While it is good to be circumspect whenever you are considering a change to your menu, it is important to recognize that any season or holiday afford you an opportunity to make changes, within the context of the season, which can be undone. A seasonal menu can, and should, be used to address the unique realities of the season.

People are physically and emotionally stressed during the holidays for any number of reasons, making relaxation a priority. People are also financially stressed for obvious reasons, making lower-priced seasonal items something to consider. More people are buying treatments for other people than at any other time of the year, making an emphasis on gift card and packages essential.

The holidays, while stressful, offer you an opportunity to close out the year with a bang and potentially expand your client base. If it means small adjustments to your spa menu of services, then it is something to be seriously considered.

Accreditation and licensing for spas vary from state to state as do the details of the mandatory hygienic procedures. They are also quite different for day spas versus medical spas. One thing is certain though – the potential consequences for improperly sterilized spa tools and equipment are just as real and just as dire at a day spa as they are at a medical spa.

When it comes to sterilization procedures and protocol there can be no short cuts and no compromises. There is no such thing as “doing a pretty good job” when it comes to this sort of thing. You and your staff are either succeeding or you are failing, and if you are failing it is only a matter of time before it catches up to you.

It is vital that all staff know the full and proper sterilization procedures and that those procedures be followed without exception. Every piece of sterilization equipment be it an autoclave, UV sterilizer cabinet, or immersion jar has instructions regarding their proper use. Every disinfectant has recommended uses and concentrations.

New staff cannot be allowed to start until such time as they are fully trained. And it is up to the spa owner or medical director to keep abreast of current information so that they can amend procedures accordingly.

Ensuring that your staff are fully trained in the proper sterilization of spa tools and equipment is a basic requirement of any spa owner and the best way to safeguard both your clients and your business.

This is why selling private label spa products is all the rage in the spa industry.  Private label products are retail products that your spa can personally develop, design, and sell as your own private brand of spa related products.  On the surface this sounds like a complicated and potentially expensive option for a spa owner to delve into, but in fact it is much easier and more affordable to carry private label products than it is to carry someone else’s brands.  Today there are companies that will develop your own line of spa products according to your spa’s specifications, create designs for your own unique product packaging, and will even provide you with marketing and sales materials to help you sell your products effectively.  It’s truly amazing how simple it is to create and sell your own brand of spa related products.You may be asking yourself why you would want to sell your own spa products when there are so many other spa products out there.  Well, that’s exactly why you should be doing it because there is a lot of competition out there and you can’t compete if you’re not even in the game.

When selling other company’s products you are only adding to their bottom line rather than to your own.  In addition, profit margins are too low for your spa to make any real revenues and you’re potentially losing business by inadvertently developing a connection between your clients and their products rather than keeping that connection exclusively between your clients and you.  Oftentimes other spas are selling these same products at reduced rates.  This can result in losing both retail and service dollars when customers leave you for your competition simply because they are offering the same brand name products that you sell.

Creating your own private label brand of retail spa products can benefit your business by creating a unique identity that is solely associated with your spa.  Clients look to your spa and your staff as experts in the field, so they will look to you for advice when it comes to recommending spa products that they can use at home.  Being able to offer your clients your very own line of private label products will create an atmosphere of professionalism and industry expertise that will instill in your customers a sense of assurance and confidence.  Having your own private label brand is also more cost effective.  This is due to the fact that by creating your own line of products you are leaving out the middleman and can take in more profits rather than sending those profits off to another company’s bank account.

Your own private label spa products will also create a certain level of loyalty between you and your clients.  Clients will really take notice when you offer them an array of products that bear your spa’s name.  Of course, your products must be of the highest quality and deliver what they say or else your spa’s own brand of products will end up sitting on the shelves collecting dust.  While you want to attract attention to your private label products, make sure it is for the right reasons.  When customers like a product they tend to stick with it for years to come, so creating this type of client loyalty will dramatically increase your annual revenues year after year without spending additional money on advertising or marketing.  Once you get clients hooked on certain products, they’ll most likely become customers for life.When you do decide to create your own brand of private label products, make sure that you do your homework and test the products before you order a thousand cases of massage oil that you’ve never even tried before.  Try to create products that are unique to your particular spa and offer something that doesn’t currently exist in your area.  If you want to create a line of products that helps reduce wrinkles, hides age spots, or smells like peppermint, make sure you find a company that can provide those results for you.

Invest in a line of private label products that expresses the true essence of what your spa represents and one that you and your staff can truly support and believe in.You are only limited by your own imagination, but don’t overlook the importance of professional opinions.  You might think selling bubblegum scented facial masks is a great new and unique product idea, but there might be a reason that bubblegum scented facial masks don’t already exist.  So, ask your therapists, clients, and other spa professionals for their opinions while also trusting the advice of those professionals who are creating your private label products.  A little research will go a long way when creating private label products, so make sure you know what you’re getting into and that you understand what your clients want and what your products can do.

Finally, if private label spa products is just not cost effective for you because of high buy in costs or low volume sales, think about a higher quality line of spa products that your clients certainly will not find at a local store such as Pamela Hill Skin Care.

Intense pulsed light

How The Process of IPL Works

Focused  broad spectrum light  in IPL treatment is applied to the skin surface by use of either a hand-held wand or an articulated arm. The intense light  waves travel through the skin tissue  until it strikes hair shafts or the bulb of the hair, the hair root itself.  The hair root is where the highest concentration of melanin is. When light strikes the melanin, which is dark in color, the light is then converted to heat energy, which vaporizes the hair shaft. Intense head radiated by the hair will then destroy the entire hair follicle.

