As part of ProCollective’s Beauty File series, we shine a spotlight on the people behind-the-scenes. From those at the forefront of innovation to savvy beauty entrepreneurs, we speak to experts to learn how they got their start, what their day-to-day involves, and their predictions for what’s next in their field.

Ahead, we speak with Charmaine Moukarzel, high-tech educator at About Face, who is responsible for training the skin clinics’ team of therapists on their more advanced treatments.

ProCollective (PC): Firstly, what inspired your career in the beauty industry? Talk us through your journey to date…

Charmaine: I always knew that I wanted to work with people in some way. Before I studied, I worked for a tele-communications company for two years. It was a desk job, and I didn’t get any fulfilment from it, so I decided to make a career change and applied to study beauty therapy. I did a three-year degree in Somatology (Health and Skincare Sciences), and while doing this, I built an increasing passion for skin – from how it operates to what ingredients can be used to treat it.

I worked in a few different skin clinics, including a medical aesthetics skin clinic for four years in Cape Town. My boss inspired me further to learn more and follow my passion, so I have continued to do that for the last 10 years.

ProCollective (PC): As a high-tech educator for About Face, what does a typical day for you entail?

Charmaine: I also manage our Sylvia Park clinic, so I split my time between managing an amazing group of women and training all our experienced therapists in the high-tech treatments that we have to offer. No two days are the same, which is exciting. My training also includes training our front of store team to help answer any questions about the high-tech treatments.

When I am doing training we are looking at how the treatments and machine work in theory and then we practically apply it to all the different concerns that our clients have.

ProCollective (PC): What aspect of your job are you most passionate about?

Charmaine: Education and results. I love sharing my knowledge and watching our therapists’ confidence grow.

PC: What is About Face’s unique philosophy and approach when it comes to treating skin?

Charmaine: We look at everything as a whole and we don’t have a cookie cutter approach to skin. We always do a consultation, which is 45 minutes, before we do any treatment and provide a full skin journey, which includes product, treatment and supplement recommendations. We also only train our most experienced and senior therapists to be doing these treatments to ensure the best outcome for our clients.

PC: What is your favourite treatment to perform?

Charmaine: Oh, that is very difficult to choose! My favourite treatment to perform is whatever is the best treatment to target the clients concern. If I had to choose, our Power of Three Facial is always incredible because you get to customise it every single time for the client and we see amazing results immediately and long-term. Of course, I have also seen great results using the Candela Nordlys IPL device for overall skin rejuvenation. We’ve been treating clients for sun damage and redness with this treatment for about 20 years now.

PC: For those new to advanced skin treatments, where do you recommend is a good place to start?

This would depend on their concern and how advanced skincare users they are. We would always recommend starting with some targeted facials to strengthen and prepare the skin for more advanced treatments, which also gives a good idea of what would be the most suitable advanced treatment. Skin needling and non-ablative lasers are always popular for first-timers, as well as IPL rejuvenation. 

PC: What trends are you currently observing in treatments and client demand?

Charmaine: There is a lot more awareness of the different technologies that are available on the market at the moment. Clients also tend to do their own research, which is not a bad thing – although there is a lot of information out there that is not correct. There has also been a lift in demand for more relaxing and hands-on treatments, in between the results-driven and high-tech services, which highlights the desire for clients to take a moment for themselves. 

PC: With ever-evolving technological advancement and new treatments coming to market, it’s an exciting time to be working in the beauty industry. For About Face, with several clinics across Auckland, how do you go about selecting what treatments to offer and brands to align with?

Charmaine: We do a lot of research before we decide to take on any new technology or product. It’s important our offering aligns with what we want to achieve for our clients. We do not make these decisions lightly. We even use ourselves as models to ensure the results are of the best quality.

PC: One of the devices About Face uses is the Candela IPL system. Can you tell us why you like using this?

Charmaine: I love that we can target sun damage and diffused redness concerns effectively. You can visibly see the pigment darken and then lighten after the treatments. Skin complexion is more even, glowing and healthy. it Is a good introduction for someone who has not had a high-tech treatment before. 

PC: Looking to the next few years, what are your predictions for the future of beauty treatments, specifically in the technology space?

Charmaine: I think it is just going to keep growing and evolving. There will be a lot more combination therapies—doing more than one treatment on the same day—which is already being done often in other parts of the world.

I am super excited to see where the industry is going to grow. There are increasingly more treatments that deliver amazing results with less downtime. I think we will definitely see more minimally invasive treatments, as this is what the majority of our clients want. 

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