The skin care industry is a competitive market whose diversity spans an array of companies and brands, ranging from large, multinational corporations to smaller independent brands and startups, and many brands standing strongly in between. Licensed skin care professionals know the importance of choosing the right brand because it can be the difference between staying in business or not. This article examines the pros and cons of working with different types of brands with the understanding that there is not a one-size-fits-all solution; it is more so about each individual finding what works for them and their spa’s unique needs.  

MAKING A MATCH 

When selecting a brand, it is important to make sure the line supports the professional’s clientele. Selecting a brand that has heavy emphasis on treating aging skin is fruitless for the professional whose main demographic are those seeking acne treatments. Beyond choosing what aligns with one’s ideal clientele demographic, the criteria for selection should range from accessibility, price point, customer service standards, efficacy, marketing resources, and account support. All these factors can play an integral role in overall success.  

As mentioned, there is not a collectively perfect skin care brand, nor is there near perfect brand for most! It is up to each skin care professional to decide what is right for them. Understanding some of the intricacies of the business behind all beauty brands can also offer a greater understanding of the options – ultimately, helping the professional choose a brand that fits their needs best.  

THE BEAUTY (& THE BEAST) OF MASS MARKET BRANDS  

If a client has not had a regular skin care provider, it is likely that when they first think of skin care they picture major corporate giants like Olay, Clearasil, Cetaphil, Neutrogena, and other drugstore brands. This is because they are exposed to these brands through mass-advertising in commercials, magazine advertisements, and displays at stores they often shop at.  

When it comes to the multinational brands and corporations, owned by conglomerates like L’Oréal, Estée Lauder, Johnson & Johnson, Proctor & Gamble, and Unilever, these mass-market behemoths have extensive research and development capabilities and vast distribution networks with significant marketing budgets which allow them to get in front of consumers easily and often.  

Professionals compete for these sales and can be quick to frustration when clients choose these products to fill their sink counters; however, these brands also bring positive aspects to consumers that skin care professionals cannot. From creating a mainstream perception that there is a need for skin care products to the consumer education happening because of these companies, their far and wide reach helps tell the story to consumers about why they should care about their skin. Teaching people why they should care about their skin is half the battle, and the other half is teaching them how, which is where skin care professionals come in. 

Lauren Snow is the director of brand management and communications for Circadia. She also leads the global organization’s communications, developing and implementing internal and external strategies to promote Circadia’s overall identity and mission to further position itself as the global leader in skin care innovation. As a skilled licensed aesthetician and spa marketing expert, Snow has landed coverage in consumer publications such as The Chicago Tribune, Good Housekeeping, and FitFabFun. Her contributions are also regularly featured in industry trade magazines such as ASCP’s Skin Deep, Les Nouvelles Esthetique, and DERMASCOPE Magazine. Snow also currently serves on the board at Be The Reason Charities, a nonprofit organization for marginalized women and children. 

The skin care products lining the shelves and the devices filling a treatment room say a lot about the type of skin care professional offering them. The brands they align themselves with communicates their values to clients and the integrity of the practice. Clients look to the professional for solutions to their skin health concerns. They want to know that the products and brands being recommended are worth the money and will yield the results they want to achieve.

Professionals need to ask themselves whether they carry brands that are well known in the industry and have a reputation as the most effective at what they treat. Are they brands that clients recognize and want to experience? And, perhaps the most important question, do these brands work with the professional to understand their needs and help them grow their business? Does the brand take the time to get to know the professionals who carry them, understand their current reality, and their desired goals? How one answers these questions can be pivotal to if and how quickly an aesthetics business expands. 

Choosing the right brand partners is one of the most important decisions a skin professional makes as they build their practice. The sheer number of options can be overwhelming when trying to determine how to set up a practice and what brands are the right fit to meet business goals. One helpful way to look at this is to think about brands as true business partners; the professional and brand are investing in each other for mutual success. The products are more than just products on the shelf. They are tools, and the right ones can help increase one’s bottom line in a variety of ways. 

Denise Ryan has more than 30 years’ sales, marketing, and product management experience in dental and medical device manufacturing. Ryan’s secret weapon is her unique ability to uncover what is truly special about a product or service and then passionately enroll others in that belief. She has been with BioPhotas since January 2012 as Celluma’s product manager, director of sales, VP of brand management, and currently serves as the chief clinical affairs officer. Ryan regularly writes and speaks internationally on the science and benefits of low-level light therapy.

Launching a personal or private-label skin care brand can be an exciting and rewarding venture to boost sales and increase clientele. With their expertise in skin care and beauty, professionals have a unique advantage when it comes to understanding the needs of clients and creating effective products. That deep understanding of skin types, conditions, and various skin care treatments is invaluable when formulating products that address specific concerns and deliver results. 