Intense Pulsed Light Is Of Short Duration

Light pulses produced by the IPL devices are of short duration which keeps discomfort to a minimum. Clients may experience a slight irritation which is much like a minor sunburn. At worst a small amount o blisters can occur.  Men tend to have more discomfort since men’s hair is thicken than women’s.  Also treatment of sensitive body areas such as the face and the chest can result in minor pain, much like that which comes from waxing. The pain, however, does go away quickly.  UV skin damage is avoided through filtering of the IPL wand.

Popularity of Intense Pulsed Light Is On The Increase

The popularity of IPL is increasing.  The cost is low and the procedure doesn’t take a lot of time.  It also compares in a favorable manner to laser hair removal which is a much more expensive process which takes more time.  Most people consider the results to be roughly equivalent.  Most clients who undergo intense pulsed light treatment report good results, and in the hands of a skilled aesthetician the procedure is safe for most skin types. The popularity is bound to continue to grow.

A holistic approach to skin care has always been the philosophy of Dr. Hauschka Skin Care products, considered leaders in the field.  Dr. Hauschka Skin Care was inspired when a  chemist, Dr. Rudolf Hauschka had a conversation with the philosopher Dr. Rudolf Steiner, asking him the ultimate question: “what is life?”  The answer he received was rhythm. Dr. Steiner told him that “rhythm is the carrier of life” and Dr. Hauschka took his advice to study rhythm and began developing his well known healing remedies based on Steiner’s teachings and using all natural plants.  He studied the rhythms and polarities found in nature, creating plant extracts that retained their vitality, and to his delight, he found that they remained stable without using preservatives such as alcohol.  Dr. Hauschka founded his company, seeing it as his mission to help people through introduction of the rhythms of nature through holistic remedies.

Elisabeth Sigmund, a pioneer aesthetician in Sweden, was at this time studying skin care and coming to a realization that outward appearance was a result of a person’s emotional well-being and inner health.  Also having an interest in anthroposophy and in traditional plant remedies, Sigmund developed her own line of skin care treatments.  When she discovered the healing ingredients proposed by Dr. Hauschka they began a collaboration, and in 1967 these two giants in the field joined forces, launching the line of skin care products and treatments methods we know today as Dr Hauschka Skin Care.

What is Holistic Treatment?

The idea of holistic treatment is new to many people.  What is meant by holistic is thinking of the complete picture of health.  Rather than simply treating the symptoms, the holistic approach is to determine the cause and treat it.  The repercussions and ramifications of any one decision are considered.  Plant and mineral ingredients are chosen based on their individual effects and interactions with other components.  And, whether or not they came from an ethically and ecologically sound source is also taken into account.  Dr Hauschka also uses environmentally friendly packaging and always avoids artificial preservatives.

The holistic view of health and appearance requires an understanding of the relationship of the skin to a person’s overall health.  The Dr. Hauschka Skin Care regimen should only be one part of a holistic approach including healthy eating habits, proper exercise and personal contemplation to reconnect to the natural rhythms  All of these factors have an effect on the skin, and all should be taken into consideration.

Biodynamics Is Part of the Process

When it comes to acquiring the proper ingredients, Dr. Hauschka Skin Care products believe strongly in Biodynamcis, which is a holistic form of agriculture dating back to the 1920’s.  All products used in Dr. Hauschka Skin Care products are grown according to cycles of the moon and stars with plants, animals and people involved all taken into account, as a way of viewing the big picture.

It is only natural for people to want the best, and only logical to believe that the best comes from nature.  We are, after all, products of nature.  Using Dr. Hauschka Skin Care products on your clients, and selling these stellar products for at-home skin care programs is a good start to a healthier lifestyle, resulting in healthier, better looking skin for all of your clients.

More info is available at http://www.drhauschka.com

Ensuring an Optimal Outcome in Skin Care might also be of interest.

HYLAFORM
Hylaform is a clear, transparent gel made from avian hyaluronic acid, developed by the Genzyme Corporation and distributed by Inamed.  It comes from rooster combs and provides both moisture and elasticity in the skin.  It is beloved that the hyaluronan in the human body breaks down eventually and causes dry, winked and aged skin.  A clear, transparent gel, it contains no pain reliever so many patents request a local anesthetic or regional block.

RESTYLANE
Restylane is a non-animal product created by Q-Med Laboratories, a Swedish company and one of the prime ingredients, hyaluronic acid, occurs naturally in the human body which means that no pre-test is required.  It is injected into the lips as well as wrinkles and provides the desired augmentation effect.  Working with the body’s natural hyaluronic acid, it lasts much longer than collagen.  Different grades vary in their concentration.  Restylane comes prepackaged in sterilized syringes.  It is recommended for wrinkles, lips – giving that pouty look – and is available in a product with smaller particles resaved for fine lines called Restylane Fine Line.

PERLANE
Perlane is also a non-animal hyaluronic acid from Q-Med Laboratories.  It is a clear gel and is designed for injection into deep folds and wrinkles, in addition to facial contouring such as the cheeks.  It can be used as well in the lips, providing augmentation and the pouty lip effect.  Many professionals believe that Perlane should be used in the fleshy part of the lip and Restylane in the borders.  One injected Perlane works with the body’s natural hyaluronic acid and lasts longer than collagen.  Perlane comes prepackaged in a sterilized syringe and is recommended for folds such as nasolabial folds, shaping facial contours such as the cheek and the chin.  It is very similar to its sister product, Restylane.