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Today’s clients are interested in more than just applying a self-tanning lotion. As an aging baby boomer in my early 50s, my body reflection doesn’t match my youthful self image and it is showing with brown spots, sagging thighs, and cellulite. I’ve followed a healthy lifestyle and exercised regularly since I was in my 20s. Certainly that helps, but I need more now to preserve what I have and to improve what I can. I decided to buy a self-tanner to cover up the flaws and make my white body look healthier as it does with a tan.
We have all heard it before: “Lose 40 inches!”, “Better than Botox!” “World’s best serum that will make you look and feel like you are in your twenties again!” Are these false claims? Did you get the results that the product advertised? Did the aesthetician not understand how to use the product correctly? Was the product applied to the wrong skin type? What went wrong? You bought the product in good faith and it didn't live up to the claim. Why not? There are several reasons why we don't get the results from the magic that is promised in the bottle.
It sounds relatively simple, doesn’t it? A cleanser, an aftershave balm, a sun protection product, possibly a lip balm. But what makes a product line distinctly male-oriented versus “unisex” can be elusive and much of the distinction lies in observing the male creature, as well as in the marketing and promotion of the products. A hard look at men and women’s skin care habits reveals very different routines, leaving a significant departure in the aspect of product acceptance by men.
Ask, “What is the definition of spa?” and most replies will have something to do with water. Many historians consider the origin of the word spa to define a place where water is applied therapeutically. The most common image used to identify spas in logos or advertising is water; and in a true wellness spa, water is an iatrical (healing) component at the soul of the spa business. We all recognize the calming sounds of water. We know we should drink eight glasses of water a day. Soaking in hot, moving water is recognized widely as therapeutic.
Five years after writing my first article on how the digestive system impacts skin, I find that very little has changed in how those of us within the skin industry are educating clients. In fact, I find very little education being done at all, and I wonder why. Do not misunderstand me, please. Most of us do educate about the products and treatments used in client care, but when our clients walk away from us, what understanding does a client have of the nutrition needed for great skin?
With all of the growth in the spa industry some of us curious minds are wondering just where all of this is going. Just five years ago, I recall delivering lectures to anxious crowds of newcomers, corporate drop outs, physicians, aestheticians, and spa owners. We discussed trends, tips, and spa management. While many would say that the spa industry is slowing down, I liken it to the restaurant industry with (finally) more leveled, readily measured, and stable growth patterns. For all of the anti-aging remedies and youth-enhancing formulations, the spa industry has grown sea legs and is growing up!
Light and bright, fast and effective, from cosmopolitan cities to country counties, clear and even toned skin is the NOW and WOW factor that clients seek. It is the skin care professional’s business to support this aesthetic goal by promoting care and maintenance of healthy skin. How NOW can this goal be achieved, the WOW in the answer comes from excellent professional treatments and use of targeted products formulated with performance ingredients. An excellent professional treatment is learned and practiced by the skin care professional through continuing education and qualification by reputable and responsible organizations.
As a spa professional, you want to provide the best possible treatment for your clients. Providing the best treatment is reliant on 50 percent technique and 50 percent product. In aesthetic or massage therapy school, often the emphasis is put more on learning the right technique and less about teaching the basics of natural ingredients and how to select quality products for your business. In turn, once you complete your studies you are left to learn about products from independent research and through suppliers. Unfortunately, the information skin care companies provide to you can in some cases be based on false claims the company is making to sell their product.
OK, let’s get right down to it – your skin care products may contain ingredients that are actually classified as OTC’s. OTC stands for “over-the-counter” and refers specifically to non-prescription drugs. This isn’t necessarily a problem, although any skin care product containing an over-the-counter drug needs to be labeled as such. This may be a bit of a “gray area”, as you’ll see. Before we shed light on the labeling dilemma, let me give you some technical detailing set forth by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and it’s corresponding Food, Drug and Cosmetic Act (from now on referred to as “FD&C Act”) which sets definitions and protocols for our industry.
Have you ever experienced a facial that provided you with new vision and helped you feel completely at peace with yourself and the world? Beyond relaxation you are free of mental chatter, emotional distress and even have more a-ha moments. If so, this is what healing the spirit feels like. We commonly refer to this as balancing body, mind, and spirit. Aestheticians can now provide products and treatments that specifically target the spirit or energy body with a category I call EnergyCeuticals. When we work to address a depleted spirit, due to a stressful lifestyle, we also help to heal emotional, mental, and physical aspects as well. The difference is rejuvenation versus relaxation.