Esthetics: The Real Deal on Internships

I tell esthetician students this all the time, get an internship while you are in school, it doesn't matter if you are folding towels or dusting the products off the shelf. You need to align yourself with a learning spa or salon, a place you can learn industry secrets, and a place that you can add to your resume. Anyone who has graduated from esthetics school, in a good or bad economy, knows it is not easy to break into this industry with no experience, you have to think smart. You must get ahead of the game. Talk to your instructor and see if they can help you get an internship, but DO NOT WAIT UNTIL GRADUATION DAY to decide that an internship might have been important. The time is now, do it while you are in school and increase your odds exponentially at getting a job as an esthetician.

Esthetics: Secret Indulgence for the Back

Back facials are the indulgent sister of swedish massage, I am not suggesting in any way back facials work the muscles the same way as massages do, but luxurious back facials are fit for a queen. What makes an indulgent back facial suited for a queen? How can you provide that service to your customers? In school, you might have been taught to use the same products and protocols on the back as you would for the face, while this isn't wrong, it lacks the decadence of a truly indulgent facial that will have your clients begging for more.Most facial products do not work the same as body products. Here is what you need:

(1) Luxurious products designed for the body-think good smells, nice scrubs--My personal favorite is Cuccio--with sea salt, sugar scrubs, body butters and delicious scents...you can't go wrong with this one.
(2) Use plastic wrap to wrap your clients' backs under masks-it helps maintain a relaxing heat and it is easier to remove the product because it will stick to plastic wrap when you remove it.
(3) Use soft, dark-colored towels (larger than typical facial towels)-the softness feels relaxing and the dark color prevents staining the towel.
(4) Consider using a body brush or soft cloth that you can rub up and down the back.
(5) Remember to cover your client with a warm, clean body towel to keep them warm in between product removal.
(6) Use lots of soft, pressure on the back and body parts through the sheets to help relax the client.
(7) Remember, you are not a massage therapist so don't try to massage your clients' backs, but don't shy away from using a soft touch; the human touch has many healing properties.

On Call Esthetics-A Good Career Choice or Not?

You just graduated from esthetics school, and to your dismay there aren't as many esthetician jobs as there are estheticians. Welcome to the world of rough economic times! Don't despair, it is certainly not just esthetics that has little to offer in the way of jobs, every profession is negatively affected by this economy. How do you get experience beyond the classroom if there are few jobs available? How do you get a job when the few openings go to the estheticians with more experience than you?

Is on-call esthetics a good career choice or not? For those of you not familiar with it, it is where you only work as needed. If a spa needs a back-up esthetician for special events or when their esthetician is out sick, you would fill in for them. In my opinion, if you don't have a better offer why not take an on-call job? What can it hurt? You have the opportunity to do what you love until you find a full-time position while you gain valuable experience. It is a great way to get your foot in the door--what could be better than that?

Ticking Esthetics: Stay on Time

Many new estheticians find that they struggle to stay within the alloted time for their facial services, often running over their facial time, even sometimes finishing the facial too soon. How can you manage your time during facial services? Well, first you need to wear a watch all the time; know exactly how much time you have and how long it takes you for each portion of the service. If you are a recent graduate and a little nervous about this timing issue, write out exactly what you are going to do for each facial on the menu of your services, and ask for volunteers from family and friends and practice those different facials on them. Time yourself, and adjust your services according to your time constraints. Most importantly relax and be patient, and remember your client is probably sleeping and enjoying your touch and won't notice every little mistake you make. Think of mistakes as a learning process, and as long as you are willing to grow from those mistakes you will evolve into a wonderful esthetician.

Esthetics:Foods That Benefit the Skin

While I love many foods that do absolutely nothing for my skin, some might even damage my skin, there are many foods that I LOVE because they taste delicious, but they also have skin healing properties as well. One of my favorite foods is actually an oil, olive oil to be exact...every since I took my first trip to Tuscany a few years ago I have used olive oil on everything. If olive oil is the secret anti-aging secret of the Italians I will take it, the Italians don't seem to age as rapidly as we do in America. Another food comes from one of my other favorite countries, Mexico, I love avocados. I am embarrassed to say I hated avocados back when I took my trip to Mexico so I never had authentic guacamole. It has taken me almost thirty years to acquire a taste for them, but I love the taste along with the HDL (good) cholesterol benefits for my body and the benefits to my skin--Gracias Mexico! Two of my favorite culinary treasures masks themselves as simple ingredients when they actually can benefit the skin both through food and through use on the skin (think avocado mask and olive oil cream). I have even used pure olive oil on my hair (thanks to a really bad highlight job!) to restore my hair.