Skin care providers can also create custom products tailored to the specific needs of their clients. This level of personalization can set the brand apart from mass-market products and address individual skin concerns more effectively. Alternatively, if one has a specific niche tool or technique they feel strongly about sharing, this can also be an additional sales boost. In other words, it may not even need to be a skin care line. Numerous factors can come into play in the decision-making process for a successful launch. Assessing readiness, budget, defining the brand concept and mission, market research, and compliance issues will all need to be addressed.

ASSESSING READINESS 

While the dream of creating a new brand can be strong, identifying the motivation behind the desire is essential in laying a strong foundation to steer the brand’s direction and sustain long-term commitment to the process. What is the long-term goal for the brand? How much time and resources can be dedicated to its research, development, and marketing? How scalable is the brand?

In 2024, the skin care market is projected to generate a revenue of $186.6 billion worldwide. Gauging experience and expertise in the industry is key to standing out in an already crowded market. A passion for skin care and the ability to see gaps in the market that can be filled is a good start. If one has expertise in a particular area, such as ingredient knowledge, the drive to share that with clients or a broader audience can be helpful. Exploring deeper motivations also helps guide strategic decisions and creates a sense of purpose. All these factors play into the future success of the product.

Launching a new aesthetics product or brand requires additional commitments beyond the daily client practice and entrepreneurship skills. Be prepared to dive deep into product development, ingredient research, product manufacturing, packaging, design, fulfillment, distribution, sales and marketing, quality assurance, business licensing, and FDA regulations.

Once the product development and roll out has been completed, challenges may arise in terms of financial constraints, regulatory complexities, intense competition, and the ever-evolving nature of the beauty industry. Staying abreast of market trends, continuous learning, and adapting strategies to overcome obstacles are vital. A willingness to re-work products and business strategies may also be required. Understanding the challenges ahead can help keep goals and budgets in check. It is best to start small, go slow, and evaluate everything along the way. 

References

1. “Skin Care - Worldwide: Statista Market Forecast.” Statista. Accessed March 14, 2024. http://www.statista.com/outlook/cmo/beauty-personal-care/skin-care/worldwide. 
2. Taylor, Nancy E., and Eleanor (Miki) A. Kolton. “New Cosmetic Regulatory Requirements: What Cosmetic Manufacturers Need to Know: Insights: Greenberg Traurig LLP.” Insights | Greenberg Traurig LLP, December 30, 2022. http://www.gtlaw.com/en/insights/2022/12/new-cosmetic-regulatory-requirements-what-cosmetic-manufacturers-need-to-know. 

Rachelle Dupree has over 20 years of experience in marketing, media, communications, and design. She studied with a Denver-based herbalist and naturopath for four years, combining her marketing knowledge with her love of natural remedies and skin care. She currently contracts as a marketing and communications director for Vivoderm Natural Skincare and various design clients. 

Custom tools, custom T-shirts, custom skin care – custom everything! Custom branding is trending, and this trend is here to stay. Both private labeling and custom blended skin care are all about creating a unique product that is tailored to the individual skin care professional, their clients, and their wants and needs. The professional skin care industry is all about creating a curated experience for clients, and what is more curated than private labeling skin care products and tools? Clients are searching for personalized products that offer a boutique look and feel, which the private-label industry can provide.

So, what is private labeling exactly? It is a branding agreement where a third-party company manufactures products for another company to sell under their own branding. For example, a well-known licensed aesthetician on Instagram may have maximized their brand by private labeling to include a product line that consists of everything from gua sha tools to towels. The business affair may have begun with a cold roller (a trusted private-label favorite) but has blossomed into a full array of skin care tools, customizing anything and everything. If another interested professional were to take this blueprint to begin their own private-labeling endeavor of cold rollers, they would find a suitable manufacturer, tell them exactly what they wanted it to look like, and the manufacturer would create a custom branded cold roller and have it delivered to their doorstep. Now, that is a huge oversimplification, so let’s get into the details.

Kasey Boone is the creator of Kasey Boone Skincare, the first-of-its-kind skin care tool brand for aestheticians – the one-stop shop for elevated, multi-purpose aesthetician tools and The Original Perfect Facial Towel. Offering versatile tools for the everyday aesthetician as well as educational social content, free blogs and a weekly podcast, Skin and the City, Boone has thought of it all. She is a pioneer in the aesthetics industry and is one of the first to use social media to grow and evolve her business. She alsohelped make cold rollers, a must-have skin care tool and created the first deluxe facial towel made specifically for an aesthetician's treatment room. Boone’s mission is to help aestheticians in all aspects of this ever growing and evolving industry.

