Heather Hickman, Global Vice President (Education), Dermalogica, in conversation with Kanishka Ramchandani about the latest innovations in skincare.
Tell us about your journey with Dermalogica.
How I got started into the industry was I was really I didn’t know what I wanted to do when I was in in high school. I grew up in the UK and I had a friend that loved doing hair. But hair wasn’t really my thing. So, I started looking into it and I saw that there were careers in beauty therapy. After graduating from high school, I went to college and got my degree. And then I started working in salons and spas. I worked in a health spa for many years.
But I wanted to do more, and decided to get into teaching. I actually started teaching for a French brand in the UK and I worked for them for a couple of years. I would always see Dermalogica at trade shows and their beautiful big booths where everyone was in a uniform was a little intimidating. Once I saw an ad in a professional beauty magazine that Dermalogica was looking for to hire instructors for the US. I went and interviewed and got hired!
After a six-month intensive training the UK, I moved to San Francisco to teach skincare, and eventually moved to the Dermalogica HQ in Los Angeles. It’s been 23 years now.
What changes did you initiate in the training protocol?
The main thing that we’ve done is to make the education more accessible. Earlier, the only way to be able to get training with Dermalogica is if you would actually to come to us. So, we made online courses. But I think the biggest thing for me is live streaming.
We call it ‘d-streaming’ where we will live stream our classes and hands-on training. We ask the professional skin therapists to be in their treatment room with a model and put their phone there and we can watch them step-by-step. This is something we are bringing to India very soon.
Globally, we have a big programme with undergraduates, which includes soft skills. We teach them how to present themselves in an interview, how to create their resumes, etc.
Also, we have a couple of different education modules. We train people to be professional skin therapists. We have a free-of-charge curriculum for the skin therapists working at Dermalogica salons. Furthermore, we also invite non-accounts to the International Dermal Institute for education that’s open to anybody in the industry.
What is your opinion about the PROSkin Masters?
It’s the most amazing thing that I’ve ever seen. The Indian team have done such a spectacular job and they’ve spearheaded this. This is not something that’s from me or the corporate office.
To see the enthusiasm and how skilled the professional skin therapists were that we saw in the final was unbelievable. They’ve done such a good job and I think that it raises the bar for people to want to be the best of the best.
But they were also celebrating each other as well. There were no hard feelings and it was all rallying around. I would feel very confident saying to anybody in the Indian market that they should go into a salon that uses Dermalogica and you’re going to get a spectacular skin treatment.
What do you think is lacking in the Indian skin therapists?
I think that the only thing that’s lacking is maybe a little bit of confidence. Their skills are so fantastic and I think it’s just knowing that they can do a really good job.
They tend to be more quieter types of individuals. They’re the complete opposite to the people in the hair industry.
They need to come out of the treatment room and be able to talk to clients in the retail environment and be able to market themselves and their services a little bit.
Can you tell me more about Dermalogica Porescreen?
Porescreen is our brand new physical sunscreen. Generally physical sunscreens can be thick, difficult to use and leave a white hue on the skin. It was a challenge to us to make sure that we’ve got a physical sunscreen that works for everybody.
Since the sunscreen is going to be the last skincare product you put on, why not also make it like your primer? That’s what we’ve done with the Porescreen.
With Porescreen, we’ve been able to incorporate technology that helps to minimise the pore or create the blurring effect on the skin, but it’s still going to give you that high SPF factor with a physical sunscreen.
Tell me about the Dynamic Skin Recovery SPF 50.
It’s one of our top-selling products. What makes it so special is how easy it is to use. It combines sunscreen, anti-ageing benefits and moisturisation all in one product. When we started thinking about expanding the Dynamic Skin line, we asked ourselves: why do people love Dynamic Skin Recovery SPF 50? It’s because it’s simple, effective, and does multiple things without requiring much thought.
When developing the Dynamic Skin Retinol Serum, we applied the same approach. Retinol products can often be complicated. So, the Dynamic Skin Retinol Serum was formulated to be used daily, without needing to build up tolerance. Instead of using retinoic acid, which can be harsh, we used retinol and retinoids that convert into retinoic acid within the skin. Plus, the retinol is encapsulated in a time-release system, which means it slowly absorbs into the skin, preventing irritation.
What advice would you like to give to aspiring therapists?
For aspiring skin therapists, my advice is to invest in good education. It’s not always about going to the fanciest, most expensive school—it’s about finding instructors who are passionate about teaching. I’d also recommend finding a mentor. Get some skin treatments, connect with a therapist you admire, and see if they can guide you as you grow in the business. That personal connection and hands-on learning can make a huge difference.