Eye Pro, Inc.

January 2021 – EYE PRO, Inc., world leader in disposable eye protection for indoor tanning and makers of Ultra Gold WINK-EASE, Lash Room WINK-EASE and WINK-EASE Dark, continues to be committed to the tanning industry and supporting salons in every way possible.

“2020 has been filled with challenges with salons forcing to close, reduce staff, implement new cleaning procedures and find ways to keep client feeling safe enough to come back in,” explained Brenda Fishbaugh, President of EYE PRO. “Everyone seems to be looking forward to 2021, not only to get 2020 in the past, but also to approach the year with a fresh start. It’s a wonderful time to come together, support each other and find creative business solutions to keep communicating to our tanning clients, while assuring them to find ways to stay relaxed, comfortable and safe.”

“The possibilities are endless,“ echoed Jackie DeWald, Office Manager for EYE PRO. “Along with re-merchandising, why not take this opportunity to review marketing and social media efforts, customer relations, and make sure your staff is well-trained on all lotions for each skin type, as well as the various types of eye protection available?”
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With 2020 now in the rear-view mirror, let’s start fresh and make some quick and easy changes to move into a sparkling 2021! 

I asked PA salon operator, Kristin Smithers of Sunny Shores Tanning on Lake Erie, what changes have helped her salon improve their service. “The one thing we have implemented that really has helped us build our business is offering OPTIONS! We have instilled trust in our customers by allowing them to have the option of walk-ins, appointments and/or curbside check-in for appointments. Our curbside check-in allows customers to check in when they arrive via a mobile link and we text them when their tanning room is ready. This helps us engage more one-on-one with customers when it is their time to tan, as well as gives our guests the peace of mind to safely wait in their cars or outside,” explains this new salon owner. 

“I worked at the salon for four years, then bought and renamed it Sunny Shores Tanning,” Smithers continues. Soon after the one-year anniversary of the business, she had to shut down the salon due to COVID. “Now, we are running on ‘new salon’ energy,” she shares. “I asked myself, ‘where can we improve?’ So, when we re-opened, we had a new bed in place, a HEPA filter on our air unit and UVC filters in the salon. We even added mini room-cleaners that plug into the outlets in every room, hoping our efforts would boost our tanners’ confidence in our cleanliness. Just like lots of tanning centers, we added retail hand sanitizer and disinfecting wipes.”

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December 2020 – EYE PRO, Inc., world leader in disposable eye protection for indoor tanning and makers of Ultra Gold WINK-EASE, Lash Room WINK-EASE and WINK-EASE Dark, is committed to helping salons help tanners understand the importance of wearing eye protection when tanning. And they’re helping save the planet while doing so.

Brenda Fishbaugh, President of EYE PRO and a 30+ tanning industry veteran, is as passionate about animal advocacy as she is about eye protection. This is not the first time EYE PRO and salons have sponsored a donation to help save an endangered species, and it will not be the last. “Photo Ark is a 25-year project documenting every species on earth, some that are already threatened with extinction,” explained Fishbaugh. “The WINK-EASE team has worked with various organizations to help support endangered animals for nearly three decades, and I’ve recently traveled the world photographing animals in their natural habitat. My $2,500 donation will help get us started, and when you think about the thousands of people taking this salon training worldwide, together we can really make a difference.”

 For each salon staff who takes the NEW 2021 training, EYE PRO will be donating $1 to the National Geographic Photo Ark, a project with the goal to document every species living in zoos and wildlife sanctuaries, inspire action through education, and help save wildlife by supporting on-the-ground conservation efforts. National Geographic photographer Joel Sartore started Photo Ark in his hometown of Lincoln, Nebraska, in 2006. Since then, he has visited more than 50 countries and recently photographed the güiña, the smallest wildcat in the Americas, marking the 10,000th species in Sartore’s quest to create this global photo archive.
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It’s been a rough year for all of us … we’d like it behind us. And let’s put raccoon eyes behind us and move into 2021 with everyone wearing eye protection when they tan! Research shows that about HALF of indoor tanners don’t wear protective eyewear during a UV session. These tanners understand that they may be damaging their vision, but they still don’t wear eye protection. When asked why they don’t, they answer, “I don’t want to get raccoon eyes!” Tanners are concerned about developing unsightly tan lines around their eyes – as a responsible salon operator, what can you tell them?

