Browse listingsKnowledgePricingSign inList your business
HomeTreatmentsFacials

Treatment guide

Facials in the UK: what you are actually paying for

A facial is a cleansing and treatment routine for the face, typically 45–60 minutes, combining cleansing, exfoliation, extraction, massage and a mask. Standard facials sit outside the Government's proposed cosmetic-procedure licensing scheme because they do not break the skin. Facials that include microneedling or a chemical peel do fall inside it.

Last reviewed · How we research and check this

Depends

Is it regulated?

No licence is required to perform this in England today. Whether this is covered depends on what is actually done. Versions that break the skin fall inside the scheme; versions that do not, sit outside it.

A classic or 'signature' facial does not penetrate the skin, so the scheme as drafted does not reach it. Add microneedling, dermaplaning that draws blood, or a medium-depth peel and you are into scope — which is why the treatment name alone tells you very little. Ask what is actually being done to your skin.

Basis: Section 180, Health and Care Act 2022 and the Government's consultation response of 7 August 2025, tracked in House of Commons Library briefing CBP-10331.

What the practitioner should hold

Level 2 or 3 beauty therapy is the usual grounding for standard facials; advanced facials that resurface the skin normally need Level 4 and product-specific training.

Insurance

Standard facials are covered by most salon policies. Check separately for any resurfacing element.

What it costs

Guide price: we do not yet have enough member listings to publish a reliable range for facials. We publish this figure only when there is real data behind it.

Questions to ask before you book

  1. What exactly does this facial include, step by step?
  2. Does anything in it break the skin?
  3. Which product line do you use, and why that one for my skin?
  4. What should I avoid for the next 48 hours?
  5. Is there anything about my skin that makes this a bad idea?

Red flags

  • A menu that names a brand but never describes the treatment
  • No skin consultation or patch test before an active treatment
  • Claims to permanently cure acne, rosacea or pigmentation
  • No aftercare advice offered

Common questions

How often should I have a facial?

For most skin, every four to six weeks matches the skin's renewal cycle. Course-based treatments such as peels follow their own schedule set by the practitioner. More is not automatically better — over-treating a barrier that is already compromised makes skin worse.

Are facials regulated in the UK?

Standard facials are not covered by any licensing scheme, and there is no legal qualification requirement. The proposed cosmetic-procedure licence in England covers treatments that penetrate the skin, so a facial only falls inside it if it includes something like microneedling or a peel.

What is the difference between a salon facial and a 'medical' facial?

There is no protected meaning to either phrase. What matters is what the treatment does to your skin, what qualification the person holds, and whether their insurance covers it. Ask those three things rather than reading the label.

Should I have a patch test?

Yes for anything containing actives you have not used before, and for any treatment involving a peel. A practitioner who refuses a patch test on an active treatment is telling you something useful about their standards.

Members offering facials

By area

Where members currently offer facials, with the local guide prices.

Related guides

Skin treatments LED light therapy

Sources

  1. Section 180, Health and Care Act 2022
  2. House of Commons Library briefing CBP-10331