c/estheticians

A client told me my facials felt 'too rushed' and it made me slow way down

She said I was moving through the steps like I had a timer running. I added 10 minutes to every appointment just to focus on the massage portion and my booking rate actually went up.

2 comments

michaels95•2d ago

Rant: Realized I was double-cleansing wrong for 2 years

I was using a micellar water first, then an oil cleanser second, thinking I was being thorough. My mentor watched me do a facial last month and asked why I was stripping my skin with two surfactants back to back. Has anyone else been doing their double cleanse in the wrong order this whole time?

2 comments

kai602•3d ago

Hit 100 client hours last month and thought it was no big deal until I crunched the numbers on my booking rate

I was convinced volume was everything but seeing a 20% bump in rebookings after I slowed down and focused on facial massage convinced me less is more, has anyone else noticed a bigger shift in loyalty from quality over quantity?

2 comments

morganhayes•18d ago

Shoutout to the client who taught me about skin barrier repair

I had a client last month with super irritated skin from over-exfoliating. She kept saying her moisturizer burned and I spent a good 45 minutes troubleshooting before realizing she didn’t have a damaged barrier, she had a fungal issue. It took me a whole week of research and a call to my supplier in Portland to figure out the right treatment. Has anyone else dealt with a misdiagnosis that took way longer to fix than it should have?

2 comments

williamt44•19d ago

Just had a client cry after her first facial in 5 years

She told me she forgot what it felt like to be touched gently, and that hit me harder than any compliment ever has - anyone else get emotional moments like that with clients?

2 comments

kair65•20d ago

Just had a stretch of 5 back-to-back clients this week and every single one actually listened to my home care advice for once

After 3 years in this shop near Denver, I finally had a Thursday where nobody argued with me about why they need SPF in winter and one even texted me a thank you photo of her new routine, anyone else get those rare days that remind you why you do this?

2 comments

thomas.piper•20d ago

Debate: Should we really be double cleansing every night?

I spent 3 months doing a full oil cleanse followed by foam cleanser every evening, and my face felt tighter than ever until I tried just using a micellar water and skipping the second step. Does the double cleanse method actually help most skin types, or is it just overkill for anyone without heavy makeup?

3 comments

the_morgan•20d ago

Unpopular opinion: double cleansing ruined my skin barrier for 6 months until a mentor in Portland told me to quit it

I used to scrub with oil then foam every night like a good esthetician (fancy marketing got me good), but after my face turned into a red, flaky mess I switched to just a gentle milk cleanser once and a cold rinse in the morning, and now I actually get compliments on my glow - has anyone else found that the trend just doesn't work for their skin type?

2 comments

roses69•21d ago

Heads up about those cheap LED face masks

I saw a client last week who used a $40 mask from Amazon every day for 3 months and her skin got darker patches instead of lighter. The thing was putting out UVA instead of the right wavelength. Anybody else run into fake devices messing up people's skin?

2 comments

samw47•21d ago

Tried using green tea toner on a breakout and it got way worse before it got better

I had a client with really angry cystic acne and figured I'd test out a DIY green tea toner on myself first since I get the occasional flare up. Used it twice a day for 3 days and my face broke out in these tiny red bumps all over my cheeks. Turns out my skin hates fermented stuff. Learned the hard way that just cause it's natural doesn't mean it's gentle. Anyone else have a reaction to something you thought would be a miracle cure?

2 comments

jade226•22d ago

Spent $200 on a fancy LED light mask and it gave me breakouts

Bought one of those red light therapy masks after seeing all the estheticians rave about them. Used it strict like the instructions said. Three days later my cheeks were covered in little whiteheads. Turns out my skin hates the silicone against it. Had to stop and go back to my regular routine. Anyone else have a bougie tool backfire on them like this?

2 comments

kelly_miller80•23d ago

I found out most facials are using the wrong water temperature for extractions

I was watching a continuing ed video from a derm in Chicago last night and she dropped a stat that blew my mind. She said over 70% of estheticians use water that's too warm when doing extractions, which actually makes pores constrict instead of open. I've been doing it wrong for like 5 years. The sweet spot is around 98-100F, not the steaming hot water I was using. Has anyone else heard this or am I just late to the party?

3 comments

milesrobinson•24d ago

I finally stopped using those gel-based makeup removers on my clients

After a year of thinking oil cleansers were too messy, I switched to a $12 jojoba oil mix from the health food store and my extractions have been way easier ever since, has anyone else found that oils work better than gels for breaking down stubborn waterproof makeup?

2 comments

grant.jade•24d ago

Debate: Should we exfoliate before or after extractions in a standard facial?

I keep seeing estheticians on Instagram doing exfoliation after extractions and I swear it makes more sense to do it before to soften the skin first, so what's the actual right order here and why does nobody talk about this?

