How to Find a Good Esthetician
I remember sitting in a course not too long ago, overhearing an esthetician tell a colleague that she always tells her clients to wash their face twice.
“You mean oilier-skinned clients?”
“All of them.”
“Once for dirt and makeup, once for exfoliation?”
“No.”
“Is it a really gentle cleanser?”
“Not too gentle.”
Finally, the penny dropped.
“Oh! You mean so they run out faster?”
Her colleague smiled and nodded.
It’s what we fear and what the more cynical among us expect – that when we’re entering a spa, an esthetician’s room or a clinic, what recommends us most is our ability to hand over a credit card. Yes, it's a business, but you shouldn’t need to overpay –and even if there’s a complete dearth of integrity, simple business sense should suggest inappropriate instructions and ill-suited products will only shorten what could be a longer and more lucrative relationship.
So this article will address how you can find a good esthetician – one who is interested in establishing a partnership to help improve the look and health of your skin.
A disclaimer - before I'm pelted with a volley of fan brushes - these guidelines are very general, and of course there are no hard and fast rules. That said, usually a good esthetician will:
Take a History
It may strike you as odd at the time, and some of the questions may seem personal, but there’s a lot that can influence the skin (e.g. thyroid medications, sleeplessness, smoking, hormonal fluctuations) – and as an esthetician gets more experience, the list will probably get longer. There are also certain ingredients that are inappropriate for different sensitivities (e.g. no salicylic acid if allergic to aspirin). And of course the esthetician should always know if you’re pregnant or breastfeeding.
Continue Education
Education invigorates interest, keeps the esthetician from falling into a treatment and product rut and also gives him/her the opportunity to network with other estheticians to swap stories and experience.
Often an esthetician will display course certificates in their room or lobby.
Offer samples
Many estheticians will have you sample all or part of the take-home regime to make sure you don’t have a sensitivity to any of the ingredients, especially if they are suggesting a more aggressive product.
Be Self Employed
A self-employed esthetician may have her own office, or may rent a room at a local spa or salon. Employee estheticians often encounter pressure to sell specific products, and from a product line they had no hand in selecting.
Estheticians who work on their own select their own product line, and put a great deal of thought and research into the decision. There’s also a sense of responsibility and accountability in owning their own business which makes them less likely to risk breaking trust with a client just to sell an extra cleanser.
Have More than One Product Line, Usually More than Two
Estheticians with a lot of experience have learned that no single product line covers all the bases. Often the acne product line will be different from anti-aging, and the anti-aging product line may be augmented by another line for especially sensitive skin, etc.
Estheticians run the gamut from those who work mainly with aromatherapeutic oils, to those who won’t tolerate a hint of fragrance, to those who work exclusively with plant-based products, to those who value effectiveness regardless of origin, to those who are hands on, to those who love machines – but whether you want your spa to have beanbags and the scent of patchouli, or be a modernist’s tale of black and steel, the above guidelines should apply.
You want to find someone who will assess your skin as best as he or she can, who hasn’t stopped learning about their constantly-changing field, and whose sense of professional responsibility and experience will tailor an individualized plan of appropriate treatments and products.
