A facial, defined.

Too many people who I know and love still don't understand what a facial actually is. That's partially my fault I guess, so let's get it together here and start from the beginning.

Facials are not purely for relaxation. The massage portion is a wonderful benefit, but the facials that I give are about results. The first thing we do with a client is get a brief medical history, and then ask what she is hoping to see improve in her skin. If she is experiencing break-out activity, I'm going to structure a treatment plan for her during the time we have together as well as her home care. I'm going to educate her on what is causing her challenges, and how to reduce the symptoms. And yes, I'm going to give her a knockshersocksoff massage.

So the facial simplified goes a bit like this -

We cleanse the skin thouroughly, then look at it with the help of a magnifying lamp. We identify what areas need addressing, possibly things that the client isn't even aware of. We look for abnormal coloring (hyper/hypopigmentation), fine lines and wrinkles, dehydration, dryness, breakouts, etc. Next is exfoliation, which is the sloughing off of dead skin cells with the help of mechanical or chemical exfoliators. This is one of my favorite parts of the service, it reduces fine lines and wrinkles, deep cleanses the pores, and gives make-up the most amazing surface to play on.

If there is breakout activity, we address it after exfoliation, usually with extractions (also a super fun part for me personally). Then we will mask you with something specifically formulated for your skin's needs. Acneic? Something with a clay base will help to draw out impurities. Dehydrated? A water based mask jam packed with humectants will plump you right back up. This is typically around the time you'll get massaged, too. Love love love.

A couple of finishing products, and you're done.

The important thing to remember is that your skin will feel incredible for 2-3 days following your treatment, but if you don't maintain the work with the proper home care, you won't have the best outcome possible. And we all deserve gorgeous skin.

We're called Skin Therapists for a reason. We're here to help coach you through the process of changing your skin. And it's so freaking fun.