“Wash your face!” Yes, the No. 1 cause of dreaded “raccoon eye” tan lines is SPF, NOT goggles! Most facial moisturizers contain SPF; by the time you’ve applied moisturizer, eye cream, dark circle cover-up, foundation and eye shadow, you’re (potentially) wearing six layers of SPF! This also applies to the guys, as most men’s facial care products also contain SPF. To develop a much more even tan, wash your face before your UV session.

“Carefully apply your bronzing lotions.” A lot of tanning lotions contain bronzers; if you don’t apply that product around your eyes carefully, you’re painting giant raccoon eyes on yourself!

“Adjust your eye protection.” Adjusting the position of your eyewear just a bit during your tanning session will minimize tan lines.

“Switch eye protection types.” Many tanners like to alternate between a couple of different eyewear types. This is just like changing your swimsuit to minimize tan lines.

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November 2020 – EYE PRO, Inc., world leader in disposable eye protection for indoor tanning and makers of Ultra Gold WINK-EASE, Lash Room WINK-EASE and WINK-EASE Dark, wants to be sure salons are equipped to help their tanners understand the dangers of not wearing proper eye protection when tanning. And they’re helping save the planet while doing so.

EYE PRO will be introducing its all new FREE online eye protection training for the 2021 season called “Don’t be Slow to Save Your Sight!” The new 30-minute training includes a quick 20-question quiz for salon staff to take to help determine who’s smart about eye protection, with questions ranging from what percentage of tanners seek medical attention after a single session to potential eye damage and vision loss to updates on FDA recommendations and eye protection laws for individual states and countries.

An added plus? For every person who takes the new training, EYE PRO will be donating $1 to the National Geographic Photo Ark, a 25-year effort to photograph the world’s largest collection of animal studio portraits from around the globe, founded by National Geographic photographer Joel Sartore.

“We have made a very serious topic really fun!” explains Jackie DeWald, EYE PRO Office Manager. “The goal of the Photo Ark is to get people to learn more and help save species from extinction. The WINK-EASE team has worked to help support endangered animals for over two decades, and Brenda has traveled the world photographing animals in their natural habitat. Her striking animal images in this training make fun, and more importantly, a memorable way to learn more about the importance of wearing eye protection.”   Continue Reading »

Tanner traffic has been slow and selling those bottles of expensive lotion has gotten a lot more difficult since the holiday rush hasn’t yet begun. There are fewer guests to whom you can pitch your upgrade beds … so what do you do? 

This month, think about focusing on sales of smaller-ticket items with the goal of selling more items to more tanners for a lower PCA. Let’s try pushing the lowly eye protection! Start with a plastic baggie. Yep, go to the grocery store and spend $3 for 100 snack-sized zipper-seal plastic bags. When a guest walks in, offer her a complimentary baggie for carrying her goggles. Your guests will need to show their eyewear to you before they are allowed to tan (do they even have eyewear?) You’ll be able to explain how goggles get dirty in a woman’s purse or guy’s gym bag and how a baggie keeps them clean. I like to suggest you also offer a rubber band to attach the baggie to their lotion bottle. As they put their goggles in the baggie, you can mention your special eye protection sale, and how it’s important to replace your goggles at least once a year.

Have you seen the new goggle styles in vivid colors and animal prints? Order a few from your distributor. I’d display the fun, neon-colored styles in a bright, shallow plastic bowl from a dollar store, maybe placed near some new jewelry or sunglasses you also have on sale. This type of eyewear sale is going to be an impulse buy – and it’s quick, easy, and fun.

