How to Get the Perfect Facial

We like to say your face is the one part of your body that’s always naked in front of strangers, so making sure your face is healthy and blemish-free is the first step to making a good impression. You shouldn’t let just anybody touch your face and you should probably double-check to make sure they’ll take all the necessary steps to leave your skin looking healthy and feeling refreshed. Here’s our list of the things you should look for in the perfect facial.

1. Make sure your esthetician is a licensed skincare professional. She should do a full analysis of your skin and offer personalized recommendations based on your needs and goals.
2. Next she will cleanse your face using products chosen specifically for your skin type. If there’s any type of product your face doesn’t react well to, you should notify your esthetician prior to the cleansing step.
3. After cleansing comes a very important step – exfoliation. This is vital because it removes the top layer of dead skin and prepares the face for extraction.
4. Your esthetician may briefly steam your face to open up the pores. This is done by laying a damp warm towel over the face, with a space left for the nose.
5. Once the pores are ready, it’s time for extractions. First-timers often find this step alarming because it involves having your esthetician remove the whiteheads, blackheads and other impurities manually. It can be uncomfortable and if it’s not performed by a professional, it can cause more harm than good. But in the right hands, extractions are very useful for evening skin tone and clearing the skin of blemishes.
6. After extractions you may be in need of a little pampering, so a facial massage should immediately follow. Not only is the facial massage relaxing, it’s good for           your skin, stimulating the blood flow for healthy color and youthfulness.
7. The next step involves the application of a facial mask. This step can vary a lot depending on your skin type and the kind of facial you’ve requested, but it will often involve some form of clay or hydrating mask which will stay on your face for approximately 15 minutes.
8. Once the mask is complete and has been removed, your esthetician should apply a soothing moisturizer to lock in all her hard work and keep your skin from drying out following the mask.