Frequently Asked Questions

2027 season. Updated 26 August 2026.

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Entering

When do entries open and close?

Entries for the 2027 season opened on Monday 24 August 2026 and close at 11.59pm AEDT on Sunday 14 February 2027.

Late entries can't be accepted, so don't leave it to the last night.

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Who can enter?

Professional skin therapists working in Australia and New Zealand.

 

What treatments can I enter?

Any client journey where the treatment was performed between 1 January and 31 December 2026.

Entries aren't limited to the face — you can submit work on any area where skin is present.

 

How many entries can I submit?

One entry per category, and you're welcome to enter as many of the eight categories as you like. Each entry is a separate application with its own fee.

 

Can I enter the same client journey into more than one category?

Yes — but tailor each entry to what that category is actually looking for.

For example, an acneic skin you cleared and then treated for the remaining post-inflammatory hyperpigmentation could be entered into both Clear and Brighten. In each entry, speak specifically to the steps you took to achieve that particular result. Judges are assessing your work against that category's focus, not the journey in general.

 

Do I need my client's permission?

Yes. When you submit, you'll confirm your client has consented to their images and treatment details being used for judging and — if you're a finalist or winner — shown at the ceremony, on our website and socials, and in related promotion.

Displaying the work is a core part of what these awards are. It's how the industry sees the standard, and it's how your work gets the recognition it deserves. So have that conversation with your client before you enter.

If your client is under 18, you'll need written parental or guardian consent.

 

Is my entry anonymous?

Yes. Your application is judged anonymously — the panel doesn't see who submitted it.

Your name is on the entry itself, but only so we know who to announce as a finalist or winner. Judges don't see it during assessment.

Your entry

 

What do I need to prepare?

• Your consultation notes and skin analysis

• Before-and-after photographs

• Your treatment plan and prescription

• Supporting documentation — product purchase history, client testimonials, anything that evidences the journey

• Proof of qualification

Gather it before you start writing. It's a much less painful process than hunting for files halfway through.

 

What are the photo requirements?

Photos must be taken from three angles — left, right and centre, or the equivalent if you're treating an area other than the face.

Consistency matters. Same lighting, same position, same distance where you can manage it. The judges are assessing change in the skin, and inconsistent photography makes that harder to see.

 

How do I prove what home care and treatment my client has had?

There's a dedicated section in the application for prescription and products. The more evidence you provide the stronger your entry — client purchase history, treatment records, testimonials from the client themselves.

 

I can't access proof of my qualification. What do I do?

We understand — some of our entrants qualified before digital records existed, and others trained interstate or overseas where documents are hard to retrieve.

Just explain your circumstances, including the school you attended and the year you graduated, and submit that as your proof instead.

 

Can I save my entry and come back to it?

Yes. You can save your application as a draft and return to it as many times as you need before the deadline.

Can I edit my entry after I've submitted?

No — once you hit submit, your entry is final and can't be changed.

So take your time while it's still in draft. Read it through, check your photos have uploaded properly, and make sure you've said everything you want the judges to know before you submit.

 

Judging

How are entries judged?

Every entry is assessed anonymously across six criteria:

1. Consultation

2. Skin analysis

3. Treatment

4. Prescription

5. Overall client journey

6. Before-and-after photography

Your before-and-after photograph is one of six criteria, not the deciding factor. A dramatic result with a thin clinical rationale won't outscore a well-reasoned, well-documented journey.

 

How did you choose your judges?

Our official judging panel is drawn from across the professional skin industry — holistic therapies, dermatology, corneotherapy, nutrition and dermal therapy — so entries are assessed across a wide landscape of expertise rather than one narrow view.

Every judge has built a career in their own segment of the industry, and their opinion is highly valued and respected.

 

Who's judging the 2027 awards?

Our 2027 panel will be announced shortly. You can see the panel who judged the 2026 awards on our Judging page.

 

I work at one of the judges' clinics. Can I still enter?

Absolutely. Entries are judged anonymously, and if a therapist from a judge's business enters, that judge abstains from assessing the entry.

 

When do I find out?

Finalists are announced on Monday 29 March 2027 at 9am AEDT via our social channels. Finalists are also contacted by email.

Winners are announced live at the awards ceremony on Sunday 30 May 2027.

