There is a big pink elephant standing in the middle of the room, wearing a sombrero, drinking a chai latte, and just waiting for someone to discover him. Why has no one discussed the obvious? For the love of everything good in the world, there needs to be some dialogue about homemade facials and the things that the innocent people of the globe are being told to put on their skin.

In order to put things into perspective, let’s pretend you’re on a date. You have just began to eat when your date suggests that it would be a good idea to put mayonnaise (a common ingredient in homemade facials) on your face. You first thought; run. Your second thought - this person has a screw loose. Your third - let’s be honest, the odds of having chemistry with someone after they suggest you put a condiment commonly used for brown-bag sandwiches on your face, is slim.

This may be a slightly dramatized example, but is it? Homemade facial recipes are rampant on the internet. Women and men alike are trusting the advice of perfect strangers with varying degrees of expertise to give them skincare advice. In a world where information is so widely available, doesn’t it make more sense to seek professional advice?

The truth of the matter is that homemade facial recipes are either non-effective or sometimes even harmful to your skin. Take sugar for example. Sugar is oftentimes used as a homemade exfoliant. Unfortunately, it is not common knowledge that sugar granules are much too course for delicate facial skin, and can cause damage to fragile cells.

The moral of the story is this, dear readers: Let a professional deal with your facials. Professional facials are not only more cleansing, but actually tailored to your skin type. As your mother once told you, you are a unique snowflake with unique needs. Furthermore, professional facials are an experience in themselves. They provide the opportunity to relax and rid stress that can ultimately lead to skin outbreaks and irritation. Facials are not an indulgence, they are a necessity.

My apologies to the pink elephant.
 

Andrea Scott, owner