Esthetician Continuing Education: Why You Need It + Where To Find It

Last updated on December 5th, 2024 at 02:31 pm

I’m embarrassed to admit this, but I went years without learning any new treatments or modalities. However, I was recently inspired by projects I worked on to take some esthetician continuing education courses.

The courses I took energized me; they truly reignited my excitement for and interest in skincare. Before then, I was going through the motions of everyday esthetics work. I was doing treatments the same way I had been for years. No wonder I was bored!

My experience got me thinking: I can’t be the only skincare professional feeling this way. So I’ve created this blog post to help inspire you to seek out something new. 

Come with me as I discuss why you need continuing education and where you can find some of the best courses available–both online and in-person. 

*This post contains some affiliate links. I only endorse companies I’ve personally worked with and consider legitimate, valuable resources for skincare/spa professionals. If you use these links to purchase something, I may earn a commission at no extra cost to you. Thanks for your support!

Why Is Continuing Education Important for Estheticians?

Continuing education is important for estheticians who want to stay up-to-date with what’s in-demand in the industry. It’s also important for licensed professionals who want to remain relevant and continue to love their work.

Let’s get into it.

Remain Relevant 

Keep up with trends and the services your clients want. If you don’t, they’ll go to someone who does. 

Is there a need to hop on every trend that comes around? No. But you’re doing yourself–and your bank account–a disservice if you’re not listening to what your clients want. 

Personal Development and Satisfaction

By taking classes you maintain your relevance and and grow your knowledge as a professional, but you can also reignite your passion for your career. I recently took a dermaplaning course; it was exactly what I needed to get excited about offering facials again after years of focusing on eyelash extensions.

When you participate in continuing education, you open yourself up to the possibility of more: more professional satisfaction, more money, more growth, more everything!

Will Estheticians Be in Demand in the Future?

Despite whisperings of the esthetics marketing being oversaturated, data shows us estheticians will continue to be in demand over the next several years. 

The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics website states the need for “skin care specialists” is projected to grow 9% through 2032. It expects there to be about 12,400 job openings for skincare specialists on average each year. 

“Many of those openings are expected to result from the need to replace workers who transfer to different occupations or exit the labor force, such as to retire.”

Do You Need Continuing Education Credits?

Whether or not you need continuing education credits depends on where you live. 

Some states require licensed estheticians to periodically complete a set number of continuing education units (CEUs) to maintain their licenses. And some states have zero continuing education hours requirements. 

However, if you’re serious about your career you will be equally as serious about your professional development. Even if you live in a state where continuing education courses are not required, it’s still in your best interest to invest in learning new treatments and techniques. 

If you’re a licensed professional who has been working for many years, it’s easy to fall into the “I’ve seen it all” mentality.

I’m going to tell you right now: That mindset is a trap you don’t want to be stuck in, and it’s difficult to get out once you’re in. 

No matter what your job is in the professional beauty world, always remember that no matter how many years you’ve been in the industry, no matter how many times you think you’ve seen it all, there’s always something more you can learn as long as you’re open to new techniques, knowledge, approaches, and more. 

Esthetician Continuing Education Courses and Classes Online

If you’re looking for a way to upgrade your skills but can’t attend an in-person class, you still have options.

During COVID, many companies made the switch to online learning out of necessity. Thankfully many of them saw the advantages of online education and continued to promote and even improve the quality once the world opened back up. 

Worried about the absence of hands-on experience when taking online trainings? Don’t let that deter you. Have a list of models lined up to work on immediately following your training. I’ve never come up empty-handed when asking people if they want to be a treatment model. 

Whether you want to learn more about skin conditions like aging skin, or chemical peels, light therapy, waxing, etc., I guarantee there’s an online course for it. The following is a list of companies I’ve personally taken courses with; I intend to continue adding to it as I take classes. 

In an effort to promote high-quality education, I only plan to add companies I’ve had first-hand experience with. 

360 Wellness Education

360 Wellness Education was founded by Lori Vargas, MBA, CPA, and offers both in-person and online courses led by experienced instructors–but the online program is an absolute gem. It offers an extensive catalog of continuing education courses for estheticians and massage professionals that covers everything from microcurrent to full body treatments.

And best of all, you can earn CEUs by taking these courses. You also receive a completion certificate for each class you take and finish.

Lori’s unique background positions her as an expert in the spa world. During her extensive career she’s founded multiple spas, a massage school, and worked as a spa consultant. In addition to these impressive qualifications, Lori also has 14 years of experience guiding Fortune 500 companies with corporate strategies and business development.

I mention all of this not only to give Lori her proper accolades but also to highlight the level of knowledge and careful consideration that goes into each online course. 

In addition to the content you expect to learn in each course, Lori includes units on:

• Self-care and proper body mechanics for the professional
• Health and safety reviews
• Business breakdown where she guides you on how to set pricing and be profitable
• Client management information

When I started taking 360 Wellness Education Courses, I was pleasantly surprised by these additional, valuable portions of each curriculum. They give the courses a more rounded, complete feel and help bridge the marketing and service pricing knowledge gap most of us have because it was gleaned over in esthetician school.

360 Wellness Education Pricing for Individuals

There are two ways for a spa professional to access 360 Wellness Education courses: per class, or via a membership. 

The best value is in memberships. When you commit to a membership, you have access to a set number of classes that have a combined value that far outweighs the membership cost. 

You can pay monthly or annually, but there are even more perks to paying annually. I highly suggest the annual pass. 

These are the courses I’ve taken with 360 Wellness Education. Click through each one to learn more about them:

• Oncology Esthetics & Skincare Treatments Training & Certificate 
• Dermaplaning Dry & Wet Techniques Training & Certificate 
• Advanced Face and Body Microdermabrasion and Hydrodermabrasion Training &Certificate 

360 Wellness Education Corporate Passes for Spa Owners/Franchises

360 Wellness offers affordable corporate passes for spa and franchise owners to have their employees trained and up-to-date on almost any modality or treatment they offer.

One of the best ways to attract and retain good employees and instill confidence in them is to invest in their continuing education. Plus, when your team is properly trained on in-demand services, they deliver a quality experience that keeps your clientele returning regularly. 

With this information in mind, why wouldn’t you invest in a Corporate Pass?

Starpil University (Waxing)

Starpil University offers any type of online waxing & wax-related courses you can imagine: Brazilian waxing, vajacials, brow shaping speed waxing, skin histology, marketing courses, and more.

Each class is led by their talented Director of Education, Taylor Wilson. Taylor is an expert waxer and fabulous trainer, and her classes are thorough and affordable. If you want to become a better waxer, you’ll find these classes from Starpil to be worth the time and investment.

Learn more about Taylor on my podcast, The Everyday Beauty Pro.

Wondering Why I’m Not Covering Medical Esthetics?

I live in California. I’m going to assume that in many states, like here in California, licensed beauty professionals cannot perform medical esthetic treatments. At minimum you have to be a nurse in order to provide those types of treatments. 

With this in mind, I prefer to focus on treatments estheticians can perform. For information on what you can and cannot perform under the scope of your license, refer to your state’s governing State Board.

Time to Get Started

No matter where you are in your skincare journey, continuing education should always be top of mind. Ensure you stay current on industry trends, expand your skill set, increase your earnings, and remain relevant. If you do you’ll be sure to have a long, successful, and profitable career. 

Have questions? Feel free to contact me.