Darine: [00:00:00] Welcome to this week's episode of Beauty Babble. Today we're talking about trends for the beauty biz in 2024 and how to decide if you should jump on board or not. Before we get too into it I just want to note my voice is a little off because I've been sick so just putting that out there. Suzanne how are you?
Well, I'm going to go ditto on that 
Suzanne: one Darine because I'm in the same boat, I don't know what's going on, but bear with us as we get through this one today. We didn't want to skip it. So I think we can do this. 
Darine: Absolutely. And I like this topic because I recently had a similar conversation, but relating to trends and social media.
And, you know, trends are great to. Be aware of, but I'm always on the side of, not jumping in too quickly into, into a trend, but, you know, waiting it out or seeing how I can adapt it to what I have. 
Suzanne: Absolutely. Yeah. I mean, in our world today, trends are going to be [00:01:00] constantly going, to keep the economy going, we'll say for you to keep spending your money and doing things.
So in this topic, I actually thought I wonder what's If there's any changes from, I think it was last year when I did it an episode on what's coming and what you should be looking at. And it hasn't changed a lot. Like, it's still pushing towards that well, one of the topics that came up was the non surgical approaches to anti age and well being, especially with the mental well being side.
So people are really looking at how to dive into that treatment. And we've talked about this before, where we say, how do you bring that holistic side into your work? Lash lift to your waxing to your, you can do all these things, right? The other one that came up was packaging. So that sustainability options in the market for your products.
But also. You know, in your, in your own treatment room in general, like, are you using disposable cups? Are you using, [00:02:00] if you're offering clients beverages, that type of thing, or water bottles, like I know a lot of places will hand out water bottles. It's not the most environmental friendly recyclable abilities anymore.
Right? So I think if people really want to look at that side of it is just dive into, take a step back before jumping into the trend. And what is it? So if we talk about, let's say these two, let's just keep it at these two topics that non surgical approach to anti aging. You know, if you look at currently what you're doing in your treatment room, if you don't offer facials is there anything on the well being side that you could do?
You know, I see lash techs do this quite well, actually. A lot of them have the dim lighting. Now, a lot of them don't even realize they're doing it for that reason. Right, but they have the light bright over top of them and they'll turn off the other lights around them, but you're setting an ambience behind that well being.
Maybe there's music in the background or, you know, or maybe that's not your, that's not your jam as they say and that's okay too. You don't have to be doing it but there's [00:03:00] ways to sit back. Maybe sit in your treatment room and see, is there something different I can do in here to approach that wellbeing side, that calming side, the, you know, is there something I can add a new technique, new facial massage?
I mean, gosh, there's so many things I'm enrolled in a course right now myself, cause I wanted to dive a little deeper into it. And if you've been in the industry, as long as I have some of it's like, Oh my God, I already do this. You just forget sometimes so I don't need to actually maybe incorporate something new.
It's now fine tune what I already have. I think that's where what we forget because we're always jumping on on the boat of the trend wagon, you know, I think that's a huge part of looking at what you can do. Yeah, and then packaging. Well, if we talk about packaging, like, you know, there's a lot of a lot of the, I'll say the bigger.
Skincare companies or more worldwide, I'll say, they're doing a really great job. [00:04:00] They've been doing it for numerous years already where they're offering the refillable options. So you have your jar of cream, but you don't need to buy a whole new jar of cream. You keep your jar and you pull out the insert.
So things like that. So if, if you're, if you have this already, and maybe you don't even know, talk to your company, your you know, distributor and see what are some things that you have options for this for you, because maybe you don't even realize it, you 
Darine: know? And I think that's one trend that for me, if your existing brand is not offering that, it doesn't make sense to switch brands for that.
One right element of it. However, then you can look maybe at different ways that you can incorporate sustainability without having to completely switch brands, but reaching out to your brand and saying, is that something that's coming soon? Because maybe they're working on it as well. 
Suzanne: Well, another option is, I mean, that's maybe something you do internally yourself and offer your clients.
Hey, bring your your used jars. And you have a recyclable [00:05:00] bin ready to go. Cause you know, that will, that'll be fine. They're just, I mean, the packaging side of it. And then, I don't know, you offer them something or every month that you put it in, offer a little draw, like you don't have to give them something all the time, but incentive to do so, you know, like maybe that's something you do internally yourself.
