facial aftercare

After a facial your skin should be fresh, clear and radiant.
The questions everyone asks are answered here…

Should I wash my face that night?
It depends what time you had your facial. If your facial was completed prior to 3pm, you must cleanse again before bed.
If you had an evening facial, you are ready for bed just as you are.
The only exception is if you went out in air pollution, eg. you walked through the city or near a motorway. Or maybe stayed up late going to an event.

Will I break out after my facial?
So many people ask us if they’ll break out after a facial – and we think it really prevents a lot of people ever accessing the skin health benefits of HAVING a facial. Such a shame because facials should do nothing but make your skin healthier.
No, you will not break out from our facials, as they are hygienic, skilled facials delivered with expertise. Our skincare range is clean cosmedical, this means nothing congestive, toxic, damaging or ‘fragranced for the hell of it.’ It’s clean science.
We recommend a facial on the very day of a special event, and for brides one day prior.

But I did break out once before…
A breakout starts to form weeks before you see it, first with a micro-comedone, a tiny plug that blocks the exit of oils from the pore. This plug stops oxygen reaching inside. Because oxygen keeps acne bacteria in check, when no oxygen can get in, acne bacteria go wild, multiply and you get a breakout.
This is not anything to do with a facial. It was normally already happening ages ago. The facial might have caused movement of that plug, and some facials (though not ours!) can involve congestive oils and ingredients that will exacerbate the situation and bring it to a head (terrible pun, totally appropriate though!)

But the facials at my old clinic always caused a breakout… the facialist said it was normal….?
Did they now. If a facial has seemed to cause you breakout in the past at other skin clinics, it’s quite likely that there was an issue with the hygiene of the treatment. Perhaps they didn’t use single-use disposable cleansing cloths, or maybe they performed extractions (squeezing) something that should NEVER be done on a skin prone to acne except under very specific, sanitary conditions. It certainly should not happen during a regular facial.
When should I exfoliate again?
If your facial included a peel, wait 7 days.
If your facial did not include a peel, exfoliate again 3 days later with the exfoliant prescribed to you by us.
Please note, many exfoliants cause extreme trauma to skin cells, for example there are class actions in progress against St Ives Apricot Scrub, because dermatologists have clinically proven that it gives no benefit to skin whatsoever and in fact causes severe skin cell damage. If you do not have an exfoliant approved by your facialist, we recommend you do not exfoliate at all in order to avoid causing damage.

When can I have another facial?
You may have a facial up to once a week. Many of our most dedicated skin aficionados do this, and their skin is exquisite for it. These are guests who have committed to non-surgical anti-aging, in order to have beautiful skin.
For most people, they will have a facial monthly. This is because skin replaces itself once a month, so a monthly facial means every cell gets treated at least once in it’s life cycle.
Of course we all have a budget to consider as well, so it’s important that your facials actually deliver results and you choose your facialist carefully.
For those who cannot have a facial monthly, we strongly recommend at the very minimum committing to a very good facial every 90 days. This means 4 facials a year, with some serious exfoliation to remove the accumulated wastes and layers of dead cells.

When can I have Botox after my facial?
Immediately.

When can I have filler after my facial?
Immediately.

I already had botox. How long must I wait before having a facial?
2 weeks to allow the botox to work where it was placed. We do not want to risk moving the botox around, and ending up in muscles it was not meant to be in.
Let it settle before having another facial.
Can my facial reduce the life of my botox?No. Botox is placed in the muscle and will work regardless.

Can my facial reduce the life of my filler?
No. Fillers are gels that attract and hold water. A facial increases the amount of water available in the skin, so in fact your facial can theoretically extend the life of your filler.

If I have cosmetic injectables do I still need facials?
Absolutely yes. Cosmetic injections deal with the muscles and deep dermis. Facials deal with the muscles to an extent, in that they stretch and relax the shoulders, neck and face. But they are mostly concerned with the epidermis, the layer of skin on the very top of the face. Facials will keep that skin clean, clear, pure and decongested. They will keep the pigmentation/skin tone even, bright and hydrated.
Cosmetic injectables absolutely do not treat the skin & do not replace the need for facials.

I don’t want to use skincare at home. Is that okay?
Not really. It’s like eating pizza every day then going to a personal trainer for a miracle.
What you do daily, in fact twice daily, is the most important thing.
We will let you book a facial here, and we won’t make you feel bad for not using skincare (promise!) but our results are not guaranteed.
For guests who use the recommended skincare, we offer a 100% guarantee of beautiful skin.

Why does my facialist insist your skincare is better?
Skincare like ours causes real skin change, and that comes with risk – the risk that we give you the wrong thing, the risk that you don’t like the transition to better skin, which can involve tingling, transitional dryness, etc. What if you go online and say ‘I tried it and it made me rough for a week!’ With our brands, that might be normal.
If you bought the same thing at a supermarket, you would assume you were allergic & never try it again.
So a department store or supermarket brand is never going to make their skincare that effective or powerful. They don’t want it to be. Their goal is that every person who picks it up, thinks it smells nice and feels nice. They don’t have the staff or resources to handle negative feedback, or to guide you to the right choices. After all, ever seen a qualified skin expert in the supermarket aisle?
So our skincare can ONLY be sold by people who are qualified to prescribe it, and who can access insurance around it.
When you use our skincare, you will see actual change in your skin. It should take about 2 weeks for you to be convinced you made a seriously smart choice in switching.
Your facialist wants you to have great skin, and she wants to do her best work. It is literally her career.
If you take her advice to the later & do not dilute it, your skin will glow.

What should I eat after a facial?
Please eat lots of healthy fats such as avocado, smoked salmon, tinned tuna, oily fish of all kinds, almonds, brazil nuts, walnuts. Include several large serves of leafy greens daily, such as spinach, rocket or broccoli.
Protein is important to keep your blood sugar levels stable, people who let them go up and down on a rollercoaster will be prone to conditions such as glycation, hard lines, open pores and milia.
Avoid sugared foods and do not drink your calories.

Can I exercise?
On the day of your facial, for the rest of the day, avoid anything that makes you sweat. Your skin has been corrected to a beautiful pH, don’t change it with acidic sweat please.
It’s fine to walk, do yoga, pilates, or any type of exercise that doesn’t cause heavy sweating.
If you have acne, you must not exercise that day at all after the facial.
If you seek anti-age results, it is best to do some weights but not so much that you sweat.
What exercise makes skin better?
Weight lifting causes an increase in the production of somatotrophin growth hormone.
We suggest all clients lift weights for the health of their body, bones and skin.
Especially women seeking skin firming, you cannot achieve good collagen reproduction if you do not lift weights, or perform weight-bearing exercise of some kind.
This can include pilates if performed on the mat, not a reformer bed. This can include yoga if the standing postures involving the thighs are used.
If you have acne, please avoid heavy exercise. Unless you are overweight, in which case weight reduction is key to treating your acne.
For those with acne who are not overweight we prefer you do light exercise such as swimming, walking, yoga, pilates, weights and light cardio, but avoid intensive classes or group fitness formats.
If in doubt a university qualified personal trainer is the best option.
If you have any questions after a facial, please reach out to us! We are always happy to help you, and we would hate for you to ‘try’ a solution and ruin your results, when we are the best qualified people to guide your skin health.