Read on to find the right one for your skin needs. Plus, are you skin-care savvy? Take our quiz and find out…Even if you don’t usually treat yourself to a spa facial, now’s the time. Regular treatments – if you can afford it, with follow-up care at home – can yield long-term benefits, like warding off wrinkles and keeping skin hydrated.Besides removing blackheads and exfoliating dry, flaky skin, facials help fade dark spots from long-term damage and bad habits.“Almost 90% of premature aging is attributed to sun damage and smoking,” says Susan Evans, M.D., a dermatologist with Skincare Physicians of Beverly Hills, Calif. But skin needs change as we get older, so it’s important to get the best facial for your age. A glycolic peel that’s perfect for a 40-year-old could irritate a 20-something. I asked experts what to look for in a spa facial and how to follow up at home. I’ve also included product recommendations, which are based on my 15-plus years covering the health and beauty industries for national magazines and as author of two books, Beauty: The New Basicsand Fast Beauty: 1,000 Quick Fixes(both Workman Publishing).Read on for their tips. Were you careless about sun protection in your youth? That damage may show up now as deeper lines and wrinkles.“People [also] notice broken capillaries, irregular pigmentation and sun spots,” Jaliman says.Skin also may become more sensitive or blotchy at this age from sun exposure and perimenopause, the years before your periods stop.At the spa: A peel – glycolic, beta-hydroxy or enzyme – will remove the top layers of dead cells. If skin is sensitive, skip the peel and get a facial that includes antioxidant-rich, anti-inflammatory ingredients like pomegranate, grapeseed or rose-hip extract, green tea or vitamin C, Jaliman advises.
