There are many miscellaneous items that you will want to have at the ready in your facial room. Below I have listed those things I have in my treatment room, and perhaps you will want to have as well. Some are obvious while others may be news to you.
If you do extractions, you will need tissue on hand. And if you give Yonka-Paris facials, you will definitely need a lot of tissue for the compress that goes over the clay mask. I like this Lucite holder because it is virtually invisible yet it securely holds the tissue. I don’t use the top with the hole in it, I just have the tissue sitting in there ready to grab.
Kleenex tissue
Along with the holder, you will obviously need tissue! I prefer the rougher type Kleenex, which nowadays is a bit harder to find. I get them in 3-packs and always have extra on hand so I don’t run out. This is an integral part of each and every facial in my salon. The reason I prefer a rougher-type tissue is because the softer type doesn’t hold the toner mixture well due to the coating the manufacturer puts on these types of tissue to keep them soft. I also don’t like these treated tissues for doing extractions. They are too thick and I can’t maneuver as well during this intricate procedure. I do have a box of the soft-type Kleenex on my office desk for clients (and me), but for my facial treatments, I always opt for the inexpensive, rougher-type tissue.
Canisters for both round & square cottonI keep these two containers on the bottom shelf of my working trolley. I use one for round cotton, one for square cotton. Why do I use two different shapes? The square cotton is less expensive. I use this to remove eye makeup and cleansers. The round cotton I use for the toner application, which happens many times throughout the facial. The square cotton has edges, which for me—for the client—can be more awkward to manage across a face. Round cotton doesn’t have that issue. I also use round cotton pads as eye pads during the clay mask application. Here, square cotton is again awkward due to the edges. I purchased these either at Bed Bath & Beyond or the Container Store.
This is a mandatory piece of equipment if you use lancets in your facial treatment. You simply cannot just toss the used lancet needle into your trash. It has to be put in a bio-hazard container, like the one pictured here. You want a small container. One quart is the smallest that is made. You also want the sturdy, plastic type vs. the plastic bag type. Obviously you are depositing used needle points so a bag is not sturdy enough to hold these sharp objects. You cannot just throw these needles away into your regular trash. These containers are easy to find at any medical supply store or on Amazon.
I recommend having a Q-tip holder that has a lid. During the time you are away from the salon, you want to keep dust off of these cotton swabs. These containers are easy to find at many different stores.
This is the gauze I currently use. Prior to a change in Yonka’s Micropeel, I used rolled gauze from a medical supply company. However now that this particular product changed, I needed to change how I removed it from a client’s face. I find this square gauze (I use 2 pieces together) does the trick. I purchase this on Amazon, but I’m sure you can find it in other places.
Facial sponges
I use these rough, yellow sponges (on the left) to remove the clay mask—only. They really are too rough to be used on a client’s skin otherwise. These can be found at many places from Target to a beauty supply company.
The sponges on the right are from Sally Beauty Supply. These little sponges are so soft, many times my clients remark about them: “They are so soft!” I use these for everything else I need a sponge for, except for the initial removal of the mask. As you will read in another post, I use the rough sponges to take off the bulk of the clay, then use these softer sponges to do the end clay clean up. Like I said, the yellow sponges feel rough on a client’s skin and that is a no-no.
I use these rough, yellow sponges (on the left) to remove the clay mask—only. They really are too rough to be used on a client’s skin otherwise. These can be found at many places from Target to a beauty supply company.
The sponges on the right are from Sally Beauty Supply. These little sponges are so soft, many times my clients remark about them: “They are so soft!” I use these for everything else I need a sponge for, except for the initial removal of the mask. As you will read in another post, I use the rough sponges to take off the bulk of the clay, then use these softer sponges to do the end clay clean up. Like I said, the yellow sponges feel rough on a client’s skin and that is a no-no.
Lancets
Throughout the years, I have purchased lancets at many different places. Now, I opt for the easiest buy: Target. I always get the thinnest lancets available, and these are the lancets I currently use.
