When a client comes in sick

I have said it before and I will gladly say it again: I really don’t like it when a client comes in sick to her facial appointment! I personally rarely get sick therefore I have not had to cancel too many appointments in my career due to an illness. But I have gotten sick on numerous occasions when a client has come in “under the weather.” Usually the illness passes through me quickly, but I still have to load up on supplements and immune stimulants after I have encounter a client who has made the decision to get her facial while she is not well.

I always have a surgical mask at the ready that I can wear if someone comes in sick and I don’t have it in me to turn her away. In Letting go of clients (see link below), you can read how I did turn a sick client away when she came in for her allotted facial. There is one more instance I can remember when an out-of-town client came in—sick—but asked me if I still wanted to do her facial. I said no. So she purchased some products and left. I haven’t heard back from her, although she didn’t frequent my business more than once or twice a year. Still, it could be lost business, but I stand by my personal edict: If you’re sick—stay home! And I will do the same if I am not feeling well, in deference and as a courtesy to you.

The downside to wearing a mask is, because I am looking down to give the facial, the mask creeps up close to my eyes. When a client is sick even when I’m wearing a mask, I try to keep my face further away from hers than I would normally. To say the least, it is difficult to give a facial with these masks on. I don’t like it, but I do the best I can. I will say without a doubt any client who has come in semi-sick to sick and I’ve had to don a mask did not get the great facial I would normally give them. I can’t breathe well, it’s harder to see, and I am literally trying to keep as far away as possible from their mouth and nose—where the germs are.

Everyone has their own battles, and this is definitely one of mine. I choose it in order to keep me well. If I’m not well, no one is getting a facial from me. If I come down with something and am unable to work, because I own my business, no one will be paying me if I’m home sick. And I will cancel appointments if I’m sick. My policy does go both ways.

I am giving you this information, my personal experiences, so that you can make the right decisions for yourself. Perhaps this is not one of your battles. I know a few acupuncturists who deal with sick clients all the time. They do not turn them away; they treat them! To me, a facial is not somewhere to go in sick—nor a massage. But you, as a business owner, will make your own decisions and policies that work for you.

All of these articles, whether about how I run my business or how I work with clients, is all about me and my way of doing things. I present this blog to you as a guide to help you as you make your way as an entrepreneur. Ultimately, you will decide what is right and wrong for your business.

Be sure to read Letting go of clients if you find you need to say goodbye.

More on My Cancellation Policy

In Website ideas: My Cancellation Policy (see link below), I go into some detail about how my policy is listed on my website and why I have the policy in the first place. Here I just want to reiterate the importance of the policy itself.

If you are new to your business, many things that come your way will be trial and error. I encourage you to try new and different things, both in your facials as well as in your business in general. As far as implementing a cancellation policy I do think, as a seasoned business owner, that it would be an error to not put one in place.

By having a firm cancellation policy, you position yourself as a serious manager, not someone who doesn’t really care about the business side of your business. I’m not saying that if you decide to not put a cancel policy in place that you are not a good business person. What I am saying—from experience—is that without a policy for those clients who cancel on you without notice, you stand to loose a lot of money. Period.

Everyone has a different concept of time. In life, I am the type who is always early for appointments. That is no doubt why I am always at my office well ahead of my client’s scheduled appointment time. I don’t want to come off as unprofessional and not be there when she walks in the door.


Some people are chronically late for appointments. When it comes to your clients, this can be a problem. Many times a client’s concept of time also translates to her either no-showing an appointment or calling at the last minute to cancel.

Here are a few examples of who I will charge and who I won’t charged based on their reason for missing or last-minute cancelling a scheduled appointment:

Excusable (obviously!):

• Their child is sick and they have to stay home.
• Their babysitter cancelled at the last minute on them. If this happens more than a few times with the same client, I will inform them that the next time (probably the 3rd time) this happens, I will charge them without 24 hours notice of cancellation.
• They were involved in an accident. Believe it or not, I had a (very conscientious) client call me from a hospital bed after she was in a car accident. Wow! I don’t think I would have had the presence of mind to do the same thing. Kudos to her!
• The client is sick. I always praise any and all clients for cancelling and not coming in sick. If you’ve read my previous posts, I abhor a client who doesn’t think well enough of my health (and her own) and comes in to get a facial with a fever or some other contagious illness.
• I got called into an unscheduled meeting at work. Again, I will accept this once or twice, but if it happens more than a few times I will inform the client they’ll have to pay the next time it happens. 

