The British Association of Beauty Therapy & Cosmetology (BABTAC) is being backed by beauty names Millie Kendall and Caroline Hirons to push for better regulations in the treatments sector. BABTAC has launched Make Beauty Safe campaign to make the unregulated beauty industry safer for consumers. 

Lesley Blair, Chair at BABTAC has said: “We need accountability, we need regulation. Now more so than ever. With confusion around COVID safety measures, a clear code of conduct needs to be established to ensure the safety of all those encountering the beauty industry – be it professionally or personally." 

The Chartered Institute of Environmental Health has just released a report on the regulation of cosmetics treatments that discloses, “the existing legislation available to most local authorities in England and Northern Ireland to regulate this sector is no longer fit for purpose.” This is not just limited to the advanced treatments such as laser, micropigmentation and skin needling, but even the more routine ones like waxing and lash extensions that can have severe consequences. 

Millie Kendall MBE, CEO of the British Beauty Council has said: “In the past year and a half we’ve done a lot of work in terms of raising the reputation of the beauty industry, but what has become apparent is that without appropriate regulation, this reputation is in jeopardy. It’s astounding that you can go on a one-day course and become accredited to perform treatments that break skin or use chemicals without sufficient training. The British Beauty Council is an advocacy group but we support trade bodies in pushing regulation in order to future proof our industry.”

BABTAC, with the support of other industry leaders including the British Beauty Council, are working to campaign for change in government legislation.

Caroline Hirons, industry expert, aesthetician and skincare specialist who is also backing the campaign said: “Safety and professionalism should be at the heart of everything we do, and with so little accountability this currently just isn’t the case in far too many circumstances - to the detriment of our reputation and the wellbeing of our clients."

BABTAC is urging consumers to sign its petition via change.org and the group will send a letter to the government.