Massage therapy has been practiced all around the world for thousands of years, and it is no surprise that there are many different massage techniques and practices to choose from. Offering a unique variety of massage therapies for clients to experience can set a massage business apart from others and establish a niche within a very saturated industry. Additionally, having massage therapists that are licensed in multiple massage techniques allows for masseuses to blend practices from different styles, offer add-ons to traditional massage offerings, and target a broader range of client ailments using specialized treatments. One unique massage practice is cactus massage, also known as Hakali, which originates from Mexico.

Cacti are prickly, possibly dangerous, yet often beautiful desert plants. Today, they are being utilized in a massage trend that has several health benefits and can draw in clients interested in an out-of-the-ordinary massage experience. Cactus massages are performed using the nopal cactus, also known as the prickly pear cactus. To prepare, all spines are removed from the pads of the cactus. The pulp and juices of the nopal pads are removed and worked into skin throughout the massage. 

References

1. “Cactus Self-Care? Learn the How and the Why.” 2020. Unpacked. March 13, 2020. https://www.omnihotels.com/blog/cactus-inspired-self-care/.

1. Massage Studio. 2021. “An Ancient Practice: The History of Massage Therapy.” Massage Studio. March 17, 2021. https://www.massagestudiospa.com/blog/an- ancient-practice-the-history-of-massage- therapy#:~:text=The%20practice%20of%20massage%20therapy.

1. Ondarza, Mauricio A. 2016. “Cactus Mucilages : Nutritional, Health Benefits and Clinical Trials.” Pearl Research Journals. June 19, 2016.

1. “Trending – Hakali / Cactus Massage.” 2022. Hydro International College. April 8, 2022. https://www.hydroint.co.za/trending-hakali-cactus-massage/.

It is my belief that one of the more interesting things about skin is that blackheads and enlarged pores come from within. All the textbooks may say that blackheads are dirt related and that enlarged pores are from sagging skin, but how often do clients that are meticulous about cleaning still see blackheads? How often does extracted skin immediately refill with impurities? How often do young clients with taut skin still see enlarged pores on the nose where no laxity exists? In fact, why do enlarged pores seem to happen primarily on and around the nose when sun exposure is allegedly one of the leading causes of larger-looking pores, which would suggest the forehead should be the worst area? 

Platelet-rich plasma (PRP) and platelet-rich fibrin (PRF) are increasingly used in the skin care industry for their many benefits, including skin rejuvenation, improvement of fine lines and wrinkles, marked improvement of acne scarring, and the treatment of melasma. 

While platelet-rich plasma was the first generation of platelet-rich plasma to be used, the second generation is called plasma-rich fibrin (PRF), and while both are extracted from a patient’s blood sample, they vary in their components. Both are often referred to as liquid gold, but there are distinctions between the two. 

PLASMA VERSUS FIBRIN

Platelet-rich plasma and platelet-rich fibrin require a sample of the patient’s blood to be centrifuged. In the case of platelet-rich plasma, an anticoagulant is first added to the test tube before centrifuging; in the case of platelet-rich fibrin, no anticoagulant is added. The spin speed and the time of centrifuging vary between the two components. 

Both platelet-rich plasma and platelet-rich fibrin contain a cocktail of growth factors and cytokines, which are proteins that control inflammation in the body and initiate a healing response, but there are some differences. During centrifuging, the faster spin speed of platelet-rich plasma allows the distinct separation of blood components, heavier red blood cells (RBC), and stem cells to sink to the bottom of the tube, followed by a layer of white blood cells (WBC), then platelet-rich plasma, and finally, a layer of platelet-poor plasma. 

A slower spin speed is utilized in the collection of platelet-rich fibrin, and the layers do not separate as distinctly. A platelet-rich fibrin clot occurs in the centrifuge process of platelet-rich fibrin. More healing components are collected from platelet-rich fibrin as less trauma is caused to the cells. Centrifuged blood provides five to 10 times the baseline platelets in a blood sample. Either method involves extracting the platelet-rich serum to be used topically or injected into the patient’s areas of concern. 

