How to Start a Natural Skin Care Business
Meet Christine—your skin care business coach!
Christine Glaser is an Aromahead graduate who teaches people how to start their own online skincare business.
She teaches from experience—Christine started an online business in 2013, making and selling natural products with essential oils.
But success didn’t come overnight! Christine had years of hard work ahead of her as she learned to make her business profitable.
Now she’s streamlined her process into a step-by-step system that helps others.
Christine takes the confusion out of starting a skincare business.
She provides guidance, encouragement, and even marketing tools to new business owners.
Christine’s journey is so inspiring, we just had to reach out and get an interview with her.
How did you start making natural products?
“I was looking for a way to naturally scent the small LA apartment my husband and I shared. (All those strongly scented candles and plug-ins were way too much for us, even before knowing the dangers.)"
“I read an article about fragrance oils vs. essential oils. When I chatted with my mother and mother-in-law about it, they both said they’d recently switched to a fragrance-free laundry detergent due to skin irritations."
It was like bells and alarms went off all around me. I started reading labels (on EVERYTHING) and couldn’t believe this wasn’t common knowledge. I bought all the books on essential oils, DIY formulation, and Aromatherapy 101. I made products for my family and then started selling them on Etsy (since I was already familiar with the platform).
At first, most of Christine’s products were just intended to “smell good.”(“Without Solubol—how little did I know!”), carpet deodorizers, and laundry powders.
How did you realize the power essential oils hold for skin care?
“My early aromatherapy experiences were all trial and error. I was gifted a book about the history of perfumes and tried to create essential oil blends based on the descriptions (not understanding that some of the notes in perfumery are very different or impossible through essential oils alone)."
“At this point, I was more focused on the aromatics of oils . . . It wasn’t until I stumbled upon an article for facial serums that I learned how few drops of oil are really needed (and safe) for skin, and that they had actual physical benefits."
But Christine’s product line didn’t take off right away. She didn’t really understand branding and marketing, wasn’t selling to a specific group of people, and had no idea how to get regular traffic to her online store.
How did you learn to market your business?
“At first I was just listing for sale what I liked to make and what I had the ingredients for—no market research, only choosing color palettes and fonts based on what I thought looked ‘pretty.’ And marketing? If you consider a Pinterest post here and a Facebook post there’ marketing, I guess you could say I was trying."
”It was incredibly confusing and overwhelming.”
“After I transitioned into a natural skincare line for expectant and new mothers (now THAT is a target market!) and I got serious about my marketing plan, I saw a dramatic change.”
Christine invested in online courses for marketing and running a website. Most of the education she found wasn’t directly related to running a skincare business, but it was close enough that she learned what she needed to know. During that time, she became a “true entrepreneur”. . . and a few years later, had built a successful business!
Christine decided to teach others the path to success. She created her website, Start an Online DIY Skin Care Business (from home), to help people avoid the pitfalls that cause her so much confusion.
Part of what she does is help people come up with their own recipes and formulations. But now another problem presented itself. She could teach her students recipes, but she wanted more science-backed information about essential oils for them.
That’s why Christine decided to become a certified aromatherapist.
Once she graduated from our Aromatherapy Certification Program, Christine received a free entry in our Graduate Directory. Check out her profile and see what she has to say about her business!
What made you choose Aromahead Institute for your certification?
“I researched so many programs! I ended up choosing Aromahead for many reasons."
One, they are accredited through NAHA (National Association for Holistic Aromatherapy) and AIA (Alliance of International Aromatherapists), and that was huge to me. I am very familiar with online courses and am aware that anyone can record and publish a course. Having this accreditation let me know I was choosing a ‘real’ course and not a fluff course.
Secondly, Aromahead didn’t just promise to give formulas that work and the characteristics of essential oils. They promised an education that delivered the WHY with chemistry and anatomy/physiology lectures (and boy did they deliver!).
Lastly, the format was perfect. The combination of text, plus video, plus discussions—it really did provide it all . . . with ongoing support.
The feedback I received throughout my study with Aromahead was absolutely amazing.
Having those beautiful words, ‘Certified Aromatherapist,’ behind my name provides a trust factor to my audience. The credentials allow me to speak as an authority and also to charge accordingly.
What do you love most about your work?
“I love everything about my work. Everything."
“I love making products that I KNOW work (and know WHY they work)."
“I love experimenting with new formulas (and know the reason I’m including every single drop). I am PROUD to know that the products I make support the health and vitality of my family and customers (and bonus that my two daughters are learning by example how to live naturally on a daily basis)."
“I’m also proud to share my knowledge and experiences about creating a successful product line with other makers. It took me so long (and cost so much time and money) to finally ‘figure it out."
“While every business has a learning stage, I’m excited to provide a roadmap to other skin care entrepreneurs to make their journey a little less . . . twisty . . . than mine was!”
“Finally, I love that this line of work is never-ending. I really know that the sky is the limit with aromatherapy—it’s so young and has so much potential to change the healthcare industry. It’s THRILLING.”
What advice do you have for someone about to start their own skincare business?
If you are literally starting out with no prior knowledge, I would spend a couple of days poking around online or at the library to get a feel for the vocabulary of the industry because it can be a little intimidating if you’re not used to the lingo. You don’t have to necessarily understand it, just recognize which words and concepts are common.
After that, I would decide on a mentor that has the experience and the credentials to show for it (do your research!). There is (unfortunately) so much misinformation out there: a lot of bloggers that copy/paste information without knowing the background behind essential oils or other ingredients, a lot of DIY recipes that aren’t fit for resale, a lot of recipes that claim to be natural that really aren’t.
“If you take the time to educate yourself properly, the rest will come.”
“Aromahead was a fantastic experience for me and worth every penny. If you have the resources to take their courses, you will come out with so many product ideas for a well-rounded skincare business."
“After that, make sure you put in the groundwork of creating an intentional brand (you can find several blog posts about that on my site). It is worth your time and money to find out which of those product ideas will sell the best. No throwing spaghetti at a wall."
“Most importantly, realize that this is indeed a journey. Your business mission and brand will continue to evolve the longer you’re on your journey. Embrace the fluidity that entrepreneurship can bring (with a strong side of discipline to keep you focused!).”
Thank you, Christine!
Christine’s journey is an inspiration! She went from wanting to make her apartment smell good without harmful products, to starting her own business, to becoming a certified aromatherapist . . . and then helping others navigate the same path!
If you dream of having your own skincare business, take the time to educate yourself. Start with the Aromatherapy Certification Program so you understand how essential oils can benefit the skin.
And then head to Christine at DIYSkinCareBusiness.com for support on the rest of your journey!
