Once you’ve nailed your at-home skincare regime (click here if you need help), you might then start thinking about upping the ante and booking in for a facial. Problem is, just like skincare products, not all facials were created equally and not all facial treatments will suit everyone. The key is finding the technologies and techniques that best suit your Skin Mood™, type, concerns and wants. So to help you decipher a facial menu, we’ve pulled together a quickstart guide to finding the facial that is right for you.

If you want to emerge from the clinic with tighter, brighter skin, then look for cryotherapy in the facial description. This treatment usually involves pumping liquid nitrogen all over the face (although can also be done with more manual tools like ice globes). The intense cold causes pores to tighten and blood vessels to contract and once your skin is back to its usual temperature, the blood vessels dilate causing an increase in glow-giving blood and oxygen to the face.

Also known as face shaving, dermaplaning isn’t quite as scary as it sounds. It involved pulling a single blade razor over the skin to scratch away the top layer of dead skin cells responsible for dulling your complexion. It also works to wick away peach fuzz, if that’s what you’re after.

Most facials will involve some sort of facial massage. Not only is this a great way to destress, it also helps to knead away any knots that might have formed in the facial muscles, particularly in the jaw and brow bone. It can help skin appear brighter and more plump.

There are lots of different types of skin lasers, each with their own benefits. Some can help boost collagen production for tighter, bouncier skin. Others can help with acne or simply brighten the complexion. They can be ever so slightly uncomfortable, but it’s unlikely you’ll feel intense pain.

LED therapy offers a wide range of benefits depending on which colour light you get. Near infrared is good for healing and soothing inflamed skin; red light stimulates collagen and accelerates skin repair; and blue light kills bacteria and curbs oil production, perfect for blemish-prone skin. Better still, you can ask for a mixture of all three but be warned – the light is very, very bright.

Lymphatic drainage is a particular type of facial massage which helps to drain blocked fluid from the face, reducing puffiness. It works by massaging the fluid downwards and releasing it through the lymph nodes by the neck and ears.

Microneedling involves rolling a spiked roller over the entire face which creates tiny punctures on the skin. These small channels help the absorption of active ingredients that tend to come in serum form and could be for intense hydration or hold anti-ageing benefits.

Microcurrent involves charging skin with gentle electric currents in a bid to boost circulation and improve muscle tone. If you feel like your face has lost its bounce, this could be the treatment for you.

A fairly old school therapy, microdermabrasion is where your therapist will run a diamond tipped vacuum device over the face. The abrasive tip chips away at dead skin cells to reveal the fresher, baby-soft cells underneath. It sounds painful, but it really isn’t.

A little like microneedling, mesotherapy is where the face is injected with varying concoctions of vitamins, enzymes, plant extracts and hyaluronic acid to boost glow and tighten the skin.

A little like microneedling, mesotherapy is where the face is injected with varying concoctions of vitamins, enzymes, plant extracts and hyaluronic acid to boost glow and tighten the skin.

Oxygen facials are reported to improve circulation, reduce fine lines and wrinkles and boost collagen production. How do they work? Your therapist will run a wand over the entire face that delivers an intense stream of oxygen onto the skin. The idea is that oxygenated skin is brighter skin, and it won’t get much more oxygenated than this.

You can cast aside all visions of red raw skin a la Samantha from Sex and the City; peels have come a long way since their infancy. Nowadays, most peels involve using intense concentrations of acids to dissolve the bonds between fresh, young skin cells and the dull, dead ones on top. Some peels have no down time, others will leave your skin slightly red and a little raw, but that should last only a couple days, if not hours.

Did you know: we don’t just offer unbiased product recommendations, we can help you find facial treatments suited for you too. All you need to do is book a Holistic Skin Session with a Lion/ne Skin Mentor to unlock!