The Skin Games

What The Skin Games does

The Skin Games is an annual live competition platform for licensed beauty professionals, founded in March 2015 and operated by The Extraordinary Esthetician LLC. The platform hosts head-to-head competitions across 20+ categories spanning skincare case studies (Acne, Age Management, Holistic), live waxing, sugaring, facial massage, lash and brow services, paramedical tattoo, and a Compassion category, with competitors evaluated by expert judges for industry recognition, cash prizes (up to $10,000 for Esthetician of the Year), and media exposure. The underlying technology is a WordPress-based website (theskingames.com) that handles competition registration, case study submissions, event ticketing, and community forum integration, supplemented by an active social media presence across Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, LinkedIn, YouTube, Twitter, and Telegram.

The business model blends transactional and recurring revenue streams: one-time player registration fees (historically $100-$110 per category), event ticket sales, tiered sponsorship packages (Silver through Diamond), a $25/month Player's Club subscription, affiliate commissions (5%-20%) through the Ambassador Program, and auction proceeds from initiatives like the Compassion Auction. The company serves two primary customer segments: individual licensed practitioners (estheticians, wax artists, sugar artists, facial massage professionals, lash and brow artists, PMU tattoo artists) who compete for recognition and career advancement, and beauty industry brands who sponsor events to access a concentrated audience of beauty professionals. The Live Events run annually at major hotel venues (Westin Buckhead Atlanta, Renaissance Hotel Addison Dallas), with the next iteration scheduled for March 2026.

The company is founder-owned with no disclosed venture capital or private equity investment, operates with a small team of approximately 6 employees, and is led by Executive Director/CEO Jennifer Rosenblum. International participation has been documented in the UK, and the organization has partnerships with the Six Figure Spa Chick (Spa Tank), ATA Cosmetics, Face Reality Acne Clinic, California Skincare Supply, and other beauty industry sponsors. The Skin Games positions itself as the "Olympics of the skincare industry" and has maintained continuous annual operations since 2015.

Name

The Skin Games

Legal name

The Extraordinary Esthetician LLC

Website

https://theskingames.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2015

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

The Skin Games operates an annual international live competition platform for licensed estheticians, wax artists, sugar artists, facial massage professionals, and PMU tattoo artists across 20+ categories, generating revenue from registration fees, sponsorships, event tickets, and a subscription service.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Professional Beauty Competition Events

NAICS

Hair, Nail, and Skin Care Services (81211), Spectator Sports (71121)

SIC

Services-Amusement & Recreation Services (7900)

akta.pro primary industry

Professional Skincare & Facial Treatments (CRABALAF)

akta.pro secondary industry

Esthetics / Skincare (EDAOALAE)

Keywords

• Beauty industry competitions
• Professional esthetics events
• Skincare competition platform
• Beauty professional recognition
• Live event ticketing services

Headquarters

HQ city

San Jose

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Player Registration Fees: Beauty professionals pay registration fees to compete in competition categories. Historical registration fee was $100-$110 per player per category.
2. Event Ticket Sales: The company sells tickets to attend the live competition events, including the awards dinner show and educational sessions.
3. Sponsorship Partnerships: Diamond, Platinum, Gold, and Silver tier sponsorship packages available for brands wanting to reach the esthetics industry audience. Sponsors gain visibility, provide products, and participate in the live event.
4. Player's Club Subscription: Monthly subscription ($25/month or yearly option) offering access to engagement groups, monthly content packs, sponsorship opportunities and perks, and monthly mastermind sessions.
5. Auction Revenue: The company hosts auctions (like the Summer Splash Auction) featuring products and education bundles from sponsor brands, with proceeds supporting the competition and Compassion Category.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

The Skin Games operates an annual live, head-to-head international competition platform where licensed estheticians and beauty professionals compete across 20+ categories (Skincare case studies, Waxing, Sugaring, Facial Massage, Lash & Brows, Compassion, OG Legends, Paramedical Tattoo). Competitors register online for specific categories ($100-$110 historically), submit 8-week case studies or perform live demonstrations, and compete for industry recognition, awards, and cash prizes up to $10,000. The company also sells live event tickets, runs a monthly Player's Club subscription, and offers multi-year sponsorship packages to beauty brands.

Product overview

The Skin Games operates as a competition platform for skincare and beauty professionals, offering multiple competition categories (Skincare/Acne/Age Management/Holistic, Waxing, Sugaring, Facial Massage, Lash & Brows, Compassion, OG Legends, and Paramedical Tattoo) where estheticians compete through 8-week case studies or live demonstrations. The platform is supplemented by membership services including the Player's Club subscription, the Ambassador/affiliate program, and event-based programs like Spa Tank (business pitch competition) and Skin Boss Masterminds. The company also sells event tickets and provides advanced education courses at live events.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• The Skin Games Competition Platform
• Player's Club
• TSG Ambassador Program
• Spa Tank
• Skin Boss Masterminds
• Live Event Tickets
• Advanced Education Courses

Quantifiable outcome

• Cash prizes up to $10,000 for top winners (Esthetician of the Year)
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers7 records

Segments6 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Eight partnerships are on record, tiered core, major and minor.

