The 7 Steps of a Facial

Facials provide similar relief as dental cleanings in that they remove oil, dirt and toxins from the skin to help prevent breakouts and hyperpigmentation.

Facials are essential to anyone concerned with their skin. Unfortunately, many don’t understand all of the steps involved in getting one from a spa; we outline seven essential steps here that will help you select an effective facial for you.

1. Cleansing

Cleansing is the initial step of a facial, during which an aesthetician will cleanse away makeup, dirt, excess oil and pollution from your skin. Cleansing also helps increase its hydration levels for improved results.

Use cleansing gel or micellar water, both of which are proven effective at extracting oil from your face and clearing away dirt from pores, thus helping prevent breakouts, dehydration and ageing.

Exfoliation is the second step of this treatment process and utilizes either a mask or solution to exfoliate away dead skin cells. Mechanical or chemical exfoliants can be used, helping eliminate blackheads and whiteheads as they unmask beneath the surface.

2. Exfoliation

Cleansing removes any dirt, oil or makeup that has accumulated on the skin to prepare it for facial treatments and allow products to penetrate deeper, increasing their effectiveness.

Exfoliation helps remove dead skin cells and stimulate new ones to grow. This process is essential as healthy young skin’s cells typically turn over every 28 days; as we age this rate diminishes causing dull and flaky patches on our complexions.

Physical exfoliation involves physically rubbing away dead skin using tools like face brushes, washcloths or razor dermaplaning razors; chemical exfoliation employs acids like lactic acid to dissolve and loosen dead cells from their adhesion sites.

3. Steaming

Steaming helps open pores and soften skin while increasing circulation, which in turn enhances facial massage sessions that follow. As an additional bonus, steaming also assists your body’s absorption of products more effectively.

After steaming, an esthetician may perform extractions (removing blackheads and whiteheads), which may be painful depending on your pain tolerance. Extractions ensure all dirt trapped in pores has been extracted, before moving on to massage using classic strokes such as effleurage to both relax the facial skin and stimulate muscles.

4. Extraction

Many of us try to pop or squeeze our own pimples, which may lead to scarring & inflammation. Facial extraction is a professional treatment which uses specific tools to gently release trapped gunk from pores.

This process helps remove blackheads, whiteheads and acne impurities such as excess sebum and dead skin cells from pores in order to unclog them and prevent future acne outbreaks. It also unclogs them and reduces the severity of breakouts.

Professional estheticians are trained to recognize your skin type and safely extract hair follicles without risk of infection, while applying soothing products post-extractions.

5. Massage

Facial massage is an integral component of skin health and appearance improvement. By increasing blood flow and providing oxygen and essential nutrients to reach skin cells directly, facial massage helps create an enviable glow for radiant looking skin.

Facial massage helps tighten facial muscles, prevent sagging and promote an overall more youthful appearance. Furthermore, lymphatic drainage encourages facial massage to decrease fluid retention and puffiness.

This technique also improves the absorption of skincare products like serums and moisturizers for maximum benefits from their skincare regimes. This way, your clients will experience maximum returns from their routines.

6. Mask

Facial masks are an excellent way to indulge your clients while adding another element to their treatment. Masks may help address skin concerns discussed during client consultation sessions.

Beginning by thoroughly cleansing the skin is key to making sure any products used later penetrate deeply into it.

Now is an ideal opportunity to add any serums or targeted treatments that your client might use regularly; additionally, jade rollers can promote relaxation and lymph flow to enhance absorption of these products.

7. Moisturising

Professional spa facials follow a systematic plan and process, each step carefully considered and planned out.

Moisturizing is an integral component of skin health that works to keep its barrier intact and prevent outside elements such as pollutants from penetrating the pores and leading to common problems like oiliness and dryness.

After extracting blackheads and whiteheads, the final facial step should involve applying moisturizer to seal in all the benefits from treatment and maintain skin hydration. If performing your facial at nighttime, also apply an eye cream to hydrate under-eye puffiness and decrease puffiness.