Facials

[Gwenhwyfar]

Are they worth it? What do they do?
I've just realised I could get one cheaply at the local college, but don't know much about them.

Totally worth it simply for the time laying down doing nothing!!

I agree entirely with chocolate spiders!

So it does nothing then?
I'm definitely no paying for lying down!!!

No it's a bit more than that. I actually enjoy the lying down and being pampered. You might want to look for something that addresses any skin concerns you might have and choose accordingly. Maybe wow cher or groupon have deals so you don't feel guilty. I usually find my skin feels smoother and I look less tired afterwards, plus less congested in oilier areas.

My mum sometimes gets me a facial as a birthday or Christmas present. I don't really notice a difference to my skin, but as others have said, it's more about the relaxation than anything else.

I've had plenty and would say you definitely get what you pay for. A good facial should incorporate some type of massage and use quality ingredients.
The ones I return to are always Espa as my face looks amazing for about a week afterwards. Liberty run specials sometimes here you pay £50 but it is redeemable on product.
The worst I've had was at The Sanctuary where the therapists hands smelt of fags and the whole experience was bleh.
I think colleges where people are learning could be a great way of getting facials on the cheap!

I'm not really interested in the relaxation bit. A hot bath would do that. Good skin for a week would be good, but then it would make sense to time the facial around a special occasion I suppose.

Careful about timing with a special occasion as it can bring spots to the surface!
Thanks for the thread I have found a college near me and I can get one for £15.00

Glad you're motivated chocolate, I'm less interested than before if nobody can point to any concrete benefits. I'm now thinking that a good way to treat myself would be to get makeup done professionally for a special occasion.

My local college also does Elemis body sculpting cellulite & colon therapy. Anyone got any experience of this? Seems a bit like a less invasive colonic.

Elemis facials are some of the best I've had. Results should definitely last more than a week. In fact, I remember my skin being in rather good condition when I was having regular Elemis facials (I don't work for them) and not even using their products at home.

I used to go regularly but stopped when my hair became more expensive. I liked the whole experience but often found my skin would react over the next couple of days and be quite spotty. The local college is a great idea, but be aware that the students are often being assessed so you may need to factor in extra time.

So some facials are about relaxation and pampering and some are results driven.
It depends what you want.
Gentle peels, light therapies, microdermabrasion, extraction, galvanics and advanced products that target certain skin problems can make a huge difference.
But it depends where you go. Look for a therapist that offers skin care as a speciality rather than just a general relaxing treatment (although that can be lovely too!)