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Professional Beauty
Professional Beauty


3 mins

Ask the experts

Beauty experts a range of aspects of running a salon or answer questions about spa business

What advice can I give my clients to help them get a better night’s sleep?

‘Coronasomnia’ has been coined as the term for sleep issues related to the pandemic, and is used to describe the struggle to get a decent night's sleep. Our circadian rhythm regulates the periods of wakefulness and sleepiness. This internal body clock allows our body systems to carry out essential functions throughout the day and night, and is influenced by various environmental factors. When we are feeling balanced, our circadian rhythm creates consistent and rejuvenating sleep, but when the rhythm is knocked off balance, it can create problems.

A poor night’s sleep can leave us feeling tired, with caffeinated drinks such as tea and coffee seen as the boost we need. However, when consumed in the afternoon and early evening, these beverages can then keep us alert, impacting our next sleep. Chamomile and valerian teas are well regarded for relaxing the senses and inducing restful slumber.

The intake of information, whether from social media or late night texts from friends, has the tendency to keep our minds ticking over and increase stress hormones in the body. Advise clients to set their mobile phone to ‘do not disturb’ after a selected time, with the exception of key people.

Reducing light before sleep is vital, as artificial light can fool the body into thinking it is daylight and delay the circadian rhythm. Advise clients to maintain a dim light in their bedroom and keep blue light-emitting electrical devices away from reach. If they do need to use their mobile phone, they should turn it onto night mode setting and reduce the brightness right down so any screen illumination is limited. If light in the room is unavoidable, suggest they invest in a good-quality sleep mask.

Matt Taylor is brand and education manager at Eve Taylor London, where he has developed strategies for growth.

How can I warn clients about unauthorised online beauty retailers?

Unauthorised online sellers have grown at an exponential rate since the Covid crisis, and while this is not a new problem, it is really affecting our industry’s businesses on all levels. Unauthorised sellers obtain products and imagery from a number of sources without the brand’s permission, and prove difficult to stop. In some cases, they remove the brand from one site, only to sell on a sister site.

To discourage your clients from purchasing from unauthorised sellers, there are a few key points you should discuss. The first is expired products; many active ingredients found in skincare products can break down over time and authorised resellers rarely take care to follow best practices when it comes to storage. The introduction of oxygen can decrease the effectiveness of skincare formulations, but that’s the least of the dangers – the introduction of bacteria, mould, yeast and dust can also cause serious allergic reactions or far worse.

It is also possible that the item your client has their eye on is discounted because it is counterfeit. Purchasing a knock-off bag or pair of shoes is one thing, but when it comes to skincare this can be extremely dangerous. The people who are making the products are most likely taking shortcuts in how they are made; they may be adding harmful ingredients, making the products in unsanitary conditions or, even worse, there may be child labour involved in the making of some counterfeit products.

If the price seems too good to be true, it probably is. Encourage your clients to purchase direct or from your own official trusted site.

Graham Clarke is the sales director at Image UK and has worked in the professional skincare and aesthetics industry for more than 20 years.

This article appears in the November/December 2021 Issue of Professional Beauty & HJ Ireland

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This article appears in the November/December 2021 Issue of Professional Beauty & HJ Ireland