The Making of an Esthetician

Today was another busy day for me. My friend Jess came in for a basic back treatment and a facial with organic products. We had a great time, and I think she really enjoyed her treatments. It’s nice to practice facials with the organic skin care line on friends and family because it is very different from other products. They all smell amazing, so I try to have my client’s breathe in the scent, almost like aromatherapy, before applying the product to the skin.

The products are harder to work with because they are a little messier and have bits of natural ingredients in them that get left behind on the face. I have found that using damp esthetic wipes, as well as a warm towel helps to get everything off. Jess is on the drier, more sensitive side, so I followed the protocol for sensitive skin. She said she loves the products because when she leaves, her skin feels so hydrated. It really did feel and look great.

I decided to incorporate a salt glow treatment into her back massage since I haven’t worked with the salts too much. After spreading around a good amount of hazelnut oil, you sprinkle the salts onto the back and gently work them around the back with the palms of your hands. It feels great and works as an exfoliant on the skin, leaving it smooth and soft. I had a woman at school use it on me before, and it actually kind of hurt because you don’t need to put too much pressure into the massage when you are using the salts because they are already doing the work by themselves.

In the afternoon, a woman I used to work with came in for a bikini wax. Since Sandra has practiced this service on me, she told me that I should practice. I tried my best to stay calm, but I was really nervous since it was my first time doing it. I felt like it didn’t go very well, but Sandra and my client reassured me that it was fine. It was definitely a learning experience for me and I do feel more comfortable now doing it on someone else. I guess doing a wax like that for the first time can’t be perfect and I really appreciate the client coming in and letting me practice on her. That’s really the only way we are going to learn – through our mistakes and experiences at school. It’s nice to know people who are willing to come in and contribute to our learning process.

1. clarice, owner - clarice's
   April 25th, 2008 at 5:25 pm

   I remember my first bikini wax. I had done my training on apprenticeship. I worked for a huge nationwide chain. So the first time I really did one was on a customer. She wasn’t the cleanest. It was not pleasant. I walked into my managers office after she left and told him I was never doing another one. The next day, every corporate female was in the salon and I had to do them.

2. Elaine Sauer, Corporate Spa Director - Mario Triococi
   April 28th, 2008 at 6:14 pm

   Waxing business is what drives the spa department in the face and wax category, so it’s very important to get experience in the two most popular areas: brows and bikinis. Brow shaping is a great asset and requires additional training beyond school, so take a class. And bikini, and more importantly Brazilian, is very important to master. There are many tips, including trimming hair with a clipper if its long and providing individual wipes for the guest to freshen up, especially if she is coming in from work or a long day. (I read Clarice’s comment and I had to chuckle because that’s the real world and we have to provide the wipe to make our jobs easier)! Gets lots of experience in these areas and you will build your books quickly.

3. Colleen
   May 5th, 2008 at 11:40 am

   Clarice and Elaine - thank you for the comments! Yes, my first bikini wax was certainly an experience for me! I like the idea of having the individual wipes for clients, and I think our school should consider providing those. I would also like to purchase the throw away spa panties for clients, as I think they would be easier to work around. Thoughts?

4. Svetlana, co-owner - A-Skin Care Salon
   May 11th, 2008 at 9:26 pm

   Dear Colleen, from my experience, each given client ether well mannered or not, so wipes do not really help. Respectful client usually runs to the ladies’ room prior to her bikini waxing. Having there wipes is a plus. Changing for disposable underwear I think is unnecessary if you know how to drape her for the procedure. Besides that, if the woman during regular bikini waxing asks you to upgrade it for Brazilian, it is easier to do without any underwear at all. As you gain experience you’ll see that the people who come to see you regularly do not to be unpleasant to you, so you’ll see more and more clean and nice ones, and they will also tip well. Right now try to do as many waxings and extractions as you possibly can, as these are the practical foundation of your profession. And try to work with both hard and strip waxes.

5. Lizz, LMT, LFS - Light Weaver Massage
   July 10th, 2008 at 6:36 am

   For my back treatments I use two loofah mitts. You can buy them from many places for about a dollar each. (I build this into the cost of my treatment and then they get to take them home.) This allows me to avoid using salt which tends to get everywhere and make cleanup difficult. It’s a personal preference. You can use a nice gentle cleanser and add essential oils that would otherwise be in the salts so the experience is very similar, just less messy. This also allows you to do the massage as a massage. (Note: the scope of practice in most states, including mine, allows massage for the purpose of improving nutrition to the skin but not for manipulating the soft tissues of the body, so I wouldn’t necessarily say, “this allows you to use deeper pressure without worrying about the salt,” because that wouldn’t necessarily be appropriate for all states…)