What's in a facial? While variations abound - from a purifying detox facial to anti-aging collagen facial to oxygenated glow booster, just to name a few - here are the bare essentials every facial should include for that post-salon glow.

Cleansing and Massage

Before starting on the actual facial and extractions, your facialist should thoroughly yet gently remove any traces of makeup from your face. This is followed by a gentle exfoliation using a mild scrub (for combination to oily skin) or lotion (for normal or dry skin), massaged in for up to 10 minutes. Exfoliation shouldn't cause stinging - if so the scrub may be too harsh or your skin may be sensitive to the ingredients.

The massage works to relax your facial muscles as well as increase circulation for a radiant complexion. The scrub exfoliates dead skin, revealing new cells underneath the topmost dull layer so skincare ingredients can penetrate more easily in the later steps.