An esthetician's guide to getting the best facial.
The small details are what make a great facial!
Think about the results we ideally want from a facial. What are some words that come to mind? Clear skin, healthy skin, glowing face, soft skin? All of these are things that come to mind for me when I think about regular facial visits to your trusted esthetician. I think I can speak for all of us when I say we hope to leave a facial feeling amazing about our renewed skin. Unfortunately, a positive facial experience isn’t something that happens for everyone; sometimes you can leave a facial feeling bummed that your skin didn’t get the care/treatment you had wanted or hoped for. I’m giving you my best tips and esthetician info for getting the best facial possible and finding an esthetician that can be your teammate for achieving better skin!
scrub me secret: I’ve been an esthetician for almost 12 years. I’ve performed many facials and many different kinds of facials during my career. I use to have a very popular “build your own facial” menu where my clients would create their own facials and I would adjust as needed. I then transitioned to “custom facial” options where the client lets me choose their sequence of services for them. This has been a really nice progression for both my clients and myself.
Seeking out a great esthetician near you:
Something I often hear from new clients is that it’s hard to find a great esthetician; someone with who they can work with to create better skin health and a better skincare routine. While it’s not hard to find a spa, salon, or med spa it is a bit difficult to find a dependable skincare technician/esthetician with who you can build a relationship with. And that’s what we all need! Someone who is our skin guru and really cares about our skin health.
Here are 4 tips to help you find a great esthetician:
Looking for a specialty facial massage or treatment? Companies that offer specialized training to estheticians often have databases that list trained professionals that have taken these special classes. This can be for treatments like gua sha face massage, Thai poultice herbal massage, HydraFacials, buccal massage, and more. I find that you can find some really amazing estheticians from these databases.
You can also search for your favorite skincare brand and locate spas and skincare studios near you that use your desired product in facials. This is a good place to start too(when looking for the perfect esthetician)!
Find a HydraFacial near you from this link
Find a gua sha facial, herbal poultice facial massage, and other holistic therapies from this link
Do you know a co-worker, friend, family member, or acquaintance who has amazing skin and skincare routine? Ask them!
Instagram and TikTok can actually be really helpful tools in finding an esthetician that’s right for you. You can search hashtags like “Chicagofacial” or “Austinfacial”, wherever you are located and find accounts of estheticians that are near you. Follow those accounts for a couple of weeks and see if any of them have content that speaks to you. Make an appointment for a consultation if you find an esthetician that looks like the right one for you.
Your other beauty professionals probably have some good recommendations! Ask your hair stylist, barber, nail tech, massage therapist, and/or personal trainer.
scrub me secret: I’m an esthetician and my main job/goal is to help my clients feel happy and confident with their skin. Not only do I create custom facials for each guest, but I also help curate and create an at-home skincare routine that works best for your skin and your lifestyle. I will also answer skincare questions via text that clients may have about products, concerns, etc. I really take my job seriously and I love it all at the same time.
Your esthetician will look at your skin closely under a magnifying lamp.
Tips for making sure you get great facial results:
Take control of your skincare treatment! Don’t just walk in blindly and hope for good results. Here are 3 things you should be chatting with your esthetician about before you start the facial…
Pre-facial discussion to have with your esthetician:
If it’s your first time meeting this esthetician, take the time to let them know about your current skincare routine and the products you use. If you visit an esthetician regularly update them whenever you incorporate a new product into your routine. This is super important because the skincare products you use (cleanser, toner, exfoliant, serums, lotion, oil) and your at-home skincare routine have A LOT to do with how your skin functions and looks.
Tell your esthetician about any skincare concerns you have like blemishes, fine lines, dark spots, dullness, etc. This will help them hone in and focus on the skincare needs that are most important to you. Also, let them know if you have goals of your skin looking its best for a certain event, vacation, or photoshoot. As an esthetician, all this information plays into why type of products I’ll use during the facial.
scrub me secret: there are facial treatments that are amazing to prep your skin and make it glow before an event or vacation. these treatments tend to not include extractions or anything that requires downtime after the facial. oxygenating, collagen infusion and skin lifting treatments are popular on the day of or the day before an event or right before a vacation.
Let your esthetician know about elements of your daily life/lifestyle that directly affect your skin. This could be things like visiting steam rooms, going to hot yoga, running outside, wearing PPE(face mask) for long periods, swimming often, tanning….anything like this you can think of. Sometimes your esthetician may make a suggestion like skipping hot yoga or a steam room that day or the next morning to get the best results from the facial treatment. The more we estheticians know about your lifestyle the better we can help you reach your skin goals.
Steam + a detox mask is not only relaxing, but it also helps make blackhead extractions easier.
Post-facial tips:
Here are some things I tell my facial clients after a facial before they leave the skincare studio.
Don’t wash, wipe, or rinse your face for at least the next 8 hours. Leaving your skin alone after a facial is one of the top things you can do to ensure the best results.
Avoid applying makeup the day/night that you receive your facial. Your fresh skin and clean pores wouldn’t love foundation, blush, or bronzer.
Do not do something like go to a steam room, sauna, hot yoga, intense workout, or swim after a facial.
If you get a facial in the morning or during the day and end up needing to do your PM skincare routine that night, only cleanse, use a hydrating toner (optional), and use a moisturizer. Keep it gentle and simple.
Do not pick at any places on your face or excessively touch your fresh skin.
Make sure you know exactly what to do with your home skincare routine so you can keep up the facial results in the following weeks.
scrub me secret: we know facial care products can get a bit pricey and not everyone can invest in them. let your esthetician know your price points or ask if they can recommend something affordable if that’s something you need. also, ask for specific ingredients that suit your skin type and you can research products that contain the ingredients you need.
Now you’re ready to book/receive the best facial for YOU! Remember, facials should be tailored and customized to your specific skincare needs. Even if the spa or skincare studio you choose has a long list of specialty facials to choose from a great esthetician will let you know if you did or did not choose the right facial for your specific needs and readjust as needed. Be really clear about your skincare goals and with the right esthetician you’ll have the skin of your dreams in no time.
If you have the time to visit me in Chicago for a facial consultation/custom facial I would love to have you in!