Ep 376 – Beauty on Their Terms: The DIY Boom

Summary

Podcast Summary: ASCP Esty Talk – Ep 376

Title: Beauty on Their Terms: The DIY Boom
Date: February 18, 2026
Hosts: Maggie Stasik & Ella Cressman
Theme: Exploring the rise of DIY beauty, its impact on estheticians, client behavior, and how professionals can adapt empathetically.

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Episode Overview

This episode explores the dramatic growth of DIY (Do-It-Yourself) beauty treatments and self-care rituals. Hosts Maggie Stasik and Ella Cressman discuss the economic and emotional drivers behind the trend, how social media shapes attitudes, and what it means for both clients and estheticians. They share candid stories, professional insights, and actionable advice for pros navigating the new landscape of beauty on clients’ own terms.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. DIY: Personal Stories & Trends

• Both hosts admit to frequent DIY in their routines, swapping stories about cutting their own hair and performing at-home treatments.
• [02:46] Maggie: “I DIY everything… my brows, my bikini line, I DIY my hair.”
• The act of DIY has moved from a necessity or secret to a source of pride and experimentation.

2. Economic Pressure & Changing Client Behavior

• Clients are spacing out professional treatments more than before due to financial insecurity and economic uncertainty.
• [03:43] Ella: “The duration of in between appointments is growing… my financial security is a little bit uncertain.”
• People look for small personal rituals to regain control when finances and life feel unpredictable.

3. Psychology & Empowerment of DIY

• DIY is about more than saving money — it’s about agency, creativity, and emotional resilience.
• [05:17] Maggie: “Beauty has become a form of self care. It’s a sense of agency, if you will, and something people can do on their own terms.”
• The positive feelings of accomplishment and soothing from DIY mirror those of crafting or cooking (e.g., making sourdough bread).
• Social media amplifies trends, normalizing and encouraging DIY by making techniques and products seem accessible.

4. Social Media's Role

• Platforms like TikTok are making DIY normal, fun, and less intimidating.
• [07:14] Maggie: “DIY beauty feels empowering. It’s creative, it’s personal. Social media makes DIY more accessible, more normalized, less intimidating.”
• Viral "get ready with me" or "do your facial with me" videos draw people in and promote experimentation.

5. Cautionary Tales & The Realities of DIY

• Not all DIY attempts are successful (unused tools, failed projects, etc.).
• [08:14] Ella: “I bought that at home IPL laser… I used it twice. I don’t even know where it is.”
• Being realistic and intentional about DIY is encouraged.

6. Shifting Client Conversations & Needs

• Clients now ask more questions before purchasing products—looking for value, function, and necessity rather than just trusting professional recommendations.
• [09:15] Ella: “They’re booking less. They’re buying smarter… now they’re like, ‘wait, how does it work and why do I need it?’”
• Some new clients seek corrective help after failed DIY attempts, but most are confident and open about what they're doing at home. Social media plays a big role in this reduced stigma.

7. Professional Adaptation: Empathy & Education

• DIY isn’t new, but the attitude and openness around it have changed.
• Estheticians should avoid judgment, instead aiming to educate and empower clients safely.
• [12:42] Ella: “We have to be very, very careful with our emotional approaches about invalidating or validating where they are… removing the judgment from our approach is the adaptation for professional estheticians right now.”
• Practical approach: Teach clients how to do safe DIY, offer maintenance tips, create accessible service packages, and act as a compassionate guide.
• [13:31] Maggie: “And equipping them with the proper tools to do it.”

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Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On the shift in client priorities:
  “DIY doesn’t mean clients don’t value professionals. It means they’re prioritizing differently… they still want expertise, but just in a different way.”
  — Maggie [11:52].

• On empathy for clients:
  “The adaptation for us is removing the judgment... instead of going, ‘girl, that is nuts,’ having a compassionate approach.”
  — Ella [12:42].

• Navigating tough economic times:
  “Beauty doesn’t disappear in tough times. It evolves.”
  — Maggie [12:15].

