Facial

FACIALS:

Facials are among the most popular spa
treatments and are used to nourish the skin
by exfoliating and cleansing.
Being pampered by an esthetician is a relaxing
and rejuvenating experience that everyone should make a part of their beauty routine.
In this blog, I will explain the steps of a basic facial. While there are countless facial
techniques, most of them have these steps in common:

Cleanse

Your esthetician will wrap your hair in a headband or a towel and remove any makeup that
you may be wearing. Some spas have their estheticians rub cream, jell, or lotion onto your
face and neck and use cotton pads, cloths, and warm water to remove the cleanser. Once
your face is completely clean, you are ready for the next step.

Consultation

During step two, your eyes will be covered by moistened pads and your esthetician will use
a lighted magnifying glass/lamp to look at your skin and determine what kind of treatment
you will need. The magnifying glass/lamp will help show what type of skin type you have
(oily, dry, etc.) and if you have any skin conditions (acne, sunburn, blackheads, etc.) that
need to be accounted for during your treatment. Your esthetician will give you his/her
recommendations for the treatment and the two of you will come to an agreement about
what will best fit your needs.

Steam

This is where the fun stuff starts. Warm steam will be applied to your face using either a
heated, moist towel or a machine that gently directs a layer of steam to your face. The
warm steam is extremely relaxing and loosens up the muscles in your face. The steam
weakens blackheads and whiteheads and the sweat it produces will help clear your pours.

Exfoliation

Depending on the facial technique being used, the exfoliation process can take place before,
after, or during the steam. An exfoliation gel, cream, mask, peel, or gommage will usually be

applied before or after the steam. These products need to be left on your face to treat
blackheads. Exfoliation products that involve scrubbing or massage techniques can usually
be used during the steam step.

Extraction

Now that your skin has been exfoliated and the steam has relaxed your face, it is time to
extract any whiteheads and blackheads. Because the previous steps were preparation for
this one, the extractions should not be very painful. Your estheticians may use the lighted
magnifying glass/lamp again to locate the imperfections in your skin. Different estheticians
use different extraction techniques. You can discuss this before your facial or the
extractions.

Massage

Who doesn’t love a massage? After the extraction procedure you deserve to be pampered. A
facial massage will be used to stimulate your facial muscles and put you in a state of deep
relaxation. Depending on the type of facial, oil or lotion may be used during the massage.

Facial Mask

After your massage a facial mask will be applied. The mask will be specially formulated to
match your skin type and help treat any skin conditions that were discussed during the
consultation. During most facials you will receive a massage while you wait for the mask to
work its magic.

Final Applications

After the mask is removed you will likely receive an application of skin specific cream or
gel. You may also receive moisturizer, serums, and sunscreen.