The other day I gave a HydraFacial MD to a woman in her mid-thirties.  This is one of the top facials on the market using the infusion of water and rich ingredients to penetrate the skin while simultaneously incorporating a suction on the skin with different exfoliating tools.  It is one of my favorite facials to give because the skin looks refreshed, glowing and vibrant.

After I finished the HydraFacial MD on my client, I asked her if she had any questions for me.  She looked a little confused and said, “This is the first facial I have ever had that never used steam”.  I smiled with the left side of my cheek, raising the corner of my lips, mouth closed, then replied, “That is the new way of performing facials.  The ingredients are more active than products that we used to use for facials back in the day.  The new skincare companies are training us to not use steam because steaming the face lengthens the muscle fiber and we want to keep the muscles in the face tighter.”

Still with a quizzical look on her face, “But I thought steaming was used to help soften the pores and open them so you can clean them”.

I could tell she wanted more understanding of why I didn’t use steam so I tried to answer her in a way that would put her confusion at ease.  “Yes, you are absolutely right, steam does help to soften and open the pores and does create an easier way to extract blackheads.  There are products that we can use now that are just as effective as softening the skin, prepping it for extractions, that can take place of steaming the skin.  With the active ingredients we use in a lot of our facials, using the steam would be a contraindication to the treatment.”

A saddened look appeared across her face as she now understood why steam couldn’t be used.  She closed her eyes for a brief moment as to take in what I just told her and reopened them with an accepted head nod.

I smiled at her and looked at her beautiful, glowing skin and said, “Long gone are the days of the “fluff and buff” facial but if you ever want to experience the traditional European Facial, every Aesthetician can give one without using too active of ingredients.  I like feeling the steam on my skin too.”

As a licensed Aesthetician, the first time I was trained to do a facial without steam was like making a peanut butter and jelly sandwich without the jelly.  It didn’t feel like the real thing.  I felt like I was taking away the best part of the treatment that made people feel good.  Then after working more and more with the new products that don’t require steam, I realized that the steam, just like jelly, can be replaced with something just as good or even better.

Steaming the face is very relaxing but now longer massages can be performed during the facial, other tools can be incorporated that will make the skin have faster results.  Instead of receiving lots of facials to achieve a desired result, now only a few amount of facials are needed.  Even though the skincare industry is slowly saying goodbye to steam and weening it out of facials, it is saying hello to result-driven skincare needs.

The Facial Advancement is an article that will tell more about the advancements of facials and how they are changing in the skincare industry.