Other favorites: Coconut oil, aloe, peppermint oil, eggs, water, fruit, nut oils--nature's bounty gives us so many healthy skin care options.

Budget Friendly Esthetics: Fish Oil

When you are in esthetics school it is hard to pony up the big bucks (even with your student discount) for professional grade products. If you don't have the money in your student budget, I recommend buying one really good cleanser and save the rest of your money by using natural ingredients. One of my all time favorite natural ingredients is FISH OIL! Yes, I know GROSS! How I did I come across fish oil? Well, let's just say for the first time in my life I had a slightly elevated LDL cholesterol score and I have severe dry eye syndrome associated with thyroid disease. So, my doctor recommended an all purpose product that would help both my LDL cholesterol levels and my dry eye symptoms: FISH OIL. I initially was disgusted that she wanted me to ingest fish oil, the thought still grosses me out, but the benefits out weigh the gross factor. As I researched more about fish oil, I learned that it has so many beneficial attributes: anti-inflammatory, reduces acne, plumps dry skin, aids in weight loss, and so much more. In between taking the pill orally for medical reasons, I decided why not break the pill in half and use the oil oozing out from the capsule. I am not going to lie, the oil does not smell great, but the benefits are amazing. My skin felt smooth as a baby's butt about a half hour after the initial application and the acne inflammation I was experiencing on my chin seem to dissipate a little bit. If you are on a budget while in esthetics school, and you need some quick, cheap solutions to your skin care regimen, then consider the benefits of fish oil: just don't put it on before a hot date!

Know Your Esthetic Product Lines

I had a conversation with an esthetician the other day. He told me that he doesn't use the product line at his day spa. HUGE MISTAKE! I am not saying you have to use the line exclusively, but you need to use it so you know how it works, how it reacts on your skin, and what the benefits are of the product line. It is nearly impossible to educate and sell your client products that you don't even use yourself. You can't be a brand ambassador of your product line if you don't even use it. Clients are going to have lots of questions before they buy a product, and if you can't describe in detail how the product helps your skin and your other clients' skin, then they aren't going to value your opinion. In fact, you might lose your credibility with your client.

What if the product line isn't right for my skin type?

This is a valid question. I worked in a place that used two product lines that were medical grade lines, designed specifically for sensitive skin, which I didn't need. I also worked with an oncology line that I did not need to use, but in both circumstances I used all the samples my employer was willing to give me so I could familiarize myself with the lines. Sure, they would be much more useful to our clients whose skin craved these types of lines, but I needed to know how they smelled; how they felt;and what, if anything they did to my skin. I needed to understand them, and be able to describe them using sensory words to help my educate my clients on their benefits.

Esthetics Career Guide

Our past always seems to unfold in our current lives no matter how much we try to suppress it. Even though I left my human resources career long ago, it seems to intersect in my esthetics career, I find that I want to bring these two worlds together more often than not. I have met so many talented estheticians who have big dreams, mega talent, and unfortunately limited professional skills to help them land (and keep) their dream job in esthetics. The one thing I learned from human resources is that employers get zillions of resumes and no one is unique unless they work at it. It starts with the resume, it needs to be target-specific, meaning it needs to focus on the area you want to land a job in. If you want to work in a medical spa for example, then you need to bring to the table something that will make you med-spa friendly--medical terminology course, familiarity with a medical grade line, and/or you worked in a medical environment before.

The other thing employers like to see are candidates who have demonstrated the desire to further their education. Take classes beyond your basic licensing courses. It shows that you are passionate about your field and that you won't wait for the employer to require you to take a course, but you will be self-motivated to evolve in your esthetics career.

