Bring Beauty to Women Around the Globe as an International Beauty Therapist

You already know that a career in beauty would be a great fit for you. A career as a cosmetologist allows you to help people of all ages keep their skin and hair healthy and feel great about themselves. Now, what if you could accomplish all this, but do it while traveling the world? Can you imagine yourself working on a cruise ship in the Bahamas, at an exotic resort in Costa Rica, or in a cutting-edge salon in Berlin? These scenarios are just a few of the exciting options that could be available to you if you were trained as an international beauty therapist.

CIDESCO Defined

To become an international beauty therapist, consider becoming CIDESCO certified. CIDESCO stands for "Comite International D'Esthetique Et De Cosmetologie." The association was formed in Brussels, Belgium in 1946 to achieve the following goals:

bring members of the beauty profession together to exchange ideas and share knowledge
interact with members of the medical profession and others working in the sphere of esthetics and cosmetology while persuading these professionals of the seriousness and value of the beauty profession
Establish excellence and uniformity in beauty training and enforce best practices and standards

CIDESCO Training: The Key to Unlocking Your Career as an International Beauty Therapist

To practice as a beauty therapist worldwide, it's important you become certified to work in your chosen location. Obtaining an international qualification like CIDESCO can enable you to take jobs without worrying about new licensing restrictions every time you move.

There are over 200 schools and 100 certified CIDESCO beauty centers in thirty-three countries. You can obtain your CIDESCO certification by doing one of the following:

1. Take the 1,200-hour CIDESCO training course. Once you've done that, you'll need to sit for and pass the CIDESCO two-day exam.

2. Practice esthetics for at least three years and become eligible to sit for the CIDESCO exam. You'll be required to take a five-day class to prepare for the exam. To prove your previous work experience you'll need to provide the following:

A letter from your employer to verify your three years of working as an esthetician
A current license enabling you to practice esthetics in your area--this license must have been active for at least three years prior
Active business license for past three years if you've been self-employed
Copies of the past three years of income tax forms to verify your occupation
A copy of your esthetician diploma

The two-day CIDESCO examination is a rigorous process and includes the following components:

Facial examination: cleansing, skin analysis, eyelash and eyebrow tinting, eyebrow shaping, deep cleansing, electrical equipment, facial massage, mask treatment, makeup, and manicure
Body examination: body analysis, electrical equipment, manual massage to show the five classical movements, hair removal via wax
Other subjects may include: cellulite treatment, foot treatment, anti-stress treatment, electrical epilation, fantasy makeup, and lymph drainage
Written examination including: natural science, anatomy and physiology, skin, cosmetics, esthetics, business

If you think being an international beauty therapist is a career that you'd like to pursue, consider obtaining an international qualification.