Kate Sowden is a registered nurse and the co-founder of BeautyFULL Cosmetic Medical Clinic, and she told us how she navigates the fine line between fulfilling customer desires and maintaining an ethical practice.

ISB: Your industry is particularly driven by social media trends. What strategies do you use to manage client expectations when it comes to treatments in an era of viral internet trends?

KS: Yes, within the beauty space in this era of AI and photoshop apps it can be difficult for patients and to distinguish what are legitimate and realistic results. We follow the rule that if a before and after photograph is too good to be true, it often is. I also find clinics that don’t showcase videos can also raise suspicion.

There have been previous trends towards overfilling lips, a few years ago this trend boomed with Kylie Jenner. However, we remained true to our clinic values, prioritising patient safety, transparency, and ethical practice. Any treatment performed must be suitable for the individual patient.

ISB: Have you ever had to turn away a client who wanted an unsafe or unnecessary service? How do you do this?

KS: We feel comfortable turning away a patient for an unnecessary treatment. This can be a matter of patient safety and symptoms of Body Dysmorphic Disorder.

Every patient is potentially a walking advertisement for your clinic. Treating patients unnecessarily is detrimental, not only for the patients themselves, but also for the practicing cosmetic injector.

Too often, patients will present to our clinic seeking further lip volumising treatments following treatment elsewhere. Unfortunately, we have noticed this has become too common in our clinic – where we have to inform patients that rather than injecting another ml of filler into their lips, they would require dissolving.

ISB: Would love to know how you deal with pressure – i.e. from competitors or industry trends – to adopt a treatment you weren’t convinced by.

KS: We made a conscious decision not to follow hype or trends instead, we only offer treatments we have personally tried and trust.

Within the cosmetic industry and social media trends there is constantly something new brought to the Australian market. Often, we may be late to market with offering a treatment or product. However, we believe this is best practice to ensure results claimed are both authentic and achievable for patients; ensuring it has been tried and tested adequately.

Hype comes and goes, but trust is what builds long-lasting rapport with patients. We focus on honest marketing, real results, and meaningful relationships with our patients.

Over the years, we’ve collaborated with other businesses, but we quickly learned that aligning values is crucial. Some partnerships faded as their direction shifted away from our core values.

ISB: You mention you have a patient-first philosophy. How have you maintained your personal touch as the business grows bigger?

KS: In 2021, we restructured our business ownership, ensuring full family control. This was a game-changer for us. It gave us complete freedom to make values-driven decisions and maintain our high standards and personal touch.

Our training model is quite different to other clinics. We don’t outsource our training, as all training is provided by myself and Dr Margaret, this ensures our practitioners all offer the same quality of patient care.

Many clinics offer a one-to-two day training course, whereas we have maintained a practice that all new staff members have to shadow our practitioners for a minimum of three months.

ISB: How has your adoption of technology into the business helped you deliver a better experience for your patients?

KS: Years ago, all patient records were paper-based, requiring manual scanning and filing. Now, we use cosmetic-specialized software that integrates telehealth consultations, automated medical forms, patient notes, and secure digital storage for patient photographs

This all-in-one digital system has significantly boosted productivity, reduced admin time, and improved the patient journey.

The post “This trend boomed with Kylie Jenner”: What it’s like to run a small cosmetics clinic, according to BeautyFULL appeared first on Inside Small Business.

ISB: What is the inspiration that led you to set up The KIND Collective?

LC and PD: After over 30 years in the beauty industry, we saw an opportunity to offer beauty lovers more than just makeup by creating a brand that reflects our personal mission to make the world a kinder place. We decided that, as a female-owned and run company, we wanted to create a brand that wasn’t just pretty but one that really gives a damn, with products that are kinder to the environment, are 100 per cent vegan and cruelty-free, and of course actually work!

ISB: Aside from the ingredients, what makes vegan-based cosmetics stand out from other types of cosmetics in the market?

PD: In today’s market, customers are demanding vegan formulations and it really can’t be ignored. Vegan-based cosmetics demonstrate our commitment to cruelty-free practices and offer a compassionate choice for consumers who prioritize ethical beauty. This is now an expectation from the customer, especially younger consumers, and brands need to go beyond this focusing on natural, plant-based ingredients, appealing to those seeking gentle, skin-friendly options. This emphasis on ethics, sustainability, and a cleaner ingredient profile distinguishes vegan cosmetics as a conscientious and forward-thinking choice. 

ISB: In what way have your respective backgrounds helped in ensuring the growth of your business?

LC: We both have a true love of beauty and have been in the industry for over 30 years, and business partners since 2004. Pia is our creative director and has a background in creative strategy and product development, while Lynda leads and specialised in sales, and in a past life was a buyer in an Australian leading retailer.

ISB: Can you tell us more about how your business is giving back to women and the environment?

LC and PD: At The KIND Collective, our dedication to giving back drives everything we do. We are proud to be the first Australian makeup brand that is B Corp certified. It took two years in total but this accreditation signals to our team, our partners and our community that we meet the highest global standards of environmental and social performance, accountability, and transparency. Through partnerships with i=change charities, each online purchase directly supports initiatives empowering women and nurturing our environment. We’re deeply committed to causes that resonate with our ethos of kindness and sustainability. This extends to our business and sourcing practices, from bamboo packaging and using suppliers with zero waste practices. 

ISB: How do you envision the KIND Collective’s growth in the next couple of years?

LC and PD: We’re continuing to establish KIND as a trusted Australian, women-owned beauty brand that offers more than just pretty makeup. We want to be the go-to for beauty consumers looking for active, nourishing, ethical and cutting-edge cosmetics. In the coming months, we will be launching over 50 new products with our retail partners Big W and Priceline. In the years to come we are up to the challenge to grow to be a global powerhouse, with that scale and volume we have big plans for what we can do in our social and environmental practices to make sure we give back to our community. 

ISB: What has been the most important insight you’ve gained in this business journey that an aspiring entrepreneur should take to heart?

LC and PD: To be agile, prioritise and just go for it! Make sure to surround yourself with the right support network who will be able to mentor, encourage and challenge you. You don’t need to know all the answers, but you do need to know who to call on for advice and help. We are in the fortunate position of having many amazing opportunities for KIND, and it is only a matter of making sure we are clear on the vision and strategy for the brand moving forward. Having an empowered team, partners and suppliers really helps with this as we can’t be everywhere at the same time. 

The post Q&A: Makeup that is ‘kind’ to both the skin and the environment appeared first on Inside Small Business.