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Timestamps for Key Segments

• 02:26 – Personal DIY confessions; humor around successes and failures.
• 03:43 – Economic pressures and how client habits are changing in the treatment room.
• 05:17 – Beauty as self-care and empowerment, regardless of circumstance.
• 07:14 – The role of social media in normalizing and spreading DIY beauty.
• 09:15 – How product conversations with clients are more discerning and intentional.
• 10:07 – Are more clients coming in for professional help after DIY gone wrong?
• 11:52 – Is DIY new? Why the current attitude matters for estheticians.
• 12:42 – Professional adaptation: compassion, education, and strategies for meeting clients where they are.

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Actionable Takeaways for Estheticians

• Lead with empathy: Understand and validate clients’ choices, offering gentle education versus judgment.
• Equip clients: Provide safe DIY strategies, maintenance tips, or simpler services to support at-home care.
• Stay adaptable: Adjust communication and service offerings to align with new priorities and financial realities.
• Embrace evolving roles: Professionals remain important as informed guides, even in the DIY era.

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For more information or to connect with the hosts, see the show notes or reach out via ASCP’s social channels.

Transcript

[Narrator]

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[Maggie Stasik]

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[Narrator]

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[Maggie Stasik]

Hello and welcome to ASCP's STTalk. I'm your co host Maggie Stasik, ASCP's program director.

[Ella Cressman]

And I'm Ella Cressman, licensed esthetician, super fan of aesthetics and content contributor for ascp.

[Maggie Stasik]

Ella, be honest. Do you DIY anything in self care? Yeah. Self care or you know.

[Ella Cressman]

Yes, a lot. I do. I DIY a lot of things. I'll. I should be called DiW doing it wrong. No, but I do. I DIY some things. Yeah. Okay.

[Maggie Stasik]

I DIY everything.

[Ella Cressman]

Do you really?

[Maggie Stasik]

Yes. I DIY my brows, my bikini line. I DIY my hair.

[Ella Cressman]

You do?

[Maggie Stasik]

Yeah, I do go to the hair salon, I get it cut and colored and then I go home and fix it. Diy.

[Ella Cressman]

Okay, then I'll change my answer. Huh?

[Maggie Stasik]

Yep. Yeah. So I think probably, and we've kind of talked about this, that we're diying in the sense that we go home and we trial and error and test. Right?

[Ella Cressman]

Right.

[Maggie Stasik]

Yeah. And in truth, this conversation isn't about Judging DIY this question, it connects to a much bigger shift we're seeing right now in the industry. People are feeling real financial pressure and being more selective with spending. They're looking for control in small personal ways. Are you feeling that or even seeing it in your treatment space?

[Ella Cressman]

Both. I'm seeing it and I'm feeling it too, because I'm seeing the shift in treatment room in the duration of in between appointments is growing. Right. So it used to be four weeks. I was proud that I had my people coming for every four weeks. I was priced in a way that it was accessible and it was dependable, and I could count on that. But a lot of my clients, for a lot of reasons, have felt insecure right now, like with everything going on. And so they're afraid to. To, you know, they're, they're racing, I would say, for something that they just don't know if it's gonna come or when it's gonna come. And I get that in. I'm down. I support that. Like, I support them. They're still coming to me. But then in turn, I'm nervous because now my financial security is a little bit uncertain. Well, just one uncertain.

[Maggie Stasik]

Yeah.

[Ella Cressman]

So I'm like seeing things. You mentioned the hair and it reminded me at first I'm like, yeah, I DIY some things, but I do. I had bangs for. And even like the curtain bangs and such. And I was diying them so much because you don't want to go back. And I could, I could stretch that out for a couple months. You know, my haircuts, because they're not cheap. Yeah. And I pay full price. I don't trade anymore like I used to when I, you know, when I had space in a salon. And so I'm like, I'll just cut my bangs myself. And let me add a little bit more here. Oops. Now I got to add a little bit more there. And my hairstyle is like, look, if you don't stop, you're going to have a mullet. I say, okay, but they're in right now.

[Maggie Stasik]

Yeah.

[Ella Cressman]

Yeah.

[Maggie Stasik]

For real. I mean, beauty has become a form of self care. It's a sense of agency, if you will, and something people can do on their own terms. What I think is interesting is that beauty is something. We've talked about that in times of uncertainty or when the economy is experiencing this fluctuation, people are still spending.

