With more than 25 years experience in the skincare landscape Sydney based practitioner Sarah Hudson who will be hosting this year’s BSI in September has launched her signature range. Anita Quade chats to this entrepreneur about her science based formulas bottled in sustainable packaging.
How did you get your start in beauty – was it something you were always drawn to?
“My own skin! Like many therapists I suffered from acne as teenager. I wanted to understand solutions to improving skin, that didn’t involve conventional methods such as medication.”
You have been a practising aesthetician for over 25 years, what keeps you inspired?
“As a hands-on skin practitioner, what keeps me inspired is the positive change I can make to my clients’ skin and their lives. The confidence it brings them is truly invaluable. Also, my new collection Sarah Hudson, has kept me motivated to develop formulations that promote natural beauty and maintain the integrity of the skin.”
What are some changes you’ve seen in the skincare industry since you started your career?
“One integral change is the use of evidence-based skincare ingredients to enhance the skin. Our clients are now becoming more aware of what they put on their skin, and are looking for ways adopt a more sustainable and eco-friendly skincare routine.”
There are so many skincare and beauty posts on social media has this had an effect on the industry?
“I have seen the power of social media to shed light on ingredients used in formulation, as well as to showcase amazing result and improvements. Never before have we been so obsessed with “Before and Afters”!
How important is education for practitioners?
“The high level of education and training we have access to has also increased dramatically over the years. A silver-lining of the Covid lockdowns was engaging in-online education. Having the ability to watch an educational webinar at night or in your lunchbreak is fundamental for improving your own knowledge and education – it’s so important.”
What are some career highlights and moments you’re most proud of?
“Definitely in 2021 my newly launched Sarah Hudson Collection. A luxury, science-driven and efficacious skincare range backed by years of clinical research and innovation. Each product was carefully curated, so there are no compromises on the ingredients, formulations, and packaging.
2020 the opportunity to MC and moderate the Beauty & Spa Insiders 2020 event. This event is so important to the skin & beauty industry, as it gives both business owners and therapists the opportunity to listen and learn from the industry leaders to further their knowledge and skin expertise.”
What would your advice be to anyone considering a career in aesthetics/beauty therapy?
“I may sound bias but I love what I do. I think this is one of the most amazingly diverse careers.
It is important to attend industry events like the ones held by Professional Beauty and Spa+Clinic, subscribe to industry magazines. Ensure your career doesn’t become stagnant, expand your education and learning to other skincare ranges, methods and technologies. Our industry is wonderfully diverse and we are in a unique position to give people confidence and reinstate their feeling of natural beauty – our job is ultimately to help them feel their most beautiful. And that’s a really powerful thing we should never take for granted.”
What has inspired you to launch a skincare range?
“I place a lot of importance on ensuring the integrity of the products I use for my clients. It came to a stage where I wanted to take their skincare programs to the next level. While I had been achieving good results with existing skincare ranges, I wanted to develop formulations that would achieve targeted, specific results. Understanding how the skin responds to different ingredients and treatments was fundamental in recognising how the skin could be enhanced when evidence-based skincare ingredients are applied.”
Tell us about how you chose the packaging…
“In my professional and personal life I have always exercised an unwavering approach when it to sustainability and the environment. A non-negotiable for me was choosing packaging that could be recycled. Sarah Hudson collection packaging is made from recyclable materials, plus has re-fillable inner chambers that can be recycled, leaning into a circular, eco-friendly business model.”
After working with many different cosmeceutical brands over the course of your career – what were some learnings and observations you applied to your own line?
“My skincare collection is fundamentally about the consumer (with key feedback from my clients). The crucial element, to bring results and change to the consumers skin concerns in an easy-to-understand way. People are busy, they don’t have time to sift through the vast array of skincare products and cosmeceuticals on offer. It’s confusing to know what is best for their skin.
The Sarah Hudson collection is carefully curated by me. It targets key skin concerns in an easily customisable format that clients can understand. They can purchase online, through social media with the use of the QR code on the back of the packaging, or purchase in clinic.”
How important do you think clinical research and trailing is for new ranges and what kind of results do you look for?
“Taking a data-led approach with the formulations is very important. I focused on the cause of skin conditions and worked closely with my cosmetic chemists to find solutions using both in-vitro and in-vivo clinical data to substantiate the way the ingredients work.
Clinical research is key, this such a point of difference for the Sarah Hudson collection. The formulations are carefully curated with my knowledge of the skin, and expertise of the team of cosmetic chemists I work with.
Every skin is different, it changes hormonally, seasonally and our gut health impacts the way our skin looks and feels. To achieve a true reflection of the results, trialling and documenting how the skin changes over a period of 12- 24 months is important.”
This article originally appeared in the March-April 2022 issue of Professional Beauty.
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