Building a Sustainable Business Model in the Personal Beauty Services Industry
Mariia Khidirbekova , Owner and Lead Nail Tech at Marees Ventures LLC Saint Louis, MissouriAbstract
The article describes the specific features of an integrated sustainable-development model for solo-operator nail salons in which environmental and social responsibility cease to be an “optional extra” and instead constitute the nucleus of competitive strategy. Drawing on a comprehensive review of sectoral statistics and accumulated practitioner experience, the study demonstrates that the dominant conveyor-style paradigm—designed to maximise customer throughput and rely on inexpensive materials—entails elevated risks of physical injury, allergic reactions and ecological contamination and therefore fails to secure long-term profitability. In response, a three-component framework is proposed. First, chemical and physical service safety is ensured through the elimination of toxic ingredients and the introduction of a proprietary atraumatic cuticle-treatment technique. Second, environmental responsibility is realised via resource conservation, circular waste management and the deliberate selection of suppliers holding recognised eco-certifications. Third, economic viability is achieved by means of premium pricing, relationship-oriented client retention and zero marketing expenditure enabled by word-of-mouth referrals. The resulting findings confirm the hypothesis that sustainability drives not only ethical benefits but also financial advantages for enterprises, and that the systemic approach outlined here can be scaled to other niches within personalised beauty services on a global scale.
Keywords
sustainable development, business model, beauty industry, nail services, environmental responsibility, safe materials
References
Beauty and Wellness Products Market Size. [Electronic resource]. – Access mode: https://www.fortunebusinessinsights.com/amp/beauty-and-wellness-products-market-108456 (accessed: 05/20/2025).
Cherian A. T. The Influence of Altruistic Consumption Behaviour on Consumer Attitude and Purchase Intentions in the Green Cosmetic Market: A Demographic Analysis in India //Essex Business School. – 2023. - pp.48-82.
Gamage S. G., Mahagamage M. G. Y. L. Consumer Perception of Personal Care Products and Cosmetics on Health and Environmental Effects //Environmental Quality Management. – 2024. – Vol. 34 (2). https://doi.org/10.1002/tqem.22339.
Morea D., Fortunati S., Martiniello L. Circular economy and corporate social responsibility: Towards an integrated strategic approach in the multinational cosmetics industry //Journal of Cleaner Production. – 2021. – Vol. 315. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jclepro.2021.128232.
Pham V. X. et al. Occupational dermatologic conditions in nail salon technicians //Dermatology Online Journal. – 2025. – Vol. 31 (2). pp. 1-10. https://doi.org/10.5070/D331265304.
Quaade A. S., Simonsen A. B. The bitter side of nail art: a teenage girl’s encounter with (meth) acrylate-induced allergic contact dermatitis from nail glue //Contact Dermatitis. – 2023. – Vol. 89 (4). – pp. 299-301.
Uikey A. A., Baber R. Exploring the factors that foster green brand loyalty: the role of green transparency, green perceived value, green brand trust and self-brand connection //Journal of Content, Community & Communication. – 2023. – Vol. 18 (9). – pp. 155-170.
Afolabi H. et al. Exploration of small and medium entities' actions on sustainability practices and their implications for a greener economy //Journal of Applied Accounting Research. – 2023. – Vol. 24 (4). – pp. 655-681. https://doi.org/10.1108/JAAR-09-2022-0252.
Alam S. M. S., Islam K. M. Z. Examining the role of environmental corporate social responsibility in building green corporate image and green competitive advantage //International Journal of Corporate Social Responsibility. – 2021. – Vol. 6 (1). – pp. 1-16.
Cosmetics Market Size. [Electronic resource]. – Access mode: https://www.grandviewresearch.com/industry-analysis/natural-cosmetics-market (date of access: 10.06.2025).
Article Statistics
Downloads
Copyright License
Copyright (c) 2025 Mariia Khidirbekova

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
Authors retain the copyright of their manuscripts, and all Open Access articles are disseminated under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License 4.0 (CC-BY), which licenses unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided that the original work is appropriately cited. The use of general descriptive names, trade names, trademarks, and so forth in this publication, even if not specifically identified, does not imply that these names are not protected by the relevant laws and regulations.


Applied Sciences
| Open Access |
DOI: