How Much to Tip Your Beauty Practitioners: A Guide

When it comes to getting a massage, Sophie Bolvary, licensed massage therapist at SoulBeing Wellness in New York City, believes that the setting determines whether a tip is necessary or not. “If you’re having a massage in a spa, it’s helpful to know that the therapist is likely splitting almost half of the service with the house. A 20 percent tip for a satisfying massage at a spa takes care of the therapist directly,” Bolvary says. “In my experience this rule of thumb changes in a private practice setting. When you have a session with a massage therapist at a private office [or] studio where the therapist is renting space independently and charging a rate they created for themselves, tipping is totally optional and not necessary.” 

She goes on to explain that your massage provider is making 40 to 50 percent less than the actual treatment cost if performed at a spa. Factoring that with other costs, such as classes to obtain and maintain a license, tipping becomes essential. “The body and wellness care industry is larger than ever and becoming more exclusive and expensive as it expands. It is my personal belief that if you are someone who can comfortably afford the massage service at the spa/establishment you want to go to, you should tip the therapist for their work,” she says.

If you’re strapped for cash, Bovary recommends cheaper options that make massages more accessible. First, consider massage schools in your city and utilize their clinics. “[It’s] a wonderful opportunity to receive a massage (free of charge or at an extremely discounted rate) from someone who is nearly graduated [and] has all the formal training under their belt and prepping for their license exams,” she says. You can also look into community-based wellness groups where she says services are offered in more simplistic settings and for a fraction of the cost of a spa. You can also schedule a session with a massage therapist at their private practice, outside of the spa setting so that you have the opportunity to discuss a lower or sliding-scale rate that better suits your budget. “Many of us are open to that,” she says. 

Facials 

Suggested Tip: 20 percent of services rendered 

The standard 20 percent tip also applies for a facial. Samantha Susca, lead esthetician at Casa Cipriani New York Spa, says that if a facial service is comped or discounted, you’ll still want to tip 20% off the regular price. But tipping in general is not a requirement. Susca says that it’s truly about what you feel comfortable tipping with and can be adjusted based on how much you liked your service. 

Even though it’s up to you how much—if at all—you want to tip, she does encourage doing it as spa service providers only get a paid percentage of the treatment. “I’ve worked in many upscale and well known facial salons and spas where even though treatments begin at $250, the esthetician is receiving as low as 10 to 12 percent of that,” she says. “And [that] is often not even off the full price of the service.” 

But if you only had enough to splurge on a service and have nothing left for the tip, she says the very least you can do is leave a detailed positive review on Yelp or refer friends to your facialist. You can also give your facialist some love on IG, which she says helps build a relationship that hopefully continues past one session. “A lasting relationship and loyal clientele is better than any tip,” she says.