NEWS

Government announces plans for mandatory Botox and filler licences

The Government has confirmed an intention to introduce licensing for non-surgical cosmetic procedures including Botox and fillers.

On March 7, an amendment to the Health and Care Bill was agreed upon in the House of Lords, giving the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care – currently Sajid Javid – the power to introduce a licencing scheme for non-surgical cosmetic procedures.

The proposed legislation would make it an offence to perform injectable treatments without a licence.

The Government said full details of the scheme would be finalised following additional research, including a public consultation.

Javid said: “While most of those in the aesthetics industry follow good practice when it comes to patient safety, far too many people have been left emotionally and physically scarred after botched cosmetic procedures.”

The licensing scheme will introduce standards that practitioners carrying out nonsurgical cosmetic procedures will have to meet, as well as hygiene and safety standards for premises. The exact parameters of the treatments covered have not been confirmed but a Government statement said it will focus on “those cosmetic procedures which, if improperly performed, have the potential to cause harm, such as Botox and fillers”.

The licensing plan is the latest in a series of new safety rules, following a ban on injectables for under 18s in October 2021, and a veto on adverts for cosmetic procedures targeting under 18s, due to come into force in May.

Carolyn Harris MP and Judith Cummins MP, co-chairs of the APPG on Beauty, Aesthetics and Wellbeing, said: “A licensing framework set in law is an important step in the right direction. However, this must be underpinned by mandated national minimum standards for practitioner training.” Victoria Brownlie, chief policy officer at the British Beauty Council, added: “The commitment from Government to tackle this thorny issue is a huge step towards legitimising the professionalism of our industry.”

More diversity needed in the industry as 70% of exec roles are held by white men

A spotlight has been shone on the need for greater diversity and inclusion in the European beauty industry as it has been revealed that despite employing a huge number of women, more than 70% of the top-level executive roles are held by white, middle-aged men.

The Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion in the Beauty Sector Report, published by the MBS Group, CEW UK and ScienceMagic. Inc, also revealed that 48% of beauty businesses have no ethnic minority representation on their boards, and 51% have no ethnic minority on their executive committees.

Those with a high level of ethnic diversity – “usually the public companies which are subject to greater scrutiny”, the report said – are bringing the statistics up for the entire industry.

However, the research did reveal some positives, including that in comparison to other consumer-facing industries, the beauty industry does show strong levels of gender and ethnic minority representation at senior levels.

The representation is strongest at the direct report levels, with 59% women and 19% ethnic minorities, but dips at the most senior levels of leadership.

Beauty salons and brands come together to support Ukrainian relief appeals

The beauty industry has launched several initiatives to raise funds to help support Ukrainian relief appeals – showing the power of community

One of the biggest fundraisers was #BeautyForUkraine, started by PB Awardwinning salon chain Townhouse. It saw beauty salons and brands pledge to donate all or a portion of the revenue they took on March 8 to help raise funds for the UNHCR Emergency Appeal for Ukraine, which is on the ground in Ukraine and neighbouring countries providing aid that is desperately needed.

Some of the beauty businesses that took part included nail polish brands Nailberry and L’Atelier Green Paris; and salons Awe London, Beauty Box London, The Nail Lounge Greenfield, Get Beautiful in Shepperton, Nailspa in Huddersfield, and Beauty Lounge in Tankerton.

Other initiatives to help Ukrainian relief appeals included charity Toiletries Amnesty gathering donations for refugees in Poland, Estée Lauder Companies committing $1 million to relief efforts via its in-house charitable foundation; salons Beauty at the Bay in Colchester and The Secret Spa in Wrexham asking clients to drop in vital donations such as medical supplies, nappies and blankets, to be sent to Ukraine; and L’Oreal supporting its employees in Ukraine with financial and psychological help.

Clients spending more on high-end skincare post-pandemic

As a result of having to take skincare matters into their own hands during the pandemic, more consumers are now investing in pro-grade skincare for salon results from home.

75% of physicians who participated in a survey conducted by analyst Kline indicated an increase in revenue for professional skincare products, with more than 80% saying they had seen an increase in patient spend per visit on professional skincare products.

The report identified more key beauty trends for 2022: beauty retailers are expected to adapt to new consumer behaviour with the addition of virtual selling tools.

They will also transition to more sustainable methods, make strides towards social and environmental justice, and treat hair care like skincare, adding more nourishing ingredients.

Number of UK beauty salons grown by almost 25% in five years

The number of beauty salons in the UK has grown by 24.8% since 2017, with an increase of 2,121 units in the past five years, according to statistics from the Local Data Company.

The data, analysed by The British Beauty Council, found that nail salons have seen an increase of 29.4%, thanks to the opening of 938 new units since 2017, making it the third-best performing sector in the hair and beauty industry in terms of unit growth. The report also revealed the net change of vacancies – empty store or salon units – between January 2017 and December 2021.

Beauty salons saw a 3.1% increase in site vacancies, growing from 4.2% to 7.3% over the five-year period, while nail salons also saw an increase from 2.6% to 4.9%.

