Bringing back body beautiful

Shifting focus from the face to deliver anti-ageing treatments for the body could yield benefits to your business, says Zoe Moleshead

When it comes to the topic of anti-ageing, much of the focus is directed towards the face. Perhaps it’s because this is the area that people most obviously and frequently look at, or maybe it’s because of the continually-increasing number of anti-ageing creams, lotions, serums and treatments devoted to slowing or reversing signs of ageing on the face. The sad truth, however, is that our face is not alone in the ageing process, and in fact placing too much emphasis on the face can be to the detriment of other parts of the body. The neck, hands, arms, knees, legs and décolletage are other areas that are particularly sensitive to ageing, and beauty experts reveal that this results from a number of different factors.

 The causes

“Under our skin is a network of collagen and elastin – proteins that keep skin firm. "With age, this structure weakens and skin begins to lose its elasticity and exhibit signs of ageing. Skin becomes thinner and loses fat, causing wrinkles and sagging,” explains Darshana Mehra, business development manager, Poya Organics. With the hands, knees, feet and neck this problem is exacerbated by the lack of fat and oil-producing glands in these areas to begin with, not to mention the amount of use each of these parts gets on a daily basis. “There is very little fat on the backs of the hands, so when even a small amount of collagen or elastin fibres begin to break down, it’s going to have a noticeable impact on your hands,” says Beverly Gautschi, skin care sales manager, Beauty Leaders.

 

This natural breakdown is compounded by environmental and lifestyle factors – sun exposure, pollutants, poor diet, smoking, alcohol consumption and a lack of exercise – which only serve to underline and contribute to the effects of ageing.

The results of this can extend beyond sagging and wrinkly skin to include “dehydration, impaired barrier function, uneven skin pigmentation, increased roughness, enlarged pore size and redness,” says Anton de Waal, owner/ chief executive officer of Skin Science. Bulging or spider veins may also become more apparent on hands and legs, while cellulite can also become more visible and widespread too. Drilling down more deeply into the effects of lifestyle factors ageing the body, Elizabeth Dunnette, Dermalogica skin therapist, explains how biochemical reactions involving reactive oxygen species (or free radicals), matrix mellatoproteinases (MMPs) and advanced glycation end products (AGEs) are triggered by elements such as stress, UV exposure and diet and accelerate the ageing process. Free radicals, she says, “cause destruction of collagen and elastin in skin,” as do MMPs, which also result in the breakdown of hyaluronic acid. Glycation, meanwhile, results from a build up of sugar and stiffens collagen. The hands, neck and décolletage are particularly vulnerable to the effects of sun exposure and beauty experts agree that these areas seem to suffer primarily because they are frequently overlooked.

The treatments

Suitable products are only part of the solution when it comes to rolling out a treatment programme of anti-ageing body rituals for your customers. Prior to any launch or expansion of existing services, it’s essential to get your staff up to speed with the products, treatments and the benefits they can provide to customers.

“Massages, body wraps and body-contouring treatments are an integral service in any spa, especially for antiageing benefits. [But] it is very important to educate the manager and staff regarding the benefits and contraindications of the body treatments and the products,” says Aruna Singh, director boutique and spa, Ayana Wellness Boutique & Spa. Once staff are on board the next step is to educate your customers and to provide them with an understanding of why they would require these treatments. The face, as we’ve mentioned, is frequently the focus for anti-ageing treatments and your existing clients may already be familiar with treatments you offer to target it, now it’s time to broaden their outlook to other areas of the body. Momentum’s Krasniqi suggests creating a special anti-ageing section in the treatment menu. Here you can highlight the importance of tackling premature ageing, and showcase the expanded range of anti-ageing treatments that you offer. De Waal goes into even greater detail suggesting a number of activities you could try in order to stimulate awareness and demand for anti-ageing body care treatments. He recommends a “free body consultation with each body massage, make notes and give the client feedback afterwards. This gives you an opportunity to talk skin and home care (bodycare) after the treatment.” De Waal also suggests a platform for upselling bodycare services; “during manicures, evaluate the skin on the hands and arms and mention that the skin on the arms and hands is an immediate giveaway of age.” At this stage you can recommend one of your newly launched bodycare treatments. Another key way that you can look to introduce anti-ageing elements to your clients is by introducing a specific product as part of another body treatment, or as part of a package. Mehra proposes a three step process that incorporates a scrub, body mud and massage. Whatever approach you take to rolling out an extended anti-ageing treatment menu, Gautschi  says you shouldn’t lose sight of the very reason you have introduced the services, for the benefit of the client. “It is very important to develop the correct menu of treatments for the spa/salon and that the consumer understands the treatments that are being offered and that they are result-orientated.”

 The products

It’s probably fair to say that in the salon or spa environment your therapists will have no trouble identifying the aforementioned signs of ageing – wrinkles, pigmentation, dehydration, and so forth – but if you are looking to develop treatments or introduce retail ranges that tackle ageing of all or even specific body areas, what key ingredients should you be looking for in products? Retinol, hyalauronic acid and vitamin C (ascorbic acid) are among the most popular ingredients cited by beauty experts. Joan Nguyo, account manager, Spa Resources International, also suggests argan oil for lifting and nourishing, shea butter as a conditioning emoillient, algae or seaweed for their antioxidant qualities, milk protein, coconut oil and macademia oil, which respectively help to feed, smooth and protect the skin. Other recommended ingredients include vitamins A, D and E and salicylic acid. Furthermore, Jade Krasniqi, marketing executive, Momentum advocates products that feature marine collagen polypeptides, marine elastin polypeptides and sorghum. With such an array of ingredients to select from, it is essential to investigate carefully any potential brand or product range you might be looking to introduce or use, don’t simply take a tick list approach to the aforementioned ingredients and assume they will deliver the required results to clients. Perhaps begin by identifying a product line that fits with the ethos of your business, or reach out to existing suppliers to see what they may offer, and as Gautschi and Dunnette advise, look for brands that have fully researched and tested their products.