Beauty & Wellness Industry after Covid-19

There is no doubt that humanity is facing an unprecedented challenge.   A crisis that caught everyone by total surprise.  No one was prepared for such a day.  Every industry has been impacted by the pandemic.  However, some industries like beauty & wellness are more vulnerable than others.

The beauty & wellness industry whose business mainly depends on being in close proximity and touching clients will not be able to stand up to this pandemic.  As the lockdown continues, many spas and salons worldwide have been forced to lay off employees, whilst others cannot afford to pay expenses which will eventually force them out of business.  Does this mean the industry will wither away?

Beauty & wellness will survive this challenge as people need to feel good about themselves.  However, the industry is bound to undergo a change in how things are done.  Many argue that salons, spas, beauty parlours & barber shops will present a threat even after the situation returns to normal as they can be a vehicle for transmitting the virus.  So how will the beauty industry survive this unparalleled crisis? What precautionary measures can the beauty & wellness sector take to ensure the safety of their clients?

Salons & Spas must start to increase hygiene measures and adopt healthy habits.  They must visibly demonstrate that they are upholding high hygiene and safety standards.  Salons & Spas must do deep cleaning regularly.  They must disinfect all surfaces, tables, furniture, shelves, door handles, card machines and computers.  All tools must be disinfected with barbicide and sprayed with alcohol then placed in closed pouches. All bottles, including hair spray, shampoo, shower gels, body lotions, nail polishes must be disinfected after each client.

Masks & gloves will continue to remain a necessity in the beauty & wellness industry as therapists, nail technicians & hairdressers should wear them as a part of their uniform in order to be seen as clean and following hygiene standards.  In between clients and treatments, beauty professionals should wash their hands and disinfect tools.  Towels and massage bed sheets should be replaced with disposable ones to give clients peace of mind that they are not using the same towel someone else used.

Salons & spas should implement extra measures such as taking the temperature of clients as they walk in and offer them hand sanitizers.   They should enforce the social distancing rule and seat the clients six feet apart.    To avoid overcrowding the salon/spa, they should accept clients by appointment only. They should do away with magazines and serve drinks in disposable cups.  Instead of cash payments, they should encourage card payments.

The beauty and wellness industry will find ways to navigate this challenge.  By adopting strict hygiene and safety standards, there is no doubt that it will survive this crisis and emerge stronger.  Change always happens for the best.