Beijing's Most Popular Beauty Treatments To Invest In

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Previously, I recommended my kid's favorite skincare products to beat the Beijing dryness and my own personal skincare picks to help combat my skin issues.

In this installment of my skincare articles, I'll share with you the professional beauty treatments that Beijingers readily invest in for their face.

The moment I could afford it, which was around my early twenties, I poured plenty of my part-time earnings into getting regular facials. After almost two decades of experimenting - where I tried almost everything from getting sprayed in the face with salt water or oxygen fumes, to having microscopic needles prick my eye bags (although I've drawn the line at actual injections like Botox) - I tend to steer clear of the "latest and greatest" inventive treatments and opt for classic facials instead.

In my nearly three years of living in Beijing, I've frequented four different commercial spa facilities to test their facial treatments and visited dermatologists in two different medical institutes. The results? I may have finally discovered the cost of maintaining youthful, beautiful skin in the capital city.

Below is a non-exhaustive list of the facial treatments that everyone who cares enough gets done on a regular basis here in the capital.

小气泡 (Xiǎo qìpào) literally "small bubbles"

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This is the most basic cleansing facial where the therapist will use either hot or cold mist to coax open your pores and extract the dirt, blackheads, and whiteheads. A staple for all people, but especially for those with oily skin.

Here in Beijing, depending on what level of spa you are in, they may perform the extraction the traditional way using a blackhead extractor, also known as a comedone extractor, which bloody hurts in my opinion. You usually have the option to top-up for the small suction vacuum which hurts way less.

In more recent years, there has even been an option to use a small but powerful water jet to remove these impurities. It can be a shocking sensation, but it apparently cleans better without the pain.

水光 (Shuǐ guāng) literally "water light"

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This hydrating facial is a big fave in Beijing for obvious reasons. The words “补水” (Bǔshuǐ) or "hydration" are the most common in skincare here, and I've been offered this facial more times than I can count.

The most common method I've experienced is a light spray of pure oxygenated water on your face after the usual cleansing process, but sometimes the therapist may simply apply a deeply hydrating serum and use a pulsing machine to improve absorption into your skin. An average price for this treatment runs between RMB350 - RMB800.

V Lift Shaping Facial

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This might be the newest addition to the list as this trend started around 2020. According to a South China Morning Post (SCMP) article, “The Koreans have popularised the V-shape and made it part of their standards of beauty. Consequently, many aesthetic treatments work towards achieving that ideal of facial symmetry and perpetual youth,” observes Dr. Kevin Chua, co-founder of Dr. Kevin Chua Medical & Aesthetics Clinic in Singapore."

A quick internet search reveals plenty of DIY devices almost resembling those head-enveloping braces of the 80s that promise to help lift and contour your face shape to that definitive V.

In the spa, the use of radio frequencies (RF) is most commonly used to achieve this effect. I have tried it before, and while you may enjoy rather dramatic results after just one treatment, the truth is that it goes almost as quickly as it comes and within three weeks you're back to your V-less face shape. If you think RMB1,000+ / session is worth it, then go ahead and splurge!

刷酸 (Shuā suān) Acid / chemical peel

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I've saved the best for last, as this is the one treatment that I have now committed to doing in Beijing at a medical dermatologist.

I first tried a chemical peel two months ago and started with a low grade of salicylic acid, just 20%, and moved up to 35% the last time. This number can go as high as 70% at a medical facility, whereas spas tend to keep below 50%. The results have been quite visible - with my scars lightening, smaller pores, and smoother skin overall. However, the price tag for this treatment is not cheap, at RMB1,300 / session at the doctor. At spas, you would pay maybe RMB300 - RMB500 less.

Images: Unsplash, Pexels, Amazon

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