Facial Treatments and Product Selection
Facial Treatments and Product Selection tests the sequence of a professional facial, the purpose of each step, massage technique and safety, and matching formulations to the skin in front of you.
The standard sequence
Consultation and analysis, cleanse, exfoliate, steam or warm compress, extractions (where in scope and skin is not inflamed), massage, mask, tone, moisturize, sunscreen. Steps are omitted or reordered for reactive or acneic skin; a client with barrier damage skips exfoliation and steam entirely.
Massage
Know effleurage (gliding), petrissage (kneading), tapotement (tapping), vibration and friction. Work upward and outward, maintain contact, and avoid the thyroid area, bony prominences, and any area with active infection, severe acne or recent trauma.
Matching products
- Cleansers: gel or foaming for oily skin; cream or milky for dry and sensitive; micellar for quick makeup removal.
- Exfoliants: enzymes for sensitive skin; AHAs for dullness and texture; BHA for oily, comedone-prone skin.
- Masks: clay or charcoal for oil control; gel, sheet or cream for hydration; oat, allantoin or bisabolol for redness.
- Moisturizers need a humectant, an emollient and an occlusive; daytime always ends with broad-spectrum SPF 30 or higher.
Worked example
A 55-year-old with dry, thin, sensitive skin and visible capillaries. Reasoning: no steam, no scrubs, no strong acids. Use a creamy cleanser, a gentle enzyme, a hydrating mask, a ceramide barrier cream and SPF - and skip massage directly over the dilated capillaries.
Traps that cost marks
- Assuming a stronger product gives a better result.
- Skipping sunscreen so the client leaves unprotected.
- Massaging inflamed acne or an active cold sore.
- Applying a clay mask to dehydrated skin to absorb oil.