Q&A
Beauty pivot
Alexandra Georgio shares her journey from owning a celebrity skin clinic to becoming the managing director of Skeyndor's UK distribution company, Clinic Brands
What inspired you to first enter the professional beauty industry?
“I’m from a huge, female-led family, so beauty was something I was born into. So, in many ways, the industry found me. My dad had a very commercial background in retail and distribution, so I grew up around warehouses and shopfronts. It was a natural blend of both worlds.
“But my real connection to beauty came when I was diagnosed with ME and lupus at 16, and I developed severe skin issues. Back then, the industry wasn’t accessible to me. That experience pushed me to understand skin on a deeper level. I was originally on a completely different path, studying law, but when I lost my internship after falling pregnant, life changed and I reassessed everything. I went back to college, trained in skincare, and it just clicked.”
How did your personal skin struggles shape your approach to clients?
“I was essentially a walking testimonial. Clients would look at me and see themselves, which built immediate trust and I understood the emotional side of struggling with your skin. It made me focus on results-driven treatments and really listening to clients. I became known as a ‘skin fixer’ but that role goes beyond treatments. You become so much more than a skin therapist. I spent so much time connecting with people, and understanding what their needs were is where the confidence grew.”
What were the most important lessons you learned early in your career?
“Consistency and teamwork. This industry can feel lonely, especially if you’re working for yourself, but success comes from the people around you. Your team shapes you. I always say there’s no ‘I’ in team and everything is collective. “Also, take opportunities when they come. Don’t ever say no; you take the opportunity and then you learn.”
Your career path took a turn into distribution. How did that happen?
“Completely by chance. I had built a successful clinic with a strong celebrity client base. One moment that changed everything was when a footballer client casually promoted a Skeyndor product I was using on him. It created a huge demand overnight.
“At the time, Skeyndor didn’t have UK distribution. I took a leap, put together a business plan, and went for it. Two months later, everything changed and Clinic Brands was born. Ultimately, Skeyndor saw something in my understanding of relationships and appreciated that you need so much more than the components and the ingredients.”
How has your hands-on experience shaped your approach today?
“It gives me complete confidence. I always describe it like this: the client is the canvas, the therapist is the artist, and the brand is the paint. All three have to work together.”
What advice would you give to clinics trying to stand out?
“Trust your expertise and communicate it confidently. Retail isn’t ‘selling’ – it’s part of the treatment journey. You are the expert; you know what their needs are. Don’t overwhelm clients with too many products or complicated routines. Make it easy for them to trust you.”
If you could change one thing about the industry, what would it be?*
“Education. There’s too much inconsistency and confusion. Better structure and clearer standards would remove a lot of pressure from professionals.
“But until that happens, my advice is simple: focus on your own business, your own values, and your own clients. Don’t get distracted by what everyone else is doing.”