10 wellness tools that clients are adding to their beauty routines

With the past 18 months having heavily impacted everyone both physically and mentally, there’s been a surge in client demand for wellness tools.

Topping the search list over the past 12 months (February 2021– 2022) is sauna blankets, with a 20,600% increase in Google searches, found research by online retailer Cult Beauty.

This was followed by face tools, with a 6,200% rise in the same period; and handheld percussive massage therapy tools, known as massage guns, in third with searches soaring 4,000%.

Gua sha and cryo ice globes also made the top five, with an 3,900% and 2,000% increase in searches respectively.

EverySkin group opens sixth London aesthetic clinic within nine months

The EverySkin clinic group has opened a new location in London’s Notting Hill, marking the clinic group’s sixth location since launching nine months ago.

The chain of aesthetic clinics, first launched in Wood Green, London, offer services including laser hair removal, skin treatments and cosmeceutical facials.

Chief operations officer Bridget Healy commented: “At the right point, we would love to take EverySkin to communities across the UK. The key for us will be to have the right team to do so successfully, without compromising on the quality of our service.”

Organic beauty and wellbeing market worth £138.23m following 15% growth

The organic beauty and wellbeing market is now worth £138.23 million after a 15% growth in sales in 2021.

Consumers are spending £11m on organic and natural beauty and wellbeing products every month, according to the Soil Association Certification’s Organic Beauty & Wellbeing Market Report 2022.

It also found that nearly half (48%) of consumers are more concerned about the environment now than pre-pandemic.

30% said the environmental issue they are most worried about is a loss of biodiversity, while 36% are concerned about chemicals entering the environment.

UK brands can legally label their products as “organic” if they contain at least 1% of organic ingredients. 42% of consumers don’t trust brands’ statements, and would be more likely to believe sustainability claims if they had third-party certification accrediting them.

Revealed: the best places in the UK to open a new hair or beauty salon

Despite the uncertainty caused by the coronavirus pandemic, 11,841 new businesses were formed in the UK hair and beauty sector in 2021 – at a rate of 1,076 new openings per month, found new research in The Entrepreneurial Spirit of the UK Report.

Using Companies House and Google search data, Yell Business’s research also revealed the key areas to start up a hair or beauty business, which include Milton Keynes, Oxford, Nottingham and Northampton, all of which have higher demand than supply for these services.

The best locations to open a waxing salon (based on the number of searches divided by the number of businesses in the areas offering the service) were: 1. Nottingham (16.65), 2. Milton Keynes (16.52), 3. Oldham (16).

27% of spa booking cancellations happen on the day

27% of all spa booking cancellations take place on the day of the appointment, according to research by spa booking platform Trybe.

A further 37% of guests cancel with just two days to go before their booking.

In the event of a client failing to attend their appointment or cancelling last-minute, tools such as “no-show protection” can allow salons and spas to charge the client directly, using the payment details used by the customer to book their appointment.

Davines Group’s hair and beauty products to be certified plastic neutral this year

Certified B Corp Davines Group – which manufactures skincare brand Comfort Zone, as well as hair care under the Davines name – has pledged that all its products will be certified plastic neutral this year through its partnership with social enterprise Plastic Bank.

For every product sold by the group in 2022, an equal amount of ocean-bound plastic will be collected and removed from the environment. By doing this, the group’s products will be certified plastic neutral by Plastic Bank. The partnership will contribute towards improving the life of collectors in the coastal communities of the Philippines, Indonesia, and Brazil.

Davines Group chief executive officer Anthony Molet said: “Packaging is one of the most significant impact-generating areas of the beauty industry, so we set ourselves the aim of contributing with projects that give positive, concrete, and global results.”

CACI hosts pre-BAFTAs pop-up with Carasoin of Beverley Hills in London

CACI launched an exclusive pre-BAFTAs pop-up in March with renowned Los Angeles day spa Carasoin of Beverley Hills at London’s Corinthia Hotel.

The pop-up was held from March 7–13 and all appointments were with Carasoin founder and aesthetician Lena Bratschi.

Bratschi used CACI Synergy as her red-carpet prep for a host of BAFTA nominees and celebrities, including Daisy Ridley, Kodi Smit-McPhee, Emilia Jones, Simone Ashley, and Caitriona Balfe.

Bratschi has worked with CACI for several years, including during her time working at CACI International’s original flagship clinic premises in Hampstead, London.

Image Skincare partners with Glass House Retreat in Essex

Glass House Retreat in Essex has appointed Image Skincare as the spa’s core brand partner.

Image Skincare’s facial services will complement the luxury retreat’s detox and wellbeing offering, which spans 10 treatment rooms, a cryotherapy suite, an indoor and natural outdoor pool, state-of-theart gym, personal training facilities and wellness classes.

Commenting on the partnership, Image Skincare UK sales director Graham Clarke said: “We’re thrilled to be partnering with Glass House Retreat, with such a unique offering unlike anything else in the area.”

Melissa Mitchelmore, spa manager at Glass House Retreat, added: “Our decision was based not only on their exceptional brand offering but as a company… they provide incredible support.”