For decades, tanning businesses have sold tanning, skincare and suncare products as a companion to their core services. But today, as more salons evolve into wellness destinations, these retail offerings should become a more defined element of your brand.

Skincare is self-care. It’s wellness. And in the minds of many consumers, investing in your skin is part of a healthy lifestyle focused on looking and feeling good—both now and in the future. Consumer spending on skincare is increasing, and purchasing trends suggest that’s only going to continue. In fact, the recent Future of Wellness survey from McKinsey & Company shows us that Gen Zers and millennials not only spend more on wellness in general but also prioritize skincare and aging prevention significantly more than older generations.

As a salon that’s embracing a more holistic wellness-focused approach, why wouldn’t you reframe your retail strategy to make skincare a central part of your brand identity alongside tanning, red light, and other service options?

“Wellness isn’t just about looking good, but about feeling good. Skincare and suncare work together to protect and nourish the largest organ on our body, which is our skin,” says Devoted Creations International Sales Trainer Makayla Thomas. “Together, skincare and suncare work to create a new, modernized self-care regime. At Devoted Creations, we formulate products that are not only for tanning but are for your wellness equipment that is packed with high-end skincare.”

Becoming a wellness business isn’t just about offering more services but aligning with what today’s consumers value most: personalized care, inner balance, and lasting confidence. In this environment, salons have a unique opportunity to meet deeper emotional and physical needs through thoughtful services, education, and product recommendations. Our industry is perfectly positioned to support this modern self-care mindset.

“Wellness is great because it truly is about personalization: doing what you can do as an individual to feel whole and at peace within, and that is often reflected externally. Our industry fits perfectly into this growing and evolving lifestyle because at the center of our industry is the ideal that everyone wants to feel good about themselves,” says New Sunshine Account Executive Katelyn Goeke.

Skincare has always been central to the tanning experience, and salons have long offered a variety of products for at-home use, but now a wellness-focused business is even better positioned to become a skincare retail provider that satisfies all of its customers’ product needs in addition to service options that provide numerous cosmetic and wellness results.

“What’s truly impressive is how many salons have fully embraced this shift. They’re no longer just places for tanning; they’ve evolved into wellness destinations that guide and educate clients on proper skincare, becoming trusted leaders in beauty, confidence, and self-care. It’s inspiring to see how this transformation is empowering salon professionals to grow their business with purpose, while helping clients feel their best every step of the way,” says Sun Evolutions Director of Sales and Business Development Gina Jaeger-Morris.

“The wellness movement has truly transformed the way salons do business. Retail is no longer just an add-on; it’s a core part of the client experience. Clients come not only for color, but for healthy glowing skin, expert guidance, and products they can truly trust.”

Merchandise with Purpose

While there’s a natural ceiling on how many tanning products a client can use, the potential for skincare sales is far more expansive. Unlocking the full scope of the opportunity will depend largely on marketing your business as a skincare retail destination, but it begins in the salon with how you present your brand, your space, and your product offerings.

“Wellness is more about how someone feels and their energy, so salons are making a subtle shift into more calming environments, and embracing the ‘less is more’ philosophy, whether it’s painting their walls, changing the salon music, or replacing their desks. Some are moving away from the traditional lotion wall, making their shelves more calm and aesthetically pleasing, and decreasing the number of skews they carry to make their product selection more intentional. This can also help with employee knowledge and product sales success. A lotion shelf with 50-70 skews on it can be aesthetically overwhelming, but also overwhelming for the employee,” Goeke says.

The goal is to create an environment where people browse, discover, and self-identify with what you offer. Think of your retail shelves as a curated boutique, not a product wall. Just as tanning is still the primary breadwinner for most wellness-focused tanning businesses, bronzers and intensifiers will undoubtedly remain among your best-sellers, but that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t consider changing the way you present your comprehensive product selection. Nobody is going to forget about your tanning lotions, just like nobody is going to forget about your tanning equipment because you promote other services. But if you offer a variety of tanning and wellness services, and your environment has evolved to be more neutral and spa-like, a wall of shelves with tanning lotions with a few options for skincare and other services in the corner may no longer present the right image.

It’s a natural shift, as many products are designed to be used with services that you already offer while also providing a variety of skincare benefits when used outside the salon.

