Beauty is a hands-on art. The application of makeup, the analysis of skin, the planning for best facial care treatments – these are things that must be done in person.
For that reason, you might assume that estheticians can only learn their trade in person. The online learning that has proven so important over the past few years is unavailable to those who want to learn the beauty trade.
Well, you would only be partially correct.
It is true that no state in the U.S. offers certification through fully online classes. The testing must be done in person.
However, many esthetician schools offer the rest of their programs online. Taking advantage of the internet and the ever-evolving technology of distance learning, these schools teach students around the world the fundamentals of theory, the biology of beauty, and the basics of running a business.
This approach is essential for several reasons. Those who need to social distance can still advance their education, as can working professionals and stay-at-home parents. These schools let students learn the skills they need, while still tending to the other parts of their lives.
Even better, nearly every school on this list has ways to accommodate online students and help them complete their exams safely. Most take advantage of testing centers around the country, using videoconferencing software and practice mannequins to let students show off their skills, no matter where they are located.
If you’re ready to begin your esthetician education, then this is the list for you. Look at the schools here and find the one that best meets your need, so you can start learning your craft without ever leaving your house.
Lead Institute
A partnership between Arizona State University, Mesa Community College in Arizona, and L’Oréal USA, the Lead / ROLF Global Institute exists to provide advanced beauty training to all who want to learn.
The school is on the vanguard of an important mission, to raise the confidence of every person through the learning and applying of the latest beauty techniques.
Bringing together the resources of a respected state university and a community college with the industry experience of L’Oréal USA, the Lead Institute has the reach and infrastructure to achieve that goal.
Leads offers two accredited pathways toward becoming a professional in the beauty industry.
Through Mesa Community College, students can earn an associate degree in applied science in beauty and wellness. Along with the emphasis on critical thinking that one expects from a liberal arts school, the AAS track provides students with practical experience.
Future beauticians learn how to run a business and communicate with others, as well as the techniques of their trade.
Those who wish for a more in-depth program can pursue a Bachelor of Applied Science degree in beauty and wellness at Arizona State University. Building on principles established in the AAS program, the BAS track features advanced training in personal care. The program also provides an in-depth networking system, allowing students to form bonds with professionals already in the field.
Whichever track you choose, the Lead Institute offers online classes and flexible start days, allowing you to tailor your program around your needs. No matter where you are, the Lead Institute can help you find your way into the beauty profession.
Empire Medical Training
Since 1998, Empire Medical Training has given professionals across the country the skills and preparation they need to improve the lives of others. With over 700 live workshops presented each year in cities throughout Canada and the United States, Empire Medical Training equips more professionals than many of its competitors.
Empire can even meet the needs of those who prefer to learn at home. Empire’s virtual training options in aesthetics and pain management teaches students everything that they need to know about protocols, safety professes, and application methodologies.
Students have access to the same instructors who provide in-person training, as well as numerous other support systems.
Although the certification cannot be fully completed online Empire Medical, has many testing centers in every state in the country. In these testing centers, students can put the skills they learned online to good use, thereby earning their certification.
Even before the in-person application, students can receive one-on-one training via Empire’s virtual proctorships.
These virtual meetings allow students to teleconference with health professionals, who walk them through each step of the techniques they’re learning.
It’s just like working with a professional at your side, while still meeting your social distancing and scheduling preferences.
With all of these options for training online, Empire continues doing everything it can to empower students.
Mirage Spa
Mirage Spa has long been Canada’s premier home for training in esthetics. The number one online beauty school in the country, Mirage empowers students to drive their own education and to make the future they want for themselves.
Mirage designs its programs specifically to meet the needs of students who already have busy lives, such as working professionals and parents. Because it has had this focus from the beginning, Mirage is in an excellent position to expand its online offerings.
As it’s always done, Mirage provides learning materials via the mail and gives students access to teachers and lessons through internet programs. These video lessons cover both the theoretical and practical aspects of beauty arts, including esthetics, nails, spa therapy, and more.
The primary esthetics/spa therapy program covers 1200 hours of training. During that time, instructors cover every aspect of the subject, from the fundamentals to advanced techniques. Students learn how to perform hair removal, operate facial machines, perform skincare analysis, and more. At the end of the program, students leave with a diploma in esthetics and spa therapy.
In all of their lessons, students learn how to care not just for the body, but also for the mind and the spirit. Mirage’s holistic approach sees beauty not as an end to itself, but as a form of self-expression and confidence building.
Evergreen Beauty College
Evergreen Beauty College may be based in Seattle, Washington, but it has the means to educate students around the globe.
No matter where they are, students can participate in Evergreen’s supportive, family environment. Even over the internet, the school gives students all of the support and encouragement they need to be successful in their cosmetology career.
Evergreen prides itself on a culture of encouragement. Because of its beginnings as a small, family-owned business, the founders of Evergreen know first-hand how hard it is to make your way into a career. From that experience, the school knows how to help students remain focused on the goal, even when things get tough.
That experience also influences the school’s practical approach to the teaching of esthetics.
In the primary esthetics program, students learn the fundamentals of skin analysis and treatment. Working under experienced professionals, students will learn techniques such as exfoliating, moisturizing, and massage. Everything they learn helps them see the best in clients and how to highlight those aspects for others.
The master esthetics program takes those skills even further.
With a more focused approach to the science of esthetics, the program teaches students how to perform depth peels and various forms of therapy, including laser and radio frequency. Students even study the functions of medical technology to find new ways of bringing out the beauty of their clients.
Despite these lofty ambitions, Evergreen never loses its family feel, even when providing training online.
Aglaia Esthetics
Although they are based in Canada, Aglaia Esthetics brings its first-class professional training to the entire world. Under the direction of Maria Pillon, a professional with over 35 years of experience in the field, Aglaia Esthetics emphasizes innovative and progressive training.
Combining theory with hands-on training, the school continues to find new ways of developing the next generation of beauty professionals.
Thanks to its focus on working professionals, Algia Esthetics can provide access to students around the world, without sacrificing any of its quality. Even before the past years have increased the need for online education, Aglaia’s distance learning offerings received praise from students and observers alike.
Instead of overburdening students with a comprehensive program, Aglaia’s distance learning allows students to register for each module individually. With this flexibility, students can take a single module, focus on a specific skill, or pair several together to build a well-rounded set of tools.
In their esthetics course, students begin with theory classes, which provide them with the basis of skin analysis and product knowledge. Later modules expand on those ideas with practical application. Students learn everything from spa/facial treatments and corrective makeup application to bridal makeup and men’s makeup.
When they have completed these modules, students have the opportunity to apply their understanding in practical modules. These modules combine online and in-person learning, as they practice the concepts via video conferencing and then perform their tasks in one of Aglaia’s many testing centers.
With this combination of expertise and innovation, Aglaia trains the best in beauty professionals in Canada and beyond.
