My Hot Take on Facials

I stopped getting regular facials in 2018 and my skin has never looked better.

Let me start off by saying that this post is going to end on a facial I got in Tokyo that absolutely changed my face — so it’s not like I don’t like, nay love, facials… I’m just not sold on the fact that they are needed. (Changed my face for the day… not like, forever)

*A quick reminder that this is my Substack, so this is just MY opinion and you’re allowed to disagree and think I’m wrong — I love a discourse when it comes to skincare! Just please be polite about it, lol.* ALSO. I write these like I’m talking to friends which means y’all are gonna get some typos… my b. Also, it’s spelled correctly in my heart :)

OKAY.

I got my first facial when I was about twelve, so I’ve been in this game for a loooooong time. My mom (a nurse) raised me to look at my skin as something to protect — after all it is the largest organ in our body. So I’ve been wearing hats and SPF 50 for as long as I can remember.

If you think I’ve always had flawless skin you are dead wrong.

I am someone who has really suffered from both acne and Melasma — both of which have made me feel profoundly insecure and ashamed of my face at times. This is why I am so passionate about helping others with their skin/beauty/wellness issues. I know first hand what it’s like to be embarrassed of what you look like and then the relief that comes from finally feeling like yourself again. And, in my case, I had to navigate a lot of my healing on my own.

Just because someone is a doctor or a dermatologist does not mean they are 1. good or 2. know how to treat YOUR issues. When I was diagnosed with Melasma I was basically told, “It never goes away and there’s really nothing you can do about it” which was the same thing I was told when I got diagnosed with Hashimotos… (I’m shaking my head as I write this).

Fortunately for me, I am a very non compliant patient so I opted not to listen to these people. I decided that if a problem exists then so does a solution and I set my mind toward figuring out what those solutions were - even if that meant combing through medical journals or weird Facebook groups and trial & erroring things on my own. THIS began my ever evolving deep dive into all things skin/wellness/beauty, which I have found are all inextricably intertwined.

But taking things all the way back to those first facials… I’d have to double check with my mom but I’m pretty sure she was trying to help me/my skin with the transition into puberty. I went to a spa in the small beach town I’m from in LA and I remember they used a ton of Eminence products (a line I actually still love today) and it was very relaxing but if we are being honest those facials probably didn’t do much for my acne.

When it comes to treating acne my hot take is this — regular facials are actually VERY beneficial. BUT they have to come from someone who really knows how to treat acne. If you are in Los Angeles, you’re looking at a place called Corrective Skincare. If you’re in New York you should look into seeing Sofie Pavitt. (Obviously there are more places but I’m pretending we are friends at brunch and you just asked me for recs… those would be my first two as of Jan 2025).

Every esthetician and dermatologist will tell you they treat acne, so don’t bother asking… but do they specialize in it? Are they known for it? Is there a place on their website dedicated to it? Acne is such a complex and complicated issue (at times) that you really don’t want to waste your time and money seeing someone who doesn’t help people with their pimples 24/7. And the ones that are really good at it generally let you know… Ex: Sofie is known as the acne whisperer.

When my acne was bad I went to Ava MD in Santa Monica (which is where I’ve gone since I was a teenager) and not only was I on a protocol with my Dr. but I also started getting monthly medical facials and it made a HUGE difference. Similarly, several friends have cleared their acne by going to regular facials at Corrective.

The medical facials I would get at Eva MD were always different and tailored to what my skin needed at that moment. I always got extractions, which would involve saline and cortisone injections for the cystic pimples, light peels, and a cooling/calming mask and they always made my skin less inflamed.

So yeah, my caveat to ‘facials aren’t an essential for great skin’ is UNLESS you have acne. Then, they can really help.

For everyone else…

My super hot take: facials aren’t always worth it.

EEEEEEEEEEK. I can feel so many of my skin idols groaning.

Don’t get me wrong, I LOOOOOOOOOVE a facial and because I would rather invest in skincare than bags or shoes or fancy dinners, it’s where I spend money so I’ll get a facial simply because I want to meet the esthetician. But the truth is, MEDICAL TREATMENTS will do more for your skin than facials.

Microneedling, peels, Botox, lasers, skin boosters, etc. will give you a bigger bang for your buck (IN MY OPINION) than regular facials.

In fact, I haven’t had regular facials since pre covid… and I cannot believe I just admitted that. I used to get regular facials for years, but when I got sick in 2018, that slowed down and I sorta kept up my less consistent pace in 2019 before life came to a halt with Covid in 2020 — and ya know what? My skin has never looked better.

Because I do medical treatments and I have an incredible at home routine.

And when it comes to facials you need to ask yourself — what is this going to give me that I cannot give to myself at home.

For some of you that’s going to be an hour of silence away from work/kids/etc and some relaxation, for me it’s technology or products I don’t have access to, and for others it’s going to be knowledge. Maybe you’re too overwhelmed with all there is to know about skin and you don’t even know where to start with an at home routine… totally fair, but let me throw out some things you should be thinking about when you book a facial.

In the same way I said to get specific with someone who knows how to treat acne, do the same for whatever your skin concerns are. If you have Rosacea, find someone who feels like they are an expert with Rosacea.

Once you’ve found a person (or, ideally persons) who specialize in what you’re looking for, look at their credentials. What are they credentialed to do? This is going to vary state by state because in Atlanta estheticians are allowed to Microneedle whereas in California you have to be a registered nurse in order to be able to Microneedle. (Side note: This is why everyone uses SkinPens — it’s the work around for not being a Nurse. I love this for the estheticians but not so much for you as the patron… I have SkinPen thoughts but this is for another time).

Back to facials.

Once I look at the credentials — to get a sense for what this person can or cannot do in the state that I live in — I am also going to do some light stalking to see what info I can gather. What does their website say? Can I see photos of videos of them in action? I want to try to understand what I’m going to be getting during our facial and what kinds of products he/she will be using. As a general note: if you can buy the products they are using at Sephora or Ulta, then it’s not worth your money.

Look at what their service menu says and try to see what exactly your going to get with your facial — if it’s just a cleanse, extraction, and mask then you can probably do this at home for way less. Again, I can hear estheticians screaming at me but I’m being honest — you don’t need to pay someone to put things on your face when you can do it yourself.

That’s why I like to stalk. I am trying to asses their experience and knowledge, the tools they use as well as the products. Will I be getting microcurrent? Ultrasound? Lymphatic? Red light? A light TCA peel? Will they be using “medical grade” products? This is the loose mind-frame I use when i’m looking at booking with someone.

Plus price, of course. Look, I get that someone might have 800$ to drop on a facial and to that I would say: I’m jealous! lol. But I don’t. So, you could be the greatest facialist in the world but I am not gonna be dropping that kind of money UNLESS it also comes with a medical treatment that has long-term and compounding skin benefits.

I think I spoke about Melanie Simon before — the creator of Ziip. She gave me insane electro current facials using Biologique Recherche products back when she was working out of the Striiike salon. This was NOT something I could ever do myself and she did it with an expensive line that I’d never be able to afford if I tried to buy all of the products that were used. That’s what I’m looking for in a facialist.

Just for fun, this is my unfiltered skin after one of her facials (plus a brow tint - that obviously faded the next day).

I’ve seen a lot of what I like to call combo facials, where people are incorporating SkinPens or Microneedling or light lasers or peels, and I love those kinds of facials. To me, those are the facials that are worth it.

Things I don’t love:

This is a list of things that I see estheticians using to upcharge or build a facial around and IMO they should be standard procedure and not the selling point of a facial.

Dermaplaning — look, I know people love it and if that’s you do not let me stop you… but you don’t need to pay someone to shave your face unless you are really uncoordinated. Get some rubbing alcohol and a derma razor and do it yourself. I hate that so many people uncharge for this. Also, I won’t do it even if it’s free because I always break out after (regardless of whether I do it or someone else does it) so it’s not for me.

Microdermabrasion - I fell for this when it first came out and I thought it was the bees knees… I also was’t regularly exfoliation or using a retinol at home… so there’s also that. Now that I regularly exfoliate, it’s a nice refresh but again, but it’s not gonna change my skin long term. Also, this should not be the star moment of a facial. IMO: red flag.

Hydra facials - I love hydra facials… but, for events not for long term skin health. A hydra facial is basically microdermabrasion + products that gets infused back into the skin. Again, it’s not a bad treatment but somewhere along the line Hydra Facials got this overhyped reputation for being a skin savior and this is simply not the case. I love one before a big event if you want a nice lil brightening boost but anything you gain is going to be short lived. Two weeks later you will be left with the same skin you had before. Plus, there are no long term benefits. Will I get another Hydra Facial? Fuck yes. Will I expect it to move the needle on my skin? No.

Red Light - Any time I see this as an additional charge it immediately makes me take the person less seriously. First off, red light needs to be something done consistently and second this should just be built into a facial, not an additional charge.

Oxygen - Same as the above. If a facialist’s crowning jewel is that they use Oxygen to help the products penetrate deeper then run. Sorry, but no.

