Facial Treatments, Cleansing, and Exfoliation
Standard sequence
Consult and analyze → cleanse → exfoliate → steam/warm compress and extractions → massage → mask → tone → moisturize → sun protection.
Cleansers
Gel and foaming cleansers suit oily skin; cream and milk suit dry or mature skin; oil cleansers dissolve makeup and sebum; micellar water is a no-rinse option. Double cleansing is useful when makeup or heavy sunscreen is present.
Exfoliation
- Mechanical: scrubs, brushes, diamond tips.
- Chemical: AHAs (glycolic, lactic) are water-soluble and work at the surface; BHAs (salicylic) are oil-soluble and penetrate pores, suiting congestion. Enzymes digest dead keratin.
Avoid exfoliation on inflamed acne, rosacea with telangiectasia, sunburn, open lesions, or skin treated recently with retinoids, waxing, or peels. Over-exfoliation shows as redness, stinging, tightness, and flaking.
Extractions
Soften skin with steam or a warm compress first. Extract only comedones and pustules, using a comedo extractor or gloved fingers with gauze. Never squeeze papules, cysts, or undiagnosed lesions; deep milia often require a licensed medical professional.
Traps
- Extractions come after exfoliation and softening, before massage and mask.
- Steam is not for rosacea, couperose skin, or clients with asthma sensitivity - keep distance and time short.
- A toner's job is to restore the acid mantle, not to "close pores."
Rule of thumb: work from the least congested area to the most congested, and always finish with broad-spectrum SPF.