Which of the four at-home facials is for your skin

Someone with oily skin and a few spots on their chin asks for whichever facial sounds strongest, on the logic that deeper means cleaner. They leave red for three days and gain two new spots. What they had wasn't dirt: it was a barrier irritated by too much product, and what they needed was the opposite of what they asked for.

Choosing a facial isn't choosing intensity. It's working out what your skin is doing right now. This guide is for deciding between the four we bring to your home.

Why only four

While we're working only at people's homes, the facial menu is down to the four whose equipment travels with us. The ones that depend on in-spa equipment are paused along with the rest of the in-spa menu.

That's a real limitation and it's better said plainly: if you wanted Anti age, Hidra facial or Full firmeza, they aren't among these four today. If you wanted to clean, calm, de-puff or maintain, it is.

Limpieza profunda e hidratación (Deep cleanse and hydration)

Who it's for: skin that looks dull, feels tight after washing, is rough to the touch and has visible pores but no active breakouts. It's also the maintenance facial, and the one we'd recommend if you've never had one.

It's the starting point. It cleanses, lifts the layer of dead cells that flattens your tone, and hydrates. If you don't know what your skin has but you know it "doesn't look right", this is the one least likely to make anything worse.

Not for: active inflamed acne. If you have red, sore spots right now, the next one is the better choice.

Oxigenante o acné (Oxygenating / acne)

Who it's for: congested skin, blackheads on the nose and chin, breakouts that come and go, a T-zone that shines by mid-afternoon. It works on congestion and on inflammation at the same time.

About extractions, which is what everyone wants: we extract what's ready to come out, and nothing else. A deep, closed spot doesn't get squeezed. Forcing it is precisely how you get a mark that then takes months. If your skin needs more than two or three sessions to settle, we'll say so rather than sell you one.

Not for: cystic or nodular acne — the large, deep, painful lumps under the skin that scar. That's dermatology, and a facial neither solves it nor should try. Also not if you're on isotretinoin or have taken it in the last 6 months: the skin is far too fragile.

Piel masculina (Men's skin)

Who it's for: thicker, oilier skin with the particular problem of shaving — irritation, redness and ingrown hairs on the neck and jaw. The whole protocol is built around that area, because it's the one that suffers.

Two details that change the result: shave the day before, not the same day, because freshly shaved skin stings with almost any active; and if you have a beard, it stays — we work the skin underneath and the edges.

It isn't "the men's facial" out of politeness. It's the protocol for thick, shaved skin, and it's the one that works best on skin in that condition, whoever is asking for it.

Contorno de ojos (Eye contour)

Who it's for: dark circles, bags, morning puffiness and the fine lines that show when you smile. It's the thinnest skin on your face and it needs different products and different handling from the rest.

This is where honesty matters most. Puffiness and fluid retention respond well — that's the part you notice straight away. Dark circles depend on why you have them. If they come from congestion and poor sleep, they improve. If they come from inherited pigment or from the hollow under the eye socket, a facial won't remove them, and anyone telling you otherwise is selling something.

It's the shortest of the four and works best added to another, not instead of one.

Choosing in thirty seconds

• Dull and tight? Limpieza profunda e hidratación.
• Blackheads, shine and small spots? Oxigenante o acné.
• You shave, and your neck stings or gets ingrown hairs? Piel masculina.
• What bothers you in the mirror is around your eyes? Contorno de ojos, ideally alongside another.
• None of the above? Limpieza profunda e hidratación, and we adjust from there.

The days before

• Stop retinol, glycolic acid, salicylic acid and scrubs 3 to 5 days beforehand.
• No waxing or facial hair removal for 48 hours before.
• No strong sun, and no recent burn.
• If the facial is for an event, have it 5 to 7 days before, never the night before.
• Arrive without makeup if you can; if not, we'll take it off.
• Tell us what you put on your face, what medication you take and whether you're allergic to anything. Essential oils and some botanical actives are a common cause of reactions.

What happens afterwards

Pink skin for one to three hours is normal, especially after extractions. Burning skin is not.

• No makeup for the first 12 hours, if you can manage it.
• No hard exercise, steam or very hot showers that day.
• Don't go back to acids or retinol for 3 days.
• Don't touch or squeeze anything, particularly after extractions.
• SPF 50 from the next day, no excuses. Mexico City's altitude pushes the UV index above 10 regularly, cloudy days included, and freshly treated skin pigments easily.

And one warning that saves a scare: after a cleansing facial you may get a small breakout between day 2 and day 5. That's what was already on its way, arriving early. It clears on its own. If instead you get itching, hives or swollen eyelids, that's a reaction and we need to know.

How often

Every 4 to 6 weeks for maintenance, which matches your skin's renewal cycle. If you're treating congestion or breakouts, the first two or three sessions can run every 3 weeks and then spread out.

A one-off facial before an event works perfectly well, as long as you keep that 5 to 7 day margin.

When you need a dermatologist, not a facial

• Cystic or nodular acne, or acne that has already scarred.
• Rosacea in flare: red, burning skin with visible vessels.
• Active dermatitis, eczema or psoriasis on the face.
• An active cold sore.
• A mole that has grown, changed colour, bleeds or itches. This week.
• Isotretinoin now or in the last 6 months.

None of those is a permanent no. It's a "that first".

What they cost

• Limpieza profunda e hidratación: $900 MXN
• Oxigenante o acné: $900 MXN
• Piel masculina: $900 MXN
• Contorno de ojos: $450 MXN

All four at your home, by appointment. If you're torn between two, message us on WhatsApp about how your skin is doing and what's bothering you. It's quicker than guessing from a menu.