By Tawnya Fornerod, founder of Just The Strip and a licensed esthetician of almost 25 years who owns multiple waxing studios.
The short answer: the aftercare to sell to waxing clients is the same simple routine you already use in the treatment room, which is Simply Pure Body Wash to cleanse, an ingrown hair serum to help prevent ingrown hairs, and a few drops of Nourishing Oil to finish, with a Sugar Body Scrub two or three times a week starting 24 to 48 hours after the service. Choose Smooth Operator as the serum for most clients, and Truth Serum for sensitive skin, facial waxing and anyone who is pregnant or nursing. When your shelf matches what you just used on the treatment table, retail simply becomes the last step of the service, whether you wax or sugar.
I have spent almost 25 years in this industry, and I built Just The Strip because I wanted my own clients to go home with aftercare I could stand behind completely. We are a family owned company, our Nourishing Oils are made by us in small batches in the hills of Southern Oregon, and we are moving as much of our manufacturing as we possibly can to the United States so every product reflects the quality you deserve to put your name behind.
What is the best aftercare to sell to waxing clients?
Start with the three steps every client needs, and let the rest of the shelf grow from there. Simply Pure Body Wash is step one, a pH balanced, fragrance free wash that is gentle enough for everybody, men, women and children, that also works beautifully as an intimate wash, and it is made for us in the USA by a manufacturing partner.
For step two, the serum, Smooth Operator uses salicylic, glycolic and lactic acids together, and it goes on right after the service and once a day between appointments to help keep the follicle clear. Truth Serum is acid free and built on botanicals like witch hazel, chamomile and purslane, with no added fragrance, which is why it is the serum we recommend for sensitive skin, facial waxing, and clients who are pregnant or nursing, always paired with a gentle reminder to check with a doctor.
Step three is Nourishing Oil, the part clients tell us they can feel. Used every day, it softens the hair, the skin and the follicle, so the hair slides out more easily at the next wax. Plain Jane is fragrance free and nut free, while Dreamsicle, Slow Your Roll, Silky Smooth and Lemon Dream contain sweet almond oil.
Once those three are moving, add the exfoliating step. Sugar Body Scrub is made for the body rather than the face, contains coconut oil, and is used two or three times a week starting 24 to 48 hours after hair removal, and our Exfoliating Gloves and Silicone Cactus Bikini and Body Scrubber follow the same 24 to 48 hour wait.
Is the aftercare I sell different for sugaring clients?
The routine is the same for sugaring and waxing, because both remove the hair from the root and leave the follicle open for a day or two. Every product in this routine is made to go on after waxing, sugaring or shaving, so a sugarist can stock exactly the same shelf and tell every client the same simple story. For a studio that offers both services, that means your whole team recommends one routine to every guest.
How much should I mark up retail aftercare for my waxing clients?
Our PRO 3 Packs are priced at half of retail, so selling each bottle at our retail price doubles what you paid, which pros call a keystone margin. As an example, a 1 oz Nourishing Oil retails for $26, and the Nourishing Oils 3 Pack is $39, so each bottle costs you $13 and earns $13 when it sells from your shelf. Many studios keep one bottle open in the treatment room and retail the other two.
If you would rather not hold inventory, our PRO Reseller Guide explains drop shipping at 30 percent off retail and a 10 percent off client code that pays you a 10 percent commission, and plenty of pros mix all three ways of selling.
How do I get my studio's retail shelf ready for the holidays?
The people on your treatment table start thinking about gifts long before December, so this is a beautiful time to set the three step routine together on one shelf as a ready made gift, with the soft touch velvet bottles doing much of the work, and to keep the Exfoliating Gloves and Silicone Cactus Scrubber near the front desk as easy little extras.
Our Product Info Cards and Shelf Talkers let your shelf speak for you while you are with a client, and our Waxing Aftercare Cards send your instructions home in the bag. Wholesale orders of $200 or more ship free, except soft wax, the 16 oz and gallon Pre and Post Wax Oils and the 8 oz PRO Nourishing Oils, so planning one larger order for the season is usually the easiest way to stock up.
How do I talk about aftercare at the treatment table without feeling salesy?
Use the products during the service and name them as you go, because a client who has just felt the oil on freshly waxed skin rarely needs convincing. A single sentence at checkout is all it takes, something like, "This is exactly what I used on you today, and if you use it every day until I see you again, your next wax will feel even easier." Framed as the way your guest protects the result you created together, retail feels like care, because that is exactly what it is.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much should I mark up retail aftercare?
Our PRO 3 packs are priced at half of retail, so selling each product at our retail price doubles your cost, which is a keystone margin. On a $30 retail product you pay $15 and keep $15 on every unit sold.
Can I sell Just The Strip aftercare without holding inventory?
Yes. With drop shipping, you collect full retail plus flat shipping from your client, email us the order at hello@justthestrip.com, and we invoice you at 30 percent off retail and ship directly to your client.
Do I need to apply to buy PRO 3 packs?
No. There is no application and no login. Licensed estheticians, waxers, sugarists and salon owners with an active business simply check out with a business name and email, and we confirm professional status on every order before it ships.
Which aftercare should I sell to clients who are pregnant or nursing?
Truth Serum is the ingrown hair serum we recommend during pregnancy and nursing, because it contains no salicylic, glycolic or lactic acid and no added fragrance. Pair it with Simply Pure Body Wash and Plain Jane Nourishing Oil, and suggest a quick check with a doctor for anyone with specific concerns.
Can I try the products before I stock my retail shelf?
Yes. Our Pro Retail Starter Kits pair full size retail products so you can use the routine yourself before a larger PRO order, with up to four single retail products per business in total, and you can email hello@justthestrip.com to ask about pro samples.
Bring the aftercare you trust into your studio
The routine your client takes home is how the care you gave on the treatment table keeps going until the next visit. Shoppers can find the whole routine in our Waxing Aftercare Products collection, and pros will find every PRO 3 pack in For the Pros Only, with the price list, reseller guide and printables waiting in the PRO Resource Center. If you would love to feel these products in your own hands before you fill your shelf, reach out to us at hello@justthestrip.com about pro samples, because nothing makes me happier than helping a studio build a shelf it is proud of.
