Skin Care and Facial Treatments
Domain 5 - Skin Care and Facial Treatments
The exam tests whether you can analyse a skin type and then build a facial that matches it - the right cleanser, exfoliant, mask and massage, in the right order, with contraindications respected.
Analysis first
Assess under daylight or a magnifying lamp: oiliness across the T-zone, tightness on cheeks, pore size, hydration, sensitivity, pigmentation and breakouts. Skin types are normal, dry, oily, combination and sensitive; a client can have a type and a separate condition such as acne, rosacea or dehydration.
Sequence of a classic facial
- Cleanse twice: a milky or gel cleanser, then a second cleanse for makeup residue.
- Exfoliate by type: enzyme or mild AHA/BHA for oily and congested skin; a gentle gommage for dry or sensitive skin.
- Steam 5–8 minutes, about 30 cm from the face, eyes protected.
- Extract only soft blackheads and whiteheads; never squeeze inflamed pustules.
- Massage 10–15 minutes with effleurage, petrissage, tapotement and vibration; avoid the neck in thyroid or lymph node problems and never massage over active infection.
- Mask by zone: clay on the T-zone, hydrating gel on the cheeks.
- Finish with toner, eye cream, moisturiser and sunscreen.
Product logic
Surfactants clean, humectants (glycerin, hyaluronic acid) hold water, emollients and occlusives (shea, squalane, petrolatum) seal it, and actives such as niacinamide, vitamin C, salicylic acid and retinol do specific jobs. Retinol belongs in night routines with daily sunscreen.
Worked example
Oily T-zone, tight dry cheeks, a few blackheads on the nose. Reasoning: a foaming cleanser would strip the cheeks, so choose a gel cleanser; exfoliate with mild salicylic acid only on the T-zone; steam briefly; extract nose comedones only; apply clay on the T-zone and a calming gel mask on the cheeks; finish with a light non-comedogenic moisturiser. One mask for the whole face would either over-dry or under-treat.
Traps
- Over-steaming or using very hot towels on sensitive skin.
- Extracting inflamed acne, which spreads inflammation and scars.
- Recommending a fixed “six-step” routine regardless of the analysis.