5 Cool Business Ideas That Are All About Skin Care

Americans spend billions of dollars every year to look as good as they possibly can, and a large chunk of those billions is spent on skin care. While some people survive on just soap and water to keep their skin healthy and looking fresh, many are dropping hefty amounts of cash on everything from microdermabrasion and herbal facials to Botox injections and cosmetic surgery. If you love skin care and you need a business idea, but you’d like to avoid having to get a medical degree, put your love to work making money with these five business ideas that are all about skin care.

1. Herbalist

Herbalists are alternative health care professionals who practice a form of medicine care based in herbs, tonics, oils, and other products that are derived naturally from plants. Many certified herbalists are trained to diagnose and treat a wide range of maladies, but it’s possible to hone in on skin health, too. From encouraging clients to drink Goldenseal Tea to crafting herbal facial scrubs and tinctures, herbalists take a plant-based approach to solving skin care issues.

2. Skin Care Product Maker

If you’ve always enjoyed solving your own problems and developing your own skin care recipes, then you may want to consider making skin care products yourself. Especially as awareness grows about the negative effects of harsh and synthetic chemicals on personal and environmental health, more and more people are turning to skin care products that are natural.

To run a successful skin care product business, you’ll need to have enough capital to develop a line of products in a consistent manner that you can then sell in your own retail space, over the Internet, or in other shops. Marketing and packaging will be essential components of finding success, as well, regardless of how good your products are, so make sure you have enough money at the start to not only develop and make your product line, but to also see it through a vigorous marketing campaign.

3. Mobile Spa

Running your own mobile spa is a great way to go into business for yourself and offer a service people will want to buy. With a mobile spa service, you can give people spa treatments in their homes, at hotels, during conferences, at festivals — anywhere, really. For a mobile spa to find success, it’s helpful if the services it provides are wider ranging than just skin care, although offering facials, skin care consultancy, microdermabrasion treatments, and esthetician services is a great place to start. If you can also offer massage, manicure and pedicure services, bridal party hair and makeup, and the like, however, you’ll find wider ranging sales and client possibilities.

4. Skin Care Consultant

A skin care consultant is someone who works with individual clients to assess their skin care needs and correct them via the use of certain products, a change in diet, various forms of exercise, and the like. Skin care consultants usually require some sort of certification, licensure, or experience in order to successfully convince people to hire them for their services. Once you have that, however, the key is marketing. Build a portfolio of “Before” and “After” photos of people who have used your consultant services and post them and testimonials to your website. Photos and the words of happy clients are essential to a skin care consultant’s success.

5. Soap Maker

Soap making is an ancient craft that is simple enough for anyone to learn and practice. In the same way that people are seeking out local and natural alternatives for skin care products in general, they’re also seeking out soap options that are homemade and better for their skin and the environment. While making soap requires a bit of a learning curve, once you’ve mastered the techniques and you’ve put your own unique spin on a recipe, the trick to a successful business will be all about great packaging and hard-won sales.

Get local stores and spas to carry your soap. Shop it to various independent hotels and motels in your region. Attend farmer’s markets, craft fairs, and health bazaars. Wherever you can get your product in front of people, do so.

Going into business for yourself — especially when you’re doing something you love — is one of life’s greatest pleasures. Harness your passion for skin care and make money at the same with one of these five cool business ideas.