Peel Season, Is That You?

Happy Labor Day! I can’t believe it is almost the end of summer. Although I love the summer, we all know it’s really about that fall season because that means PEEL SEASON! Fall means autumn leaves (for some of us), apple picking, pumpkin spiced lattes and comfy sweaters, but best of all…peels, my fav. 

I love peel season, mainly because it is a way for me to help my clients rejuvenate and replenish their skin after months of too much sun exposure and heat. I would love to think that all my clients wear hats, SPF or even better, a ski mask lol, while in the sun. But, I know better. We have all been caught by the sun. But now it's time to welcome peel season with open arms. The first thing to do? Start preparing now!

If you’re not sure how to prepare or where to start, think of preparing for peel season in two categories: (1) the obvious - prepping your treatment room and (2) prepping your client’s skin.

Prepping Your Treatment Room

• Clean out your old Stock: Before you do anything, open up your peel drawer/cabinet/box, wherever you store your peels and clean it out. Get rid of any peels that were not successful/useful last season. Also, anything that is old (rule of thumb - if a peel is over a year old, toss it). If you want to get really crazy and you need validation to throw out every peel you currently have and start fresh, here it is - do it, purge your peel stock.
• Take Inventory: Once you have cleaned out your peel stock and itemized what is left (maybe nothing), think about what you need for the entire upcoming season. TRIGGER WARNING - you need to do a little bit of math by calculating how many clients you take on average per week, how many clients will want a peel, how many uses you will get out of a container of product, and so on. Once you have a general idea (estimates are fine, it is always good to factor in back stock, as well) place an order based on what you came up with. I know, this is ABSOLUTELY the WORST part, however, taking inventory has proven to be so crucial not just for making sure you have the appropriate stock on hand, but also helps you price out your services in comparison to the cost of product per unit. This alone will help you achieve greater profit margins! Can we say, “KA-CHING” and did I just say, “profit margins”?

• Order and Organize Your Peel Supplies and Products:  Once you have taken inventory (begrudgingly, of course), you will need to order and organize those peel supplies. In addition to the actual peels, I like to order gloves, gauze 2x2s and regular 2x2s. Check out my fav back bar supplies HERE.

Prepping Your Clients and Their Homes

• Try Out Products: Before I use any peel on any client, regardless of how long they have been a client, I always, always, always try the products on myself. You need to experience it yourself, because who better than you, as the esthetician, to determine whether the peel is effective and safe to be used, especially knowing how intense some peels can be. And to be honest, after I try the peel on myself, I usually try the same peel on a close friend or Hailey to inventory those reactions as well. Once I am positive that the product lives up to the hype, I am then ready to use it on my clients. 
• Pre and Post Peel Kits: In addition to applying the peels to your client's faces, you also need to think of ways in which you can prep your client's pre and post-peel. One of the best ways to steer your clients in the right direction is to put together pre and post-care kits. For your pre-care kits, provide your clients with gentle products so that they too can prep their face at home before stepping foot into the treatment room. One product that I absolutely love for pre-peel care is the Cosmedix Simply Brilliant because it is great for any skin type. For your post-care kits, an absolute rock star tool that I think is a necessity is … the cold roller. If you know me, I cannot rave enough about a cold roller and the positive effects of using one. Luckily for you, we has a mini cold roller prefect for a post-care kit! I also highly recommend including pre and post-care instructions - never underestimate the power of instructions! 

And with that, this is my friendly nudge for you all to start prepping for peel season! Do not sleep on this opportunity. Peels are a great way to deepen your client relationship and provide a service that can set you apart from the rest! If you’re interested in hearing about my favorite peels, check out my blog HERE for some of my all-time favorite peels!

Peel away!

xoxo,

Kasey