Expensive facials: What are you paying for and is it worth the splurge?

Would you pay S$980 for a facial? At Singapore’s top aesthetic clinics and beauty establishments, the price of scrubbing your face clean, restoring youthful shimmer and infusing skincare for lasting results have shot through the roof.

At a few hundred dollars a pop, let’s just say these aren’t your grandma’s basic steam and cream massage facials. Sure, they have to feel good and be ultra pampering, but these pricey facials also promise to deliver tangible results, whether it’s instant glow, or an anti-ageing lift three or four treatments down the road.

TECHNOLOGICAL INNOVATIONS AND TAILORED TREATMENTS    

Thanks to the cutting-edge technology and innovations that have revolutionised the skincare and beauty industry in the past few decades, facials have morphed from simple massages and extractions which focus on the superficial into sophisticated procedures utilising an army of high-tech machines and devices, wielded by skilled therapists and highly-trained aestheticians.

As the results and outcomes of these facials improve, it also means that more people are staving off invasive treatments in favour of these non-invasive facials that do more, sans downtime, especially when it comes to anti-ageing. Some of these address skin health on a cellular level, and many are tailored treatments that deliver targeted solutions for specific skincare concerns, from acne and hyperpigmentation to anti-ageing and skin laxity.

Do expensive machines, potent ingredients and skilled therapists, and thus correspondingly sky-high prices, lead to groundbreaking results that are worth the splurge?

Some say yes, and swear they walk out from these facials – which often blend science and skill – with skin that is visibly lifted, clearer and glowy. Results are also often noticeable and long-lasting, which some say justifies the exorbitant price tags.

We round up the trendiest expensive facials in the market right now and what they’re supposed to do. Are they worth it? Read on to decide.

Porcelain Barrier Booster+ Facial, S$368, Porcelain Spa

Dancing between phytocosmetics and medi-technology, and melding massage techniques with high-tech devices, is this treatment that restores compromised skin barriers with natural and nourishing essences, delivered via the latest facial technology for deeper penetration.

From double-cleansing to exfoliation with a scrub containing Jojoba microspheres and Bamboo and Cuateteco powder, then nourishing oils and a Hyaluronic Acid ampoule, the high-tech stuff kicks in with the Microcurrent Barrier Revive, where a Dermazulene ampoule with potent anti-inflammatory properties is infused into skin with warm electroporation to stimulate and repair cells.

Next up is a hydrating mask, while customised LED lights are administered to target specific skin conditions. Lastly, a Shiatsu massage to reduce puffiness, drain toxins, and lift skin.

More info at https://porcelainskin.com/products/barrier-booster-facial. 

The Ultimate S Treatment, S$440, Sulwhasoo Spa

For those who are not fans of cold, hard machines, but have the cash to splash on an indulgent facial, try the Ultimate S Treatment from Sulwhasoo Spa. While with high-tech facials, you’d be paying for the latest cutting-edge machines, at Sulwhasoo Spa, you can expect to pay instead for that Sulwhasoo mystique, skilful therapists, and of course, copious amounts of Sulwhasoo products lovingly massaged on your face. 

The Ultimate S Treatment promises to “restore the hidden angle of the face”, and uses amber spa massage applicators, coupled with premium products and the skill of top-notch therapists, to help define facial contours and bring back that youthful glow.

Pampering touches include the gentle sounds and vibrations created by the Sulwha Bowl, and Sulwha Jeong, a royal therapeutic routine where skin is rubbed with a dry cotton towel, combined with Sulwhasoo’s four iconic fragrances, to awaken the senses and purify the mind.

More info at https://sg.sulwhasoo.com/pages/spa-introduction.

Epion STAR facial, S$550, Epion Clinic

George Clooney purportedly has a Hydrafacial machine at home, but for the rest of us non-Hollywood superstars, we can head to Epion Clinic for a taste of their signature skin tightening hybrid facial, which promises naturally lifted and more defined facial contours.

The treatment combines Skin Tightening, Aquadermabrasion, and Rehydration (or STAR), and uses FDA-cleared Sciton SkinTyte to transmit deep infrared pulses to painlessly and effectively tighten skin, lifting sagging jowls, wrinkles, and folds for a more V-shaped face.

Unlike Botox and fillers, this procedure is non-invasive and offers additional hydrating benefits. More superstar treatment follows: HydraFacial MD’s patented four-step resurfacing treatment deep-cleans, gently exfoliates, painlessly extracts and nourishes with antioxidants and peptides. To seal the anti-ageing deal, there’s a 24K gold facial mask treatment to hydrate and tighten pores.

More info at https://epionclinic.com/programmes/medi-facials/. 

Exosomes Therapy Facial, S$580, Freia Medical and Aesthetics

Exo-what? This new facial harnesses the power of exosomes, hailed as a potential breakthrough in skin rejuvenation and hair restoration.

Exosomes are tiny, bubble-like structures that are released from cells into the surrounding fluids. They act like little delivery trucks that cells use to send messages and materials to each other, and can help to “wake up” the body’s innate source of stem cells to regenerate and rejuvenate. The messages carried inside the exosomes can tell other cells to change what they're doing, help repair damage, or even fight diseases.

The facial includes a double cleansing, an invigorating lymphatic drainage massage, and most important, the process of micro-needling pure animal-derived exosomes into the skin to stimulate new collagen and elastin production. Benefits include tissue regeneration, inflammation regulation, diminishing fine lines and wrinkles, improving skin elasticity, refining skin tone and texture, and lightening of age spots.

More info at https://freiaaesthetics.sg/aesthetic-services/exosomes-therapy-facial/.

geneO+ Super Facial, S$980, Estetica

If you fancy a treatment that boosts the body’s natural skin oxygenation from within in a non-invasive and safe way, this facial is for you.

Part of the geneO+ Super Facial, the OxyGeneo portion of the treatment exfoliates while oxygenating and infusing products into the skin via special gels and an applicator. The effect of this is increased tissue oxygen and elevated skin cell metabolism, leading to more nourished and revitalised skin, and refined skin texture.

And that’s not all. The geneO+ Super Facial is a three-in-one treatment that combines microdermabrasion, deep facial rejuvenation and skin oxygenation, via TriPollar RF and Ultrasound technologies. The TriPollar RF tightens, firms and rejuvenates skin with third generation radio frequency technology which painlessly penetrates to the dermal layer. There is also additional Ultrasound treatment, which improves the infusion of active ingredients.

Expect to walk out of this pricey, luxe facial with significant skin improvements, with minimal downtime.

More info at https://esteticabeauty.com/services/#geneo-super-facial