An insider look at re:lax, one of East London’s favourite skin studios

Founded in 2019 by expert facialist and nutritional therapist Katie White, re:lax skin studio is the go-to skincare destination in Hackney, London for a skin refresh with lasting results. 

Katie was inspired to launch her business when she couldn’t find a solution to her own skin challenges. Each time she went to a skin therapist or dermatologist for help, they offered superficial treatments that never quite worked for her. “I just felt like nobody was getting to the root cause of my problems,” Katie recalled.

“It goes beyond facial treatments – we help clients find the right skincare routines, nutrition, and lifestyle.”

So she left her job at a premium skincare brand to train as both a nutritionist and facial therapist, and used her knowledge to launch re:lax in 2016. Today, the studio stands out by offering affordable, custom skincare services, built on Katie’s philosophy that everyone’s skin is different, so each client needs treatment that’s tailored to their needs. “We hear each client’s story, and we base their service on that,” Katie explained. “It goes beyond facial treatments – we help clients find the right skincare routines, nutrition, and lifestyle.”

For Katie, her team of therapists is the heart of her business. She equips them with state-of-the-art tools, helps them keep their skills sharp with regular training, and trusts them to make the best treatment decisions for clients. Katie and the team have won awards for their work from the British Association of Beauty Therapy and Cosmetology, and the business is growing every day.

Using Fresha as a foundation to build the business

As Katie describes it, Fresha is more than just a booking system for re:lax. She uses the platform to run every part of her business, from managing clients and running marketing campaigns, to monitoring product stock levels and even paying staff commissions. 

“The whole client journey is so easy. I’ve actually had people stop me on the street to say: ‘Katie, your new booking system is fantastic.’” 

Katie’s team also uses Fresha’s consultation forms to learn about clients’ skin goals and conditions ahead of time, so they can get straight to the treatment when clients arrive. “The whole client journey is so easy,” Katie said. “I’ve actually had people stop me on the street to say: ‘Katie, your new booking system is fantastic.’” 

After each appointment, clients get an email from re:lax thanking them and asking whether they’d like to leave a review or tip. “We have over 2,000 five-star reviews on Fresha. It’s fantastic, and I don’t think clients would do it without the automated messages.” 

Making cancellations and no-shows a thing of the past

Every hour matters when you’re a growing business, so re:lax uses a 24-hour cancellation policy to reduce last-minute cancellations and no-shows, and protect the team’s time – which helps give Katie peace-of-mind. “Our policy is super clear when clients book through Fresha, which means there are no awkward conversations about missed appointments,” she said. 

And with Fresha’s automated reminders keeping their clients in the loop, no-shows are extremely rare. Each client gets an email the day before their appointment reminding them of the venue’s location, the time slot they booked, and the price of the treatment.

Reaching clients and staying connected

With over 10k Instagram followers and climbing, social media plays an important role for re:lax – and having a direct booking link on their profile helps them get even more value out of their social media marketing. “We put a lot of effort into building and engaging with our social media audience, and Fresha’s “Book Now” button helps us turn that engagement into business,” Katie explained.  

“The marketing campaigns are so user friendly. I’m able to do everything by myself, without any training in digital marketing.”

Katie uses Fresha’s blast email campaigns to stay connected with clients and get them planning their next visit to the studio, with emails sharing weekly newsletters, new treatments, exclusive offers, and more. Plus, she keeps Fresha’s automated email campaigns switched on so she can welcome new clients, celebrate birthdays and reward regulars with zero effort.“The marketing campaigns are so user friendly. I’m able to do everything by myself, without any training in digital marketing,” Katie said.

With Fresha on their side, re:lax is just getting started

Through her studio’s success and passion for cultivating talent, she launched re:lax Skin School, an academy offering training and qualifications for aspiring facialists; and she’s already planning where to open the next re:lax studio venue. “I’m proud that we’re able to help people with their skin, while helping new therapists build their careers,” Katie reflected. It’s been success after success since re:lax first opened, and with Fresha on their side, this is just the beginning.