And then, as professionals talk about what do you do to help the environment. I mean, I'm going back a long time ago when I had, you know, a I have to say it a long time ago. It doesn't feel like it's been that long, but when I had ours, it's like I really watched how much laundry we did because I knew the soaps and stuff weren't good in our water systems and blah, blah, blah.
And there was people that were in tune to that then. So I made sure staff knew that and staff was to tell clients. Here's some things how we operate as a business, you know, and I think it's important that you need to educate your clients so they see what you're doing, not just they're just head down doing a waxing treatment, you know, so I think those are things to [00:06:00] think about in your in your treatment room.
And like you said, it was a good point, like, ask Ask your company of who you're getting your products from and suppliers in general. Is there something like, I always look at, you know, waxing is a good one. Gosh, all those sticks getting thrown out after every dip. What are you using? Right? Like I get it in the strips and I'm not sure how far that's come along.
I know some brands are very much in tune with that. Some brands are definitely not at all. So, you know, that's. How many, I do look at that. I know we have to do it, but I looked down and said, Oh my God, look at all that garbage drives me crazy, but I can't do anything about that. Unless you have like, I know I'll just put a shout out there to Baird and wax.
I mean, they've come a long ways. They did this a long time ago where they have their their bigger spatulas and their technique of application has changed, but they've been doing that a long time. So. Not only did it pick up the speed [00:07:00] time for waxing, so you're in and out of that treatment room and get more clients in a day, but you're using less wax, you're, you don't have as much disposable thrown into your garbage, the strip goes a long way, like one strip for almost a full back leg, you know, like, so when you, if you, Maybe you don't even realize you're doing it.
Well, welcome. You're doing a great job. If you're, if you're, you know, doing beard and wax, let's say, and, and you're following that, that's, you're already there. You're not throwing all these little sticks out all the time, you know, or do you cut your little, you know, the sticks that you use, make them smaller for the face ones, instead of just tossing out a big one.
There's ways you can cut back on it too. I mean, you can't do anything about that when you're working on hard waxing, but one application, that's a lip. What are you going to do? But even I noticed they did their technique differently. Now they're doing the full corner. You're not just doing it in four pieces anymore, you know?
So I think people forget you're currently probably doing more than what you realize. [00:08:00] So I like how you said in sit back and see, are you, what are you currently doing? And I think we need to assess that before we make big decisions of changing a brand or change or buying a new machine or, you know, we're.
It's tough because it's always changing. And I think it's like a cell phone. You're not going to keep up with technology in this industry. You're just not. It's going to cost you a lot of money to keep up with the equipment side of things. 
Darine: How do you keep up with trends themselves though? Because I think that's An interesting one.
I think we talked about this where you were saying about the Q10 and once it hit mainstream media and it was like advertised on TV and on billboards and magazines that by the time it hits the mainstream I think it's, it's Considerably a longer time after it's been in the spa setting. 
Suzanne: Yes. Yeah. So the story was, I'm going back a long time ago [00:09:00] when Q10 first came out and it was in the skincare line that we carried and we, and we, I mean, when anything was new or changed, I always updated, made sure my staff knew.
And the next step was you need to speak to your clients, we need to put it out there. And I discovered because that comment happened about six months later from a client that said, Hey. Suzanne, did you see that? And I said, what about this? Like, what do you think of this new ingredient? And I looked at her, I said, well, you've been using it for the last six months in the product that you've got. I thought, but we talked about that in my head. I didn't say that to her, but my head is like, okay, how come she doesn't know this?
Even though we talked about it, so then I sat back and this is where you got to reanalyze yourself and look, I went, okay, I need to put it up there. New product. This is what's in it and post it up. You have to think back then. Yes, there was, you know, social media just starting out and getting bigger, but it was still like magazines were still hot.
billboards were still hot. Right. So, you know, [00:10:00] the buses, all those advertising waves back to marketing it. Right. Right. So I was like, okay, how do I market it? That's what I should, how do I market it within my, in my spa? So that changed my whole game plan as well. And it, it actually helped so much because then whenever there was something new that came in, I would put it out there, really simple, like, I mean, I had a front desk area, so people wait there, I put it out there, I added in a newsletter so I still did those monthly things, and, you know, kept it very simple didn't overdo, but it, it helped, because they're like, oh, look at that, your product you're using is this, or you're, you've got this now, it's like, oh, well, look at that, aren't you ahead of the game?
