How to pick a skin care line for estheticians

 
Today's information came from "The balance small business" and" Skin inc"

 The search for the best skin care line to sell in your spa, salon, medical office, or even mobile esthetician practice can be truly daunting. With social media and constant advertisements in our faces all day long, it can be hard to decipher what the best top rated skin care line is to invest in, and more importantly, which line is best to sell to your clients. When investing in a skincare line for your spa, it’s important to not only investigate the various brands reputation, but you also must consider the products ingredients and ingredient sourcing. There are large companies, medium companies, and indie brands to consider when making a decision to bring on a line. We all want to carry the best professional skin care line that will help target our clients’ skin concerns, but how do we find the perfect match for our practice? Worry no more! Keep reading for a short list of tips for selecting the right brand, followed by my complete list of the top 10 professional skin care lines you need in your spa right now!

Pick at least 2-3 brands to carry.

My 10+ years professional experience and research indicates that carrying multiple brands can increase sales and enhance a consumers perceived buying power and options. Carrying two brands also gives you the flexibility to have more options, and more opportunities to sell clients more product for a more customized skin care routine. I have always believed a spa should carry a larger well-known brand, and a smaller indie brand. This balances the retail display, creates more interest, increases sales, and offers a diverse selection of products for your clients. It’s also safe to say that to ensure your clients have access to the most effective skin care products, sometimes you can’t get it all in just one product line. Sometimes you need a second retail line to cover all your bases!

Choosing a product for your retail store to sell may very well be the most difficult decision you will need to make when starting a retail business. The choices are limitless and the task may be overwhelming at first. Not only should there be a demand for your products, but it must be profitable and something you enjoy selling. Before you commit to a product or product line, consider the following factors while deciding what products to sell.

Marketability

Let's face it, it won't matter what products you sell if your customers aren't buying. Before considering what product to sell, determine what market you want to sell to. Once you know what kind of customer you want, then you'll be able to determine their needs. If your products only appeal greatly to some people, it may not be enough to sustain a business. Your product selection doesn't have to appeal to all of the population but it should be something you can convince a large percentage of shoppers they need.

Consumable

Choose a product with recurring sales value. A consumable item that needs to be replaced on a regular basis is one way a retailer can establish long-term sales. By establishing a customer base with recurring products, customers will continue to come back to you to buy more as they use up the products. Additionally, satisfied customers are more open to recommendations for related products.

What's Popular

When it comes to selecting products to sell based on what's popular, timing is extremely important. New trends and products can be a great boost to your business, but you'll need to enter at the beginning of the product lifecycle in order to be successful. Learning to pick a hot product before it becomes hot is a valuable skill that comes from knowing your market.

Competition

Competition is healthy and there are ways other than volume and price a smaller store can compete with larger retailers. On the other hand, the more unique the product, the less chance of competition.

Private Label

One way to guarantee that you have a truly unique product line is to make the item yourself. Another way is to partner with a small business that makes a product you would enjoy selling. Also, consider private label products which will allow you to brand an item made by another person.

Quality

When deciding which products to sell in your store, ask yourself the following question. Is this product something I would give my dearest friend? If not, you may want to keep looking. Product quality is extremely important when your reputation is on the line.

Diversity

Keep your product offering simple in the beginning. If your product line is narrow and focused, then your marketing efforts can be just as tightly focused, which will bring you the best results for your marketing dollars. As your business grows, so can your product line as long as you keep new products compatible with the type of business, your location, and your market.

Some questions to keep in mind while selecting products for resale.

• Would you buy it and use it yourself?
• Can you see yourself getting excited about this product or service?
• Would you sell it to someone you know?
• Is there a real need for the product in today's market?
• Can you imagine yourself selling this item for the next several?

The key to having a successful business is to know your products and to believe in the merchandise that you are selling. If you do not believe in the product yourself, then you probably won't be successful at selling it. Keep brainstorming and you'll find a product or product line that meets both the needs of your target market and your own ability to locate it, purchase it and resell it.

Go with an Indie Brand.

With Amazon, Ebay, and other internet buying sites, our clients are quick to hop on board to the latest and greatest internet skincare trend. Whether it’s a peel off black charcoal masques (*gasp*) or a trending Kylie Skin mask, our clients are just as vulnerable to internet advertising as we are. That’s why it is so important to carry one strong organic vegan indie brand in your practice or spa in addition to a clinical or larger organic brand. Carrying an Indie product line is not only attractive to clients (because Indie brands are trending right now), but it will give you an edge and leverage when it comes to protecting your professional retail sales by ensuring your clients can only buy from you.

