Vitamin C facial – everything you need to know

Vitamin C is the most known vitamin, and it is essential for our overall health. Everyone knows of vitamin C’s benefits and the importance of it in our diet and supplements. But do we know the benefits of it for our skin? I wrote a post about the benefits of vitamin C in skincare already, and today we are going to have a look at a vitamin C facial.

What is a Vitamin C facial?

Vitamin C facial is a treatment where the main focus is on providing all the benefits vitamin C offers to your skin. It still includes all the other aspects of a facial such as cleansing, exfoliating and moisturising, but there is a bigger emphasis on getting the full benefit of vitamin C.

We can always use other vitamin C products in our daily skincare routine, such as toners, serums and moisturisers, but getting a vitamin C facial will boost all those benefits and saturate your skin with vitamin C.

Benefits of Vitamin C facial

Brightening

Vitamin C can slow down the production of the skin pigment melanin, and by doing so, it can help make your skin look brighter and fresher.

Hydrating

Some derivatives of vitamin C can have a hydrating effect on the skin. They prevent transepidermal water loss (TEWL), which helps keep your skin hydrated.

It evens out skin tone

This one is correlated with the brightening and reducing redness effects of Vitamin C. Your skin tone will look more evened out if the redness and hyperpigmentation are reduced.

Reduces redness

Vitamin C has an anti-inflammatory effect, so it can help bring down inflammation and redness. Also, vitamin C can help strengthen the blood capillaries, which can prevent them from bursting. And if you have fewer broken capillaries, your face will look less red.

Reduces hyperpigmentation

As I said above, vitamin C can slow down the production of melanin. Because of that, it prevents forming of new brown spots and reduces the appearance of existing ones.

Protects from free radicals

Free radicals are something that we are constantly exposed to. They are released as our bodies turn food into energy or by exposing our bodies to the toxins in the environment, such as smoke or UV light. That’s why it’s necessary to take in antioxidants in our food and put them on our skin. Antioxidants neutralise free radicals by pairing them with them so they can’t cause any harm. And vitamin C is one of the most popular antioxidants.

Promotes collagen production

Collagen is a protein that is naturally found in our bodies. It is a building block for our body, and we can find it everywhere in our body. It gives our skin that healthy, plump look. But unfortunately, the levels of collagen deplete as we age. Vitamin C is a necessary factor in producing collagen. So it can help with the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles.

Who can benefit from Vitamin C facial?

Anyone and everyone can benefit from vitamin C facial. It is generally well tolerated by every skin type. But if you have very sensitive skin – it’s best to do a patch test first to ensure the form of vitamin C used is suitable for your skin.

People with the following skin conditions will see the most benefit from vitamin C facial:

• dull skin
• hyperpigmentation
• uneven skin tone
• dry skin

How much does a Vitamin C facial cost?

The prices of this treatment differ by the brand of products used and the length of treatment. Generally, a vitamin C facial takes about 60 to 90 minutes.

In the US, the price for a 60-minute vitamin C facial is about $100.

In the EU, the price for a 60-minute vitamin C facial is between €70 and €125.

How does a Vitamin C facial look?

As I explained in my post about hydrating facials, most facial treatments look very similar. The only difference is in the active ingredients used within the facial treatment.

So most facial treatments look like this:

1. skin consultations
2. cleansing
3. exfoliating
4. treatment
5. moisturising

Skin consultation

To be able to provide safe treatment, our skin therapist will need to know a bit more about us. So usually, you are given a form to fill out where they ask about any underlying conditions, allergies and details about yourself. It’s essential to provide accurate information because it is needed to get the best and safest possible treatment.

Cleansing

The most crucial step of every facial treatment and even your skincare routine is cleansing. If you are wearing makeup, the therapist will first remove the makeup with a balm or an oil cleanser (they will choose the best product for your skin type). Then they will do a second cleanse to ensure your skin is clean before continuing the treatment.

Exfoliating

As I have said earlier, exfoliating is a process of removing dead skin cells from the top layer of your skin. During a facial, your therapist can do it in a few ways. For example, they can use a physical or a chemical exfoliant or even electric tools. Once exfoliated, your skin is ready for the other parts of your facial. By removing that layer of dead skin cells, the skin gets in an optimal state to be treated.

Treatment

That is where most facials differ. This part is usually customized for every skin to suit its needs best. But in vitamin C facials, it doesn’t vary too much. A therapist uses special vitamin C serums full of hydrating and antioxidant ingredients to treat and deeply hydrate your skin. They might adjust the product they use or the intensity of the treatment according to your skin type or skin issues you might have.