Right. So people forget how to, how to do it within. So, you know, I did a lot of that, sit back, analyze, recap, probably every month, to be honest with you, is where I set that up to really look, dive deep into the business side. And I know it's tough if you're working on your [00:11:00] own, but you still need to do it.
You still need to find the time to do it. It didn't take long. I mean, mine was a full, full spa without hair, let's say. So everything was in there. Was there a new massage technique? Yeah. So I'd go to the massage therapist. Hey, what's new? What courses are you taking? Right. So I'd ask them, you know, it's like I had a Reiki practitioners, like what's new, anything in there that I need to know about, you know, so I went to each person.
So if you have contractors or you have staff and you know, they're taking courses and classes, they're keeping up with the trends. So that's another thing. Are you keeping up by educating yourself? So you can't just get in this industry and think, you know, it, you got to dive outside of it and, and learn.
Like I didn't always just go by the product that I carried for product knowledge and stuff. I would look and see what classes, what courses are coming up. Is there anything new and interesting? You know, I love lunchtime webinars. I mean, our, our, our whole world has changed and there's so much more available [00:12:00] now.
So I'm, I'm jumping on quite often. And figuring out new things or, you know, LinkedIn's a great one. Look at some articles that are out there, but I think you have to look at like, who is your, who are your people? Who, who are you targeting? And you're currently now, if you're looking at why I want a new audience, I want new clients.
That's what that means. New audience, new clients, right? Dream. Aren't you proud of me? Is to look at who you're targeting with this now before you bring it in. Do you have people currently that you know will do that service or that product? Don't think, Oh yeah, this is great because I love it. It's not about you.
It's about who you have. Well, your staff, if you have staff, how are you going to get them on board? Like, there's a lot of things to think about before jumping on it, right? And then, yeah, monitor your, today, your social media influencers for sure. But don't forget they're, you know, they're being sent stuff to do it.[00:13:00] 
Like, there's a whole other side of that that I don't know if people realize. You know, I know in the fitness world when I was doing a lot more of it then, I was getting private messaging all the time if I'd sponsor their brand and wear it. And they'd give me a phenomenal discount. One was even free.
If I would just post wearing it and using it or an energy drink or a whatever, not that I was an influencer, but it was interesting that I was getting that however they found. So people need to realize like, who is the influencer? Yeah, for sure. Bringing this out, right? 
Darine: When I think about the holistic look at wellness and holistic trends, that's not something that you could, you know, necessarily advertise in a service, but more in a showing.
So like you were talking about lash artists who set an ambiance in their room and really incorporate these wellness practices without maybe intentionally, maybe just, you know, not realizing [00:14:00] that that's what they're doing, but when you're promoting your services or you're sharing on social media.
social media or your website. I think it's, it's crucial to show the, the wellness aspect, the holistic aspect, you know, what does the room setup look like? And talking a little bit about like, maybe you set a certain music or you use like the under eye patches, whatever it is, but just adding that as a little extra, because the holistic part of it is really about the experience.
And that's a little harder to, To communicate and a lot of estheticians and beauty pros are probably already doing it, but not always sharing it. And so, and attracting that client that's looking for that holistic service Unless it's your brand, it's important to show it as well. 
Suzanne: Absolutely. Like if you are thinking back of the things we used to do, I remember when they, when these little what would you call them?
They're almost like that magic pillow, like you could heat it up or cool [00:15:00] it off, but it came in the spa aspect. So it had booties, it had mitts, it had iPads, it had neck, and I had those. And I used essential oils. Granted, nowadays with allergies, be mindful, might not be the best choice, but you know make sure it's a pure essential oil, that you know what you're getting, it's not that's ingredients, that's a whole other topic, but anyways, know your stuff, basically your ingredients and literally, if someone's having a pedicure I would ask them, I said, how are you doing, like, and you can see, it's like, did you want you know, or you want a magazine, because I'd have that, right?
Do you want a cup of tea? Like, then you can get the sense of what your client's looking for. And when they say no, no magazine, they're not interested in chit chat. And it makes like if they want a downtime quiet or they're on their phone, I used to offer an eye pillow, the eye pillows. And again, to help with washing, I would grab tissue.
And wrap it so it wasn't on their face. And I didn't have to worry about washing it. Nowadays, you probably still have to [00:16:00] wash it. So you're going to need a new extra covers, but then I could get away with the tissue and wrapped it around and they would have it on their eye, put their bed back a little bit, and they just thought it was the best thing ever.
