Determining which type of professional facial is the right type for you may seem complicated, but it doesn't have to be. All it takes is identifying your biggest skin concerns, and being open with your esthetician. Even if you skim the rest of this article, make sure to remember this: the most important thing to do when determining the best pro facial for your skin is to share your concerns with your esthetician and trust her recommendations!

There are hundreds, if not thousands, of different facial types and benefits out there, and trusting a great esthetician is your best bet to get skin that's younger-looking, glowing and healthy.

Why do I need a professional facial?

Here's some skin science: Your circulatory system's ability to nourish your tissues and remove toxins and waste (and help prevent premature age signs like wrinkles and sagging) actually starts to slow down in your early twenties. Combine that with hormonal breakouts, sun damage and poor diet, and you get a multitude of reasons to get a facial – at any age, and no matter what (if any) skin aging or damage has shown up on your skin.  Pro facials are a way to counteract both visible aging, and the 'unseen' damage that is about to surface.

What signs tell me I need a facial?

• Dullness
• Congestion
• Acne
• Excess oil production
• Sagging
• Puffiness
• Fine line/wrinkles
• Dark circles
• Large pores
• Redness
• Rough texture
• Pigmented spots

The best facial treatment depends entirely on your skin concerns. See the full list of skin concerns professional facials can help tackle.

Facial types + benefits

Facial types and prices vary from spa to spa, but Bioelements has an infinite number of pro facials thanks to our signature Custom Blending System, which allows your esthetician to completely tailor a spa facial just for your exact needs.

With a few drops of our exclusive, professional Custom Blend formulas, a Bioelements pro can personalize the most crucial steps of your facial to target exactly what your skin needs right now: maybe it's redness, dehydration, pesky breakouts, or the appearance of new lines. Your facial and the products you take home are designed for YOU.

There are many different specific treatments aside from the Custom Blend Facial, all designed to tackle very specific and personalized skin concerns:

• Custom Blend Facial for almost any basic skin concern and beyond
• Firm & Lift Facial for sagging skin
• Calming Facial for visible capillaries and redness
• Depigmenting and Brightening Facial for dark spots and hyperpigmentation
• VitaMineral Deep Detox Facial to detoxify congested, dull sluggish or lazy skin
• Pollution Neutralizing Facial to target and revive prematurely aged skin
• Acne Clearing Treatment for congested, broken out skin
• Ultra-Detox Chemical Peels for those with dull, rough-textured skin, chronic blackheads, enlarged pores, excessive milia, lines, and wrinkles, and hyperpigmentation

Even these treatments are Custom Blended to further target your specific needs. At Bioelements we don't believe in off-the-shelf, one-size-fits-all facials. ALL of our facials are personalized only for you: your environment, your lifestyle, your age, your stress level. It's skin care made for you – not your friend, not your neighbor – no one else.

There are so many more types of facials out there besides those listed above, but how do you choose the right one?

What type of facial should I get?

Trust your esthetician here. An experienced, great esthetician will ask you a multitude of in-depth questions – regardless if you've ever received a facial before or not – in order to accurately determine what's best for your skin. In fact, if your esthetician doesn't ask you any questions, then you should leave the spa immediately.

What should I tell esthetician before my facial begins?

Even if your esthetician doesn't ask each one of these questions, make sure you should still give her this information:

• Your diet (including recent changes)
• Current medications (especially if you've started a new one recently)
• Allergies
• Medical conditions
• Lifestyle choices
• Recent activities (If you were out late the night before drinking, be sure to let them know so they can give you the more hydrating facial that your skin needs. If you've been sleeping poorly, let them know so they can focus on dark under eye circles or other signs of sleep deprivation, etc)
• Recent plastic surgeries or procedures
• Activity level
• At-home skin care routine
• Stress level
• Past skin reactions
• What you want to get out of this pro facial

It's important to answer each of these questions with in depth answers to give her the full picture and properly prepare for a facial.

Your esthetician should be making her own observations in addition to the information you provide. Bioelements estheticians will perform a SkinReading every single time you get a facial. SkinReading is our signature technique for "reading" your skin for any information you may have forgotten to tell us. This helps our estheticians determine the right type of salon facial for you. All estheticians, Bioelements or not, should perform some sort of assessment of your skin, otherwise they won't be able to maximize the results from your professional skin care treatment.

Find a Bioelements Esthetician

If you have any questions about which types of facials are right for you, comment below or sign up for our email newsletter. If you want to book your facial with a trusted esthetician, click here for our spa locator. Read about how to prepare for a facial and what to wear to a facial right here.

Want to learn more about facials?

Check out the rest of our blog series "The Facial Encyclopedia" that covers everything you need to know:

Part 2: What to wear to a facial and how to prepare

Part 3: What happens during a facial

Part 4: What to do after a facial and how much to tip

Want to experience a Bioelements professional facial?

Discover the visible results of a customized Bioelements facial – from "no downtime" chemical peels and clinical strength acne treatments, to powerful skin firming and targeted pollution-neutralization. Experience a Bioelements treatment designed just for you: Find a Bioelements Partnership Spa here.

If you have any questions about different types of facials, sign up for our email newsletter or comment below!