Gary's Blog

Merry Christmas, Happy Hanukkah, Happy Kwanzaa, Feliz Navidad, etc……

This is that time of year that I become very retrospective!  Like most of you, I reflect on the year that was spent and make plans for achievements during the year ahead.  As I look back on 2008, I remember a year that was filled with some very unique dynamics that defined our time.  The economic and social climate changed dramatically toward the second half of the year and we saw a significant shift in consumer attitudes toward spending.  We also saw a return to personal “nesting” like we haven’t seen since the months immediately following 911. 

Also, as I look back at 2008, I am thankful for all of you.  Your continued support of our products and my team remind all of us how lucky we are to work for you.  On behalf of everyone on my staff, we wish each of you a very happy holiday and a healthy, prosperous new year.

As I look to the year ahead, I am optimistic about where we are going as a company and as a family.  We have an amazing opportunity to change lives more than ever in 2009 with incredible products and an incredible income opportunity.  Beauticontrol is the smart choice.  No matter what age, what size, or what color, we celebrate you! 

In the spirit of the season, I will not be posting any more blogs until Friday, January 2nd when I will return to tell you all about the exciting new products that we have in store for you for January as well as give you some insight as to what we have planned for 2009. 

Remember, I don’t answer questions on the blog, but will be here to support you through the holidays as you have product questions.  Please email me at product@beauticontrol.com with your questions.

No matter where you are, where you come from or how you celebrate, I wish you all a very happy holiday.

Home for the Holidays!

Here we are, the weekend before Christmas.  I was just going through my To Do List and realized that I still need to get all my BeautiControl products together to take home with me for the holidays.  Thankfully, we have the gift baskets, which is exactly what most of the people on my list will be getting this year.  These gift baskets saved my life this season.  They have made such wonderful hostess gifts to all the parties that I have attended during this holiday season. 

When I started thinking about what would be the best blog to write this weekend, I couldn’t help but write about something that I am passionate about…the bc spa!  When we say “home for the holidays”, this year it takes on a completely different meaning.  This year, people are actually staying home for the holidays.  People are out less, spending less on entertainment and seeking solace in the comfort of their homes.  Economically and socially speaking, this is the best environment for selling and finding people to join our business. 

• When people are home, they are looking for at home entertainment – the bc spa is the answer. 
• When people are at home, they have more time for personal pampering – the bc spa is the answer. 
• When people are spending less money, they are looking for replacements to those expensive department store anti-aging products that they are currently – the bc spa is the answer. 
• When people are looking for gifts that are less expensive and have that strong emotional value – the bc spa is the answer.
•  When people are looking for a limitless income opportunity to supplement their income or to pay off those looming after holiday bills – the bc spa is the answer.

We have two kinds of products that we sell – the one you share and the one you wear…products and opportunity.  You have one of the most compelling selling and earning opportunities available today.  And when people are HOME for the holidays, you have a captive audience to share what you have to offer. 

When people are in your home this holiday or you are traveling to see family at their home, be sure to share your products and your opportunity along the way.  Create a mini-spa that you can do for all of your family. 

• Take your bc spa menu cards and let each person select the spa treatment that they would like to receive

• Give everyone an “instant facelift” with Microdermabrasion, TFF Face Cream, TFF Eye Firming Serum and the Platinum Regeneration Eye Treatment Patches.  This treatment is featured on page 14 of the Achiever and the PDF is available on the “forms” section of Beautinet – this is one that will offer dramatic instant benefits and is a sure sell to everyone!
• Create a “Manicure on the Go” with  Show of Hands Instant Manicure, the new Cuticle Buffing Cream, and the Extreme Repair Hand Therapy
• Create a “PediCURE” set with the Save Your Sole Products.  You have a captive audience while their feet are propped up and covered in foot cream.

The options are limitless.  I would love to hear some of your ideas for quick, on the go spa treatments that you can share with family and friends this holiday.  Please post your comments and share your ideas with everyone.

Ok, this goes without saying, but I have to say it anyway.  Yes, I know you are going to be with family and friends this holiday, but that is no excuse to give your business away.  You are in business!  You are in business to make money!  These products are a steal at full price and far, FAR less than your family and friends are paying for them at retail.  Don’t accept anything less than full price for your products and services!  Your products are worth it and you are worth it!

Have a great weekend.  If you have any parties to go to this weekend, be sure to take the host/hostess a product gift.  Trust me, no one remembers who brought the wine, but everyone remembers a basket of Beauticontrol goodies.  

If you are having people in your home this weekend, set mini spa stations all over the house.  I keep a mini spa in each bathroom, by the kitchen sink, on the coffee table, etc.  By the time people leave they have tried everything we have just by mingling around the house. 

I look forward to seeing your comments and ideas about ways to sell during the holidays.  Remember, I don’t answer questions on the blog, but am here at product@beauticontrol.com if you have any questions.

