ROZITA POLICE WORRIES if her Palo Alto-based cosmetology business will be able to weather the tariffs proposed by President Donald Trump.

Police, 51, has worked in the beauty industry since 2008, and has owned her business since 2011. She is an expert threader, hair stylist, and waxer.

An industry veteran, Police said this is a particularly hard time for estheticians and cosmetologists. With rising supply costs and lower demand from customers, Police is feeling the squeeze.

“Even though the product price is increased, we cannot increase [the price] that much for the clients,” she said.

The Trump administration’s 10 percent tariff on nearly all imports, and much higher “reciprocal tariffs” for certain countries, will affect all goods. And beauty products are no exception.

Police has already noticed an increase in the prices of her supplies, compared to their costs two months ago. For example, Police said that hair dye from the German company Schwarzkopf was $7.52 two months ago. Today it is $10.12. She gave several other examples from American and foreign brands alike.

It is difficult to say whether these price increases are due solely to Trump’s tariffs, or a confluence of factors including rising materials costs. Schwarzkopf’s parent company, Germany-based Henkel, said in a March 2025 press release about material costs, “Henkel expects an increase in the low to mid-single-digit percentage range compared to the annual average of 2024.”

“Even though the product price is increased, we cannot increase [the price] that much for the clients.”

Rozita Police, Palo Alto salon owner

However, the unpredictability of the Trump administration seems to be highlighted as Henkel specifically enumerates “a currently challenging industrial environment” in North America in its release.

The Personal Care Products Council, a trade association representing 600 global cosmetics and personal care product companies, in April issued a statement expressing worry about how the tariffs would affect their industry.

“We are concerned about trade policies that could result in higher prices for personal care products and impact our industry’s growth and global competitiveness. The cosmetics and personal care products industry is a key driver of the U.S. economy, with over $68 billion in U.S. manufacturing and 4.6 million U.S. jobs,” the council said.

Clients are cutting back, too

Back in Palo Alto, Police may use bleach, color developer, toner, and two to three different colors for an average dye job. Each of these products has increased on average $3 per packet, said Police. Two months ago, she used $50 worth of product for a job. Now her costs have increased up to 30%.

Police said she cannot pass along the cost to her customers.

“We cannot increase [prices] that much since the business is so slow right now,” she said.

Police said that tariffs are also affecting her customers’ personal finances and how much they are willing to spend on her services.

“I asked some clients, they said tariffs affect them and they cannot afford to do some other extra stuff that they used to do,” said Police. 

For example, Police said clients that previously were getting their eyebrows done every month may try to space out their service to every other month to save money.

“It’s hard for everyone,” she said. 

When asked if she receives support from professional or licensing organizations, Police said no — she is on her own. Like many other cosmetologists and estheticians, she’s just hoping that things will get better.

If the current climate continues, a lot of local, women-owned businesses will go under, she said.