People often imagine beauty school as face masks, cucumber slices and a little light polish. Then they spend a day with our students. Here is what a real day of CIDESCO training at VIBA looks like, from the first coffee to the last towel folded.
Morning: science before skincare
The day usually starts in the classroom. Before anyone touches a client, our students learn what they are touching: the layers of the skin, the muscles of the face, how the nail grows from the matrix, why dehydrated skin is not the same as dry skin.
It is real anatomy and physiology, and yes, there are exams. Multiple-choice tests on the structure of the nail, projects on skin conditions with full research and references, written to the CIDESCO standard. Our students are often surprised by how much science sits behind a good facial. By the end of the course, that science is exactly what gives them confidence.
Midday: hands on, under the magnifying lamp
Then the lab coats go on. Practical sessions are where theory becomes touch: cleansing, massage, electrical treatments, nail work, body therapy.
One of the moments our students remember most is the first proper skin analysis. A client lies back, the magnifying lamp comes down, and suddenly they can see what they only read about: fine dehydration lines, congestion around the nose, a few broken capillaries. Learning to read skin like this is the foundation of everything a therapist does next.
Our teachers are right there with them, adjusting a hand position, checking a consultation form, reminding them to look closer. Every treatment starts with a full consultation and contraindication check, because a professional never treats skin they have not understood.
Afternoon: real clients, real responsibility
VIBA is both an academy and a working skin clinic. That means our students do not only practise on each other. Under supervision, they work with real clients, with real concerns, and real expectations.
This is where students grow the fastest. They learn to explain a treatment in simple words, to adapt when a client’s skin is more sensitive than expected, and to give home-care advice that actually fits that person’s life. They also learn the quieter skills: hygiene, timing, record keeping, and how to make someone feel looked after from the moment they walk in.
The little things nobody tells you
- You will clean a lot. Sterilising tools and preparing a station properly is part of being a professional, and our students become very good at it.
- You will make friends. Classes are small, and students from different backgrounds and nationalities end up studying, practising and laughing together.
- You will start noticing everyone’s skin. In the supermarket, on the bus, at family lunches. It never really stops.
- You will feel proud. The first time a client looks in the mirror and smiles, it all makes sense.
Why CIDESCO training matters
A CIDESCO diploma is recognized internationally, and our graduates have gone on to work in clinics, spas and salons in Lebanon and abroad. But the qualification is only part of it. What our students really take with them is a way of working: look first, understand the skin, then treat with care.
Every part of our CIDESCO training is built around that habit, from the first anatomy lesson to the final practical exam, so our graduates leave ready to work confidently with real clients anywhere in the world.
That is what a day at VIBA is really about. Not trends, not shortcuts. Just good training, one client at a time.
Curious about joining the next intake? Visit us at Byblos Sun Bldg, 5th Floor, Byblos Highway, or call +961 70 690068 to book a visit to the academy.
