What to Expect at Your First Facial
A facial is a skincare ritual that works on your skin but also nurtures your mind and spirit.
You may leave your facial with a beautiful, dewy glow and an unexpected hairstyle. Your skin will look ultra-hydrated and you will be wondering how an hour (or longer) has passed by so quickly. You may feel so utterly relaxed that you almost feel drunk – no jokes! We’ve had multiple clients say this!
However, sometimes your skin may not look picture-perfect right after and although a basic facial does not require downtime, but you may notice some redness or irritation especially if your skin required extractions. Sometimes you may even notice some breakouts a few days after a facial, which seems counterintuitive, but if you think of a facial as a way to detox your skin, this will make more sense.
You can also think of a facial as more of a workout for your skin as you may not see the results you want right away, but don’t worry, they are coming! Like going to the gym, one facial might make you feel great, but you may not reap the benefits long term results with just one visit. It takes commitment, like incorporating the use of effective products at home and regular ‘workouts’ for your skin. With commitment, results will show!
Who Should Get A Facial?
Facials are not exclusive to those who have extensive concerns. Everyone can benefit from a deep clean and assistance in clearing out those pores, regardless of age, skin type and colour. We even have products that are safe for the most sensitive of skin types so everyone can get in on the action. And by now you’ve likely heard of facials from those avid spa-going friends who have given their best efforts to convince you to try one out. They may have told you that their skin feels great and it’s sooooo relaxing. But they may have still left you wondering, “what would an esthetician even do to my face for a whole hour?”, “should I wash my face before going to my facial?” and then the most obvious, “what type of facial do I even choose?”. Apprehensions are completely natural but let us help ease your mind!
What is a Facial?
A facial is a treatment designed to improve the look and feel of your skin. There are different facials designed for different skin goals as follows: to increase hydration; to even out pigmentation and dark spots; to combat acne and help clear out pores; to fight signs of aging; and to help bring dull skin back to life with a beautiful dewy glow. Then there are more advanced facials that target even more specific concerns but we’re just going to stick to the basics here today.
Our estheticians at FACE always provide a quick consult prior to commencing your service to ensure the facial you’ve booked in for is the best for your skin type and concerns. We recommend booking in for a ‘Made to Order’, our 60 minute fully customizable facial if it’s your first facial, and at the time of service you can let your esthie know you would like help determining which facial is best for you. The following steps are all included in our ‘Made to Order’ to give you an idea of what to expect.
The Steps
First Cleanse
We start out each facial with an oil-based cleanser. This cleanser will help dissolve and breakdown any makeup, oil, dirt and debris on the skin. Therefore, there is no need to wash your face before and you can come as you are – makeup and all!
Second Cleanse
Your esthetician will choose the next cleanser based on your skin type or concern and will contain ingredients to hydrate, smooth or exfoliate and / or treat acne. This cleanser will finish provide a thorough cleanse to your skin, ultimately finishing the job properly.
Exfoliation
Depending on the facial chosen and your skin type, your esthetician will use either a chemical or physical form of exfoliation to assist your skin in shedding the oldest dead skin cells from your skin’s surface. Sweeping away the dead cells and surface debris that might remain on your skin after cleansing, stops it from making its way into your pores and causing stubborn issues such as whiteheads and blackheads. This step also helps other skincare products penetrate deeper.
Steam
Steam is the tried-and-true way to prep pores for extraction. It helps soften the skin and loosen up oil and buildup in your pores. If you don’t have blackheads or blemishes that require removal (lucky you!), the heat and moisture make skin more permeable and ready to accept topical products more effectively. It also helps provide your skin cells with water which helps with hydration. And while these benefits are impressive in themselves, it’s also a relaxing time of the facial. While our esthies are waiting for the steam to work its magic, they will either provide a scalp massage or shoulder and neck massage.
Extractions
This is the process of clearing a clogged pore by manual or mechanical means. Your esthie will easily see the pores that require attention under a magnifying lamp with a bright light. They may or may not cover your eyes while they apply gentle pressure with gloved hands around the pore to extract contents. This may be done with fingers wrapped in gauze or with a special tool designed for this purpose. This can be an uncomfortable process, especially around the nose, but don’t hesitate to let your esthie know if the pressure is too much and they will ease back to ensure you are as comfortable as possible. You can also forgo this step altogether if you have a special event right away and want to avoid any temporary redness or inflammation that may result from this step.
Facial Massage
Not only does a facial massage lull you into a blissful state of relaxation that may or may not result in you dozing off (don’t worry, we don’t mind), but it exercises those facial muscles to keep you looking young along with other benefits. While it most certainly relieves the tension held in your face, it also increases blood and oxygen flow, and helps kickstart your lymphatic drainage to help flush out waste and toxins. More blood flow and oxygen increase collagen production and cell growth to result in a smoother, glowing complexion.
Mask
Everyone – men, women, young and mature – can benefit from a targeted face mask. Our esthies carefully select a mask to help you with your skin goal. The mask is left on for the prescribed amount of time and while our esthies are waiting, you are treated to a hand and arm massage. Once the time is up, most masks are removed with a warm towel that is like a warm hug for your face!
Serum
These small molecular products that contain concentrated amounts of active ingredients, are skincare’s secret weapons. Due to the small size of these powerful ingredients, they are more easily able to penetrate the skin and get down deeper to treat the skin issue(s) you are wanting to address. It will absorb quickly into your skin, can be extremely soothing, will protect your skin from free radical damage, and if used regularly will provide more visible results.
Moisturize
A moisturizer will be selected to suit your skin type to help seal in those powerful serum ingredients. It helps protect your skin’s barrier from irritation and helps reduce the development of dryness which is so important in our Alberta climate. Your esthie will lightly rub the moisturizer in using circular motions until it’s all absorbed.
Protect
SPF will be applied to finish off your service if the sun is up. It doesn’t matter if there are clouds in the sky or snow on the ground, we never skip this step as it protects your skin from harmful UV Rays, lowers your skin cancer risk, prevents premature signs of aging, and helps maintain an even skin tone.
