In the field of beauty, the regulations are constantly changing. This is because technological advances are forever enhancing the treatments and services that can be given. The field of esthetics is currently being affected by advancements, and these changes are creating a need for adjustments to be made in the current regulations.

First and foremost, the beauty industry generated $60 billion in revenue in 2008, and by 2011, this rate rose by 5.3 percent. A portion of this profit was earned by estheticians who are currently employed by medical spas, clinics and even by dermatologists.

The state of Washington currently has laws implemented that require an esthetician to have 600 hours of training from a licensed school. A student must pass an examination given by the Washington State Department of Licensing (DOL). Once the 600 hours of training have been completed, a licensed esthetician is able to use lasers under the supervision of a physician, according to the regulations enforced by the Medical Quality Assurance Commission. Seems simple, right? Well, the issue lies with the fact that during the course of a 600-hour training program, it’s not feasible to fit laser training into the curriculum; even basic laser training is difficult to be squeezed into such a short time span.

As of right now, the laser training rests on the shoulders of the business that hires the esthetician, and there are no set standards as to how it is done. In fact, the laser training can consist of a few hours of instruction from the person who sells the company a laser and that person then spreads the word to the rest of the staff. In some instances, an employee may go through private lessons, and who pays for it depends on the company that hires the esthetician. And some estheticians opt to go out of state to well-known facilities for more comprehensive training. One laser clinic has spent more than $25,000 to send her estheticians for out-of-state training.

Originally, the Northwest Aestheticians’ Guild proposed that schools begin offering a 1,200-hour training, but this idea was shot down, since it would cause people to have to learn more than just the traditional practice of esthetics. Not to mention, it would harm schools because it would lead to them being required to double their training, which could possibly put them out of business.

The bill that’s set to go into law will increase the 600-hour training to 750 hours. This will help familiarize students with the new technologies, and it will give the students more opportunities to practice. Laser services will not be part of the 750-hour certification curriculum, and all estheticians will no longer be able to give infections. A new license will be created known as the master esthetician license, which consists of 1,200 hours of training and includes instruction on lasers and medium-depth peels. Skincare professionals who have a 600-hour esthetician license will automatically be grandfathered into the 750-hour license. Anyone who now has an esthetician license will have five different ways to become eligible for the master esthetician license, and it gives current estheticians until January 1, 2015 to qualify for the master esthetician license by being grandfathered in.

You can learn a lot from an esthetician, including some very important information about exfoliation. Sure, you may think there cannot be anything else to know about something that seems so simple. Most young girls are taught something about exfoliation from their mothers, whether it be to use your wash rag in a circular motion when you wash your face, or to use harsh scrubs that contain pieces of nut shell. But in this case, mamma may not always know best. Here are three things that an esthetician could tell you that may surprise you.

1. Use a Lubricant

Olive oil, moisturizer, even baby oil is better than nothing. Just do not exfoliate bare skin. No matter how much it claims to be safe for sensitive skin, if you use it without some protection you might as well be using sandpaper. A cream or oil will not get in the way of the exfoliation process. It will actually help it.

2. Less Really Is More

You need to do it, but be careful not to do it too much. It is kind of like eating. You have to eat to stay healthy, but too much food or the wrong kinds of food can actually do damage. Exfoliation is essential to healthy skin, but doing it too often actually defeats the purpose. Exfoliation is meant to remove dead skin cells and leave room for healthy, younger ones to shine through. If you exfoliate more than once per week chances are you are getting rid of healthy skin cells, which increases cell production. The result is too many cells needing attention and care, and a dull or uneven complexion.

3. Step Away from the Sandpaper

Regardless of skin’s condition, harsh scrubs are not the answer. Skin cells are delicate and it does not take much to knock them free. Larger beads are better than jagged sandy ones, and a homemade scrub made with a rich cream and fine grain sugar works just fine. Use a light touch, rinse thoroughly, and beautiful skin is yours for the taking. The rougher the grain, the more irritating and damaging the skin is going to be. Damage and irritation does not result in beauty.

Estheticians are full of useful information and great skin care is their specialty. They take what they learn in esthetics schools and take your exfoliation advice from them and watch glowing skin ensue. Find a beauty school and BeautySchool.com.

Would you allow someone to place live snails all over your face? What about if it was for relaxation purposes? Or, how about for method to rejuvenate your skin?

One salon is using these slimy creatures as a massage method. As a main course, African snails are a delicacy, but as a spa treatment, they help to regenerate the skin. The beauty spa located in the Siberian section of Russia in a city named Krasnoyars is using these shelled-animals to give a massage. Once the mollusks are placed on the skin, they will crawl all over the client’s face and leave a trail of slime. Ultimately, this type of massage is said to eliminate wrinkles.

One manufacturer of snail-made products, Christian Plaut of Andes Nature states that using snail helps to eliminate the need for abrasive chemicals, since snail is all natural.
While many beauty products that are known to reduce wrinkles contain snail, the spa owned by Alyona Zlotnikova is the first in its area to use the snails directly rather than using a cream that contains it.

Besides being able to reduce the appearance of fine lines, snail is also used as an acne treatment. Other uses of the creature include being able to reduce the presence of spots and scars, and it acts as a way to heal burns. Additionally, the ooze is used as a natural sunscreen, because it blocks UV rays. This prevents your skin from becoming damaged by the sun. Plus, snail discharge has the ability to fight against bacteria that enters into the skin, and it can even protect the skin from cuts.

You may be wondering exactly what makes snail such a powerful spa treatment and even an ingredient in certain skincare products. The answer is that the secretion that is given off by a snail, which is useful in its locomotion, consists of protein that aids in the anti-aging process. Elastin also comprises the substance. This particular protein is in an active ingredient in numerous products on the market today, since it is used to keep the skin flexible. As a beneficial agent in the snail slime, glycolic acid reduces the appearance of acne. When cosmetic manufacturers add glycolic acid to their products, they add it for its moisturizing and exfoliating properties.