My husband might tell you differently, but I consider myself to be pretty low-maintenance. Let me clarify, when it comes to beauty, I consider myself low-maintenance. My emotional and mental states would probably not be considered low maintenance, but we’re focusing solely on my beauty routine here, OK? :) Anyhow, when it comes to my beauty routine I can generally take it or leave it. I’m a shampoo my hair twice a week, no extra products, no styling other than brushing my hair, kind of girl. When it comes to makeup, I wear it, but I also skip it occasionally and my skin care regimen consisted of a face cleanser and moisturizer. Needless to say, when it came to my first facial, I wasn’t quite sure what to expect!
Would the esthetician scold me for not using a 10-step skin care routine consisting of expensive products that took half an hour twice a day? Would she tell me I was aging horribly and was beyond help? Would she insist I visit weekly and sign over my retirement account in the name of good skin? (Just kidding, I don’t have a retirement account!) Fortunately, none of those things happened and instead I learned quite a bit about my skin and how to care for it from Feather, the esthetician.
First, let’s discuss what I was doing wrong:
Really, there was only one thing and it was a big one. My Olay Cleansing System brush? (Similar to a Clarisonic) She told me to ditch it! I have redness around my nostrils which I figured was something genetic and it turns out, I was right! Not only is there nothing I can do to fix it, but the harshness of the cleansing brush or tough exfoliators were only going to make it worse! Goodbye to anything too tough on my skin!
And what I was doing right?
A lot! I’ve felt guilty over the years that I wasn’t doing enough anti-aging and preventative care that included a fancy skin care regimen and lots of expensive products. While everyone’s skin is unique I learned that I don’t need anything more than a gentle cleanser, moisturizer and SPF. I have pretty decent skin with little problems from acne or sun damage so I should continue my skin care as it is!
The facial itself was super relaxing and had me close to falling asleep! She did recommend monthly or occasional facials just because this is a way to actually remove dead skin cells that just won’t come off with regular cleansing. I do plan to implement this advice into my life once I’m home and back in a regular routine! I noticed a really big difference after the facial (my skin basically glowed for a few days) and I think it’s worth it to me to keep it up!
Feather also told me a lot about skincare and beauty products in general (I won’t name names but she told me to steer clear of some big-name skin care lines that are basically a waste of money!) and gave me info on things like the Fitzpatrick chart and what that means for taking care of my skin. (I’m a 1) She also recommended keeping a tube of sunscreen in the car for my hands when driving. I never would have thought of that but it makes perfect sense!
So for now, my skin care routine consists of a gentle cleanser and a daily moisturizer with SPF. Once a week I use a very gentle exfoliating cleanser. That’s it! (And of course extra sunscreen if I’m outside longer than normal.) I’m excited to start with getting a facial somewhat regularly too. (Which are still cheaper than most of those expensive skin care lines I don’t need!) (And here’s my updated nighttime routine!)
What I’ve been using:
Do you get regular facials? If so, what have your results been?
Originally published May 10, 2016
I love facials!! I actually prefer them over massages (don’t get me wrong, I love both, but if I had to choose), because they typically massage the neck area during a facial, too! Ahhhhh…now I think I need to go get one…
I recently had my first facial as part of my wedding prep and it was heavenly, what have we been missing out on all these years! Unfortunately I don’t have skin quite as good as it sounds like you do so I really do need to make this a semi-regular event. I also need to for the relaxation! And every woman deserves a little extra relaxation!