“The most important tool to navigate through this industry is people skills.”

“I would like to congratulate the Professional Beauty & Hairdressers Journal magazine for celebrating its first anniversary in India. This has been a wonderful thing for the hairdressing industry as well as the beauty industry on the whole in India. Especially during the COVID times, it has really helped in cementing the industry and keeping it going by telling us what the hairdressers and beauticians are doing and also about sustainability and the green revolution that is going on. This magazine is a wonderful thing that has happened and I wish you all the very best. It’s really fantastic and helps us a great deal.”

Blossom Kochhar, Chairperson, Blossom Kochhar Group of Companies, talks about the significance of aromatheraphy, importance of training and learning in the beauty industry, and what’s going to be exciting for the beauty industry in the New Year.

YOU HAVE BEEN INSTRUMENTAL IN GETTING AROMATHERAPY TO INDIA. TELL US ABOUT YOUR VISION BEHIND THE SAME AND THE SUCCESS THAT HAS COME ALONG.

Beauty is a holistic concept and it has to be as natural as possible. Aromatherapy is both: natural and provides for holistic beauty. For example, we use pure essential oils from plants and leaves and we use vegetable oils to go along with it to make the entire process natural. Aromatherapy is also holistic because it works through the sense of smell and affects your mind. Most skin and beauty problems start with stress, anger, worry and this, in turn, affects the human system causing stomach and hormonal problems. So when we say holistic, it has to work both externally and internally. And aromatherapy helps at this, which is why it was my choice.

HOW DOES AROMATHERAPY HELP KEEP OVERALL WELLNESS UNDER CHECK?

It incorporates the use of pure essential oils that have different applications such as for cosmetic purposes and for stressrelated ailments. Aromatherapy helps you with a multitude of problems ranging from high blood pressure to common colds to hormonal issues. Additionally, it also helps deal with stress and calms one’s nerves.

The human body has an olfactory bulb that is connected to the brain. The smell of these oils is processed in the limbic system of the brain. The limbic system also has the hypothalamus and pituitary glands. These glands send messages to the rest of the endocrine system and the body relaxes. These essential oils are therapeutic and prompt the release of serotonin, which is a key hormone that stabilises mood and feelings of well-being.

HOW DO YOU DEFINE HOLISTIC BEAUTY? HOW CAN SUSTAINABILITY BE A PART OF THIS, AND HOW DOES THIS APPROACH BENEFIT CLIENTS AND BRING THEM BACK TO YOUR SALON?

Holistic beauty deals with not just beautiful skin but also with mind and emotions. Our mood affects our systems immensely, which becomes visible in our external aspects through dark circles and weak hair. So, when the aim is to achieve holistic beauty, products like essential oils are appropriate. These processes benefit the clients tremendously and brings them back to our salon.

Sustainability is an important part of this because one cannot use any chemicals with essential oils. Everything is all-natural and organic now. Also, anything that can be dissolved back into the earth such as essential oils are stored in glass bottles. And that is how sustainability comes into the picture.

HOW IMPORTANT IS TRAINING AND LEARNING IN THE BEAUTY INDUSTRY? WHAT WOULD YOUR TIPS BE FOR THE BUDDING TRAINERS IN THIS INDUSTRY?

Training and learning is important because the industry is not just about applying products to the face or hair but also about learning a systematic and scientific approach to deal with inner and external beauty. My two cents for the budding trainers would be that when you train students, give them enough opportunities to practice. Also, assess if they are able to design a treatment for the respective category. It is upon the trainer to help students use all their faculties and bring out their inner aestheticians. The most important tool to navigate through this industry is people skills and that is something teachers should help their students with.

AT PRESENT, WHAT ARE THE KEY GAPS/CHALLENGES THAT IN YOUR OPINION EXIST WITHIN THE BEAUTY INDUSTRY AND HOW CAN THE BEAUTY EXPERTS MAKE EACH OF THEIR CONTRIBUTIONS TO IMPROVING THESE IN THEIR RESPECTIVE CAPACITIES?

The key gap in the present time is training – training students to think, to be designers, to be entrepreneurs. Training is also necessary because the beauty industry is constantly evolving and trainers and students should keep a tab of the new trends and continuously educate themselves to upskill.

The salons are already gearing up for the New Year 2022 and following all the rules to ensure clients’ safety.

IN YOUR VIEW, WHAT’S GOING TO BE EXCITING FOR THE BEAUTY INDUSTRY - SALON OWNERS, HAIRDRESSERS, SKIN EXPERTS, MAKEUP ARTISTS, BRANDS, ETC - IN THE YEAR 2022?

The year 2022 will be an exciting time for the industry. The salons are already gearing up and following all the rules to ensure clients’ safety. Consumers would be looking for new styles. Makeup artists would be able to experiment with new looks and new products such as body shimmers and much more. So, the year 2022 could prove to be an exciting one for the industry provided the pandemic does not pose another obstacle.