My First Experience Getting a Facial at Ulta

Hello friends!

I’ve been curious about facials and what getting one would be like for a while now.  In March, I took a day off & wanted to make it a pamper day, which meant taking my time shopping and scheduling an appointment!

I wasn’t sure what to expect, so I decided to go with the 20 minute basic facial.  My skincare specialist introduced herself and then we got started!  First, I filled out a card that clarified whether or not I had any allergies, what kind of skincare products I was currently using, what my skin goals were, etc.

One of the questions asked is if you have ever experienced claustrophobia, which is very important to note.  There were multiple times throughout the appointment that my entire head aside from my mouth and nostrils were covered with a towel, which could trigger some major feelings for people who experience that fear.  The first time it happened, I was a little tense but it went away after the initial cover.

She looked the paper over and then decided what would be best to help with my concerns (I said redness and blackheads/gunky pores).  I somehow forgot to mention my super dry skin, but she told me she noticed it right away and was using hydrating products because of it.  She also said that I had some texture in certain areas that was very likely caused by my filled pores.

I’m not sure what exactly she put on my face in the beginning, but there were probably 6 or 7 different products altogether.  The first ones felt like they were exfoliating and probably meant to get the initial layers of stuff off.  In between each product she used a hot towel and rested it over my face for about 10 seconds before wiping it off.  This happened for about three products before we moved on to the big one – a 10 minute mask.

It had menthol in it so it was incredibly cooling – unfortunately I can’t remember exactly what it was meant to help with.  She layered it on and then put three layers of what felt like towels on top.  I assume this was meant to help the product really sink in! It covered my entire face with the exception of my mouth and nostrils.  I sat there for 10 minutes, and between the 2 and 5 minute period, my face felt so cold!  I assume that means it was working.

After that was wiped off, she used a fizzy mask that was supposed to help get the sebum out of my pores.  This stayed on for around 2 minutes, and it definitely tickled!  I told her it felt like it was going all over my face, even though it was just in the targeted spots.

Finally, it ended with a collagen mask that felt very liquid-y and hydrating.  My skincare specialist was wonderful and answered every question I had, which I thought was very kind of her.

Overall, I enjoyed the experience, but I’m not sure that I would do that specific service again.  When I looked closely at my skin, my pores definitely seemed to be cleared out but they were still very apparent.  I also noticed that there were some dry skin flakes peeling off my face the next morning.  I didn’t see as dramatic of a change as I was hoping for, but I think I just had too high of expectations without a specific problem to target.

I think if you were to try this out, I would highly recommend going in with a specific goal in mind – what do you want to see change with your skin?  That will help both you and your specialist make sure you’re getting the results you want!  I did find this experience incredibly relaxing if nothing else.

For my birthday, I scheduled a microdermabrasion appointment, which I was told gets about 6 weeks worth of dead skin off – as a perpetually flaky dry skin gal, this sounds amazing!  I can’t wait, and I’ll definitely share this experience with you all!

Have you ever gotten a facial before?