What exactly is a Spa Facial Treatment?
With the new year rapidly approaching, I decided to let me readers in on what I do for a living full-time and will not only share my travels and lifestyle tidbits, but well share beauty tips as well. If you are a new follower or just follow my blog, I am a professional licensed esthetician of over 20 years and own my spa studio where I offer facials, skin care treatments, and full facial and waxing services. The #1 question I have received in my career by those who have never had any type of skin care or spa service is, “what exactly is a spa facial?” A facial is a skin care treatment for the face, that includes (but not limited to) steam, exfoliation, extraction, creams, lotions, facial masks, peels, and massage performed by a licensed professional.
Why should YOU have a spa facial? A spa facial does for your skin what a month of exercise and healthy eating does for your body. Regardless of your age or gender, if you want your skin to look its best you must take care of it. Through exfoliation, deep pore cleansing, extraction, stimulating circulation, and use of professional-strength spa products, your skin can be improved with just a single session. Think of an esthetician as a personal trainer, but for your face. Another pro of receiving facials is being steered in the right direction when it comes to your skin care routine at home to not only maintain the results you desire, but to also save you from over spending on products.
What do you expect in a spa facial and which one should you choose? When you are a first-time client and arrive at my studio, you will be asked to complete an intake form, so I can be aware of your skin’s concerns, conditions, and what your problematic areas are, if any. After filling your intake form, I leave the room to give you privacy to undress, get on the heated massage table and get under the warm blankets. Once I enter the room to get your treatment started, I go over your responses on the intake form and make sure you have chosen the correct facial for your skin type. I analyze everyone under the magnified light to make sure we do the right treatment for your concerns and skin type. If you select a facial, and I feel that it is not the right choice for you (following skin analysis), I’ll let you know and recommend something else. My service menu has full descriptions and pricing information on all my treatments. First-timers, sensitive, normal, normal-to-dry, normal-to-oily, combination skin, facials for men, special occasions, corrective treatments, dry or mature skin, oily/acne-prone, anti-aging, and teen skin…there’s something for EVERYONE! During the cleansing and exfoliation portion of the facial, suggestions for home care are provided.
What are extractions? Professional extractions are the manual removal of sebum (oil and dirt; blackheads and whiteheads) from your pores and the most important part of the facial. It’s the sebum, trapped within the pores beneath the skin’s top layers, which can cause breakouts. The difference between professional extractions and doing them at home is the way the skin is softened and prepped through exfoliation, steam, and the extraction techniques used. You know that metal loop thingy (metal extractor) that is sold in stores for black and white head removal? Yeah, I stay away from that tool. Not only is it awfully painful, it can leave the skin red and marked up. Clean pores keep your skin looking clearer and brighter.
Hope those of you that have been contemplating whether to get a facial will give it a try. I love receiving compliments on my skin and it’s because of monthly facials. Being in the beauty and spa industry for over 20 years, I have had elite training in some of the best luxury spas and resorts. Not to mention all the courses and classed I have taken on my own. My spa studio is serene and will make you feel right at home. Want to know more about me, the beauty studio, and/or my training, visit the Shine Beautifully website!
