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The Process
I was kind of scared to get my first facial! Little did I know the kind of pampering I was in for.
The first thing that Mileya did when I got situated was ask me what my skincare concerns were, and if I had any sensitivities she should know about. Now, I had already filled out a pretty extensive questionnaire prior to my appointment, so I’m sure she already had a good picture of what my skin needed. But I let her know that I struggled a lot with dryness and redness. She chatted with me warmly as she got to work.
That’s one thing that I really appreciated about my entire treatment – I felt like my esthetician wasn’t just taking care of my skin, she was taking care of my soul with a little dash of friendship. Nice to get that somewhere other than the hair salon. She also wanted to know what kinds of products I use on my face currently, and let me tell you, when I said that I used Cetaphil as a facial cleanser, she just about lost it. “No no no,” she told me, “you can’t be using that. That does nothing for your face.”
What did she do to my face? Honestly, it was kind of a beautiful blur, but I’ll try to spell out the process as best as I can. She explained every single step as she went along, so I felt completely informed about what was happening to my face every step of the way.
The Better Facial, customized to my skin:
- First (and second) step was a soothing double cleanse. She really made sure my skin was CLEAN! I will say that I wish I had gone without mascara, because she didn’t clean away my eye makeup, but she was also careful not to disturb it.
- Step Three: My favorite (well, one of my favorites) – THE DERMAPLANE! In this step, they take a literal scalpel and shave away the dead skin and vellus hair (read: peach fuzz). I loved the feeling of the delicate scalpel across my skin. According to Mileya, this prepped my skin to be able to more easily absorb all the good stuff they were about to put on my face. The best part? Mileya showed me the detritus they scraped off of me on a little napkin once they were done. It was a little bit nasty but also? Very satisfying and pretty cool.
- Step Four: Enzyme. The product smelled so good when she put it on my face, and she told me I might feel it a little bit. Let me tell you, I could feel the tingle!
- Step Five: Extractions. I’m obnoxious and don’t have a ton of pimples or blackheads or anything like that, but she still managed to find a few things to extract.
I was kind of scared for this part because I thought it was going to hurt, but it was totally fine. It wasn’t like I couldn’t tell anything was happening, because I definitely could, but it wasn’t painful at all. And it didn’t make me bleed. I’m a nervous person, okay?
- Step Six: This was my other favorite part. face FORM! This was like a superpowered massage for my face. I have never in my life had my facial muscles manipulated in that way. It felt invigorating yet relaxing at the same time. I would take a whole 50-minute session of just face FORM. It’s that good.
- Step Seven: PureLift. They use an EMS, or Electrical Muscle Stimulation device that tones and strengthens the facial muscles, which can help reduce the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles and make your face appear fuller and more youthful. Which I’m definitely all about. I loved this modality because I could actually feel my muscles moving as they glided the device around my face. It was tingly and delightful.
- Step Eight: LED Light Therapy. I felt like I was in a sci-fi movie when they did this treatment. I was told that it would help with fine lines and redness, so you know what, sign me up for this futuristic modality.
- Step Nine: They finished me off with a targeted serum, moisturizer, eye cream, lip balm, and SPF!
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It was a full 50-minutes of nonstop action. I truly felt like she didn’t waste a moment, and with Mileya walking me through the process the entire time, I was able to completely trust everything that she was doing to me.
More Than Skin Deep: A Dive Into My Favorite Treatments
Dermaplaning
Don’t be afraid of the tiny scalpel! With dermaplaning, the esthetician gently scrapes away the top layers of your skin, which includes the vellus hair and a superficial layer of dead skin called the stratum corneum. Removing that dead skin means that your non-dead skin can soak up your skincare more effectively and makes foundation go on more smoothly.
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It also gives your newly unburdened skin a lit-from-within glow. The procedure can help minimize the appearance of acne scars, fine lines, wrinkles, and dull skin. Most facial studios don’t even offer dermaplaning as part of their services. But at Hi, skin, you can get it added to your service for just $65.
face FORM
Think of this as a results-driven massage. face FORM lifts, tightens, sculpts, and relieves facial tension by employing specific, targeted hand movements all over the face. It has so many benefits (aside from just feeling incredible, which it does) — promoting lymphatic drainage, increasing blood circulation, and releasing toxins from the skin.
Which in turn, makes the skin appear brighter, reduces puffiness (read: gives you that snatched look) and even helps with breakouts. And you get all of that from just five minutes of the most luxurious facial treatment you’ve ever had in your life.
Look at that G-L-O-W! And I’m clearly so relaxed and happy compared to how I was when I went in. My skin felt super smooth from my treatment (especially from the dermaplane!) and I embodied the aforementioned glazed donut. My esthetician recommended that I come in for monthly facials because skin cells turn over every 28 days, and at this point, I’ll do anything she says. So of course I made an appointment for next month.
Checking Out
There was also the question of membership. I’m like anyone else, I love saving money. And when I was told that becoming a member with Hi, skin meant that I’d be getting my monthly facials for $30 off, I was definitely interested. It also nets me $20 off of all treatment boosters (which I’m dying to try) and 10% off of all product purchases.
Ultimately, I ended up going for it. It’s $110 every month, about what I pay for my gym membership. But with the intense face FORM sessions, Hi, skin is basically like a gym for my face anyway. I’m here for it. From the friendly service, to the beautiful interior, to my brand new shimmering skin, I know that visiting Hi, skin regularly is going to be a key piece to my self care routine. I feel it in my bones!
After my session, Mileya also provided me with some product recommendations. When I first walked in, I was impressed and a little intimidated by the wide array of skincare products they had on offer, so I was glad to have the process of picking my new routine demystified by my esthetician.
I decided to buy the Mangosteen Daily Resurfacing Cleanser after her (much deserved) razzing of my choice to cleanse my face with the inferior Cetaphil. I also went for the Holifrog Grand Amino Cushion Cream and the Éminence Organics Bright Skin Licorice Root Booster Serum.
I’m obsessed with the way it smells, and equally obsessed with the way it makes my dead skin pill up and fall away when I rub it against my face. Kind of gross, extremely satisfying.
I had a couple of dull spots on my skin, so I went home with a serum that promises to even out my complexion. I’ve noticed my skin looking brighter and much smoother since starting to use it, so that must mean that the plant-derived active ingredients and vitamin blend are working their magic.
This cream has done absolute wonders for the hydration of my skin. My face feels super bouncy to the touch after moisturizing and I know that it’s improving my skin health with every application because of the blend of peptides, ceramides, vitamins, antioxidants, and 11 amino acids. Thanks for the recommendation, Mileya!
One more cool thing about Hi, skin is that they sell a huge range of products in store, but you can also shop online. They have so many incredible options, and I feel like I can trust any one of them because they’ve been vetted and recommended by expert estheticians. It’s also great because I can re-up my skincare routine at any time, not just when I go in for my monthly facials.
I’m Not The Only One
If I haven’t convinced you yet, check out some of these reviews I read before my appointment that got me even more excited:
