The beauty industry is rapidly changing, with new technology and ever-evolving treatments; it can be hard to keep up. One major trend we’re clearly seeing, though, is the importance of skincare.
“I think people are more informed, now than ever before, about what happens to their skin if they don’t look after it,” says Australian Capital Training Institute (ACTI) Training CEO, Borka Buseka, “and now as people become more aware and they understand the ageing process and the impact of external factors, they really are mindful of how to do look after their skin”.
Borka, along with ACTI director and educator Elise Birchall, provide accredited courses in beauty and leadership and management, as well as non-accredited short courses for those already in the beauty industry. They say they have seen the beauty industry change over time, with people now looking for treatments that aren’t just ‘skin deep’, and based in health science.
“We don’t do cosmetic injections here [at ACTI], but I think cosmetic injections are definitely becoming more normalised. There’s not that much stigma associated with it,” Borka says.
Both Elise and Borka say with the rapid change in the beauty industry, it can be hard for the accredited curriculums to keep up with consumer demand, so they employ industry specialists to come in and train students in specific treatments that might be ‘trending’.
“Because the curriculum restricts what we can teach, the curriculum’s not going to change in the next six months to allow brow laminating and brow tattooing and all those things to come in,” says Elise, who is also a dermal therapist. “So we have relationships with people who are specialists in eyelash extensions, cosmetic tattooing, nutrition, nail enhancements, tanning.
“I think there’s a big trend with the younger generation particularly, that skin health is important and looking after all aspects of your body – your mental health, your physical health, your skin health, and looking after that from the start before problems happen.”
Borka says younger clientele are “more educated” on skincare and skin conditions when they come in, while more mature clients are looking for hydration and anti-wrinkle treatments.
Elise says for anyone seeking products to manage acne conditions, look for Vitamin B3 (aka Niacinamide), for its anti-inflammatory and strengthening benefits, or salicylic acid and other anti-inflammatory products.
For ageing concerns, she says products will depend on the condition of the skin; however “retinol or other forms of Vitamin A are very popular”.
“These ingredients help to normalise skin cell function and stimulate collagen production – great for mature skin.
“Peptides are a bit of a trend in the beauty industry at the moment too, great for producing collagen and repairing damaged skin cells.
“With any skin condition, it’s always super important to have a consultation with a professional so that you are prescribed the appropriate skincare and so more damage isn’t created. For all skin concerns, seeking the advice of a qualified skin therapist is also important.”
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