It is hard to find a pet owner who does not believe that our pets are a part of the family. They depend on us so much for their care, protection and well being. As a comparison, consumers place a similar level of ‘family’ trust in the products they put on their skin.
Just as veterinarians must adhere to rules regarding confidentiality and privacy, so too do skincare brands and beauty retailers. Foreign and domestic privacy laws for veterinarians mandate that veterinarians take the utmost care to respect the confidentiality of their patients, and not make any unauthorized disclosures. When you consider the challenge of making sure that a product marketed as non-toxic is genuinely safe for the consumer, it is not surprising that skincare brands have privacy laws in place.
Veterinary confidentiality laws mandate that veterinarians take the utmost care to respect the confidentiality of their patients, and not make any unauthorized disclosures. Veterinarians must carefully document their own compliance with relevant laws and regulations, and make sure that everyone on staff is properly informed about and educated on the laws governing veterinary confidentiality.
There can be a lot of overlap between the highly-accountable world of pet care with that of the beauty and skincare industry. It isn’t unusual for both industries to some extent focus inward on self-care, whether caring for domestic animals or one’s own skin.
Similar to how consumers claim ownership over the use of skincare and beauty products to their skin, pet owners also view their pets as an integral part of their lives.
There is an obvious parallel between the responsibility of your veterinarian to adhere to confidentiality laws, and the expectation that skincare brands will protect your personal data. With a basic framework of privacy laws established, the onus is now on individual skincare companies and beauty retailers to develop and implement robust measures to safeguard consumer data.
From a consumer standpoint, it is clear why respecting the confidentiality of a customer’s purchase history and personal information matters. Consumers of skincare and beauty products expect brands to be transparent about what goes into their products, and this is especially important today, since some consumers are more conscious than ever before and care about both the health of their bodies, as well as their pets. So much so that they are willing to pay a premium for transparency.
Transparency is one of the biggest values that any reputable skincare or beauty retailer can establish, and both veterinarians and veterinary staff would agree. Transparency is important for establishing a strong, long-lasting relationship of trust between patient and provider, and the same holds for consumers of skincare and beauty brands.
Striking a balance between the humane treatment and care of animals, and the need to maintain client confidentiality, can be a difficult task for veterinarians. From a consumer perspective, establishing parameters around the manufacturer of a product and its disclosure of ingredients, is a similarly daunting task.
Since best practices and policies can vary wildly between cultural perspectives, jurisdictions and regulations, consumers must ask questions and remain diligent as to what they put into their bodies. Yes, a certain level of trust is inherent in the relationship between skincare companies and consumers; however, it is an unquantifiable trust nonetheless.
Just as veterinarians have a responsibility to protect the confidentiality of their clients, so too is it incumbent on skincare and beauty companies to ensure careful consideration is paid to consumer data, and its general use. Taking the lead from veterinarians, responsible skincare and beauty companies should assume a level of consciousness toward consumer care that bears a resemblance to the sensitivity of pet owners and veterinarians.
Transparency is part of building a trusting relationship with the public. Where veterinarians have made strides in building a trust with their clients and consumers have established a level of trust with their skincare and beauty companies, the framework is now in place to marry these two concepts together and implement appropriate measures that make consumers happy. Thus, consumers may even become brand loyalists as a result of having felt valued.
More and more companies are becoming privy to the fact that beauty consumers are more likely than ever to become loyal customers if they feel they are contributing to a better world through the products they buy, such as skincare that is tested in a more humane manner. Similarly, pet owners care that the products they buy for their beloved animals (think cruelty-free and gluten-free products) are taking animal welfare into account through ethical practice.
Skincare brands have a lot to learn from veterinary confidentiality laws. Just as veterinarians are committed to respecting the confidentiality of their clients, so too must beauty and skincare companies commit themselves to protecting the data of their consumers. This level of care has the potential to establish years of loyalty between the consumer and the brand.
