10 Best Professional Outfits Estheticians Wear to Work

By Hannah Cobb May 22, 2023

Most estheticians wear professional medical attire like scrubs and white lab coats to work. In smaller facilities, estheticians may wear a color-coded dress code such as a black shirt and black slacks, or a simple business-casual dress code. Sometimes a practical apron sporting the company logo takes the place of a lab coat or uniform, too.

An esthetician provides beauty services related specifically to skincare, like facials, exfoliation, waxing, and cleansing. They remove makeup but do not often apply makeup as a cosmetologist might. Because they work closely with clients, estheticians tend to dress in stylish outfits and pay special attention to their own hair and makeup.

Panaprium is independent and reader supported. If you buy something through our link, we may earn a commission. If you can, please support us on a monthly basis. It takes less than a minute to set up, and you will be making a big impact every single month. Thank you!

Scrubs

Most estheticians wear scrubs to work. This outfit features a short-sleeved, somewhat boxy top and matching pants, often made out of comfortable organic cotton or a fabric with a protective coating for easy cleaning.

Scrubs allows easy clean-up for a professional dealing with many cleaners and beauty products all day long. They also allow easy movement, which is one of the reasons they also serve as the uniform for many medical professionals.

An esthetician wearing scrubs all day may pair this outfit with a comfy t-shirt underneath the scrub top, either for extra warmth or for sweat protection. Take a look at the 20 best American-made t-shirts for men and women here.

White Coat, Tunic, Dress

Many estheticians wear a white lab coat, tunic, or dress to work. The lab coat or tunic grants an air of authority because it echoes the dress style of the medical community. When wearing a white lab coat, an esthetician usually dresses in a simple business casual outfit like a knee-length dress or slacks and a blouse beneath the coat.

You can find the 15 best affordable, ethical, and sustainable blouses here.

Black Shirt and Pants or Dress

One of the most popular outfits for estheticians at many spas and salons is an all-black outfit such as a black blouse and slacks, a black t-shirt and black jeans, or a black dress. This all-black dress code is popular for several reasons.

First, it allows estheticians to look trendy in a slimming, appealing outfit. Second, black does not show stains as easily as many other colors. And of course, requiring all employees to dress in black makes it easy for customers to identify the staff!

Check out the 20 most affordable and sustainable black dresses here.

Spa Uniform

If an esthetician works for a large spa or facility, they may wear a uniform to work. Typical uniforms feature a fitted polo shirt with an embroidered logo paired with pants in a matching color. Often scrubs in a matching color with an embroidered logo serve as the uniform at a big facility as well.

In most professional establishments, estheticians will pair the uniform top with slacks in the appropriate color to look crisp and professional. You can find the 20 best organic cotton women’s trousers to try here.

Mask, Hair Net, Gloves

Estheticians often need to wear protective equipment such as a face mask, a hair net or plastic cap, and gloves during certain delicate procedures. This protects the esthetician from any potential germs as well as from the chemicals in the products they use. It also provides protection for the client, as the esthetician often has to get very close to a customer’s face during a facial or other procedure.

If you need to wear a face mask to work for safety reasons, take a look at the 20 best affordable and sustainable face masks.

Comfortable Shoes

Just like nurses and other medical professionals, estheticians value comfortable shoes because they often stand for long stretches during the day. Because of this, you won’t often find an esthetician pairing cute heels with their work outfit. Instead, they look for flats, or shoes with good padding and support such as sneakers, clogs, or Crocs.

You can find the 10 best ethical and affordable vegan running shoes here.

Apron

Some institutions give estheticians and other staff a practical apron to wear instead of a uniform or official dress code. This provides the necessary protection for the esthetician during work, and it also allows customers to easily identify the employees in the facility.

When wearing an apron, many estheticians will style an outfit such as tapered slacks, a blouse or sweater, and tasteful jewelry that won’t hang down into a client’s face. Take a look at the 10 best affordable and vegan sweater brands here.

Trendy Hair Style

Because estheticians often work alongside cosmetologists or in a beauty care setting such as a spa or salon, they often dress with care and sport trendy hairstyles and on-point makeup. In a sense, this is a way of promoting their own services. They want to market the beauty aesthetic that they promise to deliver through their skin care services, after all!

You can find the 12 best affordable and sustainable hair accessories here.

Color Dress Code

While less popular than an all-black dress code, some spas or beauty establishments require their staff to dress in a particular color. This can create a fun, vibrant atmosphere, especially if the color-coded attire is pink, yellow, or orange! Plus, this type of dress code allows staff to easily mix and match clothing they own, instead of washing and re-wearing the same uniform day in and day out.

If your establishment does have a colorful dress code, look for classic pieces like a blazer and slacks in that particular shade to maintain your professional appearance. You can find the 20 best ethical and sustainable blazers that you’ll love here.

Business Casual

Some spas, skin care services, or beauty parlors do not have an official dress code. This happens most often in a small office with just a few employees. In this case, the staff often dress in business casual attire, such as fitted slacks and a blouse, a knee-length dress, or a blazer and skirt.

If you need help figuring out what kind of outfit qualifies as business casual, take a look at the definitive list of 34 types of dress codes for work.

Was this article helpful to you? Please tell us what you liked or didn't like in the comments below.

About the Author: Hannah Cobb

I think of writing as my way to connect with the world. As a librarian with a degree in English and Library Science, I have used my research, writing, and editing skills professionally for over a decade. For the past two years, I have also provided ghostwritten content for fashion, sewing, and event-planning blogs, including how-to and product review blogs.

What We're Up Against

Multinational corporations overproducing cheap products in the poorest countries.
Huge factories with sweatshop-like conditions underpaying workers.
Media conglomerates promoting unethical, unsustainable products.
Bad actors encouraging overconsumption through oblivious behavior.
- - - -
Thankfully, we've got our supporters, including you.
Panaprium is funded by readers like you who want to join us in our mission to make the world entirely sustainable.

If you can, please support us on a monthly basis. It takes less than a minute to set up, and you will be making a big impact every single month. Thank you.