By: Tess DiNapoli
Treating yourself to a facial is a wonderful act of self-care – not to mention it's an essential part of any beauty routine. Every so often, your pores need to be cleaned out to eliminate the dead skin cells, debris, and sebum that gets trapped inside. After a facial, you can say goodbye to dull skin and a tired appearance. But it’s important to remember that your skin is extremely sensitive after such a treatment. Despite achieving glowing skin, you’ll still need to take a few additional steps to make sure you’re getting the most out of your facial.
Stay Hydrated
The most important thing to do after you get a facial is to drink water. Any time you feel thirsty, pour yourself a glass or uncap a bottle of Collagen Water. Not only will staying hydrated prolong your gorgeous, healthy glow, but it will also stave off any shock your skin may go through in the hours after your facial.
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Keep Your Hands to Yourself
Your hands and fingers carry all sorts of bacteria, debris, and dirt. It's tempting to touch your softer skin after a facial, but you have to restrain yourself. On average, people touch their face about 16 times per hour— that's each hour, not every day! Every time your fingers come into contact with your face, you transfer all the icky things you’ve come in contact with onto your freshly-treated skin. Not only does this increase your chances of getting sick, but also increases your risk of breakouts. You also run the risk of irritating your skin when it's at its most sensitive. You likely won't be able to stop touching your face entirely, but you can be aware of the habit and limit it in the hours following your facial.
That being said, don’t be alarmed if you find breakouts popping up after your facial! Often times, your skin will go through a cycle of “self-cleaning” as it recuperates from your esthetician’s deep clean.
Avoid the Sun
Stay out of the sun! It bears repeating that, post-facial, your skin is highly sensitive. Following a treatment, you need to get your vitamin D from another source. Before spending any amount of time outside, apply sunscreen with a decent SPF: The higher, the better. Wear a hat or a scarf to shade your face if you expect to be outside for long periods of time. Your skin is always susceptible to harmful sun damage, but it is especially vulnerable in the hours following a facial when your skin's defenses are down. So, lather up!
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Put Away the Soap
For 24 hours or so after your facial, give your normal skincare routine a rest. In fact, after a facial, you need to avoid washing your face with cleansers. “Our skin can be extremely resilient but it also needs to be carefully taken care of,” says Isabella Koretz, owner of Ciel Spa in Beverly Hills. “A lot of people believe that the cleaner, the better — but that’s not the case. Over-washing your face can lead to irritating dryness and redness. Your esthetician just deeply cleansed your skin for you. For the time being, there's no reason for you to do anything else!” Even washing with water can dry out your skin before it rejuvenates itself, while the chemicals in face wash and soap can cause painful irritation. For the time being, let your skin rest and bask in the glow of your post-pampered complexion!
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Skip the Makeup
You get to go about with a fresh, natural glow after your facial, so take advantage of it! Your skin will fare better if you go makeup-free for the next day or so. The deep cleaning that you enjoy during a facial ultimately leaves your pores squeaky clean and wide open. Apply makeup now, and all those cosmetics end up sinking into your pores. Worse, your pores will continue to close up as they recuperate which will trap the debris from your makeup inside your skin. Return to your normal makeup look 48 hours after your facial. Once you apply makeup again, make sure to use only clean brushes and sponges.
Stay Out of the Sauna
It's tempting to book a full day of beauty, but you should never follow your facial with a sauna session. The steam room isn't the place for you. In most cases, your esthetician will probably have steamed your face during the treatment. Following a facial with even more heat can be overstimulating for your skin and result in additional sensitivity.
Give your skin time to rest after your facial. You worked hard to pamper yourself—now’s the time to lay back and enjoy that vibrant, glowing skin!