So be creative and look at what you currently have. That's not a big investment. A few eye pillows for your spa, 
Darine: you know, it's those little things. It just makes me think. So I go a hot yoga class. And literally my favorite part is the end when they give me a cold towel.
And it's not just because it's a cold towel, but they use this amazing lemongrass essential oil. Oh, 
Suzanne: I love that. 
Darine: And that. I will suffer for an hour just to, and ridiculous. Like I could do this at home, but it's not the same. So it's just that little touch that just makes it so worth everything. So I think, you know, thinking like that for your spa as well, it doesn't have to be fancy.
It just has to be like a little intentional. 
Suzanne: Yeah. I mean, we're going to be talking about this in our, in our, some of our workshops that we're going to be running together, but [00:17:00] you know, how do you wow your clients? That's what it comes down to. How do you, what experience do you want to give your clients?
And you have to honor yourself. And if you're not doing a wellbeing approach to your services in the beauty industry, you need to jump on. You need to figure out how you can do this. And that's one thing I'm going to say, because mental wellbeing is huge right now.
And if you can bring that to even waxing, Right. Lashes. I mean, all of it, it, it does make a difference to sit back and look of what you can do. So when they're coming in for their treatment, nails, it doesn't matter what hair, you know, like a lot of times hairstylists have done this for a long time where they spend that extra time massaging the head and you know, it's like, or the smell of that conditioner that they have or whatever it may be,
I think you got to sit back in your treatment room.
There's a lot of solo entrepreneurs sit back and just look from the moment they walk into your place. It's [00:18:00] your home. Is it a rental room of a, another establishment that you're in? Like, what do they see when they first walk in? So maybe you need to step outside the door and walk in like a client and take a good look.
I mean, you and I have chatted about this, that someone can do an amazing job, but you walk in and you go, Oh my God, look at the mess in here. Like chaos makes a difference. Yeah. So if you're thinking wellbeing, you've got to think about the first moment. You come in and if my head says, holy, what a, what a mess this place is, or, or, you know, the floor is dirty.
Where do I step even like you're already setting up the wrong mental side of it, even though you don't think it's much, but it is mental wellbeing is starts with the eyes. It's the smell, right? What do they see? What are they feeling? What are they noticing? So yeah, it's I mean, it's more than that. I'm not a psychiatrist, right?
Psychologist, but how do you embrace it in our industry? 
Darine: [00:19:00] Absolutely. Yeah, , I know at the beginning you said, which ones should you jump on and which shouldn't, but I do think that that holistic wellness is something that is not a trend that's going away because it's been a trend for a few years and it's just becoming more important in people's lives from your personal to your professional.
Everybody's really trying to incorporate more holistic wellness and mental health balance. And 
Suzanne: they're saying the medical spots are trying to find it too. So if you are more medical side of things, machines, equipment, that's great. How do you bring it to start with you? Like, and you can do these tweaks and make a difference for your clients.
And I think if you add this, it just sets you apart from people that are not doing it. And your clients will appreciate it more if it's not within you. Some people are a little more high energy and you need to couple breaths before you. Meet the client and bring yourself down because you're, they're going to feed off you too.
So, you know, understand you can't [00:20:00] fake it either. You have to learn how to embrace it within your own personal, honoring your own personal wellbeing as well. So I think that's another part to look at too. It's not for everybody for sure. Like you mentioned yoga, not everyone, a lot of people think yoga is just hokey pokey.
Or it's just physical. That's right. You just mentioned that essential oil and those iPads and a coolness, nothing about the first hour. It was all. Don't get me wrong. I 
Darine: do enjoy the class. Yeah, I know. My favorite part. Exactly. 
Suzanne: But that's what you're, you're, you're saying it not only physically, do you feel better, but.
All that that last part, like you're feeding your, your wellbeing, right? So 
Darine: I think it's also like how you end a service and a treatment. It's the last thing. It's the last impression that you're going to leave your clients with. So maybe that's where you. incorporate your little touch, whatever it is.
I'm interested to, hopefully we can hear back from some [00:21:00] of our listeners to see if they've, what they're using or what they're doing to incorporate like holistic wellness or any other trend that's worked out for them perhaps. 
Suzanne: Yeah. And if, if you're stuck and you just don't know, Hey, send us a message.
We'd love to, to chat and, and help you out as best we can, but 
Darine: yeah, we're always here for you guys. Absolutely. Well, I think that's it for this week's episode. Thank you so much for listening and we'll be back next week.