3. Eminence Skin Care

One of the brands I consider to be in the top 5 premium skincare brands in the world, Eminence Organics has been one of the best skincare lines for estheticians because they are organic, provide amazing training to their partner spas, and plant a tree for every product sold.

4. Obagi Skin Care

What is the best medical grade skin care line? I consider it to be Obaji Skin Care, hands down. This line is what I would consider to be one of the best pharmaceutical grade skin care lines on the market today, offering 100% prescription strength skincare products.

5. PCA Skin

PCA skin care was created in 1990 by an esthetician and developed by a dermatologist. I personally love receiving their peels and get them religiously! I love their peptides. One of my all time favorite peptides is their
 When we are talking about professional skin care lines for estheticians, SkinCeuticals skin care pops into my mind as a science based company driven by results. They have been nominated by Allure for Best Of Beauty, and are well known by many. I personally adore their popular skinceuticals c e ferulic serum! You also might have heard of them because of their trending HydraFacial treatment which is all the rage right now! The Hydra Facial cleans, extracts, and hydrates using concentrated serums

8. Hale & Hush

Hale and Hush is a fragrance free line specifically made for sensitive skin. Hale & Hush skin care is a staple for sensitive skin clients, and is a truly amazing line made specifically for people with chronic skin issues because of diabetes or cancer.

9. Dermalogica

We all know Dermalogica skin care, right? The pioneer of professional skincare! This line is a well recognized line and is amazing for new esties as well as established practitioners. A truly all around effective skin care line with many different buy-in options available.


  There are literally thousands of skincare lines to choose from and it can be overwhelming. But, if you’re prepared to do a little bit of homework, the effort will pay back tenfold.
1. First, do a little research on what your competitors are using. You want to be unique and have clients that have to return to you for skin care because you’re exclusive. If the salon around the corner is carrying the same brand, it’s going to be harder for you to build your personal brand. Ditto if the brand is available at Costco, Sam’s Club and on Amazon.
2. Second, turn to journal and online resources like Skin Inc, ASCP, American Spa, and Day Spa magazine. Check out the ads and the lines being advertised at trade shows. Journals and online resources are chock-full of companies advertising their skin care lines. Make notes on the ones that stick out and resonate with you.
After you’ve jotted down the names of the brands, make sure the companies have focused products for treatments you will be performing. If you’re going to focus on acne treatments, make sure the company has a strong acne line. If you’re going to do anti-aging treatments, make sure they have products to support your skills.
If you have the opportunity to visit a large trade show like IECSC in Vegas, you can gather information. It can be mind boggling, but you’ll get exposed to many, many options. There will be a lot of pressure to commit for the ‘Vegas only’ deal, but don’t commit in Vegas. Ask for time to consider your options and request the Vegas discount when you’ve made a clear decision.
3. Next, investigate a little deeper. Go to the company website and ask for information. How soon does someone get back to you? Look at social media for more clues. Esthetician Connection, a Facebook networking group for estheticians, is a great forum to ask the opinions of its almost 10,000 members from across the United States. What does the Facebook and Instagram pages of the companies you are interested in look like? Are they engaged with their followers?
What kind of educational support do these companies offer? How will they teach you about the products you are going to use and retail? Are online webinars or tutorials available? Is a training manual available for you? Will a company rep give you one-on-one time to learn or are regional or local classes or workshops offered on a regular basis?
4. Next, narrow your choices to a handful. Contact the companies for more detail. Talk to a sales or account rep. Ask for samples. Find out if there is a local rep in your area. The support of a local rep can help with the success of your retail sales. The rep can provide support at open houses by attending and promoting your business, giving you some financial support for refreshments, or donating products in a gift bag for a give-away or raffle. You can also get samples and learn first-hand about new products.
5. Here’s where it gets very important. You need to find out about opening orders and shipping costs. Some companies require you to order a specific dollar amount when you want to open an account with them. Some do not.  Some companies charge for shipping. Some offer free shipping or offer free shipping if the order is a specific dollar amount. Shipping costs can add up. Find out where your order will be shipped from. All of this should be part of the deciding factors when choosing a skin care line. If you are on the West Coast and your order is shipped from the East Coast, its going to take longer for you to get your order than if the order is shipped from the Midwest or Los Angeles. Do you place your order online, through the rep or by calling the company? Each of those options affects your schedule and how you will manage your time. If there is a time difference between where you are and where the company is located, you need to be mindful of that time difference.
No matter which line you decide to carry, you always want to make sure that it’s a good fit for your skills, your business, and your clients. With a little extra research, you’ll be sure to find the perfect line for your needs.
Today's information came from the balance small business and skin inc





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