Take Back Control of Your Margins—One Product at a Time

You’ve nailed your treatment protocols. Your equipment is top notch. Your clients are happy.

But here’s a question: what if the products you’re using during treatments aren't, pulling their weight the way they could?

When we think about cost-cutting in clinic life, the usual suspects come up: machines, treatment time, staffing. Because yes—time is money. But what if the real margin leak is something far more subtle… hiding in plain sight?

Your back bar.

Have you ever stopped to check what your per-treatment product cost really is?

Or asked yourself: are you using those pricey branded cleansers or masks when a clinical-grade white-label alternative would deliver the same results for significantly less?

Here’s a little secret: some clinics save thousands every year by making exactly that swap—without compromising on results.

Prep and Post-Treatment Products: Get strategic

Cleansers, prep solutions, neutralizers, post treatment recovery balms—they’re essential, but often overlooked money sinks. Consider this:

• Are you using a premium gel cleanser where a neutral pH foaming cleanser would prep just as well at half the cost?

• Could your post-treatment balm be swapped for a clinical-grade, unbranded ceramide moisturizer?

• Are you using branded sheet masks that include built-in marketing costs you’re footing?

• Could a white-label base with optional actives give you more flexibility and a higher perceived level of customization?

These small changes add up fast—especially if you see 5+ clients a day.

A more efficient backbar; Products with multiple applications

Some products only work while you apply them. The smart ones keep working long after the treatment ends. Ask yourself;

• Could this LED mask serum also double as a barrier-repair product after a peel?

• Is this hydrating mask just “nice to have,” or is it packed with active ingredients like ceramides or niacinamide that actually help speed recovery?

• Could this massage oil double as a dermaplaning medium?

Choosing multi-functional products means fewer items to stock, simpler protocols, and more value in every step. (Many clinics unknowingly duplicate steps that aren’t needed.)

Trust your knowledge. You've invested so much;

I see a lot of hold back in this space as therapists and clinic owners enjoy the comfort of brand backing. While I completely agree and understand this logic, I also ask you, is it necessary in all contexts? Think about all the time and money you've invested in personal development and for clinics with staff, that of your therapists too. This is just another way to gain a return on that investment.

Want help auditing your back bar?

Let’s chat. You bring your treatment list—I'll bring the strategy.

Behind every smart clinic, there's a formulator

_ The Clinics Formulator