Along with the lancets themselves, you’ll want to have a little container for them. I use a small tray from Pottery Barn; you can use anything you prefer. The main thing is to have easy access to them. I keep my tray of lancets on the top of my working trolley.
Small containers for ampoules
I use shot glasses to hold my ampoules. These are the perfect size and height and are easy to clean. Mine are clear glass with no words or images. They serve as the best containers for opened ampoules.
Along with the lancets themselves, you’ll want to have a little container for them. I use a small tray from Pottery Barn; you can use anything you prefer. The main thing is to have easy access to them. I keep my tray of lancets on the top of my working trolley.
I use shot glasses to hold my ampoules. These are the perfect size and height and are easy to clean. Mine are clear glass with no words or images. They serve as the best containers for opened ampoules.
Scissors
I keep a pair of scissors on the middle shelf of my working trolley. Once in a while I need to cut a piece of cotton for something or open something I am using in the facial. I used to use scissors to cut rolled gauze, but now I use the pre-cut type mentioned above.
I keep a pair of scissors on the middle shelf of my working trolley. Once in a while I need to cut a piece of cotton for something or open something I am using in the facial. I used to use scissors to cut rolled gauze, but now I use the pre-cut type mentioned above.
This is an essential tool if you use Yonka products. They are almost all in metal tubes, which need to be squeezed toward the end of their use to get all the product out of it. You many not use Yonka but use products in tubes (metal or plastic) in your treatment. A tube wringer is a must for you, too!
I use Yonka’s clay masks in each and every facial. I have never like squeezing the clay out of the tube then applying onto a client’s face. Right away I decided to keep the clay masks in small glass jars. The reason I use glass is because essential oils need to be housed in glass or metal to keep the essential oils safe and potent. Because glass does not conduct heat, the clay is usually cold coming out of the jar. I usually sit the jar in my sponge bowl and add hot water just before I apply the mask so the client doesn’t have a cold mask applied to their skin.
I have two different jars for the two different masks (normal to oily and normal to dry). I keep the normal to oily on the top of my working trolley; the normal to dry on the middle shelf. These jars aren’t marked, but after 30 years of working, I know which is which. In previous years I have put a piece of tape on the bottom and used a Sharpie to mark the name of each clay in each jar.
I like Pyrex bowls. They are thick glass and in 30 years, I have never had one break. I have a large bowl as my working sponge bowl and a smaller bowl for my toner emulsion. I suppose you could use something other than glass, but glass is easy to clean and the clear glass has a cleaner look than plastic would. Glass also stands up to very hot water.
This is an essential tool for me. When I leave the client with clay mask on, I can be sure to keep her in there long enough—or not too long—with the ease of having a little watch with a timer. The watch I use was very inexpensive (I purchased at Target), but the main feature is the timer.
When I begin the facial (with a new client) and every time I leave a client for their clay mask, I have the clipboard with me that has their client chart attached. During the mask, along with my trusty stop watch, I will write on their chart what I did, used, and sometimes what we talked about. Once the client has left the building, I will also write what they purchased that day.
This may seem incidental, but for me having pens—several different colors—is an essential. If you’ve read my post on chart writing (see link below), you’ll know I use a different color pen each time a client comes in for a facial—or even when she just comes to pick up products. The different colors make a marked difference for each chart entry, which makes it easier for me to navigate visually.
Pencils. I highly recommend never writing appointments in your book in pen—ever. Things change all the time and it will make your book hard to read and a mess.
A small thing, but have some around. Some usually older women have hairdos and a headband will crush their hair. A shower cap will keep the hair off their face and out of your way and will keep their hair in tact and well. If you’re ever staying a nice hotel, there will usually be a shower cap in a nice little box that you can commandeer and keep in one of your drawers in the treatment room. One issue with someone wearing a shower cap, even the super thin ones, is the constant crinkling noise. Oh well, their hair will survive the facial much better this way.
This was a long article, but I hope it gives you some ideas and information on what you might consider having available for your facial treatments.