Have a wonderful weekend and I will see you back on Monday.

Super Size Me!

I know I already discussed this product in a previous blog, but I just wanted to make sure that everyone noticed that we have a special super-sized TFF available this month.  Regeneration Tight Firm and Fill is our absolute #1 selling product and one that your clients can’t get enough of.  This month, we have a special offer that absolutely cannot be beat.  This is better than any sale we have had, or will have on your best selling product.  For a limited time only, 2 oz. of TFF is ONLY $58.50.  Just to be even more clear, this is the same amount of product that you would get for 2 jars of TFF.  That means, instead of costing $97.00, this special product is yours for only $58.50…that is $38.50 off the retail price, PLUS you get your regular discount on top of that!  This is a STEAL!  Here are some ideas of how you can use this super size TFF to drive your business:

• Order a supply to use as a Hostess or Booking Gift.  Make this offer so special that it can only be purchased as a special bonus or as a special promotion
• Offer as a special incentive for your favorite TFF customer – this is the time of year when you can go back to your best and most faithful TFF customers and reward them for their loyalty.
• Use it as a gift with purchase – buy a complete MRP set of products and get this amazing double size TFF for the price of the regular 1oz.  Call it a get me started bonus.
• Use it as a Thank You gift for additional bookings
• Use it as a Referral Reward only for those who give you 10 additional business leads.

The list goes on and on.  I am sure you have much better ideas than I have when it comes to ways to market this great product.

The bottom line is this – It DOES NOT get better than this.  If it were me, I would buy as many of these as I could get my hands on to help me grow my business in 2009.  When these are gone, they are gone for good and there will never be a sale that is comparable to the price of this product.  You already know how easy TFF is to sell…it has been our best selling product in years.  Let this double size product help you provide an amazing incentive to grow your business.  With the right incentives, you should have no problem booking BC Spas and getting your business off to a great start in 2009.

Have a great week.  Remember, if you have any product questions, be sure to email us at product@beauticontrol.com.

Your Questions Answered

Q. Is it o.k. for a diabetic to use Microderm Abrasion for their face?

A. Yes, there are no products that would not be able to use by a diabetic unless it has causes topical skin concerns that require special care.

Q. My mother -in-law and myself both suffer from cold sores.  We haven't gotten them in a long time but since I started the Lip Appeal in which we also exfoliate, I have had 2 within a couple of weeks, and my mother-in-law who just started  using it, but only for a short time, just got one too.  Is there any connection with exfoliation and bringing them out?  Should we stop using it or is it something our body needs to get used to?

A. If you are prone to cold sores, any type of topical irritation could trigger a cold sore.  If you have had 2 within a couple of weeks of using Lip Apeel, then I would recommend that you not use it.

Q. I was very excited to see the TFF eye serum released- and had pre-sold some all throughout the month of November.  Now that I have received mine, I am having a hard time with it.  I am using the product after cleansing and toning, once dry, applying the product as directed.  I am using one pearl size amount for both eyes (above and below) as that seems to be plenty.  I do let the product dry before applying my eye crème.  The issue that I am having is that the serum is “pilling” up when I apply anything on top of it including my shadow control crème, color primer, and concealer.  No issues at night though…  am I doing something wrong?  I just need some clarification for myself and in case my clients have trouble as well.

A. It could be that you are using too much, not allowing enough dry time and/or over “rubbing” your other products.  You might try using less of the product, allowing it to dry better and patting on the products that you use afterward.

Q. Do you use the TFF eye serum twice a day?  Do you put it on before the eye cream or after?

A. It can be used once or twice daily.  It is recommended to apply this product to the skin first, after cleansing and toning, followed by your eye cream.  In the event that you are using the Regeneration Platinum Plus, you would apply the TFF Eye Firming Serum after the Regeneration Platinum Plus face cream, which ALWAYS needs to be applied first.

Q. My client, who loves Extreme Repair Hand Therapy, was told by her doctor not to use any lotions that contain alcohol.  When I listed the ingredients in our Extreme Repair I saw that it contains two types of alcohol.  From what I read about Cetearyl Alcohol, an d Lanolin Alcohol I don't think that they are drying to the skin.  How can I explain to her the difference between these two ingredients and  a regular alcohol that pulls moisture from the skin?