Not acceptable:

• My mother is in town and we are still shopping. (I have had this one happen!)       
• I forgot. (I have heard this more than once—and I confirmed the day before!)
• I’m too busy. (This is usually someone who doesn’t understand I am running a business, not enjoying a hobby.)  

As I’ve written about in other articles, it is crucially important to write down everything on a given client’s chart. Just as if the client were coming in for her treatment, I write the date of the appointment on her chart. Then instead of commenting on her skin’s condition and what I did in the facial that day, I’ll write that either she no-showed (always written in red ink) or that she cancelled with 2 hours notice (or whatever time frame) and the reason she gave for the cancellation. I also write if I charged her or not. For instance, if it was a late meeting at work, the first one or two times I will not charge. Having that detailed information on her chart gives me easy access to know whether to charge her next time or not.

I want to stress that I would never charge a client without letting them know first. With new clients, over the phone, I explain my cancellation policy: If you need to cancel, please give me at least 24 hours notice to avoid being charged for the treatment. If I have them on the phone during their cancellation and it is a flimsy excuse that I do charge for, I will tell them right then and there that I am going to have to charge for this cancellation. Some put up a fight, others actually offer to pay without me saying anything. (These are the people who honor another person’s time.)

If the client balks at your charging them and you want to keep them as a client, tell them you’ll either let this one slide or charge them 50% of the appointment fee this time, but the next time it will be full appointment cost. Charging for cancellations will likely give you one of two results, depending on the client.

• Result one: you will never see or hear from that client again.
• Result two: the client gains new respect for you and your business and either never cancels at the last minute again, or if she does she is well aware that she will be charged for it and doesn’t give a fight to the fee.

Either way, you have to take what you get. If you do indeed lose a client, make sure beforehand that you are willing for this to happen! If you aren’t, then don’t charge her and keep her in your business. Having someone who costs me even one appointment charge—without a good reason—isn’t going to easily get a second chance from me.

I have kept many clients with second chances, but these were clients I wanted to keep. And I do have some clients who I will give carte blanche to—they are important clients to my business and for these few I will tend to forgive any issues that may come up with scheduling. These particular clients are my “best” clients and I do not want to lose them. (All clients are important to the continuation of your business, but you will no doubt have a few who are 100% regular and who buy a lot of products. Fiscally, these are more important than someone who comes in once in a while or once a year.)

Sometimes being in this position allows you to let a client go. For more on that subject, see: 

• Letting go of clients
• The Importance of a Cancellation List (this will give you information on what to do if and when you do get cancellations—especially at the last minute)
• Website ideas: My Cancellation Policy

Sugar & Skin Problems

Occasionally I will direct you to my layperson’s blog, ageless beauty, timeless skin, for information that you may find helpful in your practice. Here is an article (one of many) about how sugar can affect your skin.

Click on the title to be taken to Sugar & Skin Problems.

Client Preparation: Part II

As I wrote about in Client Preparation: Part I, I am always in my office before my scheduled client arrives—even if she’s early I am there to greet her. Here is a general rundown of what I say and do once she has walked through the front door:

The Initial Greeting. Assuming this is a first-time client, I stand up, put my hand out and shake her hand, asking “Are you Mary?” and introducing myself, “Hi, I’m Carolyn.” I do this in my current office because there are several professionals working in the suite. However, I did this (introducing myself) in my other offices where I worked alone. I never assume anything, even that the client knows my name. And I always know their name before they walk in the door. That may seem obvious or it may even sound unimportant, but in order to make a good first impression and have an instant connection with this new client, knowing her first name upon introductions is crucial. In other words, I’m not saying “Hi, I’m Carolyn. Who are you?” I have had facials where the aesthetician didn't make a formal introduction (why not?) and it felt like a true connection was never made.

Room introduction. I start walking to my facial room, asking if she needs to use the bathroom. I highly recommend having this “service” available. After all, who can relax when they have to go? If she opts for this, I tell her she can leave her things (purse and coat if applicable) in my room and meet me back there when she’s done.

