This week we talk about what it really means to be a holistic esthetician + 10 consultation questions you should be asking your clients.
Don't forget to check out our blog: 10 Skincare Consultations To Ask.
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I feel like the term holistic is often misrepresented. A lot of consumers and even some estheticians think that when we use the word holistic, we are talking about using organic products, or in parentheses, all natural skin care, when really what holistic means is we are literally as beings in the ecosystem. Everything that we do, we feel, we think, impacts our skin. After all, our skin is the largest organ, and the health of our clients. Skin isn't just about what treatments we are doing in the treatment room, our treatments account for about 20% of the health or condition of our client's skin. The other 80% is what they're doing at home with skincare and lifestyle. Yes, we are in the beauty field, but we are also in the science field, and that is why continuing education is so important because science is always changing. Our understanding of science or understanding of the functions of the skin or ingredients, they all have the possibility of changing. So when we talk about being a holistic esthetician, what we were talking about is we are taking into account our client's lifestyle, their diet, and, of course, what they are doing to take care of their skin. So some things to consider when we talk about lifestyle. Oh my gosh, there's so many. We also have a blog on our website that is entitled 10 skincare consultation questions to ask. And these are essentially 10 super important but often overlooked questions that you can ask your client. So for example, asking Is today a good skin day? I know that seems like such a small question, but it really does hold significant value. This will help you kind of understand your client's relationship with their skin and help assess their skin concerns in real time. So for example, if your client has perioral dermatitis, maybe for whatever reason, they aren't currently having a flare, but that question prompts them to tell you that normally, they have this, you know, quote, unquote, weird rash around their mouth that just seems to come and go. If they say something like that, it may alert you to dive a little bit deeper into what type of toothpaste they're using, or what type of products are they using around their mouth. Maybe their toothpaste has SLS or fluoride. With that information, you can kind of deduce that doing a green sea peel may not be the best course of treatment, or a chemical peel around that area may not be what you would want to do, and so it just lets you gain a little bit deeper insight into what their skin normally does. I also love to ask, what are your plans for the rest of the day? So important, and let me tell you why. Let's pretend that your client has booked a green CPL, of course, I'm using Korean skincare as an example, because, after all, that is what my business is. Let's say that after their last appointment, you went over what they should expect during the peel and what their aftercare will look like, and your client nods and says, Uh huh, I get it. And you know that they're generally super compliant, so you don't have any worries. But like, let's say that day you ask them this question, and they tell you that they have Bikram or hot yoga later, clients will always connect those dots, and why should they? Because, after all, they are not the professional, but by asking this question, it kind of gives you the ability to mitigate any possible contra indications with aftercare. So I always like to ask my clients, especially when they are getting a treatment. What are your plans for the rest of the day? The third is, what do you do for work? We asked us not to be nosy, but just to help us gain some insight into their lifestyle. So again, to use green CPL as an example, let's say your client tells you that they are a surgeon. Well you would know that you would want to wait to perform any sort of spicule treatment or green C peel until a week of vacation. Why? Because wearing a mask in an operating room would be super uncomfortable, and you would also run the risk of PIH. So asking this question again can help. Mitigate any potential disaster, but it can also alert us to tell us how stressful someone's job might be, and that may be directly impacting their skin health. The fourth question I like to ask is, what if any significant life changes have you experienced over the last year? We know that stress impacts our health and overall wellness. So life events such as stress, hormonal shifts, pregnancy, illness or changes in lifestyle, they can all manifest in our skin, which can alter its condition, exacerbate existing conditions. But understanding these changes will help us provide more personalized care. The perfect example is if you have a client who comes in and they have melasma and they want to start working on it, well, if they've just had a baby or if they are still breastfeeding, you know that you might as well wait to start that course of treatment until after they are further out from postpartum, they aren't breastfeeding when their hormones have kind of calmed down. That says, What treatments or procedures have you had in the past and did you like the results? This type of question can help you establish a baseline for what has worked or hasn't in the past, and it can also ensure that we create a crafted plan of treatment that is tailored to their unique needs. For example, some treatments may have caused irritation or just subpar results, and by knowing this, we can avoid similar approaches. Also knowing what your client has enjoyed or disliked can help set expectations and ensure that they're comfortable. Six what's most important to you in today's treatment, this really empowers your client to communicate their immediate needs and priorities, which in turn will make them feel heard and valued. Maybe they are there to seek relaxation, or maybe they don't really care about the facial massage. They just want to see visible results. Knowing these preferences can really help you exceed their expectations. The seventh question that I recommend asking, Are you sensitive to fragrance? Or are there any smells you do not like? And this is vital to creating just a basic, comfortable and enjoyable treatment. Fragrances play a significant role in our sensory experience, so by asking this question, it will help us tailor the treatment, making it more enjoyable and memorable. Now I