What is a facial? A facial is a multi step skin treatment. It provides in depth cleansing, exfoliating and nourishment for your skin. Facials help the Esthetician analyse your skin, determine your skin type and conditions, to then give you advise on how to best take care of your skin at home.
There are many types of facials that are beneficial for certain skin types and for different reasons. Today, I will break down the steps of a basic facial, the facial every "facial virgin" should start with. Hopefully this will give you an idea of what to expect when you enter the facial room, and maybe make the steps of your facials less mysterious!
Lets start with why? I often get the questions: "Should I get a facial?" or "I dont have break outs, do I still need a facial?" The answer is yes! No matter what your skin type is, there's a benefit to getting one. Some of the benefits to receiving regular facials are, rehydrating your skin, Helps slow down premature aging, unclogs pores, improves imperfections, decreases muscle tension, relaxes your body and mind and helps to maintain healthy skin.
Now that you know what a facial is and why you want one, here are the steps and why they are done!
Cleanse, removing any makeup and dirt that may be left on your skin, this will give your skin a clean slate for the next steps of the facial. The Esthetician usually choses to analyse your skin at this point, to better determine your skin type and which products she/he will be using.
Exfoliate, Our pores are like little pockets, dirt, excess oil, and bacteria can accumulate in them. Which is why it's important to keep your pores clear by exfoliating. The exfoliating process also helps remove any excess dead skin cells that our skin has neglected to shed naturally. The exfoliation process allows your skin to maximise the benefits of the rest of the facial.
Steam or hot towels opens your pores, the gentle heat helps with the extraction process, it minimises redness of the skin and prevents scaring. This step also helps with product absorption for the steps to come.
Extractions, removal of black heads, white heads, Millais, anything that is not inflamed and ready to be removed. Leaving your skin feeling nice and smooth!
High Frequency, Red and Violet light, helps calm redness and kills bacteria to prevent any further break outs.
Massage, this step is completely optional depending on your skins needs and on the estheticians technique. However, when a massage is included in your facial, you will benefit of lymph drainage, increase in blood flow, better product absorption, decrease muscle tension and of course, relaxation.
Mask, this step has many benefits, the esthetician will be choosing a mask that best suits your skin type or condition. Sometimes two masks are chosen, one for the T-zone and second for the rest of the face. The benefits can vary from improving the moisture barrier, brightening the skin, slowing down signs of ageing and so much more! Other benefits of this step is relaxation, the esthetician can chose to incorporate a massage, put relaxing eye treatments or let you take a small nap!
Finishing products, the final products will be customised to your skins needs, this could be a toner, serum, SPF, moisturiser and/or makeup. Any product your Esthetician choses to use will help protect your skin for the rest of the day.
Finally, after care recommendations. Your Esthetician will recommend an at home regiment, to maximise the effect and benefits of the facial. It is highly recommended to have a good skin care regiment at home, everything we do to our skin today, will surface as we age!
It's important to keep in mind that every esthetician has her own take on the basic facial, some of these steps can be in different orders, more steps can be added and some taken away. Every experience is different which makes facials so unique and fun! #facial #esthetician #whatisafacial #skincare
