Skin Care and Facial Treatments
What this domain tests
The skin care section covers skin structure, skin typing, client consultation, cleansing, exfoliation, massage, masks, and contraindications. You must select products and sequences safely for normal, dry, oily, combination, and sensitive skin.
Core rules
- Analyse skin under good light: observe pores, oiliness, dryness, sensitivity, and lesions. Ask about allergies, pregnancy, medication, and recent treatments.
- Patch-test new products, especially on sensitive skin, 24 to 48 hours before a facial.
- Cleanse gently; remove eye makeup with a non-irritating remover and closed eyes.
- Exfoliate no more than once or twice a week for most clients; avoid scrubs on active acne or broken skin.
- Massage with light, upward, outward strokes; avoid massage over inflamed acne, moles, or infected areas.
- Use masks according to skin type: clay for oily, hydrating for dry, soothing for sensitive. Remove completely and apply moisturiser and sunscreen.
Worked example
A client has an oily T-zone, dry cheeks, and a few blackheads. You identify combination skin. You choose a gel cleanser, a mild exfoliant on the T-zone only, a non-comedogenic moisturiser, and a clay mask limited to the oily area. You avoid heavy oils on the T-zone and skip massage on inflamed spots. You patch-test the mask and advise daily sunscreen. Reasoning: one product for the whole face would either over-dry the cheeks or under-treat the T-zone.
Traps that cost marks
- Calling all shiny skin 'oily' without checking the cheeks.
- Scrubbing active acne.
- Using hot water and rough towels.
- Leaving a mask on until it cracks.
- Forgetting sunscreen and aftercare advice.
Exam tip
Match each step to a skin type and a contraindication; examiners reward both.