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October 2020 – EYE PRO, Inc., world leader in clean, disposable eye protection for indoor tanning and makers of Ultra Gold WINK-EASE, Lash Room WINK- EASE and WINK-EASE Dark, is making it easy for salons to find the most up-to-date regulations for indoor tanning in their state.

“When referencing some eyewear laws for this month’s IST Magazine Eye to Eye column, I found that most of the online links for state regs no longer worked,” explained Brenda Fishbaugh, Eye Pro President. “States have updated their websites and a lot of information was removed or is buried. So, I contacted several states health offices, but often was shuttled to cosmetology, radiology, or consumer affairs. One directed me to a very small section of a tanning regulation, but it was just the application for getting a state tanning license (of course, they have that front and center). My former files of tanning regs are completely out of date!

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With 30 years of tan biz experience, I can say that most salons don’t know their state’s tanning regulations. I’m going to review them this month; but if you don’t have a copy of your state tanning laws, email Brenda@WinkEase. com and I’ll send you the latest version. 

Did you know that Kentucky salon operators can NOT offer shared goggles? KY tanners are required to have their own eyewear or the salon has to provide disposables (not required to be free). Iowa is my favorite: eyewear cannot be reused, it can’t be altered, and your staff must ask each guest to show their eyewear before they enter a tanning room. In addition, the salon must provide disposable eyewear in the tanning rooms at all times with a sign posted stating disposables are available and must be worn. In addition, the staff must instruct on the proper way to wear eye protection. I consider Iowa’s law to be excellent! It ensures that the tanner shows their own eyewear, but still has access to clean eyewear in the tanning room. And there is no chance the tanner will use improperly cleaned goggles, or not know how to fold a pair of disposables. 

I tried to confirm that New Hampshire tanning centers also do not allow goggles to be worn by multiple tanners (shared). The latest version of their law may allow community goggles. At this writing, New Hampshire Board of Health is closed due to COVID; I wrote two letters without a response. In both versions, NH law still as- serts that goggles cannot be altered in any manner that changes it from the manufacturer’s intended use, such as removing elastic straps included in the packaging. The salon must sell eyewear to the tanner, or they may sell OR provide disposables.

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September 2020 – Eye Pro, Inc., world leader in clean, disposable eye protection for indoor tanning and makers of Ultra Gold WINK-EASE, Lash Room WINK-EASE and WINK-EASE Dark, is helping make social media efforts easier with fresh, new seasonal memes geared toward fall – FREE!

“Social media is a constantly moving target, and now more than ever, people are using it,” explained Brenda Fishbaugh, Eye Pro President. “It’s hard enough to determine which platform is best for your particular salon and then continuously engage your online followers. Social media ads, or ‘memes’ offer a quick, visual, fun way to stay in front of your customers on an on-going basis, while subtly educating them on the importance of eyewear, lotions and tanning tips.”
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In the last few months, my columns have highlighted the ways that several leading U.S. tanning centers have created a post-COVID “new normal,” focusing particularly on eye protection policies. This month, I’m checking in with the tanning salon world in Ireland and the United Kingdom (England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland). The UK (partially opened salons on July 14) and Canada both reopened considerably later than the U.S., so they had some time to look at what was working and what wasn’t for salons in the States.

Before the COVID crisis, Jayne Contois, Owner of Cabana Tan in Bradford, Ontario, Canada (near hard-hit Toronto) provided sanitized goggles for tanners. “When we finally reopened, we decided to stop providing free eye protection,” she explains. “Some guests reacted when we told them we no longer offered ‘community goggles’. When we explained that individual eye protection is part of the COVID-19 rules, they all said, ‘Oh. That makes sense.’” Now, Cabana Tan tanners are purchasing their own goggles. “I’ll provide a pair of free disposables if they forget, or they can buy a pair of disposables each time,” Contois continues.

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