End-of-Summer Reset: A Checklist for Estheticians

This is actually one of my favorite times of year for one reason: it’s a golden window to reset.

This is the perfect time to get organized, clear the clutter, and plan for the season ahead. Because come September, everything picks up. School starts. Routines return. And your clients are going to be looking to you for guidance on what their post-summer skin needs.

So here's a super easy, concise checklist to get you started:

Audit Your Shelves

Take a moment—open those cabinets and drawers. What’s still working? What’s been sitting untouched? What’s expired or just not selling?  Let go of what’s not moving. It’s taking up space (and probably some of your energy too). 

Restock with Intention

Think about what skin is going to need in September and beyond: hydration, barrier repair, gentle exfoliation. This is your chance to bring in products that support those needs, both in the treatment room and at retail. We’ve already started noticing a shift in what’s moving—and you probably have, too. Use that insight to get ahead instead of playing catch-up next month.

Plan Your Fall Marketing

Don’t wait until mid-September to throw something together. Now’s the time to sketch out a seasonal marketing plan. Perhaps you create treatments with an added homecare bundle, or maybe you'll offer a peel series - now is the time to plan how you’ll talk about it. You don’t need a complicated launch—just a plan. Something that feels aligned, relevant, and easy to say yes to. This kind of prep always pays off.

Freshen Up Your Space

Even small shifts make a difference. Restock new towels. Rearrange your product display. Organize your drawers. When your space feels fresh, your energy shifts—and clients feel that.

Set One Simple Goal

Choose one thing to track as you move into fall—maybe it’s retail sales, maybe it’s rebooking rate, maybe it’s average order value. It doesn’t have to be perfect. But when you track something consistently, you start making decisions from a place of clarity, not guesswork. (If you need help choosing a starting point, I wrote a blog on KPIs that might help—you can read it here.)