photo by Ken Go

A facial is…
Simply put, having your face professionally cleaned. It should be considered as basic as teeth cleaning. It’s a preventive measure, which will save you a whole lot of damage control in the future.

A facialist is...
A therapist for your skin. She’s a highly trained individual who can diagnose common skin conditions, analyze your skin, suggest solutions to your skin problems, propose a skin care regimen, and recommend the proper skin care products.

But beware!
An untrained facialist can do even more damage to your skin than you can. So be wary about who you allow to touch your face. A proper facialist should have a license, lots of experience, and be sanitary.

Step By Step
Every facial consists of about five basic steps:

1. Skin analysis
   This is when your skin issues will be diagnosed.  Don’t be intimidated by the large magnifying glass!
2. Cleansing and massage
   Your facialist will first clean your skin, exfoliate it lightly by scrubbing, and then massage a light oil or moisturizer onto your face. This portion can take about 20 minutes.
3. Steam treatment
   Get ready to be misted with some very warm water to soften skin, stimulate circulation, and activate sweat glands. It’s a perfect precursor to the next step.
4. Extractions
   You can actually choose to forgo this part, but if you’ve got zit issues, it’s best not to skip the prick—better a professional than you.
5. Masks and moisturizers
   Facialists usually start with a cleansing mask then follow with a rehydrating one, but if you’ve got oily skin, they may just apply a clay-based skin tightening one. But take note—if your skin tingles, you may be allergic.