Hello All!
We hope everyone had a fabulous holiday weekend! Today, we
thought we would give you a little insight into the life of our amazing
Clinical Care Skin Solutions leader, Charlotte Bates! She is a true
inspiration, and her story of success is one worth sharing!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Charlotte Bates, Medical Aesthetician, president of Clinical
Care Skin Solutions, is a clear example of someone whose
dreams are far more than skin deep. This human dynamo’s
career is marked with an impressive list of accomplishments
- and the driving force behind it all is her endless supply
of
enthusiasm and passion.
Originally from Canada, Bates and her family moved to
Tulsa when she was only four years old. “My lifelong
interest
in skin care started when I was very young,” Bates says. “My
mother has always been my role model. She used to sell
skin care products and I loved to watch her do her beauty
treatments. She was a very beautiful woman and I was
always amazed at how lovely she was.”
Today, Clinical Care Skin Solutions (CCSS), the company
Bates founded in
1981, is nationally known for its revolutionary skin care
products and programs.
Treating everything from acne to aging skin, these
remarkable skin care products
are distributed in all 50 states.
CCSS specializes in only the finest pharmaceutical grade
ingredients, natural
botanicals, vitamins and anti-oxidants. Throughout her
career, Bates has worked
closely with chemists in offering the best product line
available anywhere. In fact,
plastic surgeons and dermatologists have been referring
patients to CCSS for
well over 30 years.
“The science of skin care has always fascinated me,” Bates
says. “It is
constantly evolving and if I come across something I think
will truly impact the
quality of skin care, I’m all over it.” Is it any wonder the
level of success and client
satisfaction she has achieved during her revolutionary
career in skin care?
Making Her Mark in Tulsa
In the 1980s, serious skin care was just beginning to take
off. And at the
forefront of this fledgling industry was a young woman named
Charlotte Bates.
“I did tons of research on potential skin care ingredients
and their benefits,”
says Bates. “I wasn’t really pleased with what existed on
the market, so I started
mixing my own! I was my own guinea pig and would try them
out on myself.
There was a lot of trial and error. I eventually hired a
wonderful chemist to help in
creating the products, and we created some extraordinary
products. I couldn’t
wait to share them with others!” (Bates emphasizes she is
adamantly against
animal testing and believes there is never an excuse for
anyone or any company
to resort to such tactics.)
Initially, Bates went door to door selling her products. Her
enthusiasm was
contagious. Before long, a local plastic surgeon who had
heard of Bates, began
sending his patients to her for professional skin care and
makeup tips following
surgery. What’s more, due to Bates’ successful work with
acne patients,
dermatologists began calling her and seeking her input. It
was apparent
Charlotte’s name had become synonymous with quality skin
care. From that
point on, her business was booming! She set up shop in an
office at the William
Medical Building on the Saint Francis Health System campus.
Today, CCSS
occupies approximately 6,000 square feet in a
beautifully-appointed office at
8242 S. Harvard.
“Being honest with people has always paid off for me,” Bates
says. “I believe
finding the best forms of skin care comes from many years in
the industry. Only
having the best ingredients and making sure they work is of
utmost importance.”
At the Forefront
An intense curiosity and quest for quality have repeatedly
led Bates to the
cutting edge in skin care. “Charlotte’s story is amazing,”
says Sheila Landry,
General Manager at CCSS. “Other people may have a fleeting
thought about
doing something. But, not Charlotte. She jumps in with both
feet and uncovers
every stone. She is so enthusiastic and totally immerses
herself in everything she
does.”
Breaking new ground in the skin care landscape, Bates has
often been on
the front line. Her impressive list of “firsts” in the Tulsa
area includes:
Opening the area’s first full-service spa (Charlotte’s
Satin Doll
opened 30 years ago and offered customers 25 hair stylists,
3 nail
technicians, facials, massages, professional make-up
application
and skin care.)
Introducing glycolic acid in skin care regimens.
Recognizing the benefits of mixing glycolic acid and
Retin-A for
effective treatment of some skin types
Developing and marketing a user-friendly skin extraction
system for
professional and at-home use
Introducing microdermabrasion to clients. (Bates met with
a Florida
dermatologist who was launching the first of these
revolutionary
pieces of equipment. She purchased one and brought it back
to
Tulsa!)
Offering IPL laser treatments as a revolutionary solution
for hair
removal, tattoos and unsightly veins
Sharing the Message
So, what’s the next chapter in the story? According to
Bates, the next stage
was a natural. “I want to maintain the quality of skin care
we have worked hard to
develop,” she says. So, with this goal in mind, CCSS has launched
an
aggressive multi-state educational program. “We currently
have about 30 trained
educators working throughout the country with the salons
that have purchased
our products,” Bates says. “We work closely with these skin
care professionals to
help them feel comfortable with the products and ensure they
are using the
products to their absolute fullest potential.”
And That’s Not the End of the Story
An exciting turn of events occurred in early 2004 when Bates
and her
company were approached by the beauty behemoth, State Beauty
Supply.
“They asked if we would be interested in launching our
product line not only here
in Tulsa, but at their other locations,” Bates says. “It was
a wonderful opportunity
for us to reach a huge number of prospective customers. And
the best part is, it
just keeps getting better and better. It has been a
wonderful partnership.”
Since that time, CCSS has also launched its skin care line
with numerous
national skin care retailers throughout the United States.
“It has literally
snowballed,” Bates says. “We couldn't be more pleased.”
The Endless Quest
The burning question is, “Does Charlotte Bates ever sleep?”
Well, yes, but
only to restock her endless storehouse of ideas and
projects. And she admittedly
wouldn't have it any other way.
“I am just a little bit crazy,” Bates laughs. “I am also
very fortunate to have an
incredibly dedicated and talented team working with me. Our
products are real
skin care for real people. We’re all very proud our products
have helped
countless people live happier, healthier lives. That in and
of itself, makes it all
worth it.”
To Be Continued …