Instructions. Once in my room, I tell my client this: “I’m going to tell you what I need you to do, then I’m going to leave you to do it.” Many times this gets a chuckle as a response. I’m not sure why exactly, maybe because I’m so deliberate. Regardless, I want them to have full knowledge of what is going on and why from the minute I meet them till they leave my front door. Here is what I tell them:

• I’m going to have you put this smock on like so [demonstrating that the smock goes above the breasts but not over her shoulders].
• I’d recommend taking your pants off since you’ll be lying in this bed under a lot of blankets plus it’s heated underneath, so you’ll be more comfortable if you take everything off and just wear the smock.
• If you want to leave your bra on [some clients do], just slip the straps off your shoulders so that area [the décolleté] is clear.
• You can wear these socks or keep your own on—or not wear any at all. [I supply socks as well as a smock so I make sure my client is comfy.] 
• There are hangers behind the door, or you can put things on any flat surface. [I have a desk, as well as a little high table for them to put their things.] 
• I need earrings and necklace off. [Some ask about rings, but I don’t do anything below the décolleté in my treatments. If you do, obviously, have them take rings and bracelets off as well.]
• Before you get into the bed, just open the door a little bit so I know you’re ready, then climb in and I’ll come in and give you a facial!

Note: I supply both simple elastic-top smocks and smocks that close with Velcro. Some women fit into the elastic smock just fine; others need the ability to expand the top, so the Velcro style closure makes a better fit for these women.

The smock and socks are already waiting on the heated bed.

I don’t like waiting and wondering if my client is ready and in the bed. Since I’m not a mind reader, I like the client to crack the door open so I’m not left to wait, knock on the door and say “Are you ready?” I already know she is because she has opened the door a bit. I wait a few seconds so she can get under the blankets, then I go in and give a great facial.

My preparation. I leave them in the room to get ready while I go and thoroughly wash my hands. I can only hope that all aestheticians are doing this—washing their hands. I have been to a few facials and several massages where I did not see evidence of this most basic sanitary procedure. What can I say?—Ick!

Continue to read posts on client preparation and giving the facial to understand how I have been working as an aesthetician for over 30 years.

Client Preparation: Part I

You never want your client waiting for you!

I have written several articles on preparing for your client and client preparation. Here I am giving you some aspects of my routine and my recommendations on what to do prior to your client arriving for her facial appointment. 

Arrive early. I always get to my office 30 minutes before my scheduled appointment(s). Always. It only takes 5-10 minutes to prepare my room and I want to be there when my client arrives; and sometimes they might be early. In some of the shared office suites I’ve worked out of, occasionally one of the therapists wouldn’t be there when her client arrived, which feels unprofessional to me.

Pull charts. I pull the client charts for the day—or the week. The only hiccup with pulling charts for the week is inevitably you will have changes in your schedule due to rescheduling or last minute cancellations. If this becomes bothersome, simply pull charts for your clients the day of their appointment. During this 30 minutes I have before my client arrives, I will read what I wrote from her last facial—at least—to see what was going on with her skin on her last visit. Therefore I am in the know before she walks in the door.

On each individual chart I write about the client’s skin condition, but I will also include a conversation that was significant (perhaps a relative passed away or a beloved pet, or she’s newly engaged or recently married). When she comes in, I can reference details from the last conversation, which is not only “nice,” but more importantly it’s a relationship building exercise. If I don’t write things down, I rarely remember. Obviously I write copious notes about her skin’s condition so before she walks in the door for her facial that day I am aware of the past and can compare her skin today. This is so important.

Write down everything. I have had many (most, really) facials where the aesthetician didn’t write down anything—to my knowledge. She didn’t ask me pointed questions and certainly didn’t write down answers to questions she was asking me then and there. Perhaps she wrote things after I left or later some time. If I don’t write things down while my client is there, the exact information that I’d want to have on her chart doesn’t get written down. Many times when it’s been a crazy day I’ll write later after that client has left, no doubt missing certain things. And occasionally I will simply write “DIDN’T WRITE” on the chart and try to jot down things I do remember. This note of not writing is a reference for me so when she comes in again I’ll know I may not have all the info I “should.” The didn’t write situation happens rarely, but it does happened.

For more information, see:

• Client Information Charts—Part I 
  
• Client Information Charts—Part II

Website ideas: Directions to your salon

This may seem obvious, but having written directions to your salon is a must if you have a website. It never fails to amaze me how many times clients cannot find my office when they have been on my website, read the directions, and still get lost. My office is not hard to find, I assure you. Now with GPS and iPhones that have a NeverLost-type feature, it actually is more rare to have a client call minutes before her appointment because she can’t find my location. But still, it does happen.

On the photo of my webpage (above) I not only have written directions from different locations in and around Boulder and the surrounding counties (if the client is coming from Denver, for instance), but I also have a MapQuest link on the page so a client can input the address she will be coming from and get exact directions to my salon. Now, because of all the navigation systems that almost everyone has on their phones, I only have a MapQuest link with not a lot of written directions.

However you choose to direct your clients to your salon, do have something on your website that makes it easy for anyone to know where you are located. Click here to be taken to the directions page of my [new version] website.

Website ideas: My Cancellation Policy

This is the cancellation policy on my (older version) website. I will go into detail about why I have each item listed so you can better understand their importance to me and for my clients to read so they know how I run my business. I will let a first-time client know about this policy during our initial phone conversation to set up her facial appointment. If you don’t explain your cancellation policy, you really can’t enforce it.

SALON

Cancellation Policy

• If you are a first-time client, a credit card number is required to secure your appointment
• If unable to keep your appointment, kindly give at least 24 hours notice. Otherwise we reserve the right to charge for time reserved
• ALL appointments are confirmed the day before. If you no-show any appointment, you will be charged full appointment fee
• If you are sick or feel like you’re getting sick, please call me to reschedule your appointment

With all that said: I look forward to meeting you!

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If you are a first-time client, a credit card number is required to secure your appointment. I do this for two reasons. The first is obvious: I don’t know this person and I don’t know if they are actually going to come to their appointment. At the beginning of my career, and after a few years of having new clients cancel at the last minute or just not show up for their first appointment with me, I decided to put this policy in place. I let the client know I will charge their card full appointment fee if they no-show this (or any) appointment. And without 24-hours notice of cancellation, I also will charge them. In actuality, charging on less than 24-hours notice depends on the circumstances, and I make an executive decision at the time of the cancellation.

Reason two? By taking a credit card number and letting the client know they will be charged if they don’t come to their appointment and/or give a reasonable amount of notice if they need to cancel, it cements in their mind that I take my business seriously. And I am asking them to do the same. 

On occasion, for whatever reason, I don’t get the CC number on a first-time client booking. I will say, however, on the rare occasion this client doesn’t show up for her confirmed facial appointment, I feel like kicking myself for not implementing this simple-to-enact policy. If you’re running a busy salon (even if it’s just you), I highly recommend implementing and enforcing some sort of cancellation policy.

If unable to keep your appointment, kindly give at least 24 hours notice. Otherwise we reserve the right to charge for time reserved. Not only is this up on the website, at the time I’m booking the facial on the phone with the client, I ask them to give me at least 24-hours notice of cancelling.

If you are sick or feel like you’re getting sick, please call me to reschedule your appointment. This is so important to me, I highlighted it! I can’t count how many clients have come in for their facials while running a fever or worse—outright sick. I will never understand this. Perhaps they think it will make them feel better to lie down and have someone rub their face. For me it is disrespectful to me as a person, not just as an aesthetician working mere inches away from their infirmed face. And likewise, don’t you go to work sick. Facials are given within a very intimate space and germs are easily spread no matter who is sick. Stay home, rest, and be well—and the same goes for clients!

Last but not least: With all that said: I look forward to meeting you! And I sincerely mean that. After all the ins and outs of policies, I truly do look forward to meeting new clients!

Also see: 

• When a client comes in sick for some tips on what to do if this happens to you
• Next appointment cards for more information on appointments and cancellations 
• More on My Cancellation Policy

Website ideas: Testimonials & Reviews

The Testimonials page from an older version of my website

Testimonials and reviews are essentially the same thing. They are words of praise from satisfied clients. In this article, I use the two words interchangeably.

Testimonials can really help promote your business. If you have a website, definitely ask for testimonials! If you don’t currently have a website for your business, I still recommend asking your clients for positive—written—remarks about your business and services. You can use them in other ways besides on the Web. Have self-addressed stamped postcards you can hand out to your clients for them to write a review and send back to you. Keep these for future promotional use. If these reviews are on the Internet, you already have them in a secure place for future use.

How do you get testimonials? Sometimes your clients may write a review on Google or other review sites without your even knowing. But asking for a testimonial is a sure way to actually have something written for others to read about how a client loved your service(s).