“Many salons are also adding wellness-driven services like red light therapy, body wraps, aqua massage, and more…each designed to relax, restore, and enhance confidence. When you combine these services with great skincare and real guidance, your salon becomes a destination for total wellness where clients leave feeling better, looking refreshed, and trusting you with their self-care journey,” Jaeger-Morris says. “Overall, it’s a win-win situation where everyone benefits…including your register!”

With full lines of skincare products that are comparable to ones most women already use at home in their skincare routines, it can be easy to introduce clients to the quality and value you can give them via product bundling and presentation. It can be helpful to compare the ingredients in your products to ones from stores like Ulta and Sephora, and don’t be shy about mentioning the difference in price!

“All of the products that are created over here at Devoted Creations serve a purpose, and we train on those to be sold the way that they are formulated,” Thomas says. “For example, the Collagenetics Illuminate collection is formulated with high-end skincare for all light-hues. This line is meant to be sold as a four-piece collection, for any type of wellness/UV equipment that is in your salon or to be used at home as daily skincare.”

Train Staff to Educate, Not Just Sell

In a wellness-driven space, staff training becomes even more important. Clients want trusted guidance, not just product pitches. Your team should understand how skincare supports client goals and how to personalize recommendations accordingly. Your team should feel confident explaining why a product matters, how it supports skin wellness, and how it fits into a client’s overall self-care journey.

“I think it all comes down to education. Our industry is so fluid and ever evolving, and it evolves quickly, so staying on top of product knowledge and education is crucial to understanding the products that are on your shelf. Education is one of the things we are most passionate about at New Sunshine, because it is truly the aspect that sets salons and their product sales and product understanding apart,” Goeke says.

“I have salons I work closely with that have been a joy to see their best-selling product price point go from $40-$60, to $120-$150, and hear the excitement from the employees who went from saying things like ‘I’m just afraid they’ll say no, that is so much money,’ to confidently advocating for their clients skincare and results by pitching products that are top in price point, but also the products that have the unique skincare that is perfect for that unique client. It all comes down to education.”

For Jaeger-Morris, staff training is about instilling purpose.  “To get staff more involved in promoting skincare as part of a customer’s wellness journey—not just as a product to sell—salons need to focus on the purpose behind it, helping clients take care of their skin and feel more confident,” she says.

That purpose-driven approach also drives performance. She recommends making education ongoing and actionable:

• Show how skincare saves time and money while promoting healthy skin.
• Use real-life examples to practice personalized recommendations.
• Provide tools—like cheat sheets or product charts—to build staff confidence.
• Let employees try products firsthand so they can speak from experience.

“When staff understand how skincare helps clients get better results and feel good, they’ll be more excited to talk about it,” Jaeger-Morris adds. “It’s not just about making a sale, it’s about making the customer’s skin and experience exceptional, saving them time and money.”

Along with a range of amazing products at highly competitive price points, you have another huge advantage over other skincare retailers. Your industry manufacturers are there to back you with custom, hands-on support.

“Whenever we do trainings for our salon partners, whether that be online or in person, we train on whatever they would like. By that I mean I will train based on their lineup and the equipment that they offer to their customers so that their employees feel comfortable selling products and services,” Thomas says.

Incorporate Products into the Experience

Skincare shouldn’t be something clients discover after their session—it should be woven into the experience from the moment they walk in. When products are seamlessly integrated into services, they become essential tools for results, not just retail items. Whether it’s offering complimentary skin prep, pairing targeted products with wellness sessions like red light therapy or sauna use, or including product highlights on your service menus and online platforms, these small touches can transform how clients perceive your brand.

“With all of the wellness equipment that’s out there, we want to be sure that our salon partners have the ability to have product that is formulated to help enhance a customer’s session,” Thomas says. “We encourage our salon partners to bring in these products and focus them with the equipment that they are formulated for so that each session is like a one-of-a-kind experience. Our industry is about creating an experience for our customers, and having these products present themselves is very important to that experience.”

One of the most effective ways to elevate both the client experience and your bottom line is by adopting a more intentional, consultative approach to skincare. Rather than treating products as optional add-ons, salons that position skincare as an essential part of their services are not only helping clients achieve better results but also building trust and long-term loyalty. Personalized recommendations based on each client’s goals and needs turn routine visits into tailored self-care experiences. This shift doesn’t just enhance satisfaction—it naturally leads to increased sales through education, not pressure.

“When salons treat skincare products as just extras instead of important parts of their services, they really miss out on a lot of chances to improve the client experience and meet what their customers actually need. If salons focus on skincare as a core part of what they offer, they can create a more impactful experience for clients,” Jaeger-Morris says.

