Do you only book in for a facial before a special occasion, when your skin looks a little worse for wear or because it was a gift, and you wouldn’t normally set aside this time for yourself?For many of us, facials are a treat, an hour of blissful indulgent pampering. But I am here to tell you we should be viewing facials as more than just a guilty pleasure. Regular facials have many benefits for the health and wellness of our skin.But often I hear clients say “I wish I had more time to do a facial…”Okay, but let’s take a minute to look at our diaries… at all of the “regular” appointments in our calendar.We have our GP, vet, dentist, and hair salon, scheduled in along with a whole host of other social activities booked in for the kids, family etcWe are so busy doing everything for everyone else, but isn’t it time that we pay a bit more attention to ourselves, to our own skin?After all, our skin is the largest organ in our body doing a lot of important jobs for us.
After all, you can buy a new dress, but you can’t buy a new skin.
So even if it’s just during the change of seasons it is just as important to make some time to book in for that facial.
Here’s why we should be getting regular facials
- Deeper clean
A good facial will always start with a good deep cleanse to get rid of any surface impurities and makeup so that your beautician can work deeper into the skin and help it absorb all the good stuff that’s to follow. Proper cleansing helps to refine our pores and leaves our skin looking and feeling rejuvenated. Just as we visit our hygienist or dentist for a deep clean, with the right beautician and skincare line, you can get that same deep clean for your skin!
- Clear out the gunk
Clogged-up pores stop our skin from being able to absorb all of the good ingredients in our skincare. So even if you have spent hundreds or thousands of pounds on the very best skin care it isn’t going to be very effective if your pores are clogged and blocked. If the skin is suffering from excessive dryness or congestion a good facial will help to clear the pores, get rid of dry dead skin cells and refine pores so that all the cleansers, serums, and moisturisers you have spent on can do their job.
Unless you’re a trained beauty therapist, most people don’t know how to properly extract blackheads and pimples without hurting and possibly scarring the skin. Over the years I have had numerous clients come to me after realising they have done more harm than good by trying to extract blackheads and pimples at home which has left their faces scared with broken capillaries and acne flare-ups. Doing extractions properly is a very delicate procedure that must be done hygienically and carefully. With regular properly performed extractions to get the gunk out of your pores, your skin will breathe better, look healthier and suffer from fewer breakouts.
- Flushing out the bad stuff
To me, a facial massage is the most important part of the facial and it is incomplete without it. Massage has numerous benefits for the health of our skin and mental health. A massage is deeply relaxing and can help relieve stress. It helps to promote blood circulation, and lymphatic drainage–in other words, it’s a kick-start to your natural garbage disposal system that helps get rid of toxins and reduces fluid retention. By helping our bodies to flush out these toxins and promoting circulation, our skin is left with a gorgeous healthy glow!
- Seasonal changes
As the weather changes seasonally so does our skin. Our skins needs also change based on the temperature, humidity and even the amount of daylight we see in our daily environment. Your beauty therapist adjusts your facials to give your skin what it needs to help boost and protect your skin with these changes.While facials are based on the initial consultation to make sure each skin’s unique needs are catered to in winter many of the facials I do are focused on hydrating and strengthening the skin so it can better cope with the colder weather and central heating. In summer most facials work on protecting from the sun and helping to repair any sun damage. Spring and Autumn are usually the seasons in between when we start to prepare the skin as much as possible for the oncoming changes.
My journey with each client doesn’t end at the facial. I always give my clients advice on how to continue caring for their skin at home, and when to start switching to lighter or richer moisturisers. A good beauty therapist will always be happy to spend this extra time talking to you about aftercare because for us it is a passion project and it is a personal joy to see a client’s skin flourish and look its best.
- Understanding your skin
Beauty therapists are trained specialists and know about skincare. They know what works, and what doesn’t. After assessing your skin, a professional can help set you up with the right products to use at home. By getting to know your skin over time, they can monitor any changes, making sure you continue to use the right products or suggesting others based on your skin’s changing needs. They can help you save hundreds of pounds by helping you choose the correct products and not spending a fortune on products that are not right for your skin.
- Knowing your skin type
Your beautician will be able to identify common skin issues and advise you on what products you should be using for your skin type. I have often found clients misdiagnosing their skin type or problem and using a product which isn’t helping or actually making things worse for them. Regular facials will help keep you in the know of what’s going on with your skin, and how it’s constantly changing. Getting regular facials is like having your own personal skin specialist.
- De-Stress and recharge
Our modern lives are full of various levels of day-to-day stresses and most of us don’t take time out for ourselves and recharge. Spending an hour in a peaceful, relaxing environment can help restore balance to your mind, as well as your skin.
- Anti-Ageing and age delay
While ageing is a part of the natural process, we all want to look our best and we should be looking after our skin and protecting it. I only have this one face and I plan to take care of it. Having regular facials helps promote cell turnover, boost collagen production and maintain healthy skin balance, all of which contribute to keeping our skins looking their very best and slowing down and or reducing the signs of ageing.
