It's probably everyones worst nightmare, your treatment has made your client unwell. You have a paper record from over six months ago, the client was was fine, but this time they have an allergic reaction. Who's fault is it? The truth is allergies can start at any point, so everyone should be aware of the chemicals they put on their skin. Most people in the beauty industry do a fantastic job of keeping their clients safe. We know that the way we practice patch testing needs to change where the responsibility is shared between the client and the therapist/salon.
Initially, we created good to glo to solve the patch test problem, we looked at the science and the chemicals we use, we found ourselves saying: the beauty industry needs more regulation, turns out lots of people in the beauty industry agree. Our in house scientist Dr Mike explains....
What's your overall thoughts on the way the beauty industry is regulated at the moment?
I think the regulation is good at the manufacturing side of the cosmetics industry but is way too loose when the product reaches the consumer. It is frightening what chemicals are in some of these home kits that unskilled consumers are using on themselves.
How does the beauty industry compare to other fields, in terms of COSSH and regulation?
I think you have a mix. Some salons take it seriously and have everything in place, these places generally also have highly skilled beauty professionals. Then you have other that either ignore it or have never heard of it. There is a cost difference between the two and unfortunately some consumers will risk their health to get a cheaper deal.
How could the industry become more regulated?
I think the industry could do more to educate their beauty professionals and the consumers to the risks posed by some of the cosmetic products and treatments. I think the customers should do more to block cheap imports of cosmetic products that have illegal ingredients or illegal concentrations or restricted ingredients. I would look at new regulation to restrict certain beauty treatments to qualified beauty professionals and licensed salons, and restrict what products can be sold to directly to the consumer.
Why do you think beauty therapists and salons should sign-up to good to glo?
The good to glo app give you the framework to comply with the requirements of doing colouring or tinting treatments. It also keeps a digital record in case there is a legal complaint against you , this can be used as evidence to prove you did everything right.
What's your background?
I’m a chemist by education and received my PhD in Chemistry from Cambridge in 2002. I’ve spent most of my career developing chemical processes in which chemical safety plays a big role.
How did you get involved in good to glo?
Mine and Ruth's children are in the same class. We got talking after dropping the kids off in the morning, the conversation got onto allergies and the regulations about the usage of hazardous chemical!
Got any questions for Dr Mike? We'd love your feedback.
Book here for a FREE App and Software demo.
If you are ready to take your #patchtest game to the next level, you can sign-up for our in-house training, where you'll get access to
🌟Module 1: How to stay compliant and protect the health of your staff and your clients
🌟Module 2: Structure of the hair and skin 🌟Module 3: Hazardous chemicals and allergic reactions
🌟Module 4: Safe usage of hair dyes and tint products
🌟Module 5: Safe eye treatments 🌟Module 6: Safe hair treatments We're here to help you to get safe, legal and compliant 😘