Let your client know they don’t need to write a novel—just a sentence or two about the quality of your service and about you as a (qualified) aesthetician. Asking people to do something to help promote your business may seem like an inconvenience, but keeping your business alive and thriving is what you, the business owner, are all about—or you should be. Don’t force the issue, but you may be surprised how happy and willing most of your clients will be to saying nice things about your facial and their experience at your salon.

The Write a Review page from an older version of my website

On the back side of an instruction sheet I have for one of my products, I put a request for a review. All new clients get this sheet in with their take-home packet and samples. I’m not verbally asking so the client can write something or not, and no pressure whatsoever is involved. I personally don’t like being confronted and I don’t want to put pressure on any of my clients. If a client loves the service I am providing, spending a few minutes writing a testimonial on the Internet is not asking for a lot. If they’re happy with your services more often than not clients are happy to share what they know.

My request for a review on the back side of an instruction sheet.

Don’t be shy—ask for reviews. It will help build your business and enable you to help more clients!

Website ideas: About me—An Interview

The following article is something I wrote based on past interviews I’ve had as well as coming up with different questions that a client might like the answers to. To come up with some of the questions I thought about what a new client might want to know about my skin care business as well as who I am as an aesthetician. And, as I mention in About Me—Skin Expert, I also took questions I had seen in another article and fit it to me and my own approach to skin care. No one knows you or your business like you do, so write about yourself and create similar written pieces. It really doesn’t matter who is asking the questions; the important thing is to give people truthful information about you so they can make up their own minds about coming in to see you.

This is a page from the About Carolyn section of my [older version] website (carolynash.com).

The About Carolyn page on my website: Interview

 

An Interview with Carolyn Ash

Me, age 50, at my Boulder office

What is the Carolyn Ash Skin Care approach to healthy skin?

Getting regular facials and using high-quality products at home are vital to achieving and maintaining clear, vibrant skin. But I believe you must also care for your skin from the inside out to bring about the best results. Understanding the correlation between internal, balanced health and external beauty is what my work is all about. I’m interested in long-term, obtainable results that help my clients achieve healthy skin—for a lifetime.

Do you offer a complimentary skin care consultation?
A thorough analysis of the skin is one of the first steps in my facial. Samples are provided at the end of the treatment for new clients to take home and learn about how these products can benefit their skin—without any high-pressure sales pitch. By getting the facial as well as a consultation, you can see how the products and the information you receive in the facial will help you achieve the results you are looking for.

Do you see both women and men for skin care?
Absolutely! There has been this long-standing mythology that says facials are for women only. I actually think TV shows like Queer Eye for the Straight Guy helped to clear up that misconception. However, you don’t have to be a “metrosexual” to enjoy the benefits of a facial. Skin is skin, no matter which gender is wearing it. I always appreciate a man coming into my salon. It says he understands the importance of skin care maintenance and he doesn’t buy into the myth I mentioned earlier. More power to him!

When should someone begin thinking about a specific skin care routine? Is it best to wait until you see a need for it?
I like to say it’s never too late or too early to start taking care of your skin. Obviously, until you are in your teens (going through puberty), there really isn't a need to be concerned about your skin. But a teen with problem skin up to an adult with or without problems who wants to get into a routine, yes—it’s a good idea to start a program, which ideally includes regular facials. On the other hand, if you are 30, 40, 50 or even older and have never really taken care of your skin and want to start, it’s not too late! It comes down to priorities. We do in life what is highest on our priority list. Once skin care gets on someones list, that’s when I start seeing that client.

Do you think there is anything lacking in the world of skin care today or something that you would like to see happen?
Well, you’ve just touched on one of my soapboxes! I am and always have been a firm believer that we spend too much time on the outside and not enough time on the inside. Let me explain. I may have a client who comes in troubled about some aspect of her skin. It’s not young-looking enough, she may truly be battling severe problems like acne or something else. But many times this person’s lifestyle does not support that which she is seeking. She is trying to fix the outside, the skin, rather than assisting that process by going within. This entails looking at the diet with a lot of scrutiny. It also means fessing up to excesses like sun, sugar, alcohol, and stress. You can change the outside, but without enhancing that change by strengthening the inside—your internal health—I think it is a waste of time (and money!). I advocate doing what you can to feel better about yourself. But please don’t neglect your physical health. Without that, the outside doesn’t matter. I don’t think the skin care industry talks about that. It seems to be more interested in proliferating the idea of quick fixes and miracles as a way to healthy skin. I guess I just have a different opinion on how to get there.

