Ask the experts

1 What are the most effective ways to retail skincare in salon?

Retailing is essential for your beauty business and an important part of your clients’ treatment journey. It brings in extra revenue and also offers the opportunity for personalised expert recommendations, which results in client retention.

Clients want to maintain the results of their treatment at home, and they value your professional opinion to help them do just that. A skincare therapist who knows the brand will talk enthusiastically about it and know which product will suit each client’s skin. Upselling is the ultimate technique in helping to prolong the client’s salon results.

There are several strategies you can implement to maximise sales and provide a great client experience. Your retail opportunity starts before the client enters the treatment room, so make sure the salon’s retail environment is attractive and inviting. Eye level is buy level, so consider a countertop display.

Ensure all staff members are knowledgeable about the products you carry. During treatments, therapists should take the opportunity to discuss the products used and explain their benefits and the results. Your clients will then see the value in purchasing these products post-treatment.

Consider implementing a loyalty programme, where clients can earn points for purchasing skincare products. These points can be redeemed for discounts or free products, encouraging repeat purchases and client loyalty.

Encourage clients to provide feedback and reviews on the skincare products they purchase. Positive reviews can attract new clients, while constructive feedback can help you improve your product selection and customer service. Maximise product visibility via your social channels and via e-marketing too. By offering high-quality skincare products and personalised recommendations, you can establish your salon as a trusted destination for skincare retail.

Niki Bassil is the marketing manager at CACI and has worked in the beauty industry for over 15 years.

2 What are the benefits of incorporating heat into my treatments?

Heat has long been used for health reasons, dating back thousands of years to ancient times. Greek philosopher Parmenides famously recognised the power of heat healing when he said 'Give me the power to produce fever and I will cure all disease'.

Thermal and mud baths were among the most common ancient Greek practices, but they would even enjoy hot air caverns linked to volcanic sources from time to time to get their hit of heat. Over the years, recognising the power of hot water and steam for muscles, skin and pain relief, many cultures began to adapt this type of heat therapy to suit their own preferences and daily life. For example, the Finnish sauna, the Japanese onsen and the Turkish hammam were born, and the list goes on.

Traditionally, heat therapy was used to cure specific ailments and illnesses, including digestive issues, arthritis and neuritis. But with more and more spas and wellness practitioners experimenting with new wellness experiences and ways to incorporate heat into their offerings, this type of therapy is now widely used for general relaxation.

In the ever-evolving world of wellness, even with the spa treatments and wellness experiences that don’t directly incorporate heat, spas are continually exploring the option of what we call treatment add-ons. This allows hyper-customisation and elevates the whole experience for the client. Something as simple as a warm scalp towel can make all the difference to both the treatment and its overall benefits.

Lava Shells are a much-loved natural successor to the original hot stone treatment, delivering both deep and indulgent results with curved edges to reach more deeply into the muscles, while self-heating eye masks can easily be incorporated into any aspect of the spa experience, whether lounging at the pool, unwinding in the sauna or enjoying a float tank.

Clare Anderson is a trained therapist and the founder of Sensory Retreats and Shared Beauty Secrets.

3 What is the best way to prepare nails for builder gel application?

To begin with, the client needs to wash their hands, then they should be sanitised. File the nail, ensuring the free edge is completely smooth. If the builder gel is only being applied to the natural nail, file the free edges into the desired shape.

For cuticle work, lift and push back the proximal and lateral nail folds and remove the non-living tissue from the surface of the nail, ensuring there are no traces of cuticle skin left on the nail plate. Remove the shine from the surface of the nail using a 180-grit file, ensuring you only touch each part of the nail once. Thoroughly clean and sanitise the surface of the nail, ensuring there is no dust or cuticle debris around the edges of the cuticle area and sidewalls.

Applying tips will enable you to add length. You should apply your chosen shape of tip to the nail, then shape and blend the tips until they are flush to the surface of the nails. Remove all traces of dust, then apply a dehydrator and an acid-free primer to the natural nail plate.

Scrub a base coat into the surface of the nail and cure for 30 seconds, then brush on a layer of builder gel to the surface of the nail and cure for 60 seconds. Apply a thin, slick layer of builder gel to the surface of the nail, then apply a larger bead of builder gel close to the cuticle area and sweep the gel from side to side, building it up over the stress area of the nail and creating a spine down the centre to create the C-curve.

Use a fine liner brush to perfect the gel around the cuticle area and sidewalls, then cure for 60 seconds. Repeat with a second slick layer and building layer if required to create the correct structure to support the length of the nails, then cure for 60 seconds.

Remove the inhibition layer with a cleanser, refine with a 180-grit file to perfect the shape and structure, and sanitise to remove all traces of dust. Finish with a topcoat, or gel polish and then a topcoat, depending on your client's desired finish. Finally, cleanse the nail plate and apply cuticle oil.

Jennie Nippard is deputy head of education at Glitterbels and has worked as a nail technician since 1995.

4 What is skin lifting and why might it happen during a waxing treatment?

Skin lifting is when the top dead layer of skin, and a layer beneath it, is removed during a waxing treatment. You may notice a redder patch on the client’s skin before they leave the salon, but often the therapist will not realise it has happened and the client notices a mark on their skin a day or two later. There are a few reasons this can happen.

1 Wax temperature – if your wax is too hot when it is being applied, it can cause a skin lift. Usually a client will notice the temperature and let you know, but not always, which is why is so important to test your wax in front of every client so that you are confident the temperature is safe.

2 Damp skin – when a client's skin is not dry before beginning treatment, the moisture can become trapped under the patch and damp skin will lift off with the wax. Make sure to dry off the skin thoroughly before applying your patches. Don’t be afraid to dry skin off during the treatment as well if you feel a client is hot and you can see the skin is becoming clammy.

3 Reapplication – strip wax should only be applied to the skin once because it adheres to both skin and hair, leaving the skin exfoliated and delicate. If there are any remaining hairs, they must be tweezed out. Hot wax can be applied a few times as a barrier is applied to the skin before the wax to protect it, so the wax only adheres to the hair, and not skin.

4 Skincare products – ingredients such as AHAs/retinols are common in skincare products today. These are designed to chemically exfoliate the facial skin, which is fantastic for the face, but putting wax on top of that delicate skin increases the risk of skin lifting. Medications can also cause skin lifting anywhere on the body, as they are taken internally. For example, steroids can lead to the thinning of the skin, therefore causing it to lift. All acne medication is a contraindication for waxing for the same reasons. To avoid all of these issues, it’s important to do a thorough pre-waxing consultation with all clients.

Gillian Redmond ownsThe Zen Room in Co Wexford, and won Therapist of theYear at the Beauty, Hair & Spa Awards 2022.