People are finding creative ways to maintain their self-care routines as economic pressures push them to spend more carefully on beauty and wellness services.
Data shows self-care is still important to people, but they are looking for ways to save so they can still get their fix of beauty and wellness without spending a lot.
Giselle Serrano has worked as a nail technician in salons, but for the last couple of years she decided to set up shop in her house. As a small business owner, she has seen how much people are watching their spending.
"Right now I see that there's like these waves of like it'll be really great obviously, during high seasons like Christmas and the holidays, but then it drops back down, due to the economy," Serrano said.
According to a survey by Zenoti, an AI-based wellness and beauty platform, 45% of people asked said they are booking professional services less often to save on costs, and 32% are downgrading to cheaper versions rather than cutting the service out entirely.
To help drive traffic, Serrano started offering discounts and free nail giveaways on social media. A set of acrylic nails with designs at salons can run from $65 to more than $100, depending on the style.
When asked whether more people are looking for freebies or trying to book appointments, Serrano said the answer is clear.
"I would say more often it's the freebies and the discounted sets for sure," Serrano said.
Customers have shared their financial realities with her directly.
"They say I couldn't afford this right now, I have this and this expense to take care of and I couldn't take care of myself," Serrano said.
Joseline Jaradon met Serrano through one of her social media posts. Jaradon was in college at the time and didn't have money for nails. She tried doing them herself but didn't have much luck.
"When I'm with her we're done in 1.2 to 2 hours, but when I do them I have to start like at 5pm and I'm not done until like 2am," Jaradon said.
For Jaradon, it's always a challenge balancing the need for self-care for her mental health while footing the bill.
"I totally understand with the economy is right now how expensive anything is. Like I would obviously rather fill my gas tank than get my nails done," Jaradon said.
Experts say if you want to explore DIY self-care, take advantage of free tutorial videos online, or consider setting aside a monthly personal gift fund so you can save up for self-care treatments.
This story was reported on-air by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.