 

Do I get feedback on my entry?

We don't provide individual written feedback — with hundreds of entries assessed by a volunteer panel, we couldn't do it justice.

What you will receive after the ceremony is a score band showing where your entry placed within its category. It's a useful marker of where you sat against the field, and a starting point if you're planning to enter again.

Costs

 

What does it cost to enter?

$147 per entry. We set it at a level that's achievable for a therapist wanting to level up, and for business owners wanting to invest in their team.

 

Why is there an entry fee?

A lot of work goes into coordinating the Best In Skin Awards. The fee covers the hours involved in managing submissions, judging, administration, the website and the logistics of running the program.

The fee doesn't guarantee a result. Winners are selected by an independent panel of judges against the published criteria.

 

Is any of it donated?

Yes. $2 from every entry goes to Transforming Beauty, a not-for-profit founded by Robyn McAlpine supporting women in developing countries to rebuild their confidence through beauty therapy education and services.

Once entries close, we double the total donation.

 

Can I get a refund?

Entry fees are non-refundable once you've submitted, because judging and administration begin straight away.

That said, if something genuinely changes — your client withdraws consent, or you realise you've entered the wrong category — get in touch before entries close and we'll do what we can, whether that's moving your entry across or crediting it to next season.

 

Is the entry fee tax deductible?

That depends on your circumstances, so we'd suggest checking with your accountant rather than taking our word for it.

We're very happy to provide a tax invoice for your entry — just email hello@bestinskinawards.com and we'll send one through.

 

Winning and the ceremony

What do winners receive?

Every finalist and medal winner receives a digital badge and certificate to use in their own marketing — on your website, your socials, your clinic wall.

Medal winners receive a marble and crystal trophy and a gift bag from our sponsors.

Gold winners also receive a professionally written press release from Rachel Medlock Copywriting, ready to send to media and use to promote your win.

 

What is the Bridget Benge Retail Excellence Award?

Bridget Benge is one of the original coaches in our industry — she effectively invented retail sales percentages and therapist product KPIs, and shaped how clinics have measured and taught retail ever since.

This award, named in her honour, recognises outstanding retail prescription: the therapist whose home care prescribing stood out for being well considered, consistently applied, and clearly communicated to the client. Bridget presents the award herself at the ceremony.

It's not a category you enter. Every entry across all eight categories is considered, and the recipient is selected by our founder.

 

Do I have to attend to win?

No. If you can't be there and you're named a winner, we'll ship your trophy to you within 60 days of the event.

That said — it's a very good day, and there's nothing quite like hearing your name called in a room full of people who understand exactly what you do.

 

When and where is the ceremony?

Sunday 30 May 2027 at The Glasshouse, Melbourne Olympic Park.

 

How do I get tickets?

Tickets go on sale after finalists are announced. Details will be shared by email and on our socials.

[Add pricing and link once ticketing opens.]

 

Can I bring my team or my clients?

Yes. Many of our guests come as a clinic team, and finalists often bring the client whose journey they entered.

 

The categories

What is the Team Effort category?

Team Effort recognises a collaborative treatment where results were delivered through the expertise of multiple therapists.

Enter under your clinic or business name — not an individual therapist's name. Whatever name is on the application is the name that goes on the trophy and gets announced on the day, so if you enter under one person's name, that's who the award goes to rather than the team.

One entry fee applies, and the winning team receives one trophy in the team's name.

 

Can I use devices in the Touch Therapy category?

No. Touch Therapy recognises renewal of skin and wellbeing through hands-on treatment, device free.

Practical

 

I entered last year and didn't place. Should I enter again?

Yes. Some of our strongest entries come from therapists who entered before, saw the standard, and came back with a sharper submission. A different client journey, a fuller rationale, better photography — small changes make a real difference.

 

I'm not sure my work is good enough.

Every year, someone tells us afterwards that they nearly didn't enter.

The therapists who end up on that stage aren't doing something mystical. They're doing careful, considered, well-documented work — and they backed themselves enough to submit it.

 

Something's gone wrong with my entry. Who do I contact?

Email hello@bestinskinawards.com or message us on Instagram @bestinskinawards. We'd much rather hear from you early than have you miss the deadline.