State of the Barber Industry: Sanitation Innovation
This article originally appeared in my newsletter, theGuideline. Sign up and get trending barber content sent right to your inbox every Monday.
In case you missed the last 5 weeks, we are running a special mini-series to close out 2023. Each week, we share a theme related to the current State of the Barber Industry.
The themes are based on content we have shared throughout the year.
01: Clash of the Chargers
02: The 6 Figure Barber
03: The Rise of Hair Consultations
04: Influencer Marketing Trends
05: Using the Whole License
Theme 06: Sanitation Innovation?
Unfortunately, most people have no idea what the barber license represents. This became evident when businesses began to re-open during the pandemic and the beauty industry was left out.
When you think about it, out of all industries, the beauty industry should have been one of the most trusted when it comes to keeping the public safe.
Every licensed beauty professional, from barbers to estheticians, have been tested on their knowledge of sanitation. But, let's be honest. How many barbers actually know the correct ratio of water to Barbicide?
"Until it looks blue enough"
I'll never forget the first shop I worked at. During my training, the owner was demonstrating how to empty and refill the classic Barbicide jar. He dumped it out, refilled it with water and then just poured Barbicide "until it looked blue enough". I know he's not the only one.
The SaniDuster
And then the pandemic happened and we were forced to return to our sanitation roots.
During quarantine, Sandra created The SaniDuster: a sanitary neck duster with removable bristles that barbers can sanitize and reuse. Although wood handle neck dusters are nostalgic, they can’t be fully submerged in barbicide.
The SaniDuster introduced a new sanitary and efficient practice that helps keep your clients safe. This is a clever and honestly, very practical product. Traditional neck dusters can get nasty.
2 Sanitation Products from Babyliss
This past year, Babyliss came out with two products that uniquely address sanitation. The Barbersonic Professional Disinfectant Solution Box submerges your tools in the solution, while using sonic vibrations to release the dirt and hair off your guards and combs, and then will turn off the LED light after 10 minutes.
They also released a new foil shaver with UV disinfecting capabilities. The Babyliss UV Foil Shaver features a UV-disinfecting lid that claims to kill 99.9% of bacteria. A slick design, where the UV logo even lights up in a UV blue light.
What's next?
Will there be more competition in the sanitation market? Probably. Is it necessary? Meh. If we just practiced what we already knew, I don't think these product innovations would be necessary. We'd probably use straight razors instead of foil shavers and just memorize the correct ratio (2 ounces to 32 ounces aka 1/4 cup to 4 cups).
I read this post by @alloblya that felt relevant.
Being a traditional barber is so fascinating. It means having a lot of amazing grooming products, fancy combs, and wonderfully scented tonics, as well as always keeping your station clean. A barber's station reflects a barber's attitude.
A return to tradition
As companies continue to overwhelm the market with more and more 'innovative' products, they are actually going to spark a movement towards minimalism. Barbers will crave 'tradition'. Soon enough, the foil shaver won't matter because they will prefer the hot towel, shaving cream and razor.
Are we about to see a movement that takes us back to our roots? (Pun intended). Time will tell.
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Written by Matthew Mendoza
Licensed barber, educator and consultant based in California. He is passionate about helping barbers pass their barber exam, develop their business and diversify their income.
He hosts a podcast, writes a weekly newsletter for the modern barber and offers 1-on-1 consulting.
