Christa McKay-Kosolofski, a beauty enthusiast and a customer of beauty products with a deep love for skincare, said it appears many skincare specialists are more interested in their making their sales targets than her welfare.
McKay-Kosolfski rolls her eyes while recalling an encounter.
“I told the salesperson I couldn’t use certain ingredients on my skin and she still encouraged me to try the $120 serum with said product, ensuring me that ‘if it’s not an allergy’ I’ll be fine,” McKay-Kosolofski said.
The beauty industry makes a fortune — US$1.4 billion this year in Canada according to Statista. A portion of that seems to involve selling people beauty products they may not need and promising results of youthful glowing skin.
Estheticians, however, are a consumer’s ally. Since everyone has different skin-care needs, it is an esthetician’s job to examine and advise clients on what products they might need.
According to Common Thread Collective, the global beauty industry is worth $511 billion in 2021 with a growth rate of 4.75 per cent and is expected to surpass $716 billion by 2025.
Advertisers have a strategy when it comes to the industry. Look a decade younger, remove dark circles, deal with adult acne. All are intriguing to their audiences and potentially do work.
Sarah Bourgeois, a former Sephora employee, said the training to sell to customers is intense.
“Certain brands have specific selling tactics that you have to know in order to sell,” she said. “We even have weekly training modules that we have to do to keep up with new selling strategies.
“Selling skin-care products isn’t as easy as it may seem,” Bourgeois said.
“Since we carry many different brands the pressure to learn and make your sales goal is high,” she said. “Sephora even sends you on paid trips to brand seminars to learn about new products, and of course, how to sell it.”
Jay Nguyen, a student esthetician at Seneca College, said facial cleansers, moisturizers and sunscreen are the three essentials for skincare.
“If you’re a beginner to skin care, I recommend drinking a lot of water, limiting time in the sun, and avoiding sugar,” Nguyen said. “These three things are huge in keeping skin young.”