6 Lies Your Beauty Therapist Tells You

You trust her with your wrinkles, your nether regions and the knots in your back; the woman knows you as intimately as your partner, but we guarantee she’s still keeping a few trade secrets from you…

LIE: Don’t mix brands, it’ll confuse your skin
Guess what? Your skin can’t read labels or recognise that you’re mixing skincare brands. The only way you could confound your skin is by combining skincare products with conflicting benefits, for example a cleanser for dry skin and a moisturiser for oily skin. These products will counteract each other and nullify the intended effects of both products – you may as well use soap and water.

LIE: You’re just a few sessions of treatment X away from perfect skin
Yes your beauty therapist will recommend her very best in-house treatment and yes LED and other non-invasive beauty treatments have come a long way in delivering effective and lasting results, but remember – she is also relying on your business to restock her winter wardrobe. So if you’re in your forties and dreaming of your thirties what you really need for dramatic results (and what your beauty therapist won’t recommend unless she offers these procedures herself) are injectables or cosmetic surgery.

LIE: You absolutely need this R1500 jar of night cream
Not all beauty products are created equal. Love that fancy glass jar on your bathroom shelf? It’s actually super unhygienic as the active ingredients you’re paying for lose their oomph and break down further every time you remove the lid and expose the product to fresh air and light.
So don’t pay for a luxury brands’ advertising expenses, shop by ingredients and not by pretentious brand names or pretty packaging.

LIE: Noooo, it doesn’t hurt at all
Everyone has a different pain threshold and beauty therapists have seen it all, from the man who bawled like a baby at a tingling facial to the mom who went full Hollywood without a flinch. Can you really blame your beautician for relaying the more positive feedback she’s received in an attempt to reassure you?

LIE: Runny nose, toe jam? Oh I don’t mind at all
We all like a clean workspace, and beauty therapists are no exception. Just because yours is too professional to show any signs of repulsion at your foot odour during a pedi or your sniffing during a lip wax, doesn’t mean the letters FML aren’t flying through her mind. Show her a little respect and clean up before you leave the house.

LIE: What? The dad from next door? Nope, he doesn’t get his back waxed here
We go through all kinds of awkward situations with our beauty therapists, and the reason we trust them enough to strip down to our birthday suit is because of their discretion. You wouldn’t want her telling your bestie (because of course you go to the same salon) about that little patch of facial hair that’s sprouted up lately, so don’t expect her to dish the dirt on what her other clients are getting up to.

More: 5 White lies your hairdresser is telling you