As a commitment to myself in 2020, I have decided to get a facial every month this year. It seems like a frivolous goal but honestly, it’s part study and part self-care. As a facialist for my entire adulthood, I know nothing but this work. I can go into facialist mode and work through a busy week with new and returning clients. I can tackle the hard questions and redundant newbie asks. I notice the little details and think ahead. However, being a recipient of these facials are just as important for me to elevate my craft. 

So far I’ve received 2 facials this year, both from previous apprentices of mine, and I’ve already noticed things I can be doing better. As I go through the rest of the year with many more facialists to experience and learn from, I am reminded that there are a few simple do’s and don’ts to facials that the general population may still be unaware of. Which brings me to our topic of today’s blog - a simple do’s and don’ts list for facial goers. In this list, I will primarily be speaking from the holistic esthetician experience but there are pockets of wisdom in each reminder for all sorts of facial offerings. 

So first, let’s start with the list of DO’s. The main objective is to plan ahead: this seems obvious but we are all very busy that simple things can fall through the crack even with our best intentions. The main reminders to plan ahead for include: 

1. Have the address and parking directions of your facial location accessible when you are ready to go with plenty of time to find parking. It’s not your facialists responsibility to extend your facial time if you’re late, but it is also really difficult to cut a facial short so the person who suffers in this scenario is probably going to be your facialist who will skip their lunch, stay late, or push back other appointments to accommodate you. 

2. If there is unforeseen traffic that is unavoidable and you will be late, safely contact your facialist to let them know. Have their information ready to go so you’re not trying to text and drive (which we know will only make your situation more unsafe). Any notice makes a huge difference and you may need to reschedule depending on how late you will be. Trust that the universe is guiding you in these situations and don’t blame your esthetician. We know you wanted to relax, but obstacles are often signs. 

3. Structure your day around the facial. Make sure to exercise before your facial and wait a minimum of 24 hours before any more exercise that can increase your body temperature. Why? Because in most cases your lymphatic system will already be heavily active and any heat can cause vasodilation to constrict the flow of your moving lymph. 

4. Be mindful of your food intake. Lots of fresh antioxidants and hydration rich foods are excellent for your cells to absorb after a facial. As well as tons of water intake! Be prepared with your own water bottle and intake as much as you can so your skin can glow for weeks after your treatment. 

5. Limit the jewelry. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve run out of my office after cleaning my treatment room to find that someone left their precious jewels with me. I’m not equipped to house such precious jewelry without the risk of it getting misplaced or irreparably tangled. 

6. Wear comfortable clothing. Try to remember to wear your favorite comfy clothes that are easy to slip on and off for your facials because it will make the process of changing for your facial fast. It will also provide you with the option to wear a layer if you feel more comfortable. Most facialists don’t offer spa gowns to change into (myself included) so people are left with wet bra straps from the cleansing and hot towels. A facialist needs access to the entire decollete, neck, and shoulders as well as the scalp. 

7. Give yourself permission to float home after your facial. If questions come up, you can always reach out to your esthetician via email or phone but don’t force yourself to remember all of your questions immediately after your treatment. I’ve spent up to 30 minutes with people after a session, missing my opportunity to eat/pee/change my room, because someone waited to ask me all their important questions until the session was done. Then they email me asking me to remind them of what I said since they were so relaxed and couldn’t remember. These sessions are your self-care and as much as some homework is important for your overall skin maintenance, make sure you allow yourself to fully indulge in the nervous system reset prior to intaking more info. 

8. Follow up with a review and pre-book if possible! Most facialists are juggling several clients a day and don’t have the time to follow up for each new appointment. It’s an unfortunate reality but we want to see you as often as you want to come in. Once you know your schedule, make an appointment. And reviews are so important in order for us to improve our skills and outdo the client experience!

As for don’ts, these seem obvious to me but that’s okay if you are unaware of them. Unless your facialist has a check-in list or FAQ page on their website, you are not obligated to know all of the contraindications of a facial. Here are my big ones but ask your facialist if you are unsure about a specific topic - there are no dumb questions here because you’d rather be safe than sorry when it comes to your skin:

1. Don’t forget to include all of your prescriptions and medical diagnoses in your intake forms. Even if you don’t think it has anything to do with your skin, your facialist needs to know as a side effect to most medications are either photosensitivity and skin irritation. Most rashes or breakouts I find on clients are from medications that are clearly listed on the potential side effects of their medications. A little research helps us navigate this so you can get support from your doctor but that does make it difficult to be supportive as a facialist. We don’t want to intervene on something we are not made aware of. 

2. If you have had any other facial procedures, including anything at-home exfoliation to medical-grade lasers and peels, you MUST let your esthetician know. This is also really important for injections. Note the exact time you have received these treatments and ask your facialist prior to booking what time frame is appropriate to book with them based off of your previous service and the service they provide. I’ve had to turn people away after they neglected to let me know about injections right before a gua sha facial. My rule is at least 4 weeks but other estheticians can vary. 

3. If you are sick, you must cancel your appointment. If your facialist has a cancellation policy or a non-refundable offering (like myself), it is important to let them know ASAP. Don’t worry about losing your money - the important thing is to not get your facialist sick and activate your illness more with too much lymphatic stimulation. Reach out and know that I personally make accommodations for cases like this. It’s not worth the risk to anybody involved. 

4. If you are working with multiple estheticians or skin therapists, please make them aware of each other. We know when your skin is getting worked on and we just need the information in order to do our jobs the best. Often a double skin therapist scenario is not a guarantee of a faster healing rate, but rather a cause of too much stimulation and potential irritation. Spread the love and make your providers aware as much as possible. 

5. Don’t pick your skin (ever) but especially right before a facial. This just disrupts our ability to even identify the type of skin imbalance it was. Sometimes a picker will turn a blackhead into what looks like the eruption of a painful cyst. It blocks our ability to accurately treat the issue so leave it alone and let us handle it. 

6. Time out your vacations and outings appropriately. There are so many times where I’m halfway through a facial and my client will let me know they have to get on a plane that night for a vacation to the Bahamas. I’m not exaggerating. The sequence of my facial could have been completely different if that information was expressed prior to the facial. And in most cases, it’s best to get a treatment done after a vacation once all the travel is complete. 

7. Don’t get influenced by the retail staff or a social media influencer when getting your products. A facialist will carefully craft a routine for you based on your skin health which takes a lot of effort and education to do. We’re not in it for the sale, but for the longevity of your skin’s health. 

8. Don’t show up with clean hair - it will get messy. 

Lastly, the important thing to remember is that with most facialists (especially when you find the right one), the longer your relationship the better the experience. Sure, sometimes people have outgrown me or I have outgrown them, but for the most part, the longer I know a client the easier it is to treat them. A first time client is getting the first date version of me - I’m putting my best foot forward but there are a lot of layers we’ve yet to un-peel.

Don’t expect perfect results with a single session but also have agency and provide feedback on your experience. Maybe you didn’t like a product or a recommendation OR you loved another element of the experience. All of the feedback only improves your relationship with your facialist. Your facialist will be thrilled to make amendments as any feedback provides valuable insight about you! I hope this is helpful and that you feel more confident in how to navigate your future facial. Just remember that there are no dumb questions so ask your esthetician to help you better your experience. 

Comment below with your questions and thoughts! xo - Hayley

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