Happy New Year! We’ve made it to 2021 and although we may not be fully out of the woods when it comes to coronavirus and the restrictions it brings, if your business has survived the pressures and unpredictability of 2020 then you deserve to be celebrating and making plans for a brighter year ahead.

This is the time of year that we explore the trends set to shape the salon and spa market over the next 12 months and for 2021 we’re anticipating a renewed focus on sustainability in the beauty sector. With Covid-19 having caused a sharp increase in PPE and other disposables for hygiene reasons, salons and spas are looking at where they can improve their carbon footprint – without increasing their costs or compromising on safety. On page 46, we take a look at what the professional brands are doing to help the cause, with reductions in packaging, new refill services, recycle stations and more. And if you’re reading this issue in print rather than via the app, you’ll have noticed it arrived in a paper envelope, part of the Professional Beauty Group’s pledge to be more sustainable by ditching the plastic wrap for good across all its titles this year.

Our interview with Galgorm head of spa operations Tara Moore, on page 41, also touches on sustainability, from buying fair trade to sourcing power from the river that runs through its grounds.

Of course, The Spa at Galgorm was among the inspirational winners of the Professional Beauty Awards 2020 in December, and this issue also celebrates the achievements of all of those outstanding businesses and individuals. Find out what made them stand out on page 57.

Editor