know we're not doing massage Well, some of us are, but not all of us. But I always like to ask, what type of pressure Do you like? Some clients really like light pressure, soothing pressure for relaxation, while others may prefer a firm hand. And I don't think this will be news to anybody, but using the wrong level of pressure can definitely detract from the overall experience, or in some cases, even cause discomfort. The ninth question I recommend asking, what is the best facial you've ever had and what made it that way? Because this helps you understand what your client values most in their experience. And it goes beyond technical preferences, because providing this type of insight into the emotional and sensory aspect of that treatment that left that lasting impression is what we can tap into to help make our treatment just as memorable. And then last, do you have any young children, and what are their ages? And here are three reasons why this is so important. First, pregnancy, postpartum and breastfeeding can often trigger that hormonal shift that leads to conditions like melasma. And by having this information, it lets us understand when it's right to start treating that melasma. Second, parenting young children is difficult, and sometimes, most of the time, there's sleep deprivation, stress, and let's be honest, less time for self care. And all of these things can have a huge impact on skin health and our appearance. And then third, and maybe the most important, is knowing a client's stage of life will help you tailor their home care routine. Because, let's be honest, a lot of moms might not have much time or desire for a lengthy routine depending on how old their children are. Now obviously this list of questions is great, but it goes far deeper than this. When we're talking about treating holistically, we have to discuss diet, and that is so tricky, because what causes inflammation in one person may not cause inflammation in another, and diet is so tricky, but it can be really helpful to help your client navigate that, whether it's a food journal to figure out what's irritated. Eating their stomach or working with a functional medicine doctor to help them to run tests to see if there's something more concrete you can come up with. And let's talk about hormones. Hormones are crazy, and they definitely impact our skin, whether we're talking about teen acne or pregnancy breakouts or melasma, or really dry menopause or perimenopausal skin hormones play a significant role in our skin health, and with all of these factors that we talked about, this is why I always say you could see a client on Wednesday and then see them the following Wednesday, and their skin may be in a totally different place, and that's why I was always a huge proponent of treating my client's skin in the moment as it was presenting itself. I'm not a huge fan of a basic facial or designing these really elaborate facials, and if that's what a client booked, that's what they get. I really just had one basic facial. It was called the Korean holistic facial. And I never knew when a client came in. I never knew what I was going to do. And in the beginning, that can be a little nerve wracking, because, you know, you're not sure what you'll possibly need, but it's important, especially as a business owner, to be able to think on your toes, pivot, be able to switch things up, to do any less, in my opinion, is a disservice to your client. So again, when we talk about what a holistic esthetician is, we are not talking about using organic skin care. We are not talking about using clean skin care, chemical free, which is not even a thing. It's about addressing all of the factors that could potentially affect the skin. If there's anything that I talked about today that just doesn't seem clear. Or maybe you're feeling unsure about hormones or diet. Maybe you don't know what period or dermatitis is, or maybe you struggle identifying melasma. I really encourage you to be an advocate for yourself and go out and find some really great continuing education to help you gain further knowledge. There's never a point in our industry that learning is done, and the moment that you think that you have everything figured out is going to be a death sentence for your career. Because, again, we are in a science field, things are always changing, and yes, that can be overwhelming, but it's also really exciting. So I want to encourage you to think about all the things we talked about today, maybe start to work some of those questions into your consultation. It really does also help you get to know your client better, so that you can not just tailor treatments to them, but you know how to talk and approach them when talking about skin care or having them invest deeper into your business. For example, I had a client named Stacy, and from the get go, when she came in for her first facial, she said, I'm here because I know I need it, but I hate feeling like there's stuff on my skin, so I wash my skin. I do not like wearing a moisturizer. And through our consultation, she kept saying that. And so when she came back for her first facial, I said to her, Stacy, I know you don't like feeling anything heavy on your skin, but I want to try this moisturizer on you. It was the Carex Aqua Cream, by the way. I said, it's gonna melt in beautifully. It may feel sticky for like 60 seconds, but then it's just gonna absorb and it won't feel like anything is on your skin. I said, Please just let me try. She said, Okay, did that, sent her home, and I promise you like I think, a couple days later, I text her, and I said, Hey, just wanted feedback. What did you think? Was I right? Was I wrong? Could you still tell she was like, No, I love it. And if you really think I need a moisturizer, I will buy it. And I said, I really think you need a moisturizer. Everybody does. So next time you come in, I'll have it ready for you. Again, these little questions that we ask to get to know our clients better will definitely help deepen that relationship, and will just have an overall positive impact on our business. So again, we have this blog up on our website. Again, it's called 10 skincare consultation questions to ask. If you can think of any more we would love to hear them. You can email them. You can comment on the blog, directly on our website. We're always looking for ways to get to know our clients better. Well. Thank you for tuning in. If you love this episode, would you mind leaving a review? It'll help so much. And share this with your fellow estheticians, and I'll see you next time.