“Today’s salons are stepping up as skin-savvy pros, showing clients how to protect their glow, extend their color, and feel confident in their routine. When salon staff consult with clients and help them pick the right at home, skincare routine for their needs, it builds trust and confidence. It also helps the salon sell more, in a way that feels helpful and gratifying, not pushy.”

This shift in approach is about more than just what happens in the salon—it’s about how you support clients in every aspect of their wellness journey. Goeke also encourages salons to elevate the sensory experience, allowing clients to experience the products first-hand and more generally setting the mood.

“Conversations are evolving from just talking about their routines in the salon, to what their routines are like at home, or what they do in their free time. One of our newer collections, Body by CT, has been a huge hit in salons who are embracing the idea that we can play a role in how our clients take care of themselves outside of our salons, too,” Goeke says.

“I’d love to see salons get into even more of focusing on the senses—elevating the ways that clients can feel the products at the counters, having our Australian Gold Room Mists available for the occasional spritz of our calming lavender mint fragrance, and having more calming music available in both the lobby and the rooms. Creating that true ‘escape’ environment that clients are looking for.”

Use Your Digital Space as a Wellness Platform

Just as our industry has found that more people prefer to go to a “wellness” business than a “tanning salon” for red light, sauna, or cryotherapy, the shift should open the doors for becoming a retail skincare destination. Once you’ve set the stage in the salon, the real opportunity for growth lies in marketing and making skincare a focal point of your brand online, too.

Your salon’s digital presence should be more than a menu of services—it should tell the story of who you are and the lifestyle you represent. As more clients seek wellness-driven experiences, the way you present your business online can either limit or unlock new opportunities. Reframing your salon as a wellness destination begins with how you show up in search engines, on social media, and across every digital touchpoint.

“Having your salon branded beyond just ‘tanning’ is crucial. Make sure that your business description, your website—all of it—includes the different segments offered. This will help you reach the most clients in search engines,” Goeke says.

“We pride ourselves in having the best possible marketing support for salons. We offer a free marketing tool through our online catalog, but truly the best way to promote your salon is through our co-op partnership. We believe that your salon name should be the one out there, and it should be the primary focus when to comes to marketing. That’s why we have our premier co-op program, so that salons can put their names out there on the marketing of their choosing, and we will reimburse for those marketing expenses.”

Having your website reflect the appropriate brand identity is crucial but relatively straightforward. The taller task is to continually reinforce that identity via your social media presence. Make sure you are giving products their proper due on your various platforms, spotlighting skincare ingredients, posting glow-up tips, and sharing before-and-after stories to help clients connect your products with real results. Fortunately, this should be one of the easier aspects to stay on top of with ready-made content and resources available from your product manufacturers.

“Utilizing social media is key!” Thomas says. “This will not only help the salon’s name get out there, but promoting products, equipment, sales and whatever else that the salon is trying to get out there to end users is very important. We talk about social media a lot over at Devoted, and we encourage our salon partners to take advantage of the social media tools that we offer.”

For salons ready to push into the future, AI is opening new doors in customer engagement and personalization.

“The next big step for tanning salons will likely include more AI technology. At a recent retreat, I spoke with a salon owner who is creating an AI chatbot. This chatbot will have information about all the products they carry and will help customers find personalized recommendations based on their customers’ needs. During visits, customers would have the opportunity to use this AI bot to get guidance on their tanning and skincare options while a salon professional helps them analyze their skin type, preferences, and tanning goals, suggesting the best services and products for them,” Jaeger-Morris says.

Ultimately, when your digital platforms reflect the same care, clarity, and confidence you bring to your in-salon experience, they become an extension of your brand’s purpose: helping clients look, feel, and live better.

Reframe Retail, Redefine Your Brand

Selling skincare like a wellness brand isn’t about changing what you do—it’s about elevating how you do it. From merchandising and training to service integration and digital marketing, every touchpoint is an opportunity to show clients that your salon is a trusted destination for self-care and confidence.

Today’s consumers are investing in products and experiences that align with how they want to feel: confident, healthy, and empowered. By making skincare a central part of your brand identity, you position your salon for stronger loyalty, higher retail sales, and a deeper connection with your clients. It’s about becoming the go-to place where beauty, wellness, and personalized care come together. And that’s a brand story worth telling.