“As a new generation of skin care professionals finish their course work and graduate they will be amazed at the options available to them. Never before have the ingredients in skin care been more sophisticated. The key to being successful is advanced education. Learn about peptides, growth factors, antioxidants, and stem cells and how they influence the growth and health of the skin. The field of medical aesthetics is flourishing and you will need to learn about lasers, Botox, fillers and plastic surgery procedures so you can be a knowledgeable professional. Many skin care companies offer free training. Webinars are popular because you can learn what is new in your industry in your own home. Educate yourself and you will be successful!” ~ Kathryn Pacelli; director of education, HydroPeptide® “View your education as an ongoing process and stay committed to professional/personal growth and progress! You must thoroughly know your field, keep up with ongoing trends/developments, and continually expand your professional knowledge. Education is a vital necessity to set yourself apart and to help you grow as a skin care expert or therapist. It is crucial that you become an expert at skin analysis and further your scientific understanding of how specific ingredients, products, and treatments benefit the skin. Tap into the experts at your disposal, talk in depth with your instructors to be sure you fully understand the skin anatomy and even ask them for tips on how you can help yourself stand out from your competition as you approach the job market post-graduation. Work in various environments to gain knowledge in all fields of skin care. Ask your employers about complimentary education programs provided by the company or their product lines and be sure to keep up with your continuing education credits every year. Last but certainly not least, do your own research. Books, professional magazine articles, and even the Internet can assist you in answering skin care questions and expanding your knowledge. Remember, knowledge and expertise are valuable treasures no one can ever take away from you.” ~ Melissa Morris; corporate educator, Pevonia® International “Diagnostic skills when consulting with a new client, once you are out of school in the work force, is a number one tool and priority, This means study every book on anatomy, physiology, and biochemistry you can find and Google every thing you can. You don't have to memorize everything or even understand all terminology – just enough to get an overview on how skin works, why things happen, and what can be done about it conceptually, not product knowledge. Remember, things are what they are in nature – and the body is our lab – products are only tools. Think with peripheral vision, not tunnel vision and you will soon get the knack of reading skin and asking the client the right questions for a good analysis.” ~ Danné Montague-King; owner and educator, Danné Montague-King® “Ingredient knowledge is the foundation of the skin care industry. My advice to all skin care students is to study ingredients and their mechanism of action. The more you understand how ingredients function within the skin, the better you will be at recommending the best products and treatments for your patients, regardless of the line being carried in the practice. Once you are out of school, continue your education and keep updated reference materials at hand in case a patient questions you about something, and you don’t know or you can’t remember the answer. Don’t guess. It’s more professional and will build a trusting relationship between you and your patients if you seek out the answer rather than make one up and find out later that it is incorrect.” ~ Michelle Goldsmith, LE; national educator, PCA skin® We want to know: How young is too young to start skin care? Email us at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. Want to read more? Subscribe to one of our monthly plans to continue reading this article.