References

1. Du, Rina, and Tiechi Lei. 2020. “Effects of Autologous PlateletRich Plasma Injections on Facial Skin Rejuvenation.” Experimental and Therapeutic Medicine, February. https://doi.org/10.3892/etm.2020.8531.
2. Everts, Peter, Kentaro Onishi, Prathap Jayaram, José Fábio Lana, and Kenneth Mautner. 2020. “Platelet-Rich Plasma: New Performance Understandings and Therapeutic Considerations in 2020.” International Journal of Molecular Sciences 21 (20): 7794. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms21207794.
3. “Microneedling.” n.d. Yale Medicine. Accessed March 1, 2024. https://www.yalemedicine.org/conditions/microneedling#:~:text=These%20%E2%80%9Cmicro%2Dinjuries%E2%80%9D%20do.
4. Nanda, Soni, Kavish Chauhan, Vinma Shetty, Shuken Dashore, and Satish Bhatia. 2021. “Platelet-Rich Plasma in Aesthetics.” Indian Dermatology Online Journal 12 (7): 41. https://doi.org/10.4103/idoj.idoj_290_21.
5. Whatley, Adam. 2020. “Injectable Platelet Rich Fibrin (I-platelet-rich fibrin) Stimulates Greater Skin Collagen Production for Rejuvenation.” Dynamicregenmedicine. January 16, 2020. https://www.dynamicregenmedicine.co.uk/post/injectable-platelet-rich-fibrin-i-prf-stimulates-greater-skin-collagen-production-for-rejuvenation#:~:text=Also%2C%20injectable%2Dplatelet-rich fibrin%20demonstrated%20a.

The popularity and efficacy of retinoids, particularly compounds like retinol and tretinoin, in the aesthetics industry can be attributed to their remarkable ability to influence various cellular processes in skin. Vitamin A, the parent compound of these retinoids, has maintained its prominence for decades due to its multifaceted benefits.

THE YIN & YANG OF RETINOL

Retinoids play a crucial role in skin care by increasing cellular turnover, regulating sebum production, reducing bacteria in follicles, and stimulating fibroblast activity to promote neocollagenesis. These actions make retinoids highly effective in addressing aging, hyperpigmentation, and acne, leading to their widespread adoption among both skin care professionals and consumers.

However, despite their numerous benefits, retinoids can also cause significant side effects if not used properly. Their stimulatory effects may trigger the body’s inflammatory response, resulting in erythema, dryness, and sensitivity, which, if left uncontrolled, can progress to hyperpigmentation and post-inflammatory pigmentation. Moreover, inadequate sun protection can exacerbate these issues.

by Amra Lear, L.E., LMT., spa consultant for Amra Lear

2020 launched a new era of wellness. Those seeking self-care flocked to spas – the age of wellness booming once and for all. Where distance amongst others became an unusual norm, the yearning for human interaction became available at spas. Massages, facials, and body treatments started becoming instrumental to societal function. Amongst the avid seekers were adults, but then, children started trickling in to receive some form of self-care with their parents.

More and more parents are understanding the importance of human touch for their kids and the spa industry is seeing an incremental rise of this young clientele. What are the ages and services a spa should offer this growing type of clientele? 

AGE & SERVICES

When it comes to a child, all services need to have a parent or guardian’s written consent signed and documented on file. Depending on the service, the parent may need to be present while it is performed. For example, when it comes to massage services, a child under the age of 14 would need to receive a couple’s massage where the parent is receiving a massage in the same room at the same time as the child. For ages 14 to 17, it is suggested that a child receive a massage with a provider of the same gender.  However, if the child prefers a massage therapist of a different gender than their own for whatever reason, the best practice is to receive a couple’s massage with a parent or guardian present.  

Facials have more leeway when it comes to client age. The child would still need to have a parent or guardian present in the room if they are under 13 years of age. Over the age of 13, a child client may receive a facial without a parent or guardian present. 

Every year, more and more Americans utilize massage therapy for the many health benefits it offers. As the popularity of massage therapy continues to increase, so does the demand for qualified massage therapists. There are many compelling reasons to consider massage therapy as a career choice including that it is a fast-growing profession that offers flexible working schedules and hours, good work-life balance, an active and healthy work environment, the opportunity to give back and help others, and is financially and professionally rewarding.

GROWTH POTENTIAL 

The future has never looked so bright for those seeking a career as a massage therapist.  Employment opportunities for massage therapists are projected to grow 18% from 2022 to 2032, much faster than the average for all United States occupations according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. This growth is testament to the powerful healing benefits of massage therapy as consumers find comfort and relief from the caring and compassionate hands of a massage therapist. 

Reference 

1. Admin. “Growth Potential: Job Outlook for Massage Therapists.” Academy of Massage Therapy and Bodyworks, May 3, 2023. https://massage-training.net/massage-school-programs/high-demand-and-growth-potential-job-outlook-for-massage-therapists/#:~:text=According%20to%20the%20Bureau%20of,for%20medical%20conditions%20and%20injuries.’