Facials are all the rage right now and for very good reasons. They give the skin radiance, glow, and brightness. One of the many types of facials gaining a huge following is oxygen facials, but still many seem confused and ask “What is an oxygen facial?’.
An oxygen facial is a “non-medical” skincare procedure without injectables or harsh chemicals. It delivers high-pressurized pure oxygen on the skin’s outermost layer with a special wand. At the same time, it’s often infused with nutrient-rich serums. This process encourages all these nutrients to penetrate better and deeper into the skin.
No matter how “in” they are right now, oxygen facials are not for everyone. Reported benefits are mostly anecdotal without much scientific backing. If you have specific skin concerns, you might fare better with a different type of facial.
In this article, we’ll go over everything you need to know about oxygen facials and what to expect from the procedure, including reported benefits.
What is an Oxygen Facial?
Oxygen is very important for humans. It allows us to breathe and survive. Without it, we can’t breathe properly and we will probably suffocate.
An oxygen facial is a type of professional skincare procedure done by an aesthetician at a skin clinic or day spa.
Oxygen facials are “non-medical” procedures. Nothing is injected into your body and no harsh and invasive chemicals are ever used. This is why oxygen facials have been growing quite popular over the past couple of years.
They’re a great way to achieve glowing skin without any of that recovery and downtime. They’re also a favored go-to if you want to look your best for a big event.
An oxygen facial delivers pure oxygen infused with nutrients to the outside surface of the skin, or the epidermis. This pure oxygen is pumped directly onto the skin, hoping to help increase cell turnover and boost collagen production.
As humans, our blood naturally pumps oxygen to different parts of our body, including the skin. But as we grow older, the body is less inclined to perform as it used to.
There is a great possibility that the skin may be oxygen-deprived. That is the idea behind oxygen facials.
How Do Oxygen Facials Work?
Oxygen facials are often done in skin clinics or day spas by aestheticians. This type of facial involves the use of a special wand that pumps out oxygen infused with nutrient-rich serums.
The idea behind this is applying pure oxygen on the skin’s surface will help the moisturizers and serums that follow better penetrate deep into the skin. This means better results than you would have achieved through your regular at-home skincare routine.
Some skin clinics apply the serum, which usually contains hyaluronic acid, using the wand at the same time as the oxygen or after applying oxygen on the skin’s surface.
A typical oxygen facial could last anywhere from 30 minutes to an hour, depending on how your skin clinic usually does it. You could get it as a standalone facial or as part of a more extensive and comprehensive facial.
While oxygen facials could vary from one clinic to another, regular oxygen facials would look like this:
Step 1: Cleanse and exfoliate
As with any type of facial, an oxygen facial starts with the cleansing step. All and any makeup and skincare products on your face will be cleansed away. You need to start with a blank canvas.
An oxygen facial will not work well on dead skin cells so exfoliating the skin is a must. Doing this procedure on dead skin cells will not help skincare products penetrate better into your skin.
Step 2: Apply oxygen
Next, a special wand to deliver oxygen to your skin will be used. This special wand will apply high-pressurized oxygen to the skin’s outermost surface or epidermis.
Step 3: Serums and moisturizers
The last step to any oxygen facial is the application of serums and moisturizers. Depending on how your skin clinic usually does oxygen facials, these can be delivered with the wand or after applying oxygen.
Nonetheless, the follow-up of serums and moisturizers as the last step would help all the nutrients to penetrate deeper and better into the skin.
The Benefits of Oxygen Facials
While oxygen facials are gaining more and more popularity, it’s important to note that the benefits presented by skin clinics are mostly anecdotal. There is currently no scientific research backing any of these claims. But if you’re willing to give it a try and see what it does to your skin, here are the benefits you can hope for:
Boosts collagen growth and reduces the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles
Collagen is a naturally occurring component of the skin. It’s what keeps the skin elastic, keeping wrinkles away. But as we grow older, the skin produces less and less collagen, thus the onset of various signs of aging, fine lines, and wrinkles.
