7 minute read
The Mask celebrates 50th birthday
Founded by industry icon, Helene Bramwell, The Mask Skin & Body Clinic in Parkview, Johannesburg, turns 50 this year. Joanna Sterkowicz reports
t is a truly extraordinary achievement for any South African beauty salon to have been in business for five decades and Professional Beauty is not aware of any salon other than The Mask Skin & Body Clinic I and abroad, attending national and international congresses keeping abreast with the latest techniques and advances. She is a CIDESCO Gold Medalist; a SAIHBTH (South African Institute of Health & Beauty) Founder Member and Honorary enjoys making people feel good about themselves. “At end of day that is what we’re all trying to achieve,” she said. “There is a need that has reached such an incredible Fellow; as well as the recipient of milestone. three President Awards recognising
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The Mask was co-founded in her dedication to the profession. 1971 by Helene Bramwell, long In honour of The Mask’s 50th known as a pioneer in the beauty birthday, Bramwell was interviewed industry. Bramwell’s journey in live online on 16 March 2021 to a beauty started a few years prior, in global audience by Mark Moloney, 1966, and ever since then she has CEO of the UK-headquartered been closely associated with the Professional Beauty Group. beauty profession in South Africa Bramwell told Moloney that she
There is a need out there and as therapists, we have to meet that need.
out there and as therapists, we have to meet that need. My team and I form relationships with clients and we are not in competition with each other. We work in tandem
as a results-oriented team. Skin therapists underestimate the important role they play in society and I think we should do justice to ourselves. ” was in a shop in Parkview some 90 square metres in size that was painted and curtained by ourselves. Beauty therapy back then was an unknown and classified for the privileged only. At the time, Parkview was a very sleepy hollow with many shops vacant and others closing. We stayed resolute as we encouraged women to experience
facials, while giving them manicures or pedicures. Slowly business picked up and clients would travel from all over Johannesburg to come to us. The demand was growing.
“I then moved to bigger premises (120 square metres) and in the early 1990s, we took a giant leap into an even larger space, at The Village in Parkview. Although I had been approached by many shopping centres over the years – Rosebank, Hyde Park, Sandton – Parkview was where I wanted to remain. It was an area I felt comfortable in and a community I was happy to serve.”
Moloney pointed out that Bramwell was one of the first people in South Africa to employ people of colour. Bramwell responded: “Colour never actually entered my mind because I employed the person and was only interested in their ability, not their race or culture.”
Location, location, location
What is quite amazing is that 47 of the 50 years of The Mask’s existence have been in the same location, at The Village on Tyrone Avenue in Parkview.
Said Bramwell: “When The Mask first opened its doors in 1971, it
Market changes
Commenting about the changes she has seen in the industry over the past 50 years, Bramwell noted that when she first started out, a lot of salons were very intimidating for the public but that The Mask has always felt comfortable for clients. “The Mask is its own culture; it’s not a fancy salon – we are a welcoming salon that’s been running for a long time. My clients have been amazing. One client said she appreciated the fact that I talk to her, the person.”
Due to the salon’s longevity, Bramwell feels privileged to be treating the third generation of clients. “These are the children of the children of clients. Unfortunately, many have immigrated or moved to other parts of South Africa but when in town, they pop by to have a treat or just to say hello. I find this quite emotional as these people are the threads of The Mask’s tapestry and
it’s when I realise just how much time has flown.”
Retail policy
While it’s true that therapists have to sell cosmetics for salons to survive financially, Bramwell emphasised to Professional Beauty’s Moloney that she and her team are responsible in this regard and not pushy. “All suppliers want you to be their representative to your clients but I don’t want to aggressively sell. If I see that the product the client is using is not
working for them, I will suggest another range.”
Selling of products in salons is usually linked to commission but Bramwell has always strongly believed that you have to pay therapists decent salaries. As such, none of Bramwell’s staff work on commission. Clearly this policy has paid off as many of her staff everyone. She continued: “We tried our best to keep in touch with clients during lockdown, to see whether they needed products. I think that phoning clients is much better than using social media. Having said that, social media did help in that we were able to show treatments to clients.
“Our salon COVID safety protocols are very strict and have always been in place. I even purchased an ultraviolet unit to sanitise staff clothing and have limited the amount of clients that can be in the salon at any one time, as well as the number of days each staff member can work. Yet despite this, the fear factor among clients is very big. I would say that about 60% of my clients are still scared of coming into the salon. The younger clients are not so scared. We are now also open on a Sunday for those clients who have to work Saturdays. Unfortunately I don’t expect a big change in the fear factor dynamic for about six months.”
members have been with her a long time, ranging from 16 years to 32 years.
This factor in turn has been of benefit to the salon, as the beauty industry is notorious for therapists hopping from one salon to another. Commented Bramwell: “Teams that work together for a common cause always do best and my team has been amazing over the years – supportive and committed. I could not ask for a more loyal group of professionals and I must also acknowledge the constant and unselfish support of my daughter, Deborah. Without her I could not have managed.”
Pandemic
Bramwell described the COVID-19 pandemic as a catastrophe for
Industry threats
Pandemic aside, Bramwell believes that the biggest threat facing the industry is that anyone can open a salon these days, as you don’t need a qualification.
She continued: “I think it’s important for a salon or clinic to have CIDESCO accreditation, as it gives you a universal acknowledged stamp of excellence. This is because the CIDESCO national organisation inspects premises and qualifications before presenting to the CIDESCO board. I believe this is important as the global village searches for hallmarks they can identify with confidence.”
Bramwell acknowledges that today, although South Africa has some of the best qualified therapists in the world, she still believes that every skincare professional should try and attain a CIDESCO Diploma as it is a passport to the world of beauty therapy and is identified worldwide. “As high as some of our qualifications may be, if one considers relocating or moving out of South Africa, a CIDESCO Diploma will open doors – it is truly international and recognised by professionals and cosmetic businesses worldwide.
“For many who have worked in the beauty therapy arena as a professional for three years, it is possible to apply for a Post Graduate CIDESCO Diploma examination through the CIDESCO Schools or the national CIDESCO Section (SAAHSP) Cidesco Beauty Centre Accreditation.”
As to what advice she would give for someone wanting to open a salon today, Bramwell said: “You can only work on one person at a time. Give the client the best treatment possible. And don’t just do the same treatment over and over again – you have to offer alternatives. You need to tell them what treatments and products they need for their skin.”
