How to Prepare for a Facial Treatment
This is for my fellow Type-A, follow-the-rules, people-pleaser gals. You booked a facial but want to know what to do to ensure you’re doing everything right - or at least so you can impress your esthetician with your know-how. Well, I’ll be that esthetician friend you need to clue you in, because nothing gets me excited like a plan. No matter if this is your first facial or you just need a refresher, here are the unspoken pre-facial rules to get the best out of your session. (I mean you wouldn’t buy a skirt without asking your friends first if it looks good on you, right?)
Booking
Quite possibly the most important is when you book. You’ll break your esthetician’s little exfoliated heart if you book a facial right before going to the beach, or before a big event without having done a test run. Exfoliation is the name of the game for a facial, which means some form of physical, mechanical, or chemical exfoliation - or sometimes all three - which will make your skin more susceptible to sunburns, though it’ll vary depending on the treatment. Don’t book within 2 weeks before or after extended sun exposure (i.e. the beach, hours of sports outside, hiking, etc.) to get the most out of your facial. If you’re outdoors daily, maybe summer isn’t the time to book at all for you, or at least keep in mind there won’t be as much your esty can do during that time. And absolutely don’t show up with a sunburn, which will limit your treatment options leaving much to be desired.
As far as events, the two-week rule also applies, but is to give your skin time to calm down if you develop any irritation. Imagine you book a facial a few days before an old friend’s wedding and show up with an angry red breakout that only time will heal. Should a reaction occur, 2 weeks is considered the safe amount of time before needing to be camera-ready.
skincare
You may not be aware of all the ingredients in your current skincare routine, but there are a few to look out for the week leading up to your treatment. The first is the most important: retinoids. This is an umbrella term that encompasses Retinol, Retinoic Acid, Retinaldehyde, basically anything starting with “Retin-” and that includes your prescription Retin-A, as well as Tretinoin, Aklief, Adapalene, the list goes on. If you’re unsure about a prescription you have, do a quick google search. For retail products, some of these can be just as strong so to be safe, you can avoid any products you use that state they are “anti-aging,” as well as many acne creams. You’ll want to stop these 7 days before treatment.
The next ingredient category is exfoliants, so this includes any scrubs, AHAs, BHAs, and generally anything marketed as exfoliating or resurfacing. These might be harder to spot on your own, so if you are unsure, stop 7 days before treatment. Don’t be afraid of the word “acid” though, as Hyaluronic Acid is completely safe and often beneficial to use leading up to a treatment. Essentially, if a product leaves your skin feeling drier, it’s best to avoid it before a treatment. Your safest best is to use a gentle or basic cleanser, eye cream, basic moisturizer, and SPF the 7 days leading up to your treatment for well-prepped skin.
haircare
This one often gets overlooked but can be just as important! Depending on the treatment you’re getting - say, a light chemical peel - you may want to avoid steamy showers for about 2-3 days after your treatment. On the other hand, some treatments will leave residue around the hairline, adding oils to the hair and therefore making it look greasier. With acne facials or sensitive skin, I like my clients to avoid washing their hair the rest of the day after a treatment to avoid comedogenic hair products getting onto that freshly exfoliated and extracted skin. It could cause more irritation or worse breakouts, so it’s a safe bet to do your hair wash first before a treatment, just in case.
lashes
For those of you that get lash extensions, come at the end of their lifecycle. Your esthetician can certainly try to avoid damaging your lashes, but it can’t be guaranteed considering what needs to be done in a treatment. You’ll often have to skip the steam, which can impact how much your esthetician can do for you, especially if extractions are needed. Also the eyes need to be occluded for some treatments (i.e. vaseline or a protective product around the eyes), which is not good news for lashes you just spent some good money on. Aim to book your lash appointment at least 24 hours after your facial treatment to avoid your lash tech irritating your fresh skin.
clothes
Be comfortable! You’ll be laying down and often will be asked to remove your shoes before getting into the treatment bed. Avoid shirts with high necks or collars so there’s nothing obstructing your neck & décolleté. Leave the earrings and necklaces at home so there’s less to remove in the treatment room.
makeup
No makeup! You can do your gentle skincare routine (or skip it!) before and apply SPF, but avoid any makeup. Your esthetician doesn’t mind removing your makeup, but that’s a few minutes of treatment time that could be better used actually treating your skin! Also, plan to be makeup-free the rest of the day after your treatment. If you get extractions done, you’re risking infection, and if your skin is reactive, you’re risking irritation - and for what? A little color on the face? Embrace that makeup-free glow and be the envy of glossier die-hards.
exercise
Ooh this is a good one. No exercise or sweating after a facial! You’ll ruin that post-facial glow, and depending on the treatment you could even risk infection. You can do your workout in the day before your treatment, but plan to lay low the rest of the day after. And this can be applied to getting sweaty in other, more fun ways too. Hate to put a damper on your night but what kind of friend would I be if I didn’t warn you? I’d also go as far as to say avoid hot girl walks or generally being outside after as well. Just go home and relax. This is also why I love an evening facial. One less night to have to work up the energy to do your skincare routine!
at home
Go ahead and clean your makeup brushes ahead of your appointment (throw away the beauty blender while you’re at it) and change your pillowcase too. These things harbor old bacteria that we don’t want to reintroduce onto your skin post-treatment. Think of a treatment like a new start for your skin.
impress your esty
Bonus points for those of you that take a photo of your current skincare routine or even bring the products with you. You won’t have to sit there racking your brain for “that green label one in the drugstore” when your esty asks you what you’re currently using. And who doesn’t love extra credit?
