As a trainer / sweater, facials are a must. And you know all about my skin issues, so of course I have had to search high and low for the best facialist in the world….which happens to be blocks from my house and not an overpriced salon in the city. Here are some of the benefits from getting your facial on.
Cleansing
Facials remove toxins caused by pollution, grease and dirt — found all over trainers and gyms. Cleansing facials open the pores of the skin, remove dead skin and toxins from the face, and clean the surface of the skin through exfoliation that tightens and firms the skin. BOOM. Amazing. Did you get a tan / facelift / just get laid? Nope, just got a facial and look awesome. YOU’RE WELCOME.
Increased Circulation
Facial treatments help to improve and restore circulation to facial skin layers, increasing the flow of oxygen-enriched blood to skin cells, according to the Day Spas website. This rush of blood to the skin gives your skin a healthy glow and plumps skin cells with vital nutrients and water, which reduce the appearance of wrinkled and dry skin. Nutrients like blood, vitamins and minerals found in the blood, along with adequate hydration, help develop and maintain new skin cells, which is essential for a youthful, healthy appearance (that and doing some bootcamps now and then).
Emotional Benefits
Facial treatments feel good, offering soothing relaxation, relieve stress as well as encourage peace of mind and contentment. Like a trip to a Carribean Island for an afternoon, minus the pina coladas. And those shits are fattening anyway.
Anti-Aging
While there is no way to stop the aging process (Uuuuuggggghhhhhhh), a variety of facial treatments and technologies may help slow the skin-aging process and offer you more youthful, supple skin. Intense pulsed light, or IPL, laser treatments help to remove dead skin and increase collagen and cell growth and development, according to the Skin Care Resource Center. Examples of common skin laser treatments include DermaWand, OxyLight and Baby Quasar. Each can be used to remove dead and damaged skin and increase production of collagen, which is essential for plump and healthy skin cells.
So, after reading all the reasons why you need a facial, book yourself an appointment with Susan at Susan’s Day Spa and tell her that Tracy sent you. Susan is not only the best facialist, she’s probably the funniest and nicest person in the world. Be warned, if you don’t have thick skin (talking about skin in the figurative sense, here), she is NOT the woman for you. She will tell you like it is, and after you pick your self-conscious-do-I-have-a-pizza-face-self up off the floor, she will make your skin better than it’s been in years. I crack up with my friends Lita and Karen (who go to her as well) over the Susan war stories of how she reacts to our skin. I also love how she will never oversell services or products…she’s very honest!
I get microdermabrasion diamond facials ($135/one hour) at the beginning of every season, and treat myself to follow up facials every 4-6 weeks ($35-65/one hour depending on your skin). FYI, a mini-microdermabrasion at Bliss spa in NYC is $120 for a half hour, and a full microdermabrasion at Red Door Spa in NYC is $220 for an hour. So Susan’s pricing can totally justify why you may become a facial junkie. And as a side note, she waxes my eyebrows LIKE A BOSS.
