If you have ever opened a facial treatment menu and immediately felt more confused than when you started, you are not alone.
One of the questions I hear most is, “Which treatment would you recommend for me?”. Treatment names can tell you very little about what will actually suit your skin, especially if you are new to facials.
If you are searching for which facial is right for me, the first thing I want you to know is that you do not need to work it all out yourself. You only need to know what you are noticing about your skin and what you would like to improve.
Instead of choosing a facial because the name sounds impressive, start with the problem you can actually see or feel.
Maybe your skin looks dull even though you are using good skincare. Perhaps your pores look more noticeable, your face feels congested or you have started breaking out when you never used to. You might be noticing changes in texture, firmness or simply feel that your skin does not look as fresh as it once did.
Those are useful starting points. I can then look at your skin, ask about your routine and work out what type of treatment makes sense.
If your skin feels clogged or needs a reset
For skin that feels congested, rough or in need of a really good refresh, I may look at a cleanse-focused treatment such as Cleanse and Glow, which I can customise according to your skin.
I also pay close attention to what is happening at home. Cleansing is one of the things I talk about constantly because it is so often rushed. Giving your cleanse around 30 seconds morning and night can make a noticeable difference to how clean and fresh your skin feels.
There is very little point buying more and more serums if SPF, makeup, oil and everyday dirt are not being removed properly first.
A professional treatment can support your skin, but the basics you repeat every day still matter.
If your skin looks dull, tired or less smooth
Sometimes a client is already doing the basics well. She is cleansing, using decent products and trying to be consistent, but her skin still looks tired.
This is where I may consider my Rejuvenating SkinStorm facial.
SkinStorm allows me to use professional methods including micro-needling, peels, cleansing handsets and microdermabrasion, depending on what I feel is appropriate for the individual client.
I look at this type of facial when somebody wants a more focused treatment for concerns such as dullness, uneven texture or skin that seems to have lost some of its freshness.
The aim is not to make you look overdone. I prefer skin to look healthy, fresh and naturally polished.
If you have suddenly started breaking out
A sudden change in your skin does not automatically mean you need the strongest facial available.
When someone tells me, “I never used to break out,” I want to understand what else has changed. That might include stress, hormones, products, cleansing habits or changes to their usual routine.
The temptation is to attack a breakout with lots of new products at once. That can make it even harder to understand what your skin is responding to.
I would rather slow things down, look at the bigger picture and decide whether a facial, a simpler home routine or a combination of the two is the sensible next step.
How often should you have a facial?
There is no schedule that suits everybody, and time interval between facials will depend on what type of facial you are having done. However as general rule 4-6 weeks is usually the optimal time frame.
Someone working on a particular concern may need a different approach from someone who simply wants to maintain healthy-looking skin. What I do believe in is consistency.
Waiting until a holiday, wedding or special occasion and then trying to rescue the skin at the last minute is rarely the best approach. Regular maintenance gives us more opportunity to understand your skin and make sensible adjustments over time.
That does not mean constantly being in the salon. Your treatment plan should fit your life, your skin and the level of maintenance you actually want.
You do not need to choose the most expensive facial
This is important to me. I will not recommend a treatment simply because it is the most advanced or most expensive option available. Sometimes SkinStorm will make sense. Sometimes Cleanse and Glow will be a better choice. Sometimes I may tell you to concentrate on something at home first.
Good advice should make skincare feel clearer, not leave you with more things to buy and more treatments to worry about.
If you are new to facials, or you already come into the salon for other beauty treatments but have never had a skin treatment with me, you are welcome to start by asking questions.
A simple first step
You do not need to know your exact skin type or arrive knowing the names of ingredients and treatments.
Tell me what is bothering you, what you are using now and what you would like your skin to feel or look like. From there, I can help you decide what is worth doing.
For many women, that conversation is far more useful than trying to choose a facial from a list on their own.
A quiet next step
Not sure what to book?
You can start with a free skin consultation with me at the salon in Leyton. I will look at what is going on and help you choose a sensible next step without pressure.