Caring for Your Skin After a Facial

Facials are amazing, rejuvenating experiences, and it's good to give your skin the TLC it needs once a month or seasonally as you can. (Read more on why you should get regular facials here.) Just like there are ways to care for your hands and feet after manicures and pedicures and ways to maintain your salon color between visits, there are a few things you can do to maintain that healthy glow after a facial. Here are our top ways we think you should be caring for your skin after a facial.

What do facials do?

We recommend facials monthly or seasonally because they deeply cleanse, exfoliate, extract (in the case of blackheads or acne), treat problem areas (such as fine lines, sun damage, or wrinkles), and deeply moisturize the skin. Facials are good for all skin types, even sensitive skin--Salon Patrice will customize your facial to your skin type and concerns. Facials also provide mental benefits like stress relief and relaxation. And depending on when you get your facial (at a spa on vacation or at Salon Patrice regularly), your goal will be different. As you receive regular facials, you're likely targeting areas of concern, like acne or fine lines. On vacation, you're probably looking for pampering and hydration, so you won't be as picky. Either way, there are some easy ways to prep your skin before and after a facial to reap those rewards.

Prepping for your facial

1. A week before, stop using your regular chemical exfoliants and potentially irritating serums like retinol or salicylic acid. Most facials, including those at Salon Patrice, include exfoliation, so you don't want to further irritate your skin as your aesthetician exfoliates your face. Scaling back your routine can give your aesthetician a sense of how your skin normally behaves and what it looks like naturally.

2. You don't need to cleanse your face beforehand, but are welcome to; not washing off your makeup and sunscreen can give your aesthetician a chance to see how much makeup you usually wear and how that may be affecting your skin.

3. Make sure to drink plenty of water in the days before your facial treatment so that your skin is ready to absorb all those nutrients from the facial (a damp sponge absorbs water more easily than a dry one!).

4. Avoid sun exposure as much as you can in the week before your facial, and be sure to wear your SPF--sunburned skin makes for an uncomfortable facial.

5. Don't book any other treatments like waxing, threading, or chemical peels the day of your facial. This can irritate the skin and affect the results of your facial.

Caring for your skin after your facial

Your skin has just been deeply exfoliated, cleansed, treated, and hydrated. It's gone through a lot, and your skin barrier is healing, so the last thing you want to do is aggravate it by using products that are too harsh.

1. Three days, three things: Kiehl's recommends "three things, three days", which means scaling back your routine to three items only in the three days following your facial. All you need are cleanser, moisturizer, and sunscreen. This will make sure you don't overwhelm your skin while the skin barrier heals after the deep cleansing and exfoliation work of your facial. After those three days, you can gradually add your other products back in, but don't use your actives and retinol or exfoliate for about 5-7 days.

   1. Cleanse: If your facial is in the morning, you'll want to cleanse your face at night to remove sunscreen and any environmental pollution. If your facial is at night, you won't need to wash your face before bed unless you've applied sunscreen or makeup. Use a gentle cleanser with hydrating ingredients like avocado oil, squalane, hyaluronic acid, or glycerin so as not to strip your face of its natural oils.

   2. Moisturizer: Again, a lightweight, gentle moisturizer is key. You don't need to go overboard with extra benefits or ingredients, but look for moisturizers with ingredients like hyaluronic acid, avocado oil, and glycerin to keep your skin hydrated and glowing.

   3. Sunscreen: Your favorite lightweight sunscreen should be fine, but just be diligent about it in the days following your facial because your skin will be more sensitive.

2. Makeup: You'll want to wait at least two hours after your facial before applying makeup. If you need to apply makeup, the lighter the better. Heavy foundations could contaminate and clog the skin, so keep it simple.

3. Brushes, towels, and sheets: Your skin has been newly cleansed. Now's the time to change your sheets, wash your makeup brushes, and change out towels. You don't want germy, bacteria-laden pillowcases on your freshly cleansed skin. This will open your face up to irritation and acne. This also goes for your phone and glasses if you wear them!

4. Avoid sweaty activities: Sweat is acidic and irritates your pores, so avoid high-impact workouts, hot yoga, saunas, and super hot showers for about 72 hours following your facial.

5. Stay hydrated: You've heard this from us a lot across all of our various posts, but make sure to drink plenty of water to keep your skin's healthy glow and flush out those toxins.

6. Don't pick at your skin: If you notice you get a breakout or your skin is red, don't pick at it. Skin sometimes purges like this after a deeply exfoliating session like a facial. Use aloe-based serums or pop your moisturizer in the fridge to chill it down and calm your skin.

Ready for a facial? Find a list of our facial and skincare services here, or call (815) 223-8643 for more information.