More Than Just A Haven Beauty

By Louise May

Step into the world of beauty and wellness with Helena Bergman, the visionary owner of HB Beauty, in the charming hinterland town of Palmwoods on the Sunshine Coast.

Celebrating six years of success and recently recognised as a finalist at the 2023 ABIA’s, Helena’s clinic is more than just a beauty haven—it’s a sanctuary focused on empowering individuals to achieve natural skin health and embrace their own beauty.

With a rich ethos centred on relaxation and resetting the nervous system, HB Beauty offers a safe haven for all seeking rejuvenation.

Helena, with 25 years of industry expertise, shares her journey, pride in her team, and the development of their own signature skincare range, HB Skin. Moreover, Helena’s commitment to sustainability shines through as they’ve partnered with Sustainable Salons, reflecting her passion for minimising the clinic’s environmental impact.

Beauty Biz Editor Louise May chats with Helena Bergman to chat about her thriving beauty clinic and the evolving landscape of the industry she loves.

Congratulations on celebrating six years in business! Can you share some key milestones and highlights from your journey with HB Beauty so far?

Thank you so much Louise it has been an incredible journey so far, we have had a full salon renovation, grown a team of amazing therapists and Launched our very own signature skin care range.( HB Skin)

One that stands out the most is our recent recognition as a finalist in the ABIAS awards, which is an immense honour, especially considering it was our first year of entry. It not only validates our hard work, but also motivates us to continue to strive for excellence in our industry.

Entering the ABIA’s was a great way to reflect on our achievements. My dear friend and mentor Nicola Le Lievre helped guide me through the process and it was a great experience to reflect on the previous year’s achievements. The Award night itself was just so incredible to be in a room with all the movers and shakers in our industry. It was truly amazing.

Where did your love for Beauty start and what inspire you to start a career in Beauty?

I have always loved hair and beauty treatments, as a young girl Mum bought me a book on hairstyles and make up and I used to practice on my sisters and our neighbours, and I think the passion grew from there. I grew up in very small town on the Sunshine Coast and my parents were into more alternate remedies and massage, yoga, crystal balancing, paw paw and honey face masks were all the rage.

I think that’s why I love the more natural side of beauty. I completed my Diploma in 1997 and have been in industry ever since, my career has spanned from working in high end day spas in Noosa and Island, specialised skin clinics in London to Teaching Cert IV at Charles Darwin University to finally opening my own clinic. I love all areas of this ever-evolving industry.

Your salon’s ethos is centred around “empowering clients to achieve natural skin health and love the skin they are in.” How did this philosophy come about, and how do you incorporate it into the overall experience at HB Beauty?

I want our clients to feel beautiful in their own skin. I think aging is a privilege and we should embrace growing old gracefully, obviously we all want to look and feel our best, but we need to embrace our own unique beauty.

We encourage our clients to care and protect their skin with regular skin treatments and quality skin care.. We offer a variety of treatments from nurturing massage to more advanced treatments such as LED and Skin Needling, we also incorporate Gua Sha treatments and Buccal Face sculpting.

It’s so important to take time out and really love and embrace the amazing vessel we are born with. Our clients often comment on the sense of calm they experience when entering our space.

Launching your own signature skincare range, HB Skin, is a significant achievement. Can you tell us more about the inspiration behind creating this line?

The inspiration stems from my commitment to natural beauty. I noticed that my clients were seeking a skincare line that was botanical and free from all the nasty ingredients.

Not everyone wants to use a cosmeceutical range and it is a gentle option for my clients. By creating this myself, it allowed me to customise the ingredients and market it to my clients as a more affordable entry level skin care range.. and to be honest our clients absolutely love it. Our Rose Hydrating Mist and our Illuminating Serum are 2 of our best sellers.

They smell so good, and skins just love them.

With 25 years in the beauty industry, you’ve witnessed its evolution and growth. How have you seen the industry change, and how does HB Beauty stay at the forefront of these developments?

Yes so many changes over the years, I believe human touch and connection is the key and the driving force for HB Beauty and our little sanctuary. Over the years I have seen the industry become more specialised.

Gone are the days when a therapist had to be across all avenues of beauty, I feel our industry has become a lot more niche.

The focus on creating a safe and nurturing space for clients to relax and reset their nervous system is intriguing.

How do you ensure that HB Beauty provides an environment that promotes both physical and mental well-being?

It’s all the little things, the calming music, the natural lighting , we serve herbal tea, and organic treats it may sound a little woo woo, but I smudge the salon each day and set a beautiful intention for the day, we have soft lighting in the rooms with beautiful essential oils, soft linen and towels, extra toppers on the bed to make it feel extra comfy, our clients are always saying they never want to leave.

Can you share some insights into the culture at HB Beauty and how you foster a collaborative and skilled team to deliver exceptional services to your clients?

We are a little HB family, we have regular team meetings and huddles to ensure we are all feeling supported and on the same page moving forward.

Partnering with sustainable salons reflects a commitment to environmental responsibility. Can you elaborate on the steps HB Beauty has taken to minimise its footprint on the planet, and how has this initiative been received by your clients and the community?

We have taken several steps to minimise our footprint on the planet.

Firstly, we have implemented energy efficiency measures, such as energy saving lighting and renewable energy sources. We prioritise recycling and proper waste disposal, and source eco-friendly products. Our clients and the community have responded positively to our sustainability initiatives, appreciating our commitment to the environment and they love seeing the difference little changes can make.

Looking ahead, what excites you the most about the future of the beauty industry, and how does HB Beauty plan to stay innovative and relevant in the years to come? Are there any upcoming projects or developments that you can give us a sneak peek into?

Ooh, I can’t give away too many secrets, but I look forward to adding more healing modalities to our menu, and you may just see our HB Skin range grow a little more. We are always educating the team and looking at growing and developing both individually and collectively. I love collaboration and learning new things.

@hbbeautypalmwoods