Designing A Salon Skincare Program

Designing A Salon Skincare Program

Developing a complete skincare program for your customers can open up some important doors for your business. “Skin is in” in all respects. There is lot to know about the field of skincare and the endless number of quality product options that are available. The following are some helpful tips on entering the business.

The first two items on your list of priorities should be to choose a well-trained staff and a quality product line. The International Dermal Institute is one of the largest post-graduate training facilities for beauty therapy in the United States. For decades, the Institute has offered private, advanced skincare training for licensed estheticians that already have obtained state board certification.

If salon owners wish to get involved in skincare services, there are various factors they should consider. First, they have to have the space: at least an 8-foot by 9-foot room. Performing skincare procedures requires a private area. Because it is a very personal thing, the environment in which the procedures are performed should be quiet, peaceful and completely relaxing.

They also will need various types of equipment. Setting up a skincare center runs can range anywhere between $3,000 and up. Essentials include a facial couch, a chair for the esthetician, a magnifying glass, a steamer, a sterilizer, a cart to hold the products, and gowns for the clients.

Product packaging and displays also are important. They should be attractive and plainly visible to the customer. The content of the package is most important, of course. However, it is the outer cover that appeals to the client’s love of beauty.

It is important to fully educate salon staff on product use. The salon skincare specialists should know the product line inside and out. Any company that offers an in-home product line should be able to thoroughly explain the products to each customer. Many skincare companies offer product training for salon staff.

The education process also should be emphasized. A major problem in the United States is the limited training available to facialists. The majority of the professional schools’ training is dedicated to hair and nails. This is why the skincare line you choose should offer complete product training. To make your salon as professional as possible, you really should hire an esthetician.

You also need to make certain the product line with which you become involved is suited to the requirements of your clientele. A professional businesswoman needs products that are easy and quick to use and that also will be convenient to take on trips. A woman who has a simpler lifestyle, on the other hand, has a little more time to spend on tedious applications. Determine which type of woman frequents your salon most, then go with a product line to complement her, or offer lines for each if your clientele warrants it.

If you have quite a few male clients, you should choose a product line that will be appealing to them as well. Men are turned off by some scents in skincare products.

Look for a line that is either unscented or just slightly scented. Though male skin varies only slightly from female skin, some procedures are performed differently on men. For example, one area of a man’s skin may be emphasized more than that same area of a woman’s skin. You also may want to add some extra products to your line for men, such as special shaving creams.

Older clients also have special needs. Their skin requires heavier moisturizers and more gentle cleansers and toners. They usually use moisturizers more frequently too, since their skin has a very small amount of oil.

Don’t forget about your younger customers, those in their teens and early 20s. They too have particular skin characteristics. Their skin tends to have an abundance of oils; therefore, they typically need astringents, stronger cleansers and more intense toners.

Before making a decision on a product line, do a breakdown of your clientele to see who makes up the majority, be it businesswomen, housewives, men, elderly clients or teen-agers. After you’ve done this, you’re ready to choose a product line.

Though each skincare system varies in regard to the products of which it is comprised, most include at least one or two products in the following categories.

Cleansers liquefy and absorb makeup, debris and oils to purify the skin’s surface and prepare it for further treatments.

These products generally contain some kind of gritty, abrasive material and are very simple to use. They literally slough off debris and dead cells on the surface of the skin, leaving it fresh and smooth. Skin that has a misty, gray tinge needs such treatment to remove the dead cells that are giving it that color.

These products are not for everyone though. Thin-skinned people should stay away from them, as should people with acne, because they tend to irritate such conditions. There are also stronger exfoliants and peels that can be administered only by a professional in a salon.

There are two basic formulations for facial masks. One is a clay-based mask that sits on the face to dry and absorb oils. However, it does absorb moisture, so it should never be left on long enough to crack and turn powdery. When it gets to this stage, it stops putting moisture into the skin. The mask should be left on only until it is dry to the touch; then it should be rinsed off. The other type of mask is a gel or cream formula with very high water content. It should be applied in a steamy bathroom. This type of mask moisturizes by introducing water to the skin, causing it to plump and soften.

In the past, toners were classified as a second stage of cleansing. Since early cleansers contained a lot of mineral oil, the toner was made with alcohol to remove any residue of oil left by the cleanser. Unfortunately, the alcohol in the toner also acted to dry out the skin.

Now, however, cleansers are mostly water soluble, so toners can be made generally alcohol free. As a result, the drying effect that used to be caused by the old toners is no longer a problem. A toner is basically used to refresh the skin, not to strip it of its natural oils. By using a nonastringent toner, the natural acidity of the skin is restored. Equally important is the fact that by dampening the skin, toners even out the absorption of moisturizers.

Eye and throat creams are referred to as specialty products. There are no oil glands in the eye and throat areas, and everyone knows skin needs some oils to stay youthful looking, and usually, these areas are the first to show aging. Therefore, eye and throat creams are excellent products to use at any age.

Moisturizers do just what their name implies, they add moisture to the skin to keep it soft and supple. Moisturizers should be applied to the skin when it is still damp from the toner. Putting a moisturizer on dry skin is of little use because it is not very easily absorbed. It would be like putting a hair conditioner on dry hair; you wouldn’t get an even absorption across the shaft of the hair.

Moisturizers are absorbed into the upper layers of the outer skin (the epidermis). They cannot penetrate into the dermis or muscle. Even if a manufacturer claimed a product could penetrate that deeply, it would be useless because the purpose of a moisturizer is to protect the lower layers of the skin by forming a seal on the upper layers. In addition, the FDA considers any product that penetrates far enough to get into the bloodstream to be a drug, and it is regulated as such.

Moisturizers also should contain a sunscreen. Minimizing the effects of uncontrolled exposure to UV rays should be a major concern to clients. Such products should be reapplied at least every six hours.

Sunscreens always should be applied to the skin before going outdoors. They filter out harmful UV rays so the skin does not have to absorb them. Sunscreens also lubricate the skin.