What I Learned from My First Facial

The older I get the more interested I become in taking care of my body. Skincare has been a growing interest of mine so I was very excited to try a facial. Read more about my experience.

Hello Lovelies! I did another poll on our InstaStories last week and literally all of you all said you wanted to see a blog post on my first experience with a facial. I’ve had a growing interest in skincare over the past two years and a facial has been something I’ve wanted to try for a while. I always do a spa date with my mom and sister for Mother’s Day and this year I decided to go for a facial instead of a massage.

We chose Spa Space in Chicago for our services. Partially because we’d all been there before and they’re reasonably priced compared to other spas for facials. They have different options depending on what you want to target but I initially chose the signature facial since it was my first visit. My esthetician first asked me about my skin: skin type, concerns, any medications I take, etc. I have oily skin and I have dark spots around my chin so I told her that was my main concern. She recommended we add a lactic peel to my facial to help brighten my skin.

I was a little concerned with getting a chemical peel my first go at having a facial because I’ve seen instances of extreme peeling. The esthetician assured me that the lactic acid was more gentle so at most I’d get a couple of dry patches. I don’t have sensitive skin or allergies so I wasn’t at risk of having a negative reaction to the peel so I went for it.

The signature facial was nothing too fancy. My face was cleansed twice, once with an oil based cleanser and once with a gel based. After that, the lactic peel was applied. I will warn you that the lactic peel was very tingly–it felt like I had menthol on my face– but the esthetician fanned me for a while and the sensation went away. After the peel she put a gel mask on my face and did a microcurrent treatment to help rid my skin of bacteria and promote cell turnover. The final major part of my facial was blackhead extractions, which was the most uncomfortable part.

Overall, my first facial experience was very positive. The esthetician was very knowledgeable, which was comforting for a first timer. She incorporated a lot of techniques to help me relax so it was truly a spa treatment. I would absolutely go back for another one and I recommend it to anyone who hasn’t tried a facial to at least give it a shot. Here are some key takeaways from my first facial:

• Ask questions-about what they’re using, products they recommend or anything else you want to know.
• Wear SPF Daily-Yes, even black women need to wear SPF. Our melanin does help protect us from the sun but that’s not enough to keep our skin safe from UV rays.
• Disclose any concerns you have about your skin-you’re talking to a professional so this is the time to lay your cards on the table and learn how to take care of your skin at home

My skin isn’t perfect after the first visit but now I have a good idea of what products will help me improve my skin. Like I said, I will go back and make facials part of my self care routine without a doubt. Do you get facials or are you interested in trying one? Leave your comments below!