Style May 7, 2020
I see you eyeing that impulse-buy face mask at the checkout counter...
When I was a kid, I used facials as a fun sleepover tradition but didn’t actually know how they were benefitting my skin. Now that I am older and realizing the benefits, I have come to the realization that different products, treatments, and brands affect different people in different ways. There seem to be tons of facial products out there to choose from—all claiming to do incredible things. So how exactly can facials benefit your type of skin?
To start, I must say, if you fit in this category I am jealous.
Although, according to Brydie, “‘Normal’ skin isn’t just rare, however—some experts say it doesn’t technically exist at all. This is simply because ‘normal’ isn’t a medical term, but instead a label invented by skincare brands.”
But if you happen to have this kind of skin by some miraculous genetic luck of the draw; you are lucky enough to gain some pretty awesome benefits from a facial. These include relieving stress, wrinkle prevention, and skin tightening.
Sensitive skin seems to be all the rage. In fact, fifty-seven percent of American women say they have sensitive skin. So if you do claim to have sensitive skin you are not alone. If you are anything like me and my sensitive skin, then most facials just leave you with an irritating burning feeling. I honestly try to avoid any drugstore masks or drugstore facial cremes in fear of receiving that after effect.
Medical professional Sejal Shah, M.D. told SELF that she recommends using caution with facials if you have sensitive skin. The only facial I have ever truly experienced with a good result was one at a high-end spa. I was young, maybe ten at the time, so I do not remember many details, but my mom trusted the spa enough to give me a facial that would not irritate my skin. It left me feeling refreshed and my skin did feel soft during the cold winter season when my skin was dry and cracked.
Most facials seem to have a moisturizing benefit that allows the skin to become rejuvenated. Dry skin, in the winter especially, is never fun to endure.
According to Bioelements, “Facials help dry skin from start to finish by exercising the skin and stimulating its self-cleansing, self-healing and self-regenerating mechanisms.”
It looks as if, from my personal observations, that those with oily skin tend to share one main concern: reducing shininess.
Medical News Today claims that specifically clay, honey, and oatmeal facials all have benefits for treating oily skin. They also say that “Masks containing minerals like smectite or bentonite can absorb oils and reduce skin shininess and sebum levels without irritating the skin.”
For whatever type of skin you may have, research shows that facials benefit your overall wellbeing in many ways. With research and careful consideration, I believe that a facial would benefit anyone willing to give it a try. Long gone are the days of just playing spa with a cheap, mini-facial kit at those elementary school sleepovers.