Moisturising

To finish the treatment, a therapist will apply a moisturiser to prevent all that hydration from escaping from the skin. That will ensure your skin stays hydrated for longer. Also, in this step, your skin therapist will apply SPF to protect your skin from sunlight, as it might be more sensitive to the sun due to exfoliating and applying vitamin C products.

Aftercare

There isn’t too much to be done for aftercare – you are good to go straight after the treatment. But to maintain the results of your treatment as long as possible, there are a few things you could do:

• protect your skin with SPF
• keep your skin moisturised
• avoid makeup

Protect your skin with an SPF

SPF in skincare is the one step that should never be skipped. It is the holy grail of every skincare routine. Your skin therapist will apply SPF onto your skin after treatment to prevent it from getting sunburnt, as it may be sensitive post-treatment. But you also have to apply SPF in the days following the treatment to protect your skin and maintain the results of your vitamin C facial.

Moisturise your skin

Moisturising is another holy grail of every skincare routine. Similarly to the SPF, your therapist will also apply moisturiser onto your skin after the treatment. That will ensure your skin keeps all the moisture it got during the treatment and reduce TEWL. And you need to do the same daily. Find a moisturiser that suits your skin, and never skip it.

Avoid makeup

Lastly, it would be a good idea to avoid makeup for a few days after the facial treatment. Your skin might be slightly more sensitive after the treatment, so applying heavy makeup might be irritating. If you need to wear makeup, I recommend you use mineral makeup that is much gentler to the skin and much lighter, so it can let the skin breathe.

Can I DIY a Vitamin C facial at home?

You can most definitely recreate the lovely pampering experience at home, but you won’t be able to achieve the same results as in the salon. But that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t pamper yourself at home from time to time. As you could’ve seen above, there are a couple of steps included in the vitamin C facial treatment:

1. Cleansing
2. Toner
3. Preheat
4. Deep cleanse/exfoliating
5. The Vitamin C Treatment
6. Moisturiser
7. SPF

1. Cleanse

Like in a salon, we will also do a double cleansing method to deeply cleanse our skin. To take it a step further, you can use a dedicated eye and lip makeup remover and first cleanse those areas. Then you can go in with your balm or oil to melt the rest of your makeup from your face. Lastly, go in with your gel or foam cleanser to thoroughly remove everything from the first cleanse and leave your skin cleansed.

2. Toner

This step is optional but can help keep your skin’s pH balanced. You can either apply your toner with cotton pads or spray it on. Keep in mind that the toner you use in this step is a hydrating one, not an exfoliating one. You can even use plain rosewater if you’d like.

3. Preheat

This step is also optional, but it can be of great benefit to open the pores and allow the hydrating product to get absorbed better. You can do it in two ways – with a warm wet towel placed on your face or with a facial steamer. The steamer can be a plug-in one, or you can simply fill a bowl with warm water (warm enough to be steaming but not hot enough to burn you). If you have sensitive skin or your skin doesn’t tolerate heat well, you should skip this step.

4. Deep cleanse

In this step, we use an exfoliant to remove the dead skin cells to allow for better product absorption. You can use a chemical, enzymatic or mechanical exfoliant. I think that an enzymatic exfoliant would work best in this routine, but you can use what you have at home. If you want to try a fantastic enzyme exfoliant, I would recommend the Dermalogica Daily Microfoliant.

5. Treatment

This step is where most facials differ. In this case, the therapist will apply vitamin C products. Since you don’t have access to professional strength vitamin C products, you can do a vitamin C face mask, followed by a stronger vitamin C serum. There are plenty of different forms of vitamin C, and some will be better than others for some skin types. If you want to learn which form of vitamin C might be best for you, check out my blog post about vitamin C.

6. Moisturiser

And the last step in your at-home hydrating facial is moisturiser. Apply a thin layer of your favourite moisturiser after your hydrating product has been absorbed to prevent it from evaporating and to keep the skin hydrated. Don’t forget your SPF if you are doing this treatment in the morning. If you are doing it in the evening – you don’t need to apply SPF but don’t forget it in the morning.

Conclusion

Vitamin C is a star ingredient in every skincare routine with its many benefits for the skin. But having vitamin C facial brings those benefits to another level.

Vitamin C facial is packed with antioxidants that can help brighten the skin, reduce hyperpigmentation, even out skin tone and leave your skin deeply hydrated. It is a fantastic addition to your skincare routine, and it can be done once a month.

Once again, if going for a facial treatment isn’t available to you, you can recreate it at home with your vitamin C products. It won’t be the same as a professional treatment, but it might be a lovely pampering session.