[Ella Cressman]

They're still spending. They're. They're caring or they're filling their cups or they're soothing.

[Maggie Stasik]

Yeah.

[Ella Cressman]

And I Think there's something to be said about DIY giving confidence of I can so not just soothing, making you feel prettier, but also making you feel accomplished.

[Maggie Stasik]

Yeah.

[Ella Cressman]

So DIY nails, we saw that a lot a couple years ago. DIY peels that you. You can do this or you feel DIY sourdough bread, you know, that you. Oh, I can do this. And same with crafts and. And things. So when bringing it back to beauty, it's emotional for sure. The DIY part of it.

[Narrator]

Yeah.

[Maggie Stasik]

And I think this isn't just people cutting back, it's that people are just choosing differently.

[Ella Cressman]

Yes, I think so. Yes. Now that. Where they can just supplement.

[Maggie Stasik]

Yeah. Yeah. So here's the psychology behind DIY right now. When life feels expensive or unpredictable, people are looking for control. You mentioned that. We have just said that there's this emotional component here a little bit. And small rituals matter.

[Ella Cressman]

Yeah. Because it's something that they are able to first of all count on, second of all, navigate. And they're the captain of that. So there's small rituals are really, really important for emotional soothing, but also for calming any kind of uncertainty. So it's something they can count on in. In an environment where we don't even know what's going to happen tomorrow.

[Maggie Stasik]

Yeah, you're so right. And DIY beauty feels empowering. It's creative, it's personal. Social media makes DIY more accessible, more normalized, less intimidating. We've talked about social media and people posting, like, their TikTok reels and things like that, doing DIY or what is it, get dressed with me or do your facial with me kind of videos. And that's so fun.

[Ella Cressman]

Get ready with me.

[Maggie Stasik]

Yeah, okay.

[Ella Cressman]

See, I'm not getting dressed with anybody. She doesn't have social media guys.

[Maggie Stasik]

I don't know. I don't know.

[Ella Cressman]

But yeah, you were on the right page. Just that I'm not getting in that room with you. Yes. But I'm sorry to interrupt your thought process. Yeah. Anyways, yeah, we're addicted to watching it, right?

[Maggie Stasik]

Yeah, we are.

[Ella Cressman]

Yeah. It's.

[Maggie Stasik]

It's not always right and we've talked about that, but there's something about it. It draws you in.

[Ella Cressman]

Okay, let me give a parallel, though. So do cooking videos for me. Oh, yeah. So I add. Cause I. I'm now going to the store, but I was ordering groceries for a long time. Tell me why. I have butter beans and all these, like, things. I would watch a reel. I'm like, oh, I'm gonna do that. Let me order all those things. I have them now. They're about to expire because I didn't get around to it. So, word to the wise, like, I'm just saying, if it is like a switch or a cutback, be intentional. Be, like, realistic about your DIYs. Right. Remember, also, I bought that at home. IPL laser.

[Narrator]

Yes.

[Ella Cressman]

Yeah. I used it twice.

[Maggie Stasik]

That's it.

[Ella Cressman]

That's it.

[Maggie Stasik]

I will tell you. I see that online all the time. Reviews are off the charts.

[Ella Cressman]

People say it works. Well, I wouldn't know. I just used it, I think, twice. I don't even know where it is. Okay. Might be in the garage sale pile. Yeah, I'll get to anyways. Yeah. Okay.

[Maggie Stasik]

So in the treatment room, Ella, have you said you do notice this with your clients?

[Ella Cressman]

Yes, 100%. They're booking less. They're buying smarter. And like, you can see, like, before. Let's just go back three years ago. They were like, oh, okay, I need it. Sounds good. I'll get it. Cool. You want me to get this next time? Cool. And now they're like, wait, how does it work? And why do I need it? And where do I use this? It's more discerning. It's more intentional. They're. They're, you know, trying to be really smart with their purchases. I had to pivot a little bit, too, because I switched lines and I brought in a line that's more extensive. So I had to change the way I talk about it and the way I encourage it. Cause it was not an ideal time for me to do that. I'm fine. Everything's cool. It worked out great. But it was a challenge. You had to relearn how to speak 2025 and 2026, and then also how to speak in a new product, you know, language. So it was hard.

