When I took over at Beautique Medispa, the business was already 12 years old and several of my therapists had been with the business since the start; they were keen to embrace new ideas and adopt new skills and I came along at the right time with a formula for expansion.

Within 6 months everyone was trained and certified to deliver advanced skin care and non-surgical body treatments.  Beautique Medispa is the only CTN Authorised Cryotherapy Clinic in the UK.   We only work with brand leaders, e.g. Dermapen, pHformula Resurfacing System, NeoStrata Professional Peels and RRS Mesotherapy products.

I launched my own skin care line to compliment the aesthetic side of the business; I am a big believer in combination therapies using chemical exfoliation, micro-needling and IPL in an annual programme for optimum skin health, but it all starts with a great skin care regime.

Skincare by OSH contains all the ingredients clinically proven to deliver results and yet there’s nothing clinical about the end products, they feel and smell divine!  The brand is inspired by the Japanese concept of ikigai, growing old with purpose.  My philosophy is fully embrace your age and your wisdom, just look fabulous when you do it!  Kaia is my signature range with 8 fabulous products to choose from; a range of serums support aesthetic treatments and environmental changes throughout the year.

After much consultation with the opposite sex, I kept it simple but really effective for the guys, Otoko (translates as strong man) is formulated to cleanse, protect and rejuvenate in just 3 products.

There are so many changes and advances in the industry and knowledge is more important now than ever before.  To ensure we’re ahead of changes in legislation, our Reigate premises is already certified as a VTCT Training Centre; in-house training has commenced to bring our therapists up to Level 4.  We will be launching the LA Academy very soon, with plans for residential courses in a beautiful chateau in France and a branch in Dubai.

JIB: What do you look for from candidates wishing to join your team? 

I like therapists who are results driven, hungry for knowledge, have a desire to consistently deliver excellent treatments, support their colleagues, and most importantly think about the customer experience.

The customer experience starts as soon as the door opens and I expect all of my staff members to think like owners of the business and ask themselves ‘what can I do to bring my best today?’   Our customer reviews tell us we’re right on track but new staff members bring something we didn’t have before and with that we hope to be even better!

Karen Shirlaw is the founder of Onsen Skin Health and proprietor of Beautique Medispa in Reigate and Dorking.