Our experts answer an array of questions about every aspect of running a successful salon or spa business
Which superfoods are best to use in treatment to turbo-charge clients’ skin?
Superfood is a buzzword in the industry and for good reason. We all know that eating healthily makes us feel, and of course look, better. A nutritious and balanced diet packed with vitamin-rich superfooods will help your internal organs to function well and, in turn, your skin, which is the largest organ of the body – leaving it fresh, clear and glowing with good health.
But the superfoods we eat are now finding their way into skincare products, and there are a few key ingredients that are good to use in treatment to turbo-charge clients’ skin. Acerola cherry, native to South America, Mexico and Puerto Rico, is a red berry that has one of the highest natural vitamin C contents, with 13 times more than you find in the humble orange.
Apart from vitamin C, acerola cherry also contains vitamin A and several of the B group vitamins. As an ingredient for skincare, it adds radiance, protects elastin fibres against hardening and brings valuable anti-ageing properties, as well as being a powerful antioxidant and anti-free-radical.
It protects and strengthens blood vessel walls and has a profound effect on tyrosinase, the rate-limiting enzyme for controlling the production of melanin. As such, acerola cherry helps even out pigmentation on the skin’s surface by reducing the production of melanin.
Another superfood taking the beauty world by storm is spirulina extract, known to the healthfanatics among us as an ingredient that is usually added to drinks or smoothies. This blue/green algae extract is packed with vitamins A, B, C and E, which all work together to add radiance to skin.
Spirulina extract also contains skin-perfecting trace elements and minerals including potassium, iron, zinc and copper, perfect for clients whose skin needs nourishing after being damaged by environmental aggressors.
Kirsti Shuba is co-founder of British skincare brand Katherine Daniels Cosmetics, which she set up with colleague Donna Tait. Shuba has 30 years’ industry experience.
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What are the advantages of using multi-technology platforms in salon?
Today’s aesthetic and beauty market is becoming a crowded space, so now more than ever you need to think outside the box and work harder to keep your business.
Whether you’re specialising in face or body treatments, you should know how to deliver the best results for your clients’ various indications, and it’s key to remember that no “one tech” does it all.
For example, typical indications for the body might be pockets of fat, overall circumference reduction, cellulite or lax skin, and the correct match of technologies here could be cryolipolysis, body HIFU (high intensity focused ultrasound), cavitation, shockwave and radiofrequency.
For the face, indications could be lax skin, poor muscle tone or collagen depletion, so your tools might include radiofrequency, HIFU face, microneedling or LED (light-emmitting diode).
The secret to delivering great results is to build on your preferred tech for individual indications, layering others with it to create bespoke face and body treatments that will deliver the best client outcomes. By adopting this approach, you’ll also stand out from your competitors.
Machines are available individually but this can be costly and take up a lot of space. Multi-tech platforms are the future, but ensure the specifications match or exceed what you have already identified as gold standard on the standalone devices.
Roy Cowley is managing director of machines manufacturer 3D-lipo and has more than 20 years’ industry experience. The company also has a standalone clinic in Leamington Spa.
How can I do a summery take on the traditional smoky eye?
Summertime make-up generally veers away from the dark berry lips and stormy grey and black smoky eyes of autumn/winter, lending itself to more rich, shimmering bronzes and golds on the eyes.
To update the classic smoky eye for the hotter months, you need to offer clients an alternative that’s easily re-creatable – whether they’re at home or on holiday. A marbleised baked bronzer, which can be used both as a bronzer and an eyeshadow, is a great go-to product to create this look.
Sweep the cream tone of the bronzer all over the lid from lash line to brow bone, and then blend a mid-toned caramel shade through the eye socket and into a soft cat-eye shape to create lift.
Then, intensify the “outer V” of the eye using a dark chocolate shade, sweeping along the upper and lower lash lines for a sultry, smoky effect. Finish by adding lashings of waterproof mascara.
To be right on trend, apply a slick of coral lip gloss and sweep bronzer over the forehead, nose, chin and tops of the cheekbones for a sun-kissed effect.
James McKnight is global brand ambassador for professional make-up range New CID. He works on editorial and fashion shoots, and has 12 years’ industry experience.
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What aftercare advice should I give clients to prevent ingrown hairs post-wax?
Ingrown hairs can be the bane of some people’s lives and are caused when a hair, which has grown out of the skin, has curled back round on itself and re-entered the skin.
It then becomes infected and causes a red, raised spot to appear, which can quite often be filled with pus. The spots can appear anywhere on the body and men quite often get them in their beard because the hair is particularly stubborn there.
In consultation, you need to talk to clients about the possibility of ingrown hairs appearing post-treatment and explain how they can help prevent them, from aftercare advice to recommending the right homecare products.
Firstly, tell clients not to pick an ingrown hair as this can lead to scarring or hyper-pigmentation. Stubborn ingrown hairs should be treated with a product containing salicylic acid as this helps free it by gently exfoliating the area, as well as tackling inflammation and fighting infection.
You should also advise clients to exfoliate two to three times a week to get rid of dead skin cells because ingrown hairs can often occur when the hair follicle is blocked. A gentle scrub with spherical grains that roll over the surface of the skin but don’t scratch or irritate is best.
Clients should also keep their skin soft and well hydrated post-treatment by moisturising with a body lotion daily, as this will stop the hairs from getting trapped and curling in on themselves.
Tracey Smith is director of Ashmara, which distributes wax brand Depiléve and Anesi skincare. She has 30 years’ experience training, selling and manufacturing skincare and waxing products.
How can advanced brow techniques such as microblading boost my business?
Microblading – the art of applying semi-permanent colour to the eyebrow with tiny precision strokes using a fine sterile blade – is an advanced technique that is gaining momentum. It requires additional and specialist training but, with the correct education, can bring lots of benefits to your salon or spa.
The technique gives clients a more natural appearance than regular semi-permanent make-up, and offering it on your treatment menu can boost your business in so many ways, from enhancing the skill set and morale of staff to significantly increasing turnover.
Training in advanced techniques will also improve your profit margins. You’ll see increased customer satisfaction and repeat clients. With the correct sales training there are also multiple opportunities for retail and cross-selling other services.
Investing in accredited training is something that is often overlooked in the importance of staff retention. Trained staff who understand that career progression includes new opportunities to learn will naturally be happier in their jobs, feel more valued and be committed to the financial success of the business.
Clare Stephens is head of training for the Eyelash Design Company and has worked in the industry for 14 years.
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