BABTAC launches consumer safety campaign, TIME, at Parliament
As safety and legislation discussions continue within the beauty and aesthetics industry, the British Association of Beauty and Cosmetology (BABTAC) has launched its first consumer safety initiative.
The campaign, known by the abbreviation TIME, was unveiled at a conference at the Houses of Parliament in late January. It is supported by MPs and key industry bodies including the British Beauty Council.
TIME acts as a regulatory checklist that is designed to give clients a framework through which they can understand and remember the key things to ask their beauty therapist pre-treatment. The aim is to ensure they get the best experience and results, as well as to minimise any risks.
The need for such initiatives is clear from recent research by both BABTAC and Beauty Backed Trust, which suggested that over half of consumers believe the beauty industry is fully regulated when it is not.
The four components of the TIME checklist are:
TRAINING – What training and qualifications, including continual professional development (CPD), do you and all your staff have?
INSURANCE – Are you insured, and by whom?
MONITORING – Do you carry out important pre and post-appointment processes such as patch tests, consultations, and aftercare?
EVIDENCE – Can you provide certified proof of training and insurance and client testimonials?
The BABTAC campaign is designed with beauty therapists in mind, although the framework could easily be incorporated into an aesthetics business to bring greater peace of mind to clients.
Aesthetic doctors can also help spread the message by making clients aware of the TIME checklist and the importance of fit-for-purpose qualifications when visiting beauty therapists alongside aesthetic treatments.
“We’re so pleased to be launching the TIME initiative, with the support of some key leaders in the beauty sector,” says the chair at BABTAC, Lesley Blair MBE. “Lack of regulation in our industry means that consumers are being exposed to potentially unsafe situations all too often, and so we’ve seen a wave of ‘botched’ beauty treatments in recent years as a result. This regulatory checklist aims to serve as a simple but effective reminder for consumers to help them choose evidence-based, fit-for-purpose services, while minimising any risk.”