• Candace Holyfield (Six Figure Spa Chick)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCandace Holyfield founded Spa Tank, a web series providing a platform for spa professionals to showcase businesses and pitch for funding. She serves as TSG's Mentor of The Year and received a presidential lifetime achievement award. The Skin Games collaborates with her annually to host Spa Tank at live events, where participants pitch innovative spa or beauty ideas for recognition, feedback, and prizes.
• ATA CosmeticsmajorGTM or Marketing PartnerATA Cosmetics is a sponsor of The Skin Games, with their logo featured on the website and at events. The partnership provides visibility to the skincare brand among the competition's professional audience.
• MedSpa DistributorsminorGTM or Marketing PartnerPartnered with The Skin Games for themed party events and charity fundraising initiatives like the Compassion Auction.
• Dermastart BrandsminorGTM or Marketing PartnerPartnered with The Skin Games for themed party events and charity fundraising initiatives like the Compassion Auction.
• Designs for VisionminorGTM or Marketing PartnerDesigns for Vision is the world leader in customized magnification. Jacie Eber, Manager of the Health and Beauty Industry, has been featured on The Skin Games blog and supports beauty professionals with loupe products.
• Face Reality Acne ClinicminorGTM or Marketing PartnerFace Reality Acne Clinic, led by Patrick Romani, is a TSG2017 Sponsor. The company focuses on helping estheticians succeed with acne clients.
• California Skincare SupplyminorGTM or Marketing PartnerCalifornia Skincare Supply offers the CSS Learning Center providing free online education for estheticians. They are a sponsor partner with products featured at events.
• Skin Inc. Face & BodyminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerSkin Inc. Face & Body co-hosted the 2018 Professional Makeup Challenge with The Skin Games, expanding reach for the competition.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• WorldSkills Competition: The biennial international vocational-skills competition covering 60+ skill areas including beauty therapy. Represents the highest-prestige global stage for licensed beauty professionals — a long-term aspirational ceiling above TSG and potential pathway for international expansion.
• Cosmoprof North America: The North American edition of the global Cosmoprof beauty trade-show network, featuring education, awards, and an extensive exhibitor floor. As a much larger incumbent, it competes for the same beauty-brand sponsorship dollars and professional audience but serves a broader retail/brand buyer mix.
• SkillsUSA Championships: The largest US vocational-skills competition, including esthetics categories judged at the annual national conference. Overlaps with TSG on competition format and career-advancement positioning for beauty students, but operates at scale across many trades with educational-institution backing.

Others

• Behind the Chair (BTC): Leading education and community platform for hairstylists running live events, competitions, and online education. While focused on hair rather than skincare, its mix of live event, content, and educator monetization closely parallels TSG's evolving education-plus-events strategy.
• Face Reality Acne Clinic: Long-time TSG sponsor (TSG2017) and a leading esthetician-focused acne training brand. While primarily a product/training company rather than a competition operator, it represents an adjacent esthetics-services business that shares TSG's professional audience and competes for the same esthetician wallet.

Direct peers

• International Esthetics, Cosmetics & Spa Conference (IECSC): A leading tradeshow for estheticians and spa professionals operated by the same parent company as IBS New York. IECSC is both an existing TSG trade-show partner (hosting Skin Boss Mastermind qualifying rounds) and a near-direct substitute, with sponsorship, education, and live demonstration revenues.
• NAHA (North American Hairstyling Awards): Hosted by the Professional Beauty Association (PBA), NAHA is the long-running competition recognizing top hairstyling professionals — the most direct functional analog to The Skin Games for an adjacent beauty vertical. Both monetize through entry fees, professional subscriptions, and beauty-brand sponsorship.
• International Beauty Show (IBS New York): One of the largest US beauty trade shows, featuring live competitions, education stages, and a large exhibitor floor targeting licensed beauty professionals. Overlaps with TSG on education, live performance judging, and brand sponsorship inventory.
• Wella Professionals TrendVision: Wella's flagship global competition for colorists and stylists, awarding national and international titles with prize packages and media exposure. Like TSG, it combines tiered regional qualifying, an annual live final, brand-sponsor backing, and a heavy community-content flywheel.
• NAILS Next Top Nail Artist: A nationally televised competition run by NAILS Magazine that pits licensed nail technicians against each other across progressive challenges — closely mirroring TSG's case-study and live-judged format. Targets the same solo beauty-professional demographic and relies on brand sponsorship plus industry exposure.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/theskingames
• YouTubeyoutube.com/c/theskingames
• Facebookfacebook.com/theskingames
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/theskingames
• Instagraminstagram.com/theskingames
• TikToktiktok.com/@theskingames

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about The Skin Games