Finally, and I talk about this all the time--professionalism. This one is so important. Professionalism is your look, your attitude, your outfit, your body language etc. It is the way you present yourself; conduct yourself; and the way you engage with the employer. If you even have a hint of unprofessionalism, I can promise you, your resume will go right into the circular file (a.k.a. trash can). I have seen many resumes land in the trash despite the staff telling the candidate that they will retain their resume for a year. Keep your resume in the active file, and blast the employer away with your astute professionalism.

Esthetics Resume Example

Many students have asked me how to do an esthetics resume. Here is an example of an esthetics resume to help you draft your own. Please use this as an example, this is by no means the only way to do an esthetics resume, and each one will vary depending on your skills and experience. All names of schools, jobs, and organizations are fictional.


Grace Riley (insert your info. in all sections)
000-000-0000
graceriley@internetprovider.com

Objective: Seeking a position as an esthetician in a day spa environment.


Education: Artist's School of Beauty and Esthetics, Topeka, KS
                    Graduation Date: June 2012
                    Concentration: Esthetics & Massage Therapy


Professional Experience:
                     Bella Day Spa, Internship August 2011-December 2012
                     Assisted spa manager in daily spa duties, and assisted esthetician on staff with room
                     preparations and turnover.
                  
                    Friday's Bar & Grill, Waitress August 2010-August 2011
                   

Additional Experience:
                    Anti-Aging Class with Spa Essentials, March 2012
                    Speed Waxing at Spa Institute, May 2012
                    Member of Skin Care Professionals Organization

How to Get an Esthetics Internship

Many newly graduated estheticians complain it is tough to find an esthetics job; some say that employers will not hire them without experience. How do you get experience if no one will give you a chance? This seems to be a common problem in the field, leaving new graduates holding a piece of paper that doesn't seem to help them achieve the success that they had worked so hard for. What can you do as a student to catapult yourself into estheics success? ASK, ASK, ASK--Success won't drop into your lap...you've got to pound the pavement and make it happen.

(1) Call, e-mail or better yet visit area spas and ASK them for an internship opportunity.
(2) Ask your instructor if you can volunteer extra hours to work in your salon reception area.
(3) Ask your instructor for a letter of recommendation for an internship.
(4) Many instructors have friends in the field--ASK them to recommend you.

Things to Consider Before Signing Up for Esthetics School

(1) Expect to study. Most written exams for state licensing come from a pool of 900 questions that you will have come across at some point during your schooling (not a 900 question test-varies).
(2) Expect to buy a kit and uniform (prices vary from school-to-school) prior to first day of class.
(3) Expect your instructor to require your uniform to be clean, to have your hair clean and tidy, and that you demonstrate your make-up skills by wearing an appropriate amount.
(4) Do not smoke. Period. You are in the beauty/health industry...this is not a healthy habit.
(5) Do not leave cell phones on when working with clients. This is the perfect time to practice professionalism--turn the cell phones off!

Professional Esthetics Starts in School

I can tell you if someone is going to conduct themselves professionally in their esthetics career by the way they conduct themselves in esthetics school. If you are in school now, you might know the offenders I am talking about (if you are one of them, please change your ways now). There is always one esthetics student who shows up to class without a uniform and expects credit for the day; there are some that try to bend the rules by wearing street shoes instead of professional esthetic shoes; some that insist on smoking before class; then there are the students that actually leave their cell phones on during client services; and then there are the ones that don't read the material and hope that everyone else will help them coast through the class. Come on esthetician students, you don't have four years like a traditional university to mold yourself into a professional, you need to conduct yourself like a professional on the first day of esthetics school. This isn't a dress rehearsal, you will have real, live customers and if you conduct yourself unprofessionally at school your bad habits will likely follow you to your new career. And another tid bit, your esthetics instructor certainly won't give you a glowing review!

How Will I Know Esthetics is Right for Me?

It surprised me how many esthetician students have NEVER had a facial before enrolling in esthetics schools. I met a lot of students who were willing to sign on the dotted line for a hefty student loan without doing any field research.

I would advise anyone thinking about going to esthetics school to get several facials from different places. Try a day spa, a hair salon, and/or a medical spa...learn the differences between them.Immerse yourself into the different product lines, and ask the estheticians questions about their career choice before you dive deep into an esthetics education. I call it a little pre-education before investing your hard earned money into a career path you no little about.