2 comments

saraho48•24d ago

After 3 months of steady work, I saw a big difference in a client's dehydrated skin

I had a client named Diane, maybe 55, who came to me with skin that looked almost like crepe paper. She had been using a heavy moisturizer at night but nothing during the day, and she wasn't drinking much water. I suggested she start using a simple hyaluronic acid serum under her day cream and try to get in 6 glasses of water a day. After about 6 weeks, I noticed her skin had a little more bounce, but the real change happened around the 3 month mark. The fine lines around her eyes were softer, and her skin just looked plumper and healthier overall. It really drove home how much hydration from both inside and outside matters. Has anyone else seen a similar shift with a client who changed their water intake and added a serum?

2 comments

wood.zara•25d ago

Wasted $80 on a face steamer that barely lasted 3 months

Bought this fancy facial steamer off Amazon thinking it would level up my facials. Worked great for the first month, then the steam started getting weaker. By month 3 it just stopped heating up completely. Tried contacting the brand and got nothing back. Anyone have a steamer brand that actually holds up longer than a season?

2 comments

jordant69•27d ago

PSA: Damp drying your microderm tips makes them last 3x longer

I used to toss my diamond tips after 5 uses cause they'd get dull. Then a mentor told me to damp dry them with a clean towel instead of letting them air dry fully after sterilization. Been using the same tip for 15 clients now and it still cuts clean - anyone else do this?

2 comments

brookep27•28d ago

I finally quit using alcohol-based toners on oily skin

I used to think drying out oily skin was the way to go. But after 6 months of seeing clients come back with more breakouts and flaky patches, I started looking into pH balance. Read a study that showed alcohol strips the acid mantle and makes oil glands go into overdrive. Now I recommend hydrating toners with niacinamide instead and the results are way better. Any other estheticians made this swap and seen a difference?

2 comments

ward.mason•1mo ago

Just hit 50 consistent clients this month - never thought I'd get here tbh

Started my little home studio about 8 months ago in a spare bedroom. Was honestly just hoping for 5-10 regulars to make rent easier. Last week I counted up my bookings and realized I hit 50 different faces this month, like people actually coming back and referring their friends. It's not huge numbers but for me it's a big deal. How long did it take you guys to feel like you had a real steady client base?

2 comments

leobrown•1mo ago

That time a derm told me acne clients don't need extractions and she was dead wrong

I had a dermatologist in Phoenix tell me last spring that extractions are basically useless for acne-prone skin and just cause inflammation. I stopped doing them for about 3 months and my regulars with cystic breakouts looked worse than ever, one girl even went back on antibiotics. She had been clear for 6 months before I took that bad advice. Has anyone else had to unlearn something a medical professional told you about your own trade?

3 comments

brookep27•1mo ago

Spent $200 on a 'clinical grade' peel kit that did absolutely nothing

After six weeks of using it exactly as directed my skin looked the same and the active ingredients had probably degraded before I even opened the box - has anyone had luck with at-home peels that actually work?

2 comments

shane_williams•1mo ago

Client's skin turned orange after a vitamin C serum this morning

I'm usually pretty careful about layering products but I guess this new brand I tried mixed weird with her moisturizer. She came back an hour later looking like a Cheeto. Had to scrub her down with a gentle cleanser and do a quick enzyme peel to fix it. Anyone else had a vitamin C oxidize on a client like that? What brands do you trust for sensitive skin?

2 comments

the_lisa•1mo ago

Three years in and I finally had my first regular client cry happy tears during a facial

Last Tuesday at my shop in Portland, I finished up a custom facial for a woman who's been coming to me every 6 weeks since I started. She has rosacea and sensitive skin, so we've slowly built up a routine with gentle products. About 5 minutes after I took the steamer off, she just started tearing up and said she hasn't felt this good about her skin in 10 years. I almost teared up too if I'm being honest lol. It's moments like that that make the slow days worth it. Has anyone else had a client get emotional during a service and not know what to say?

2 comments

grace_hunt84•1mo ago

That 'miracle' LED mask I got for $150 actually burned my client's cheek

I thought I found a steal on Amazon for a red light therapy mask, but after three sessions on my regular client Jen, she came in with a red patch right under her left eye. Turns out the 'medical grade' claim was nonsense and the diodes were way too strong in one spot. Has anyone else had luck with cheaper LED devices or is it really just pay up for the big brands?

2 comments

ben402•1mo ago

Why does nobody warn you about pH prep wipes?

I was zapping a client's chin hairs Tuesday and the zap wasn't sticking right - turns out I'd been using pH prep wipes that were way too old. They dry out and lose conductivity, wasted 20 minutes before I grabbed a fresh pack. Anyone else had this mess up a session?

2 comments