Fresh-Faced Beauty
Whether you're a facial newbie or a longtime enthusiast, you'll
love these four new (amazing, healing, treat-yourself-worthy)
treatments
BLAME IT ON YOUR MAKEUP, daily wear
and tear, or even the weather-but let's face it (pun
intended)-everyone's complexion could use a thorough cleaning now
and then. Scheduling a facial is more than just a treat; it also
answers the cry from dull, dehydrated, pimple-prone faces
everywhere, desperate to glow again. Enter, the Murad Healthy Skin
facial, a treatment offered at Massage Envy Spa locations around
the country. "This facial goes far beyond just relaxation," says
Tiffany Hernandez, esthetician support coordinator for Massage
Envy. "We have four different treatments-each for a specific skin
concern."
It's also important that the facial you choose uses a
high-quality line of skincare products to aid in your skin's
rejuvenation. The Massage Envy Spa locations use Murad products,
designed to repair cells while attracting water and nutrients to
create balanced, more youthful skin.
If you're a facial newbie or have never really understood the
benefits for your skin, here's the 411. Facials are not a hasty
surface cleaning of your skin-they are intense treatments that go
deep. They involve serious exfoliation and cleansing, which rid
your skin of dead cells and encourage new collagen to form so your
complexion looks supple and glowy. Every facial starts with a steam
cleaning. The heat and moisture help rehydrate your skin and open
your pores so debris and blackheads can be easily extracted-not to
mention, if your nose is stuffy, the steam will help you breathe a
little easier, too!
As a beauty writer, I would be doing a disservice to readers
everywhere if I didn't try a treatment or product I was reviewing
myself. So in the interest of research (and my skin needing some
serious post-winter sloughing), I went in for a Murad facial. When
I got on the table and into the warm blanket cocoon in the
treatment room, my esthetician began by asking me pointed questions
about the state of my complexion. What are my main concerns? How
would I describe my skin? What do I hope to accomplish with the
facial? Thankfully, I left my acne in adolescence, so these days,
my main issues are signs of aging, dryness and preserving a
youthful glow as long as humanly possible. After chatting, she
closely inspected my face and determined I was a candidate for the
Sensitive
Skin Facial. Why? Because my skin gets red easily and is very
dry.
My facial started with an application of a soothing cleanser,
which felt creamy, cooling and dreamy on my face. Next came an
exfoliating mask. Lastly, she applied a healthy dose of much needed
moisture. But the pièce de résistance? Peppered in between each
application was a pampering perk. When my esthetician started
massaging my hands and arms and then neck and décolletage I slipped
into the kind of relaxed reverie only achieved on a tropical beach,
the sound of rolling waves in my ear. When I awoke and looked at my
skin, I exclaimed, "Wow! It looks so healthy!" And as corny as it
sounds, I literally had a rosy glow. My skin was smooth and supple
and my pores seemed to disappear. It was just the boost I needed to
bring my skin back to life. - by Jennifer Tzeses