How I Chose Esthetics as a Career Choice?

As a child I spent a lot of time in the beauty store, a lot of time watching my mom do people's make-up and hair for special events. She went to beauty school in the late 60's. My first esthetics experience came from reading her old cosmetology book...yes, back in the late 80's our summer breaks did not consist of Internet, game consoles, satelite t.v., or cell phones so I why not learn something? I spent a lot of time around my mom's friends who were cosmetologists as well. Initially, after graduating high school I went off to college like a million other kids. I got my Bachelor's Degree and worked in an office for many years. I loved taking care of my own skin, I had every kind of facial from every kind of place you could imagine, and I always envisioned myself being behind the facial bed not in it. After I had kids, I needed a more flexible career, and sure I could have continued in my field on a part-time basis, but I yearned for something more creative and esthetics was it. I decided to go back to school as an adult while juggling my regular job and managing motherhood (you all know what it is like--and if you don't, you probably will one day) and I haven't looked back. To love what you do and get paid for it, is the best feeling in the world.

Cosmetology or Esthetics: Which Career is Right for Me?

You know you love the beauty field but you can't decide which field to branch out into: Cosmetology or Esthetics. You only have enough money to pick one program so how do you choose?

 You have to decide if you love skin care or hair care more, of course in an ideal world you could do both, but if you are on a shoe string budget and can only afford one of the two options then do a little soul searching. Really dig dip, do you love working on hair--all types of hair and people?  Are you good with colors? If so, cosmetology might be right up your alley. Now, if you love picking at people's skin, ripping hair off from the most intimate places, and you are a skin care product junkie than esthetics might be your calling.

For me, I knew I had no interest in hair. I could see it now, I would have a customer who wanted a pale blond shade and as I pulled off the foils I would see electric orange. The fact is, I was never good at chemistry so I knew cosmetology wouldn't be my thing. Now, even as a young girl you would find me toying around with all the skin care creams, sure I didn't even have a wrinkle in the oven yet, but I loved those products. I loved anything skin care! So, I knew this was the place for me and I think for all of you teetering about which path to go towards, you should really examine where you heart lies.

And I love all you cosmetologists out there because with out you, well let's just say my hair might be electric orange! And we don't want that.

How to Choose the Right Esthetics School?

Choosing your esthetics school will be one the biggest decisions you ever make--BEFORE YOU JUMP INTO A CHOICE CONSIDER THIS:

(1) Look at several schools, both private and community colleges.
(2) Find out the prices of the schools including uniforms, shoes, and kit. This might vary from school-to-school.
(3) Don't confuse fancy bells and whistles with high quality education.
(4) Receiving a student loan is not free money, and a lot of graduates have sticker shock when they get their first payment due compared to their esthetician salary.
(5) Consider class size.
(6) Most importantly ASK if the instructor was a former esthetician-this may seem like a silly question, but many esthetician instructors only worked as cosmetologists, and you want an instructor who can give you real world experience.No offense to all you wonderful cosmetologists out there...we certainly need and love you all!

Exercise & Esthetics

What does exercise have to do with esthetics? It has as much to do with skin health as nutrition does. Our skin craves exercise, it needs exercise, and the skin will glow if the body gets plenty of cardio exercise each week. We all know the cardiovascular benefits we receive from exercise, but we get many of the same benefits to our skin through cardio activity. The circulation from exercise will improve the appearance of the skin; it helps slow the aging process; and it detoxifies the body. Have you ever noticed the skin of an obese or anorexic person? Their skin might have an ash tone; poor elasticity; too much oil or not enough oil; and it might be severely dry. The skin is the biggest organ, and what we do to the body, good or bad, is going to show through our skin. When you do read over the intake form with your clients, consider their exercise habits. Don't judge, but remind them that exercise is another component to healthy skin!

Tips for New Esthetics Graduates

(1) Consider purchasing Milady's online 900 question practice for state boards.
(2) Take state boards as quickly as possible while information is fresh in your head.
(3) Buy liability insurance before accepting a job.
(4) Try to get an internship for the summer to gain valuable experience.
(5) Buy a new outfit for all the job interviews...you want to look your best!