A. These are actually called fatty alcohols or moisturizing alcohols.  I have addressed this in the FAQ section of Beautinet and will attach for your convenience:

There are hundreds of types of alcohols that are used in cosmetics for various reasons.  When a consumer has a concern with alcohol, it is the drying effects of alcohol that are undesirable and are often avoided by consumers who are concerned with skin drying.  This is the alcohol (SD alcohol 40) that is referred to when we make the claim “alcohol free”.   In other words, free of drying alcohols.  There are other alcohols that simply cannot be avoided in formulations for their moisturizing and surfactant qualities.  These alcohols are classified as “fatty alcohols” and are used for moisturization benefits.  Attached is the legal description of a fatty alcohol:

Fatty Alcohols
Fatty Alcohols are used as emollients in numerous types of cosmetics. They are valuable as co-emulsifiers and are employed to increase the viscosity of emulsions, shampoos, and other products. In addition, these alcohols are used for the synthesis of some widely used cosmetic

Fatty Alcohols vs. Drying Alcohols
Most alcohols that deliver benefits to the skin are known as fatty alcohols and range in function as well. Some alcohols, like panthenol and propylene glycol, enhance a product's moisturizing qualities because they are humectants, binding water to the skin. Stearyl alcohol acts as an emollient and an emulsifier. Tocopherol (also known as vitamin E) is well known for its antioxidant and moisturizing properties. Actually, several vitamins, including vitamin A and vitamin B5, are alcohols.

Some alcohols are not beneficial for daily skin care. Drying alcohols, including rubbing alcohol or ethanol, are extremely drying, but serve an antibacterial function. SD-alcohol 40 is a blend of ethyl alcohol (drinking alcohol), specially denatured to make it unfit to drink. When used in skin care products, these alcohols can dry the skin because of their high evaporation rate.

Alcohol-free
You may read on a label that a product is "alcohol-free." According to industry standards and regulations, this means that the product does not contain ethyl alcohol, which is known for its harsh, drying effects. But that same product may contain fatty alcohols, which have much different effects on skin.

The majority of our skin care products are alcohol-free although there are a few exceptions when a drying form of alcohol is needed to enhance the product performance.

Q. I have used the eye serum and have given samples to clients. Although the results are very pleasing there is one side affect that I cannot explain. The serum has a tendency to dry and peel, giving the eyes a “peeling from sunburn” appearance. It has happened to me and I’m now getting telephone calls from my clients.

A. It sounds as if you might not be using an eye cream on top of this product.  This product is not a substitute for an eye cream.  Apply the product to the area around the eye and on the lid, allow to dry, then apply the eye cream as you normally would.  This should alleviate any concern with drying and peeling.

Q.  I have a client who has been using the Regeneration Plat Plus Face Serum since the beginning of September and loves the product.  However, for the past 3 weeks she said that her product comes out unevenly.  Sometimes it is only clear, sometimes it is only creamy.  Is this because she is running low?  Or, is it defective?  Also, how long should this product last if used daily? 

A. If used daily as directed, the product should last 4 to 6 weeks. It is a 2 phase formula.  
To ensure that both products are dispensed evenly:

• Always keep standing upright
• Push pump all the way down with each application
• Tap bottle on a firm surface to settle each formula and eliminate any air bubbles that might prevent even dispersion of product.

That’s it for today. Have a wonderful weekend. Remember, if you have any product questions, be sure to email us as product@beauticontrol.com.

Going Green!

It is no surprise that with today’s environmental awareness, more and more companies are making efforts to be more “green”. Making strides to become more environmentally friendly is not only a nice thing to do, but it is the socially responsible thing to do. I don’t think that anyone would argue that it is the “right” thing to do. Over the next few years, you will see that we are doing more and more to make BeautiControl as environmentally friendly as possible.

You may have recently noticed that we have replaced the plastic bags on the Skinlogics Starter Sets with environmentally friendly cartons. While this is one of the first things that you may have noticed us doing, we have had a team of engineers hard at work for a number of years to incorporate more earth friendly alternatives into our product line. Over the next 18 months more and more green initiatives will be phasing into the line, most of which will remain transparent to you, the consumer. Our goal is to make the transition as seamless as possible for your business, but allow us to ensure that we are doing our part to save the planet.

Some of these would include:

• The use of recycled plastics, paper and carton materials
• The use of all recyclable materials
• New designs that would allow for less plastic materials in our product packaging
• The use of plastic materials, bags, inks, and shrink wrap that are derived of renewable resources such as corn or bamboo
• The use of new, innovative plastic resins that become biodegradable immediately upon entering a land-fill

Some of the things that we are doing at our corporate offices that you won’t see include:

• The use of recycled paper for printing
• “paperless” meeting policies
• The use of recycled paper for toilet tissue and paper towels
• Organic and environmentally safe cleaning supplies
• A zero land-fill policy that ensures that all wastes from manufacturing will be processed/treated and emptied into sanitary water supplies
• All light switches are on timers and all light bulbs have been replaced with energy saving bulbs.

We are not all the way there, but going green is a journey that we are proud to be on as we do our small part to make the planet better for future generations. As you see these small changes, such as the removal of plastic bags, or reduced plastics, it is important to realize that together, we are saving the planet.

I hope you have a fantastic week! Be sure to check back on Friday. Remember, if you have any questions, be sure to email us at product@beauticontrol.com.

Ciao!