Acne Clarifying Facial

A Clearer, Calmer Approach to Acne-Prone Skin

Acne-prone skin doesn’t always need more.

More scrubbing. More acids. More drying treatments. More products.

In fact, one of the most common mistakes we see with acne is doing too much.

At Elevation Massage & Spa, our Acne Clarifying Facial takes a more thoughtful approach. This 75-minute corrective facial combines professional GlyMed+ skincare, targeted exfoliation, careful extractions, and blue LED light therapy to address congestion and active breakouts while supporting hydration and a healthy skin barrier.

The goal isn’t to strip your skin into submission. It’s to create a healthier environment for clearer, calmer, more balanced skin.

Why Does Acne Happen?

Acne is more complicated than simply having “oily skin.”

Breakouts can be influenced by excess sebum, clogged pores, dead skin buildup, acne-associated bacteria, hormones, stress, medications, genetics, lifestyle, and the products you’re using at home.

And yes, acne-prone skin can also be dehydrated and sensitive.

That’s why aggressively drying the skin isn’t always the answer. Over-cleansing and over-exfoliating can compromise the skin barrier, increase irritation, and leave already-inflamed skin even less happy.

Our approach is to look at what your skin actually needs and customize your treatment accordingly.

What Makes the Acne Clarifying Facial Different?

This isn’t simply a “deep cleansing facial” with a few extractions added in.

We’ve redesigned our acne treatment around professional GlyMed+ corrective skincare and a carefully sequenced protocol that addresses several components of breakout-prone skin in one treatment.

Your facial includes:

• A thorough professional double cleanse
• Salicylic-based cleansing when appropriate
• Gentle enzyme exfoliation to soften buildup and congestion
• Detailed, careful extractions
• Targeted sulfur treatment for breakout-prone areas
• Customized hydration and barrier support
• 10 minutes of blue LED light therapy
• Corrective GlyMed+ finishing products
• Personalized home-care recommendations

And because results-driven skincare should still feel like a facial, we’ve kept the relaxation. Your treatment also incorporates massage customized around areas of active inflammation.

Let’s Talk About Extractions

We know. They’re often the reason someone with congested skin books the appointment in the first place.

But good extractions aren’t about removing absolutely everything we can find.

Before extraction, we gently prepare and soften the skin to allow appropriate congestion to release with less trauma. Your esthetician will focus on blackheads, clogged pores, and comedones that are ready to be safely extracted.

Deep, painful, cystic, or highly inflamed lesions are not aggressively manipulated.

Why?

Because traumatizing an inflamed breakout can make matters worse and increase the risk of prolonged redness, inflammation, and post-inflammatory discoloration.

Sometimes knowing what not to touch is just as important as knowing what to extract.

The Blue Light Difference

One of the biggest upgrades to our Acne Clarifying Facial is the addition of 10 minutes of blue LED light therapy.

Blue LED uses a specific wavelength of visible light and is commonly used in professional acne treatments to help target Cutibacterium acnes, bacteria associated with inflammatory acne.

It can also be a useful part of a broader strategy for helping calm breakout-prone skin without adding another aggressive exfoliating step.

Best of all, LED is non-invasive and requires no downtime.

We intentionally perform blue LED toward the end of the corrective portion of the treatment, after cleansing, exfoliation, extractions, and masking, allowing us to finish the facial with a gentle technology rather than continuing to challenge freshly treated skin.

Acne Skin Still Needs Hydration

This one surprises people.

If your skin is oily, your instinct may be to avoid moisturizer altogether.

But oil and hydration are not the same thing.

Acne-prone skin can produce excess oil while still lacking adequate water and having an impaired skin barrier. This is especially common in clients who use strong acne cleansers, exfoliating acids, benzoyl peroxide, retinoids, or multiple active products at once.

That’s why our Acne Clarifying Facial doesn’t end with stripping the skin.

We finish with corrective, lightweight GlyMed+ products selected to support hydration and protect the skin after treatment.

Clearer skin and healthy skin should be the same goal.

Our Diamond Glow facial includes a double-cleanse exfoliation with steam (if the skin is thicker and can handle double exfoliating). We will go in with the diamond tip and continue to slough off dead skin cells and buildup. Exfoliation via the diamond head also reduces scars/discoloration. After the exfoliation process, we will perform extractions, if needed, to remove any blackheads and apply a skin-soothing toner. An Elevation facial wouldn’t be complete without our 15-minute lymphatic drainage facial massage, which helps detox the face and push out toxins/puffiness lingering under the skin. A luxurious facial mask and an arm, hand, and scalp massage take this facial to the next level! Before you leave us, we finish this treatment with a serum, moisturizer, and our serum infuser to restore nutrients and hydration to the skin.

Who Is This Facial Best For?

Our Acne Clarifying Facial may be an excellent choice for clients experiencing:

• Blackheads and clogged pores
• Oily or combination skin
• Recurring mild to moderate breakouts
• Congestion
• Uneven or rough skin texture
• Hormonal breakouts
• Acne-prone skin that also feels dehydrated
• Clients looking to establish a consistent professional skincare routine

For clients experiencing severe cystic or nodular acne, significant pain, infection, rapid changes in acne, or acne that is causing substantial scarring, we may recommend evaluation by a dermatologist.

Professional esthetics and dermatology can work beautifully together. Knowing when your skin needs medical care is part of responsible skincare.

One Facial vs. An Acne-Care Plan

Can your skin look and feel better after one facial? Absolutely.

But acne rarely changes because of one appointment.

Consistency matters.

For clients actively working on congestion and breakouts, your esthetician may recommend a series of treatments followed by maintenance appointments based on how your skin responds. For many clients, treatments approximately every 4–6 weeks work well as part of an ongoing skincare plan.

Just as importantly, we’ll talk about what you’re doing during the other 29 days of the month.

Your Home Routine Matters

Professional facials can accomplish things you simply can’t replicate at home, but your daily skincare routine has an enormous influence on your results.

And acne routines don’t need to contain twelve products.

During your appointment, we’ll help identify where your current routine may be helping, where it may be working against you, and which professional products could make sense for your individual skin.

Our Elevation GlyMed+ Skin Boutique also makes it easy to purchase and replenish the professional GlyMed+ products recommended by our estheticians and have them shipped directly to your home.

The goal isn’t to sell you the most skincare.

It’s to help you use the right skincare consistently.