Most of you who follow me on IG or YouTube know that I’m obsessed with all things skin and wellness, so it’s not too much of a surprise that I scheduled a facial asap when I heard about The Things We Do, a beauty concept bar at ROW DTLA :) When I was in my early 20’s, I didn’t really understand why people got facials. Now I know how beneficial it is to invest in yourself and your skin- so I wanted to share my experience at The Things We Do and go into a little bit of detail regarding the benefits of facials, gua sha, and more!
The main reason I love getting facials is because there’s truly such a difference when a professional esthetician works on your skin versus when you work on your skin. When I do my skincare routine, it’s usually a 10-15 minute process- max. But when I get a facial, an esthetician will probably take an entire hour (or even more) to really work on each layer of my skin. That was one of my favorite parts about getting a facial at the Things We Do. There was so much attention to detail and my esthetician, Aziel Rodgers (@azielfaith on IG) focused on doing a step-by-step process to make sure I would walk out with glowy, dewy skin.
A little recap on my experience – just walking into The Things We Do, you already feel at ease and relaxed. The vibe is super calming and you’re surrounded by plush pink and other soft neutrals, so I personally felt right at home. After browsing their amazing facials and treatments, I decided on getting the “Sacred Facial” which is focused mostly on hydrating, lifting, and restoring your skin. It combined the use of facial steam, micro-current application, the gua sha tool, a mud mask, and more. I mean, those aren’t things most people would do at home (if so, you’re my idol lol).
Two things that really stood out to me was the way Aziel concocted my mud mask and the way she used the gua sha tool. My mud mask was created specifically for my skin by using a skincare line called Botnia, which uses a compound of all-natural ingredients like oatmeal (to calm my skin), rosehip (for the antioxidants), and greens (to help brighten up my skin). I loved that it was like a green juice for my skin!
And the way Aziel used the gua sha tool was honestly amazing and convinced me to even buy one for myself! She gently (but firmly) pressed on my face and guided the gua sha tool in an upward direction to really lift and sculpt my face. It was so relaxing I almost fell asleep. One thing I learned is that the gua sha tool is supposed to follow the meridians of the body, and you really have to learn the correct way to do it if you want to see an effect. I left The Things We Do looking a lot more glowy and a lot more sculpted so she definitely knew what she was doing!
I personally believe it’s more than worth it to invest in a facial somewhat regularly, and practice self care whenever possible. It’s these kind of things that help us achieve the best possible skincare results and honestly, it’s also a practice of self-love. Because you’re giving yourself the hour or two to relax and do something for YOU. If you’re in the LA area, definitely check out The Things We Do at ROW DTLA (and stop by my fav vegan restaurant Cafe Gratitude after – it’s only 6 minutes away)! If you have any questions about facials, or The Things We Do, DM me on my insta at @monavand :)