What types of results are your clients seeing with your facials?
Healthier skin. Clearer skin. Less of a need or a total elimination of foundation (for women). A sense of well being about their faces. The other day a new client came back to get some products. She said that several people in her life had been complimenting her skin—how good it looks. She was ecstatic! She told me that had never happened before and it really made her feel good. This was just a woman who began getting facials and using good products. She didn’t get surgery and didn’t need to change anything dramatically to get the results she wanted: good skin that shows! That is a consistent result from my facials.

Another benefit, not really a result, is education. This above everything else is what I do best. If you want to know about skin care and how to get your skin looking great, my salons are the places to go. I have been honing my skills since being licensed in skin care in 1985—almost 30 years! I don’t have big salons nor do I do anything other than facials, but this is what works—for me. And my client is the person who is looking to simplify his or her skin care routine and still come out with great skin.

Carolyn Ash Skin Care is located in Boulder, Colorado. Carolyn is the author of Timeless Skin: Healthy Skin for a Lifetime as well as her second book, Skin Care A to Z.

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This and the last two posts (Website ideas: About Me—Skin Expert, About me—Ballet to Beauty) constitute the About Me section of my website. I recommend looking at several websites, skin care or otherwise, and read through their perspective About pages to get ideas on what you might want to add to your own website. Having information available is important for your clients to learn a little more about you before they come in for a facial or to simply decide if they want to come into your salon.

Website ideas: About me—Ballet to Beauty

This article is in the About Carolyn section of my website, carolynash.com. One of my publicists wrote it when my first book, Timeless Skin, was coming out and I was in high-promotion mode. Through the years I have updated it to correspond with where I’m living and any other updates that are needed.

About me page on my website: From Ballet to Beauty

Carolyn Ash
from Ballet to Beauty

Me, age 14

A passion for health, healing, and the human body led Carolyn Ash to a career as an aesthetician and a renowned skin care specialist—but her unique understanding of skin and the body can be traced to her years as a ballet dancer. 

A dancer since the age of four, Ash studied on scholarship at Balanchine’s School of American Ballet (SAB) in New York City before injuries forced her to give up dancing. Yet it is her experience as a dancer that is what she attributes to her unique insight about the connection between mind, body, and spirit. 

“Ballet dancing really puts you in-tune with your body like nothing else can,” says Ash. “Through dancing I learned to appreciate the key role that diet and exercise play in determining how we look and feel.”

At age 23, Ash decided to follow her avid interest in health and healing and moved to Dallas to attend skin care school. In 1986, when the Hotel Crescent Court in Dallas decided to open a spa, Ash was hired as a facialist and massage therapist.

While at the world famous Spa at the Crescent, her talent as an aesthetician quickly became recognized. In ’86 and ’87 she received the distinction of “Best Facial in Dallas” by D Magazine and “Best Facial” by W Magazine. Celebrities such as Kim Alexis, musician Lisa Loeb, and journalist Robin Leach also discovered Ash’s talents as a skin care expert, and many celebrities have continued to seek her advice over the years.

In 1990, Carolyn left Dallas to live in Los Angeles, working for yet another renowned spa at The Biltmore Hotel in Beverly Hills, as well as Dr. Harold Murad’s A Sense of Self Day Spa in Brentwood, California.

After two years in L.A., Ash returned to The Spa at the Crescent to share her new knowledge with her Dallas clientele. Then in 1994, she fulfilled her long-long dream of opening her own skin care center, Carolyn Ash Skin Care, which was located in the prestigious Highland Park neighborhood in Dallas.

In 2002 Carolyn moved to Chicago and opened a successful storefront salon on Lincoln Avenue in Lincoln Park. Then in 2007 she moved to the state she was born and raised in, Colorado, where she currently has a salon in the wonderful front range town of Boulder. Since opening her salons, she has built a clientele that includes people from all over the country. Based on her experience with literally thousands of clients, she was inspired to write about how to have and maintain healthy skin.

