Facial aftercare
For every facial on the menu, including K-Beauty. Mild warmth, a night off, and SPF in the morning.
A facial isn’t a passive event for your skin. It’s been cleansed properly, worked over, drained, and in most cases resurfaced a little. For the next day or so it’s more permeable than usual. That’s exactly why it responds so well to being left alone.
Almost everything on this page is about doing less. The most useful thing you can do tonight is nothing.
The short version
No make-up for the rest of the day, and nothing new on your skin.
SPF tomorrow morning, without exception.
Any warmth or flushing should settle within a few hours.
Hour by hour
The first 72 hours
Skin doesn’t run to a timetable, so read these as the usual shape rather than a promise. Yours may be quieter or slower.
0 - 24
hours
First 24 hours
What you may notice
Mild warmth or pinkness, more noticeable if I extracted anything.
Skin may feel slightly tight until the evening as hydration settles.
A small blemish or two surfacing after decongesting work is ordinary. It isn’t a reaction.
What to do
Leave make-up off for the rest of the day.
Cleanse tonight only if you genuinely need to. Your usual gentle cleanser and lukewarm water.
Moisturise, and drink more water than you think you need.
Skip the gym, the sauna, the steam room and the hot bath.
24 - 48
hours
24 to 48 hours
What you may notice
Skin should look and feel calm.
Some people notice a short purge after decongestion, usually where they already break out.
What to do
Back to your normal routine, minus the actives.
Keep SPF on, indoors near a window as well as outside.
If anything has come to the surface, leave it. Extraction at home is how a spot becomes a mark.
48 - 72
hours
48 to 72 hours
What you may notice
This is usually when a facial looks its best. The flush has gone and the hydration has held.
What to do
Reintroduce your retinoid or your acid now. One of them, on one night. Not both.
If your skin is still pink at this point, wait another two days before any active goes back in.
Not yet
Leave alone
Timings are the cautious end of the range on purpose. Waiting a day longer than you needed to costs nothing. The other way round is what leaves a mark. If you’re not sure, I’m always happy to guide you.
- Make-up
- Rest of the day
- Retinoids, acids and vitamin C
- 48 hours
- Scrubs, cleansing brushes, muslin cloths
- 5 days
- Sauna, steam, hot yoga, very hot showers
- 24 hours
- Swimming pools
- 24 hours
- Waxing, threading, laser or IPL on the face
- 7 days
- Fake tan on the face
- 48 hours
- Direct sun without SPF
- Always
Safety
Contact me if
None of these are common, and none of them mean something has gone badly wrong. They mean I’d rather see it than hear about it in six weeks.
Redness or heat that’s getting worse after 24 hours instead of better.
Swelling, blistering, or a rash anywhere I worked.
An itchy, raised reaction. This can be a product sensitivity, and I need to know which product.
Anything you’re simply unsure about. I’d far rather you asked.
This page is general guidance for people I have already treated. It does not replace what I said in the room, and it is not medical advice. If you feel unwell, or something is worsening quickly, contact NHS 111 or your GP rather than waiting for me.
What happens next
Your next appointment
Most people settle into every four to six weeks. If we’re working on something specific, like congestion or pigmentation or texture, I’ll have given you a spacing in the room. It’s usually closer than that.