Every so often, we need to treat ourselves to something luxurious after all the anxiety and stress we get from work, family and just life.  All of these components add age to our skin.  Proper care is essential to retain youth without going under the knife or using botox.  Our skin is nothing to take lightly, and we need to take care of it now instead of trying to fix problems later. Having a strict skin care regimen is great, but we also should consider professional services to revitalize, nourish, and deep clean our skin to keep it at its healthiest.  Pay a visit to a day spa once a month to relax and to let a professional esthetician rejuvenate your lovely face.  Here is a quick list of the most popular facials to help you figure out what spa service works best for you.

BASIC CLEAN-UP FACIAL
If you’ve never had a facial before and this is your first time venturing into a spa, try a basic clean up facial first.  It cleanses, exfoliates and moisturizes your complexion without being too invasive or aggressive.  Your skin is gently steamed to help open up your pores, and then a gentle scrub follows immediately after to remove blackheads and dirt that have been sitting in your pores.  Typically, the scrub is rinsed off and followed by a facial mask to help moisturize your skin.  Depending on the spa, you might also be treated to a comforting massage while your mask is working its magic.  The basic facial is great for all skin types without major acne problems.  Doing this regularly will give your skin a great glow and will help prevent acne breakouts.

ACNE FACIAL
For those with very acne-prone skin, acne facials can provide major benefits.  These are usually a series of facials that are done about every 2 to 4 weeks until you notice significant changes in skin clarity.  First your skin is cleansed and then exfoliated to remove all the dead skin cells and blackheads.  The next step is an extraction process that may seem invasive to some, since the manual treatment goes into each pore to extract all the gunk.  Lovely image, we know.  This extensive treatment is then followed by soothing masks or creams to help calm your skin.  Some people’s skins can become inflamed during the first few treatments, but it usually steadily heals with major improvement with acne.

DEEP SEA FACIAL
Another great facial that’s not as gory to describe is the deep sea facial.  Deep sea minerals and enzymes have been found to help balance skin moisture levels, promote healing of skin, and relax and sooth your complexion.  After the cleansing, a deep sea mask is placed over your face and it cleanses, firms and improves the circulation of your skin to give you a warm glow from deep within.  It is a serene experience.

OXYGEN FACIAL
Madonna loves the oxygen facial.  The treatment involves a machine that sprays tiny molecules of essential oils and minerals onto the skin using a stream of pressurized oxygen.  Your skin is immediately hydrated, plumped up and smoothed of any fine lines.  The oxygen is sent immediately to your skin, increasing circulation and reproduction of skin cells.  Celebrities have praised how their skin is softer and their wrinkles are minimized from this spa treatment; however, there is little scientific evidence of long-term benefits, as the immediate blast of minerals create only a temporary fix to fine lines and tight skin.  People who love oxygen facials frequent their spas on a regular basis, especially before special events.

HYDRATING FACIAL
For the driest of dry skin, a hydrating facial is just the thing.  After gentle cleansing, a special hydrating facial mask is applied to your skin.  These masks vary with each spa, but they generally contain super moisturizing agents that replenish and relax your face.  Expect the treatment to contain a ton of antioxidants to help fight sun damage and prevent wrinkles.  The mask is then followed by a deep moisturizer that is massaged into your face, reinforcing your skin’s moisture barrier to better handle whatever climate you are in.

These are only a few, as each spa has their own special treatments that can be designed specifically for your skin needs.  After long weeks at work, stressing about the holidays, and dealing with changing weather, we definitely need to reinforce our skin with a refreshing facial.  Not only is this relaxing, it’s essential to lasting beauty. What facials do you do?

Snob Recommendations:

100% Pure - Purifying Seaweed Facial Mask

AHAVA Purifying Mud Mask for Oily Skin

ARCONA Tea Tree Mask, Purify AM/PM

ARCONA Wine Hydrating Mask, Replenish AM/PM