Facial

Facial Information

A facial is a therapeutic method offered by a day spa to improve your skin tone and texture. Facials are believed to increase blood flow, cell turnover and exfoliate dead skin cells.

Here's a sampling of facials likely to grace the facials menu at your local day spa.

Vitamin C Facial

Vitamin C is hot. Cellex-C started the rage with their pure, high concentration Vitamin C serum. Now day spas offer the Vitamin C facial with the promise of restoring facial skin texture and firmness, as well as improving the skin tone. Vitamin C facials are believed to have antioxidants that leave your skin radiant and visibly improved. Experts will tell you that your skin needs to be at the right pH to absorb the Vitamin C ($90 for 60 minutes).

Oxygen Facial

Madonna is reportedly a fan of the oxygen facial, a spa treatment where a combination of purified oxygen, essential oils, and mild acids are gently sprayed upon your face. Spas offering oxygen facials cite a number of anti-aging benefits you'll get from by increasing your skin's oxygen consumption. Benefits include wrinkle reduction, improved circulation, softening of tight skin, and a reduction in adult acne. ($100-$125 for 60 minutes).

Collagen Facial

Collagen is a key building block in your skin tissue. Your collagen breaks down with age, giving rise to face creases we call crow's feet, expression lines, and wrinkles. The collagen facial applies pure plant collagen to your skin to make up for the collagen you've lost. This facial is meant to hydrate the skin and tighten sallow skin, and does not replace your lost collagen (this takes a collagen injection, laser treatment, or some other facial filler like Juvederm), but some people think it gives them instant skin texture improvement. ($100 for 60 minutes).

Deep Sea facial

Deep Sea minerals and enzymes are used in a detoxifying mask. The mask is a thick, hard crust that is meant to cleanse pores, firm-up the skin, and improve circulation.

Anti-aging Facial

These types of facial are any one of numerous skin therapies for aging, dry skin. Spas often use clinical strength glycolic acid peels (30 minutes) to exfoliate and stimulate surface skin repair of fine lines and age spots. A medical spa or dermatologist will offer more intensive solutions like a non-invasive IPL treatment. IPL stimulates collagen that fills in wrinkles and facial lines. Note that IPL is not pain free!

Purifying Facial/ Deep Cleansing Facial

Many spas use fruit peels, like papaya, cranberries or green peel, to give a deep exfoliation that softens clogged pores and acne blackheads and makes your skin glow. After the cleansing, the aesthetician will extract any impurities left in your pores. These types of facials are generally done less than 3 times a year.

Aveda Facials

Aveda spas offer several unique types of facials for nearly every skin type and condition. The Self-renewal Facial combines acupressure (pressure exerted on parts of your body to relieve stress and pain), Ayurveda (Indian herbal remedies), and massage techniques.