting enough sleep is important and lack of sleep affects overall health, so knowing how to schedule your sleep can make all the difference. 

THE IMPORTANCE OF SLEEP

Because life is so busy, you might be avoiding or putting off sleep, almost like it is an inconvenience. However, lack of rest puts the body under stress and produces cortisol. This causes a decrease in productivity because your brain needs sleep to recharge. Yet, many struggle with sleep because of an active brain. When you sleep, your organs repair themselves, which is essential for skin as it is the largest organ of the body. If you don’t get enough sleep, your organs can’t function properly, which not only leads to health problems but also accelerates the aging process. Skin care professionals are supposed to be experts at slowing down the aging process, yet most aren’t sleeping enough – the foundational rule of age management. 

References: 

1. Partial sleep deprivation linked to biological aging in older adults. American Academy of Sleep Medicine – Association for Sleep Clinicians and Researchers. (2018, March 9). Retrieved February 22, 2023, from https://aasm.org/partial-sleep-deprivation-linked-to-biological-aging-in-older-adults/

Samantha Dench is a 15-year licensed aesthetician, author, speaker, and owner of Skin Deep. Dench’s passion goes beyond treating skin to include internal health, so she can achieve healthy skin for her clients by finding the root of the problem. Dench loves to educate groups of women and share her knowledge and passion for skin through her book and speaking engagements.

Whether a licensed skin professional is expanding their menu’s hair removal options or making hair removal a part of their service offerings, period, it may seem like daunting task. However, this service is really a no-brainer. Anyone can wax, but it does require confidence and the proper education and practice. 

PICTURE OF PROFIT

Why is the decision to add hair removal to the menu a no-brainer? No other service offers the high profit percentages (over 1,500%) that hair removal does in less than 30 minutes, making it the money-maker of spa offerings. 

While costs vary, the following examples are the two most popular and profitable hair removal services:  

Founder and CEO of The Wax Chick, Crickett Enos is a licensed aesthetician, product creator, writer, speaker, and advanced waxing educator specializing in eyebrow design and Brazilian waxing. With over 18 years of experience in the industry, she has trained and empowered thousands to wax with skill, confidence, and efficiency.

Waxing is a popular form of hair removal as it is quick, efficient, and clients feel the immediate hair-free results. Often, waxing is the preferred choice of hair removal because it is both fast and quite affordable. As with any professional service offered at a spa, it is important to take the appropriate steps to fully qualify a client as a waxing candidate prior to offering the service. There are several lifestyle factors which can directly impact the effectiveness and safety of the wax on a client’s skin and instances when waxing may not be the best form of hair removal. Here is a guide to qualify a client as a waxing candidate and other things to consider.

STEP ONE

Gather as much information as possible about the client in terms of lifestyle habits, medications, and their skin care routine. Using a client intake form that each client completes prior to their wax is a good way to gain a better understanding of their overall lifestyle choices. For example, waxers need to be aware if clients are using certain common ingredients found in skin care products. It is recommended that ingredients such as retinol and glycolic acid are avoided for 48 to 72 hours prior to a facial wax as both ingredients can cause skin to be more sensitive. These active ingredients work by decreasing the thickness of the outermost layer of skin, which may cause it to lift with the wax, leaving a very sensitive client. Asking clients to refrain from using these products prior to their wax helps reduce any chances of skin lifting during the wax. 

Additionally, it is good practice to understand other lifestyle choices, such as how much time a client typically spends in the sun. It is highly suggested to avoid suntanning at least two to three days after a wax as skin is sensitive and can burn more easily. Finally, there are certain medications that can indirectly affect the sensitivity of a client’s skin. Isotretinoin and prednisone are two medications that are known to cause skin to be highly sensitive. It is important to inquire what medications clients are taking ahead of their scheduled appointment as they will need to stop taking them well in advance so their wax can be performed safely. The intake form should be completed by all new clients in advance of the wax appointment so any issues can be addressed prior to the treatment and any disappointment can be avoided. Additionally, educating loyal clients on the importance of communicating any changes to their profile is also a good idea to avoid upsetting situations.

Lindsay Miller is the president of LYCON Wax North America. Having first discovered LYCON Wax in the United Kingdom 10 years ago, she has dedicated her time to growing the brand across North America, including introducing LYCON to Canada. Training and product quality are extremely important to Miller, and she prides herself on building a strong team around her that can offer the best customer experience possible. LYCON continues to be a market leader in hair removal wax and is used in top spas and salons around the world.

Is it possible to give clients a nonsurgical face-lift? Yes, absolutely. Buccal or intraoral massage is a natural, holistic alternative to injections and surgery. This technique is quickly becoming known to give a more sculpted look to the face, improve facial tone, relax wrinkle depth, and make clients feel like they have just come back from a vacation with higher cheekbones and glowing skin.

Skin care is at over $100 billion in market opportunity, and there have been a few trends at the forefront of the industry’s momentum – the topic of sustainability and the notion of natural or clean, meaning better for people and the planet. Consumers have come to believe that natural ingredients don’t pollute the environment and have the added benefit of being less harmful or harsh to their skin and bodies. What is indisputable is that all industries are responsible for the impact they bear on the environment and the planet, and the beauty industry is not unique. 

ENVIRONMENTAL CONCERNS

According to the latest reports from Zero Waste Week, beauty packaging amounts to 120 billion units every year. That includes plastic, paper, glass, and metals, all of which end up in landfills year after year. Aside from packaging, there aremany botanical ingredients with incredible skin benefits whose high demand by brands and manufacturers has caused a strain on the supply. One example is bakuchiol, which comes from the Psoralea corylifolia plant originating in India. A2018 study showed it to be similarly efficacious to retinol for aging concerns and therefore, a safer alternative to retinol. 

Karen Raghavan currently leads brand development, marketing, and public relations at Purissima, a leading, multi-patented health and wellness biotechnology company. She started her career in investment banking at Goldman Sachs in Hong Kong and New York before pivoting to the beauty and wellness industry. Raghavan brings decades of beauty sales, marketing, and international experience from her work in senior leadership roles at major brands, such as Biossance, Benefit Cosmetics, and Estée Lauder. Raghavan has a bachelor’s from Dartmouth College and master’s from Stanford University in East Asian Studies as a recipient of its Center for East Asian Studies (CEAS) Fellowship.