I’m going to give it to you straight this time around: straight peppermint schnapps, no hot chocolate. The cold truth about being an aesthetician during the holidays, yes, the most joyous of the year...

It’s freakin’ generally stressful for everyone, but especially for estheticians! 

During the holiday season, being an aesthetician for the last 12 years, it’s always felt like a whirlwind.  The fourth and final quarter of the year is coming to an end. The excitement builds to get all the new limited edition products that smell like peppermint or pumpkin spice. Gifts with purchases are at an all time high!

So let’s talk about what really happens from an esthetician’s standpoint...

People are generally wanting to look good and impress their in-laws at Thanksgiving dinner. So yes, an esthetician stays busy, but not with our higher price point services.  Sure, chemical peel season is starting, but it's also being avoided. People tend to believe that they will be peeling for Christmas dinner and use that as an excuse.  Of course it’s a great time to sell gift cards and skin care sets. Product sales increase. But at the end of the day, we’re losing out on money on days we would work two months in a row!  So instead of losing money, what does the hustler esthetician do? Open up availability we wouldn’t work to accommodate. Working more Saturdays and Sundays, staying late, going in earlier; shoot, we’re trying to make up the difference! Right now, before the holidays, we’re in the sweet spot!  Where we still have an opportunity to prep and plan, and execute a stress-free marketing plan.

Before you get too anxious about what’s about to happen with the holidays upon us,  I’m here with some tips to not only help you during the busy season of your business, but to also give self care tips for the holidays!  

Stay Organized

When it comes to business organization during the holidays, my biggest tip is to stay organized. To stay on schedule and always make time for yourself. No matter your business goals, boundaries matter. Make sure that you have a solid marketing plan in place NOW. Have your weekly emails set, gift sets in stock, and your content created. Having everything preplanned and ready to execute is going to make your life so much easier. Especially when those unexpected situations come up in life. 

 For example, your daughter is sick. You have to go pick her up from school, canceling your last three appointments for the day. You have a day planned to go shopping at your husband's favorite store to pick up his gift. You find the gift is out of stock. Now you’re driving an hour and a half north to the next closest store where it’s actually in stock.

So during this sweet spot, don’t be afraid to plan a few days tending to admin things.

Burnout

Now let’s talk about you! As estheticians we have to avoid burnout, but how do we do that?

Here are some of my favorite practices for esthetician selfcare:

Move your body for you daily: Of course we’re always running around when we’re seeing clients, right? But it’s so important to move our body physically. Before you get your day started whether that be a good workout at the gym, yoga, or a good walk around the block to get your first 1k steps in. No matter how strenuous or how simple that movement is, make sure it’s practical and for you.

Epsom Salt Bubble Bath: This is the perfect way to allow your body to relax! What you choose to do during this time is up to you - we won’t judge. Sade and wine? Respond to messages and wine? Read a book or listen to a podcast and wine? The choice is yours!

In Shower Body Scrub & Mask: No bathtub? No problem! I love putting on a nice mask and doing some dry brushing before I get in the shower. Then doing a nice salt or sugar body scrub while in the shower.  Remember, the key here is doing something extra for YOU.

At-home facial routine: We’re always doing facials for everyone else. Looking at their glow up right in front of her eyes: jealous. Do a little facial routine for you either at the studio or back at home. Having that glow up for yourself will not only make you feel better, but can be an opportunity for some content on social media. Clients always want what we’re doing as estheticians, so don’t forget to showcase it! Inspire clients with how you focus on self-care.

Massage: I get a monthly massage, and if you’re not doing this already you need to be. Find that massage therapist to trade with you, get a massage, she gets a facial and y’all are both happy. You can put feelers out there to trade services through local esthetician/beauty industry groups or Instagram!

Gratitude journal: Take time to journal, especially one focused around being grateful. It’s easy to get overwhelmed and focus on the negatives. Writing out what you’re grateful for at the beginning of the day, and positive things that happened throughout the day at the end of the day help to keep us going. 

Self-care does have to do with tending to the body. It's all about tending to the mind as well. As estheticians, we are creative! We need to stay inspired to be able to continue to give ourselves to our clients and community. I recommend taking time to listen to a beauty boss podcast. Read a book about mindset, watch a replay of a new facial technique. Take time to read a few articles out of your favorite esthetics magazine. Whatever it is, make sure that it keeps you inspired and keeps you motivated. We need that inspiration and motivation during these hectic, busy times to avoid burnout.

At this point, you might be thinking, well that sounds great, but I don’t have time.

I know we’re so used to taking care of everyone else and we often forget to take care of ourselves. The best advice to make sure that you get your self-care for the holidays is to actually block it out. We are estheticians and our careers are focused around appointments. If it’s not on the schedule, it’s not happening.

You got this babe! It’s okay to take care of you first before you tend to others!