How To Be A Skincare Professional From Home

Working as a skincare professional is not simply a fad, but actually a booming industry that is projected to continue to grow more each year. After getting my Aesthetics license in 2018 and working hands-on in various spas, I pivoted to working exclusively from home. Let’s get into how you can create a successful career in this competitive industry while being at home in your own dream skincare space!

What Schooling Is Required

First, let’s back track to 2018. I went to Cosmetology school and took courses to complete hours to fulfill my aesthetics license. In the US, every state is different regarding how many hours they require and the curriculum- so research your state to find out what schooling will look like for you.

Techinically, you can call yourself a “skincare professional” without a formal license. Maybe you have worked in the industry behind the scenes for years. Or, you have worked in retail in beauty and skincare stores. I may be biased here- but having a license really can set you apart.

Different Career Options for Estheticians

Going to school for esthetics, the career projections usually look like a beauty spa doing facials or waxing salons. For many, that is exactly why you go to school in the first place! For me, however, I simply wanted more formal education in skincare and beauty, but I never really enjoyed working with clients. I loved going to school and getting education on skin types and different skincare concerns/disorders along with the best way to treat them.

Getting My Start Creating Content

In 2020, I started a skincare page on Instagram. I had no idea what I was doing at first! I spent hours researching on Youtube, finding demos of photography, and adding hundreds of skincare accounts as friends. I figured out quickly there is a recipe for success on social media:

• Follow trends
• Video content wins
• Be consistent

Yes, times have changed for us skinstagrammers since 2020. Gone are the days of aesthetic photography on Insta, it has all been replaced by reels. With the growing popularity of TikTok, you need to adapt your content strategies.

Connecting With Brands

A major goal for many of us when creating content is to connect with those brands we have adored for years. You may not be able to get a response from a mega company such as L’Oreal when you’re first starting, but as a microinfluencer you can absolutely get brand deals! Here are some tips for starting out:

• Be okay with reaching out to brands first!

There is no need to wait for brands to reach out to you, once you have established a good social media profile, decent engagement, and you’ve brushed up on your skills- starting pitching yourself.

• Create a portfolio/media kit

When sending over your pitch, it helps to include a portfolio or media kit. I have mine set up through my website here that you can view for inspo: https://taratheestie.com/portfolio-2022/

• Be responsive

Finding Brand Contacts

The easiest way to reach out to brands is through either Instagram DM (be sure to include your email when messaging) or the company’s website. At the bottom of almost every website there will be a contact button you can click which leads to a direct email. Many skincare and beauty brands actually include a specific email to use with PR or collaboration inquiries!

Being an Esthetician From Home Wrap-up

There really is no magic recipe for social media. For me, I love getting to work with my passion from home and create educational and trending content for my followers to enjoy! Finding your niche is so important in this industry and allowing yourself time to do that is vital.

Thank you for reading and be sure to come back for Part 2 of this series!