Cosmetic Business Ideas – Most Profitable Branches of the Beauty Industry

Cosmetic Business Ideas - Profitable Branches of the Beauty Industry
⏱️ 5 min read

Beauty is something so many people want to work in right now. The industry has proven to be stable enough to survive any crisis, and its growth is constant. It seems that, if you want to start your own business, it’s one of the safest branches to venture into.

But the industry is a many-headed beast! With so many beauty businesses popping up, it can be hard deciding on which direction to go in.

PMUHub is here to help you decide! Here’s a rundown of the most profitable cosmetic business ideas that are predicted to keep growing in the years to come.

What Will Be the Most Profitable Cosmetic Business Ideas in the Future?

To get a sense of what cosmetic business ideas can provide you with a stable, substantial income, you don’t need any complex research – just analyze the biggest beauty trends that have exploded so much in the past decade and that clients love so much that they’re not going anywhere any time soon: brow and lashes treatments.

You can’t go anywhere without your brows and lashes perfectly on-point – thank you Instagram! But people are tired of having to deal with so much makeup every single day, so they’re turning to permanent and semi-permanent enhancement options more and more often.

And once clients try permanent and semi-permanent options, they never go back!

Think about it – there has to be at least a couple of lash and brow bars in your town, and we bet they get a steady flow of clients.

So, let’s elaborate on these cosmetic business ideas and why they’re something worth considering.

Brow PMU

Brow tattoos – the ultimate beauty trend of the 21st century. The thin, overplucked brows of the early 2000s have been replaced with thick lush brows, popularized by celebrities from 2010 onwards. People embraced this trend with open arms, and brow styling methods that will maximize your brows became hugely popular.

Permanent makeup for eyebrows became the go-to option. It took some time to popularize brow PMU, but now microblading has become a household name, it’s one of the cosmetic business ideas here to stay.

Brow Tattoos - The Ultimate Beauty Trend Of The 21st CenturyImage source: Instagram @carolcortes1

What Is Brow PMU?

Permanent makeup is a form of cosmetic tattooing that recreates the look of wearing makeup, but in a long-lasting, smudge-proof way.

Long-lasting, but not permanent. Modern-day brow tattoos are done in such a way that allows them to fade over a couple of years, which is a huge benefit, as people don’t want to commit to a facial tattoo that could potentially last a lifetime – trends and preferences change.

Brow PMU implies several techniques of cosmetic tattoo application, which give different styles. They can be done with a machine (nano brows, powder brows, ombre brows), with a manual tool (microblading), or as a combination of the 2 (combo brows).

For more information on these brow PMU techniques, check out our guides:

How Do I Get into This Business?

Since it is a form of tattooing, you need to get proper education and obtain a certificate and a license to start practicing brow PMU. But as with most cosmetic business ideas, you don’t have to have prior experience in the beauty industry to learn it.

You need to take a course with an accredited academy or trainer, spend some time practicing and perfecting your skin until you’re ready to start working, get your certificate, and get licensed by the local authority. Licensing requirements vary by state.

You can find microblading licensing requirements here, and some courses here.

If you really apply yourself to it, you can reach a sufficient level of mastery to start working within 6 months, or even less.

For a more detailed insight into becoming a PMU artist, check out this article.

How Do I Get Into Cosmetic Business?Image source: Freepik

How Much Money Can I Make?

Brow PMU services can earn you up to 6 figures a year, but obviously not immediately. The average cost of a brow PMU treatment is somewhere between $500 and $600. You will need to charge less in the beginning, but if your work is good and you build a portfolio of satisfied clients, you can raise your prices relatively quickly.

Overall, it’s one of the most profitable cosmetic business ideas.

Here’s a rundown of how much you can make doing microblading.

Lash Services

Semi-permanent lash services have been around for a while, but it’s only in the past couple of years these treatments became widespread and something people of all ages and style preferences go for.

With lash services, literally everyone is a potential client. There’s a treatment and style for everybody, they’re totally non-invasive, and the ultimate confidence boosters.

What Are Lash Services?

Lash services imply doing lash lifts and lash extensions.

A lash lift or a lash perm is a quick chemical treatment that uplifts and curls the client’s natural lashes, for a subtle yet very effective enhancement. Clients fall in love with their lashes and keep coming back to repeat the treatment as soon as its effects disappear.

Read this guide for more information about lash lifts.

Lash extensions imply gluing artificial lash fibers into the lash line. This treatment can be totally customizable – there are many types of extensions which can be mixed for the exact look your client wants. With lash extensions, they get a look they could never achieve with makeup or strip lashes, so they are more than willing to pay for them.

Read this guide for more information about lash extensions.

Lash Lift And Lash Extensions ServicesImage source: Instagram @curatedlashco

How Do I Get Into This Business?

You need to take a course for each service which includes getting a certificate, and depending on the regulations in your area, getting licensed as an esthetician. Regulations vary per state, so check with your local authority.

Courses are relatively affordable and the skills are not that hard to learn. You don’t really need to have any prior experience.

How Much Money Can I Make?

Lash techs can also make 6 figures a year when they make a name for themselves.

The earnings depend on which service(s) you’re offering. If you offer all lash services, you will get more clientele through the door.

The average cost of a lash lift treatment is around $100.

With lash extensions, the pricing situation is a bit more complex, but to lash techs’ advantage. Once you give your client a set of lashes, they have to get regular maintenance appointments or infills. Some styles of lash extensions cost more than others. Then, there’s a difference in price between a full set and infill appointments. There are also lash baths, charged extra.

With a constant flow of clients, you can earn upwards of $100K a year, and the figure soars if you also do lash lifts.

To get a clearer picture of how to calculate potential earnings, check out this article.

So, Should I Go With These Cosmetic Business Ideas?

We can’t really answer these questions for you, but we can assure you that beauty is arguably the most stable branch of business to get into, and if you’re considering this industry, then lash services and brow PMU are the most profitable cosmetic business ideas. The demand for these treatments is so huge the market won’t get oversaturated with technicians just yet, so now is the perfect moment to take the leap of faith.

Cover image source: Freepik

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