“I wrote Timeless Skin and Skin Care A to Z because I believe people want to be told the truth,” says Ash. “I wanted to dispel the myths and falsehoods floating around about skin care and instead offer sound advice to help people maintain healthy skin...for a lifetime. It all comes down to following a simple skin care routine, protecting your skin from sun exposure, and finding ways to balance the stress in your life.”

“We are all concerned about aging. But aging is a natural process—one that we should embrace not run from. Accepting this inevitable process, acknowledging your inner beauty, and realizing that The Fountain of Youth is found within, is what aging gracefully is all about,” says Ash.

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If you were in a different field prior to becoming an aesthetician, consider putting something about your experience on your website. I have found many clients like to know personal information about me and having something like this for them to read satisfies that curiosity.

Website ideas: About Me—Skin Expert

Below is an article about me on my [older version] website. As with a few of the About Me articles, I wrote this myself. One day I was looking through a magazine and saw an interview with an expert. I liked the layout and with a few modifications to make the questions make sense for my particular field, I had a nicely put-together article. Don’t hesitate to write about yourself. No one knows how your business operates better than you!

Carolyn Ash is determined to demystify skin care

Gone are the days where simple was king. Now consumers are inundated with technology, which includes information on proper skin care. “Taking care of your skin is really very simple. It’s marketing and advertising that tends to complicate the process,” says the 53-year-old skin care veteran, whose always makeup-less skin is flawless.

“I graduated from skin care school in 1985. Unfortunately, back then, they weren’t teaching us much in school. It was incumbent upon me to study on my own to find out the true workings of the skin and how to take care of it. I think schools nowadays are giving a more complete education, which will definitely benefit the client.”

Ash opened her first Carolyn Ash Skin Care salon in Dallas, Texas in 1994 after working for The Spa at the Crescent (also in Dallas) for over seven years. It was at The Spa that Carolyn discovered she had a unique talent to communicate seemingly complex ideas about health and skin care into easy-to-understand steps and procedures. She also learned what to do and what not to do to run a successful business. 

Carolyn Ash does it her way
“I always knew I wanted to have my own business. I like having control over all aspects of how my office(s) run. This way I can be sure the customer is getting the very best service possible. Not too long ago a client came in for a facial and was telling me about a spa she had been to recently. ’I felt like I was just a number there,’ she said. I told her the only number she is at my salon is #1. I like that, and I truly believe that is how everyone feels once they leave my office.” It is a very personalized service offered at Ash’s salons. They aren’t big spas; they are comfortable environments that are set up to be one-on-one with the client. If you are interested in great skin and a wealth of skin care advice, Carolyn Ash Skin Care is the place to go. 

Carolyn Ash emerges as a popular writer and talk show guest
Ash turned her passion for skin care and education into a popular first book entitled Timeless Skin: Healthy Skin for a Lifetime. Her writing efforts have gotten her notoriety in Dallas, Chicago, and in her current hometown, Boulder, Colorado. In the past Carolyn has written for national publications such as Natural Health Magazine and American Baby Magazine. She was also featured on TV, whether on local morning shows, or national programs like The Iyanla Show. In 2004, Ash published a 2nd book: Skin Care from A to Z. This second effort explores reader’s email questions along with case studies of clients from her salons. 

Carolyn Ash: educator and public speaker
After being discovered through the publicity from Timeless Skin, Carolyn Ash has enjoyed educating people all over the country. She has been hired as a public speaker for various skin care companies and has traveled around to salons, helping to educate employees on the Carolyn Ash facial technique. “What I love about public speaking is reaching a lot of people at once versus one person at a time—in a facial for instance. I also love going into a salon and, even though they don’t necessarily use the products I do at my salons, I am able to impart important information on how to give a great facial and how to set up the business to ensure 100% client satisfaction.”

The Carolyn Ash Skin Care mission

The mission at Carolyn Ash Skin Care is to give helpful and honest information on achieving clear and healthy skin...for a lifetime, whether to a client in one of her salons or a person ordering products by mail. Ash states, “If you don’t have clear skin, it will require diligence and discipline to achieve it. But clear and healthy skin is absolutely possible—for everyone. I just want to simplify the process so you can get on with your life!”

UPDATE: I had a complete overhaul of my website in November 2015. I decided to take out these pages and publish them on my layperson’s blogsite, ageless beauty, timeless skin. I recently posted the equivelent of this skin expert page: About Carolyn Ash—skin care expert. Also see:

• Carolyn Ash Skin Care website gets a facelift