Want a relaxing, pampering experience and a healthy, dewy, glow? Reiki facials aim to heal your skin from the inside out. DailyOM asked the experts how these treatments work and how to decide if this buzzy beauty trend is right for you.
Last year, Americans spent an estimated $18.1 billion on spa services. Among these were vampire facials, microdermabrasion, and blue light facials, all of which promised brighter, tighter, healthier skin. This year, however, skin care trends are all about self-care, which explains the rapidly growing popularity of the reiki facial.
This trendy new treatment incorporates elements of ancient Japanese energy healing with traditional skin care to decrease stress, improve circulation, and calm the parasympathetic nervous system. Reiki facials are still relatively new, but celebrities like Miranda Kerr, Goldie Hawn, and Jenni Kayne are already giving them rave reviews. Do they live up to the hype? DailyOM turned to the experts to find out everything you need to know before your first appointment.
What Is a Reiki Facial?
Just like traditional facials, reiki facials are customized for each client depending on their specific skin care concerns. Your esthetician will address everything from wrinkles to acne to dry skin during your treatment. However, unlike a typical spa service, reiki facials prioritize your emotional well-being first to help heal the body from the inside out.
“A reiki facial is when the touch is intentional,” says Julie Polier, a Los Angeles–based shamanic facialist who incorporates reiki therapy into her spa menu. “We’re mimicking the body’s own electrical healing system so it’s not disruptive in any way. It’s like a noninvasive face-lift bringing everything into harmonious, optimal function. Reiki reminds the facial muscles where they were originally and brings them back to their original placement.”
Interested in learning more? Check out Anti-Aging Face Yoga
What Happens in a Reiki Facial Session?
Reiki facial sessions usually last anywhere from 60 to 90 minutes. The client lies down, face up, on a table in a spa bathrobe before the esthetician leads them through a guided meditation, designed to help them relax and unwind at the start of the session.
Next, the facialist places their hands over the client’s body before cleansing the skin with a layer of oil, followed by a facial cleanser. An exfoliating or hydrating face mask is applied to the skin, and reiki is repeated while the mask penetrates the pores. Each product is chosen by the reiki facialist based on the client’s unique skin concerns and needs.
Although treatments can vary quite a bit from one spa to the next, this is typically followed by light therapy or a microcurrent treatment, which produces a low-grade electrical current to help tighten the skin and give it a glow. Afterward, the esthetician will massage the client's face muscles and jawbone to release any residual tension before adding a finishing product to the skin. The treatment ends with another round of reiki therapy.
“It’s a little bit like a warm hug,” says Polier of this final step. “It can be a little jarring to go back into a busy street after a treatment like this, so creating a cocoon and sealing in the practice helps ease that transition when you’re going back into a different environment.”
What Does Science Say About Reiki Facials?
Although there isn’t any documented evidence yet that reiki can truly help promote healthier skin, scientific research has shown that reiki therapy can alleviate stress and anxiety, both of which are factors in premature aging and breakouts. According to a study conducted by the Journal of Integrative Medicine, 17 out of 20 study participants who reported high stress levels prior to doing reiki for 20 weeks reported that they believed reiki is a credible source for reducing stress. The majority of these participants said that their stress levels remained low even when they stopped reiki therapy in the study.
“We know that stress has a significant impact on the skin,” says Joshua Zeichner, MD, a board-certified dermatologist at Mount Sinai Hospital in New York City. “It can contribute to skin barrier dysfunction, lead to dryness and dullness of skin, and make certain skin conditions like acne and eczema worse. The same hormones that prepare our bodies for stressful situations also have an impact on our oil glands, revving up oil and inflammation and leading to breakouts. Reiki treatments have long been used in Eastern medicine for their healing abilities. Although their effectiveness has not been proven in Western clinical studies, I see little downside for trying reiki facials, along with treatments like laser resurfacing or microneedling, which have both proven and reliable benefits.”
How Do You Find a Reiki Facialist?
Finding a reiki facialist isn’t necessarily an easy feat. This beauty treatment is relatively new, so experienced estheticians are still few and far between. If you are already seeing a reiki therapist, they may have a suggestion for you. If not, Polier recommends asking your friends for referrals or doing a Google search for reiki facialists in your area.
Also, you should always ask questions of the esthetician before booking your first appointment, and listen to your body’s signals as you speak with them.
“Pay attention to your body when you’re interviewing a practitioner,” Polier suggests. “What’s happening in your body? Is there a tightness where you’re leaning further and further away? Or do you feel excitement and fluttering in your tummy? Those are important things to listen to because they reveal whether or not you feel aligned with the practitioner.”
In other words, make sure you feel a connection with your therapist so you’re comfortable during the treatment. Otherwise, you might not be as receptive to the healing energy. And, of course, ask about their background to make sure they have plenty of experience with reiki facials before you begin. It’s also important to let them know in advance if you have any allergies or skin concerns before you start your reiki facial treatment, just as you would with any facialist.
The Bottom Line
Reiki facials are a great way to incorporate a combination of Eastern and Western medicine into your wellness routine, offering destressing and pampering benefits that will last well after your appointment is over. They’re as gentle as any other facial treatment, so if you’ve been comfortable in the past with other spa services, there’s no downside to trying a reiki facial.
“If a facial has energy healing mixed in, it’s a great way to create a bespoke treatment,” says Polier. “The energy healing makes it impossible to treat this body like the next body that comes in. There’s no one-size-fits-all treatment because we’re all so uniquely different. That’s the beauty of customizing this treatment. It allows everyone to feel like they’re being seen and heard.”