Oxygen facials can help boost and promote the skin’s natural collagen production, smoothing over various signs of aging.
Deeply hydrates skin
Serums and moisturizers are an integral part of oxygen facials. These carefully-chosen products are packed with nutrients and hydrating ingredients. This will make your skin look and feel especially hydrated after the facial and even a few days since it has passed.
Brighter, glowing, and plumper skin
As with any facial, an oxygen facial will help remove dead skin cells on the skin’s surface, revealing glowing, brighter, and radiant skin. And when your skin is extra moisturized, you can appear plumper and even more youthful.
Detoxifies the skin
As the skin of often exposed to damaging elements like pollutants, sun exposure, and environmental irritants, it would need to detoxify every now and then. And an oxygen facial should be a big help in this. This can help restore your skin’s health in tip-top shape and boost your skin’s health.
Reduces acne and breakouts
The application of pressurized oxygen on the skin’s surface can help accelerate the healing of wounds and kill acne-causing bacteria. This can help control acne and breakouts so you can enjoy getting less and less of them.
Instant results and no downtime
Oxygen facials are known for their instant results. You can get this before a big event so you can enjoy the glow and radiance more. This type of facial offers cumulative results and you can enjoy better results after a series of sessions.
Even more good news is this facial requires no downtime. It isn’t as invasive as other facials so expect very little to no side effects. In fact, you can even go ahead and apply your makeup right after your session.
Potential Risks, Side Effects, and Precautions of Oxygen Facials
Oxygen facials are non-invasive and require no downtime. But if you have extra sensitive skin, here are some potential side effects you might want to watch out for:
Redness
Both the serums and oxygen may cause temporary redness on very sensitive skin. Don’t worry though as this should fade a few hours after the procedure.
Swelling
If you’re prone to inflammation, the application of oxygen through the wand can cause a bit of swelling and inflammation. This is also only temporary and should resolve itself in no time
Allergic reaction
The risk of allergic reaction would have something to do with the serums used in the facial. If you have allergies to certain ingredients, make sure to let your aesthetician know so they can adjust the procedure accordingly.
How Often Should You Get an Oxygen Facial?
The general consensus is to get facial treatments once every month. But this would still depend on a variety of factors including your skin type and the facial you’re getting.
Oxygen facials are less invasive than most facials, so you’d want to consult with your aesthetician and make sure to ask when you should go back in for your next session.
Who are Ideal Candidates for an Oxygen Facial Treatment?
Oxygen facials are ideal for all skin types so anyone is an ideal candidate.
Aestheticians could usually suggest getting this facial done if you’re in your 20s, to keep the youthful state of your skin.
If you have specific concerns, make sure to consult with your healthcare provider first to see if it’s right for what your skin needs.
How Much Do Oxygen Facials Cost?
Oxygen facials can go from as low as about $50 to as expensive as $200. Several factors are at play in how much you’re going to pay. These factors include the aesthetician’s experience and expertise, your location, add-ons, and more.
Does insurance cover it?
Facials are a cosmetic procedure so insurance doesn’t usually cover them. But if you have a skin condition that uses oxygen facials as treatment, you can give your insurance company a call and inquire if the costs can be covered.
Conclusion
Facials are a great way to relax, pamper, and boost skin health. Due to their popularity, many different types of facials are currently in demand. One of them is oxygen facials.
An oxygen facial is a type of professional skincare procedure that uses pure oxygen infused with nutrient-rich serums. The idea is to help boost skin cell turnover and collagen production. The procedure also helps these serums and moisturizes filled with nutrients and hydration penetrate deeper and better into the skin. Oxygen facials are “non-medical” procedures and have no downtime.
And that has been our detailed guide on the question, “What is an oxygen facial?”. If you want more of your queries answered, hit us up right below!
