During Sephora’s various member sales this holiday season, I decided to try out their Skin Fit Oxygenating Facial on three occasions.  Available at select Sephora locations only, this service includes a customized peel, mask and hydrating oxygen-infused facial. 

The facial requires reservation ahead of time (via the online booking system) and is complimentary with a minimum $75 purchase.  Since I had some purchases in mind (which exceeded the minimum amount even with the member discount), I decided to go for the facial as an added bonus.

My first two Skit Fit facials took place at Pacific Centre in Vancouver.  When I arrived, I checked in with the girl at the door and she directed me to the Skin Fit station inside the store.  You are greeted with a small sign with your name on it saying that the station is reserved for you.

The facial starts with a mini-consultation where the facialist asks you about your skin type, skin concerns, and current skin care routine.  Pro tip:  If you mention what products/brands you want to try, the facialist might just get them for you for the facial.

After the consultation, the associate goes around the store and collects the products (ie, sample bottles) that he thinks would be suitable for the facial.  I mentioned that I liked Fresh, Tatcha, and Amore Pacific and the facialist incorporated some of them.

I was given a headband to push my hairback and then had my chair reclined for the facial.  The process involved a double-cleanse, toning, essence, mask, oxygen facial (with and without serum), moisturizer, eye cream and moisturizer.  While I had the mask on, I received a bonus hand massage with hand cream.

Here are the products that were used:

• Caudalie: Grape Water
• Tatcha: The Deep Cleanse
• Fresh: Rose Deep Hydration Facial Toner
• Fresh: Black Tea Kombucha Antioxidant Essence
• Peter Thomas Roth: Cucumber De-Tox™ Hydra-Gel Eye Patches
• Fresh: Vitamin C Glow Face Mask
• Amore Pacific: Future Response Age Defense Serum
• Tatcha: Gold Camellia Beauty Oil
• Fresh: Rose Deep Hydration Moisturizer
• Shiseido: White Lucent Anti-Dark Circles Eye Cream
• Tatcha: Luminous Dewy Skin Mist
• Lano: Everywhere Multi-Cream Allover

So how does the oxygen facial work?   The oxygen facial is carried out using a small airbrush wand.  When placed on the face, the airbrush blasts oxygen at high pressure.  It’s not painful at all but rather like a mini pressure wash on the face.

The idea behind the oxygen facial is to improve the health and appearance of your skin by giving your skin cells a boost of oxygen to carry out metabolic functions.

During the Sephora facial, the associate passed the oxygen wand twice on my face.  The first with just pure oxygen and the second time with the oyxgen infused with Amore Pacific: Future Response Age Defense Serum.  It is believed that oxygen can enhance the absorption of skin care ingredients by penetrating into the deeper layers.

After the facial I felt my skin to be nicely smooth, hydrated and glowing.  I didn’t have any breakouts and there was no downtime after the facial.  The results lasted a couple days.

On my second Skin Fit facial, here are the products that were used:

• Caudalie: Grape Water
• Amore Pacific: Treatment Cleansing Oil Face & Eyes
• Peter Thomas Roth: Anti-Aging Cleansing Gel
• Fresh: Black Tea Kombucha Antioxidant Essence
• Peter Thomas Roth: Potent-C Power Serum
• Amore Pacific: The Essential Creme Fluid
• Biossance: 100% Squalane Oil
• Caudalie: Premier Cru Eye Cream
• Herbivore: Prism Exfoliating Glow Potion
• Caudalie: Hand and Nail Cream
• SK-II: Facial Treatment Mask

At the Pacific Centre Sephora, the Skin Fit station is in an open area so there is no privacy and you will notice customers around.  However, this is dependent on which store you go to.  When I did my third Skin Fit, I went to the Sephora store on Robson Street which has a Rouge Bar on the second level.  It’s a more private experience there.

For the third Skin Fit facial, here are the products that were used:

• SK-II: Facial Treatment Cleanser
• Amore Pacific: Treatment Enzyme Peel
• Darphin: Cleansing Foam Gel with Water Lily
• SK-II: Facial Treatment Essence
• Sunday Riley: C.E.O. Rapid Flash Brightening Serum
• Darphin: HYDRASKIN Intensive Skin-Hydrating Serum
• Darphin: Hydraskin Light All Day Skin Hydrating Cream Gel

Some final notes..

For me, the experience was dependent on the associate!  At Pacific Centre, the associate was super knowledgeable about the products and informed me about what he was using during each step of the facial.  As I had mentioned to him that I wanted to try SK-II products, he let me try the SK-II Facial Treatment mask as part of the facial ($22 value!).  He also gave me the leftover serum to take home.  This associate also went above and beyond by giving a hand massage and hand cream.  The pace of the facial was perfect and he and I had lots of discussion on skin care and products.

At Sephora Robson, the associate was just OK.  She didn’t explain the products she was using during each stage of the facial so I couldn’t associate the feel/texture of the product with the process.  She also seemed to be more in a hurry than the associate at Pacific Centre.  I also expressed to her that I wanted to try the SK-II Facial Treatment Mask (as I had that at Pacific Centre) but she said that they don’t do that there.  Also, there was no hand treatment.

Overall, I’m still very happy with the Skin Fit Oxygenating Facial experience where I learned more about certain products and ways to improve my skincare routine.  I’d recommend the experience and will be signing up for more Skin Fit facials when I need to make more purchases at Sephora.