TLDR: get facials if you have the money to but if you don’t focus on medical treatments and a consistent at home routine. Book with people who have incredible hands, knowledge, tools/machines and/or products. THIS is what you should be looking for when you book a facial. (In addition to track record but that is of course hard to find in an age where everyone lies online).

Im always down to throw mu two cents around but promise that you’ll take it with a grain of salt — the only expert on your skin should be you.

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Okay so knowing all of this, I found myself in Tokyo this December and I wanted to experience some of the local beauty culture.

And that is how I spent less than 200$ on one of the greatest facials of my life.

Koh Gen Doh is a well known line of makeup in Japan… And less known, is that they have a spa upstairs at their store in Tokyo where they offer two kinds of facials: 60 minutes or 90 minutes.

Lol at everything I wrote above because I booked a 90 minute facial knowing literally NOTHING.

For those of you who are headed to Japan, heads up, booking a facial with them is a little tricky, in that it requires you to send an email. I sent an email and they emailed me back two options for booking availabilities and I chose one and that was that.

I showed up to my appointment with rundown skin. A 14 hour flight + jet lag + cold/dry temps had left my skin looking ruddy and a lil puffy.

The ladies at Koh Gen Doh are BEYOND nice but then again, that’s been a consistent theme for me with people in Japan.

Once I arrived, my esthetician took me upstairs to a room that was vibey and dark and handed me a card to fill out with my “skin concerns”. My esthetician was a sweet woman who balked at my checkmark next to “aging” and I had to use google translate to explain that it’s something I like to always be mindful of when possible, not that I’m actually worried about wrinkles. I also checked off dry and dull and a couple other boxes.

I was given a robe and slippers and water and a tray for my jewelry and then I was left to change. I got into a heated bed and shortly after the facial began.

I promised myself I was going to remember every single step. Swore up and down! But here’s the thing — this was legitimately one of the most relaxing facials of my life. So yeah, whoops.

In my defense there were about 9 different steps over 90 minutes and in between each step there was a massage break. We’re talking hands, arms, head, shoulders, back, chest… you name it. So much massage!!

If I had to sum it up, the Koh Gen Doh facial I got was a hydrating lymphatic facial - but again this was based on what I filled out on my card, if you came in with different concerns I’m sure yours would be a xyz lymphatic facial.

*They are all lymphatic and the magic of this place lies in the hands of the women who work here*

Lymphatic facials are incredible if you have the money to get them regularly and they can be a way to avoid Botox if that’s something you’re against. I say this because a lot of lymphatic facials also incorporate massage that help rebalance facial asymmetry and help with lifting. (But only if it’s super consistent — I don’t want you thinking a couple of lymphatic facials can replace your Botox!)

Anyway back to Koh Gen Doh. We started off with an oil cleanse followed by a regular cleanser and all of the products that were used were from the Koh Gen Doh skin line. They didn’t do the kind of extractions that are common in the states, instead she used an Ultrasonic Pore Extractor. So, very gentle. Which was the theme of the facial.

By far the best part of the facial was the lymphatic sculpting. First off, it felt amazing - like a massage for your face. Secondly it left me looking snatched and sculpted. I could feel her carving out around my cheekbones and my jaw and when I left I really noticed a difference. Here are my before vs after pics:

in the car on the way to my facial

in the car post facial

You might be wondering I’m wearing makeup and it’s because they offer it, for free. So after my facial I changed back into my clothes, went downstairs and another woman began on my makeup. It was perfect for me because I was headed straight to dinner and this way I didn’t look greasy. I hopped into my GoTaxi and laughed at how this never would have been possible in LA. This 3 hour facial/makeup combo would easily be 500$ or more in Los Angeles.

Instead, for the cool price of 190$ USD I got lymphatic sculpting, 90 minutes of straight massage, a nine step facial that involved three different types of masks - one that felt like it was active (aka exfoliating) one that felt hydrating and one that was a gel mask that congealed over my face, AND I got my makeup done.

Y’all, that is not normal!!!

Please, if you have three hours in Tokyo do yourself a favor and get a facial there — it will not change your skin or your face longterm but you will emerge glowy and refreshed and RELAXED AF. Plus, they don’t push you to buy anything. They show you the products that they use and suggest some at the end of the facial and then never bring it up again. You do have to be a woman though — there are no men allowed (and this is a theme in a lot of beauty places in both Japan and Korea).

So yeah, those are my rules for booking facials and this is a story about literally breaking all those rules (lol) and ending up with one my fave facials of all time. But in fairness, I knew it was going to be good going in and I also had zero expectations — I just wanted to experience a tiny bit of J-beauty and I more than accomplished that goal.

As always, if you have questions or want me to write about anything next week please let me know. And if you liked this, consider sharing it with a friend!

xx, Rory