Mala McAlpin Major lifestyle changes mean major skin changes. Are you preparing your clients for these?
We’re all adjusting to a completely new foreign way of life right now – the way we live and work, the way we interact and socialise, basically every way we function has experienced a shift of some kind. And this extends right through to our skin. It’s only been a few weeks since heavy lockdown policies came into play, but client concerns are likely to already have started rolling in. These are some of the major skin complaints practitioners are dealing with right now:
Dry hands – constant hand washing and sanitising will, at best, leave hands dry and flaky, at worst, trigger some serious eczema for some. Share information on the best types of moisturising solutions, when and how often to apply, and best practices for eczema. If you’re retailing, let clients know the different options you have available (hand creams, oils, cuticle solutions, nailcare, etc.) and ensure they are front and centre.
Breakouts – most of your clients will be breaking out right now, or experiencing negative change in some way shape or form. Share with your clients the causes of these changes and breakouts, most likely of course to be from stress, but also let them know how changes in diet and eating habits, unhealthing snacking or binging, changes in exercise, sleeping patterns and other lifestyle shifts can have visible knock on effects. This can lead to some great video/virtual tutorial content, linking in with your home skincare retail.
UV protection – most of your clients will stop wearing sunscreen altogether because they are no longer going outside. Let them know this isn’t always the case – if they go for a lunchtime stroll or even sit by a window all day as they work from home, they still need their sun protection. Also educate your clients on blue light exposure – screen time is through the roof for all of us these days, so take the opportunity to push these via retail too if you have them available.
The sooner you get this information out there, the more appreciative your clients and patients will be, and of course, the better their results will be too. Be progressive and ahead of the curve by distributing information about these needs before your clients even experience them, building invaluable trust and rapport. Create informative posts on social media, send a few newsletters out to your database on each varying condition or concern, or perhaps write some blog posts.
Consumer media is all over this type of content right now, so with the spare time up your sleeve, you might even consider writing some content and sending it to some of these news and lifestyle channels, offering yourself as an expert. There are plenty of opportunities here to improve your marketing and exposure – a wonderful added bonus that may come out of educating your community!