[Maggie Stasik]

This may be more like a hair question, but are your clients coming in for corrective work because they diyed at home and messed up their face?

[Ella Cressman]

I have not seen too much of that. A little bit. Like, a little bit. I would say if I had to put a percentage, I would say maybe 30%, which sounds like a lot, but it's not bad. But a lot of those are some other things. Like the new clients that I've been getting are more in that percentage. I've tried all these things at home. It's still not working, and I think I made it worse.

[Maggie Stasik]

Yeah. Yeah.

[Ella Cressman]

So, yeah, a little bit. So that's. That's awesome.

[Maggie Stasik]

So I think, generally speaking, in the treatment room, clients may be seeing that appointment spacing is spreading out. Clients are maybe more openly admitting that they're diying. There's less shame and more confidence about it. And I think we can point to social media in helping open the door to that. Would you agree?

[Ella Cressman]

I. Oh, yeah, absolutely. And I would also say, like, allowing them the space to be open about using those things is important. And then reeducating why they. What they should in that arena should and should not. Do you want to make your own lip gloss? That's cool. Maybe not your own chemical peel at home.

[Maggie Stasik]

Right, right.

[Ella Cressman]

Yep.

[Maggie Stasik]

Yeah. So is DIY really a new phenomenon?

[Ella Cressman]

Not really.

[Maggie Stasik]

Not really. Yeah. So what's new, though, I think, is the attitude around it.

[Ella Cressman]

Yeah. I think to your point, social media made it look so good, like, it was so easy. And they're telling you in 30 seconds or 90 seconds what you can do and you can do it. That. Yeah. It's like, normalized.

[Maggie Stasik]

Yeah.

[Ella Cressman]

Versus what you. You would have heard, like, at book club or in your social circles. Have you tried this? Have you tried that? It's different. Absolutely different.

[Maggie Stasik]

Yeah. And I think for the estheticians listening, DIY doesn't mean clients don't value professionals. It means they're prioritizing differently. Um, they still want expertise, but just in a different way. And you have to shift your perspective. So it's. Let's talk about how to do this safely and when to come see me.

[Ella Cressman]

Oh, nailed it.

[Maggie Stasik]

So how can pros adapt? Beauty doesn't disappear in tough times. It evolves.

[Ella Cressman]

Yes. I don't even know. I'm glad you agreed where you are. I'm like, yes, I agree.

[Maggie Stasik]

Very good. Yeah. Okay. So clients are still caring about feeling good, looking good. They want to look like themselves, but elevated, and they want to have those moments of care, especially when they feel like perhaps they're facing tough times.

[Ella Cressman]

More than ever, clients emotional state is fragile more than ever, more than I've seen it in 20 years. That we have to be very, very careful with our emotional approaches about invalidating or validating where they are and not positioning ourselves as this finger wagging. You should do it this way. Like, removing the judgment from our approach is the adaptation for professional estheticians right now. And in coming at it in a way of, oh, I thank you. I understand. I get it. I see where you're. Why you're saying that, and that's for anything. I see why you want to do this at home. Have you thought about instead of going, girl, that is nuts. Unless you know them, but you know what I'm saying, like having a compassionate approach is the adaptation for us. Yeah.

[Maggie Stasik]

And equipping them with the proper tools to do it.

[Ella Cressman]

And that's education, that's ideas.

[Maggie Stasik]

Yeah, yeah. So offering like maintenance guidance between appointment strategies, targeted services, or maybe it's even lower commitment services.

[Ella Cressman]

Absolutely. Or packages are easy ways to pay and break that up for sure.

[Maggie Stasik]

Yeah, yeah, absolutely. So estheticians who listen, adapt and lead with empathy, stay relevant and trusted listeners. We want to hear from you. What's your take on the DIY boom? Share with us on social media, through Instagram, Facebook or by emailing getconnectedscpskincare.com thank you for listening to ASCPSDtalk. And as always, for more information on this episode or for ways to connect with Ella and myself, or to learn more about ascp, check out the show notes.