To know me is to know that I love a good #SelfCareSunday. Indulging in self-care activities has always been a joy of mine, no matter the day of the week. I believe that taking care of yourself or as I always say, treat yo self, is essential! You can't take care of your responsibilities or your surroundings if you aren't taking proper care of yourself first. Sharing the importance of self-care is a huge component of Xi's Essentials and it is the reason why I've decided to start sharing my #SelfCareSunday routines and essentials with you all.
Today marks the first day of my birthday week! (Yes, I am that person who celebrates their birthday all week.) To kick off my birthday week as well as my first Self-Care Sunday Essentials guide, I wanted to feature my first facial experience featuring a Black-Owned skincare company known as Atomic Skin. So below I'll detail my experience; what I liked vs. what I didn't like; some information about Atomic Skin; plus photos!
Black don't crack, honey.
First and foremost, I would like to give honor to God who is the head of my life; and for blessing me with some good skin! But no seriously, for the most part, I've never really had any major problems with my skin. At one point in my life I did suffer from an extreme case of dry patches and eczema, a condition that causes inflamed, itchy, cracked, and rough skin, along the crevices of my elbows and knees. I still get the occasional dry patches, hormonal breakouts, and I have oily skin. (Shiny, large foreheads are in ladies!) Again, nothing too major! But lately I've been noticing that my skin needed some serious TLC and since my birthday is coming up, this marked the perfect time to treat myself to my first facial. My skin, along with my mental health, needed some rejuvenation.
Houston has tonnnssss of professional estheticians that provide skincare services so it was definitely hard for me to choose who would do my first. I love to utilize Instagram hashtags (i.e. #HoustonFacials) whenever I need to find a new service in the city. After looking through what felt like a million estheticians, I finally came across Atomic Skin instagram page. I decided that she was "the one" because of her flexibility with my schedule; her work based off of her photos; and the fact that her practice is in a studio (I felt more comfortable going to an actual business setting rather than someone's home. Sorry, COVID).
Keshia Jones, a professional esthetician, serves as the founder and CEO of Atomic Skin, a Black-Owned vegan skincare company based in Houston, Texas. Jones started Atomic Skin in 2019 and recently celebrated their one year anniversary. Atomic Skin offers luxury skincare products for all skin types including a Bombs Away Acne Cleanser, Rose Bomb Hydrating Mist, and their most popular product, the Bombshell Hydrating Elixir. I purchased the hydrating elixir because it contains a ton of natural oils and I needed something that would give me a radiant glow. Her vegan, cruelty-free products are sure to have your skin feeling renewed.
The experience.
Okay let's dive into my first facial experience. When I walked into her studio, I immediately felt relaxed. Her space was super cute and aesthetically pleasing! I instantly felt welcomed when Keshia greeted me at the reception desk with a smile. She definitely deserves 10 stars for her pleasant customer service. Smooth R&B music featuring artists like H.E.R., Jhené Aiko, Teyanna Taylor, SiR, and more made the experience that much more relaxing. The vibe was unmatched. After answering a quick skin questionnaire, I undressed, slipped into a white towel, and laid on the spa bed. She began my service by first sitting a facial steamer near my face to help open my pores. I've been noticing lately that at-home facial steamers have become quite popular and after experiencing my first time using one today, I definitely want one now! Following the steamer, she then used a double cleanse to clean my face. The cleansing products smelled like heaven! Honestly, every product that she used smelled incredible. After she cleaned my face with a couple different products, next up was the extractions. This is the process of clearing a clogged or compacted pore by manual or mechanical means. For the extractions, Keshia utilized a coconut-papaya enzyme treatment to help exfoliate and dissolve my dead skin cells. Although it smelled ah-mazing, I've got to say that the extractions were my least favorite part of my facial. Why didn't y'all warned me that it would hurt?! Lol, luckily I can take pain but that was definitely not the fun part. But the next part was actually my fave: we did a hydro jelly mask and tightening. The mask was a little cold when it was applied to my face but I liked the feeling. I will warn you that if you suffer from claustrophobia, a jelly mask may not be to your liking as it does cover your entire face besides your nostrils. When Keshia informed me of this, I thought that I would panic a little but it was actually very calming. We then finished with a light massage and the application of a few Atomic Skin products—first the hydrating mist and then the hydrating elixir. When she finished, I could most certainly feel a difference on my skin. There was definitely a glow to my skin!
Overall, I thoroughly enjoyed my first facial experience! I'd rate my experience a 9/10 (only because I wasn't prepared for the extraction part). But Keshia and Atomic Skin definitely deserves a 10/10 in my book for great customer service, professionalism, the aesthetically-pleasing ambience, and for her vegan products! Her hydrating products is just what my skin needed. I'll be sure to post an update of her products on my skin after using them for a couple weeks. In the meantime, book your facial here with Atomic Skin. I seriously recommend that you should treat yourself to a facial once in a while. Just as your mind, hair, and body needs some rejuvenation, don't forget about your skin too! Remember to take care of yourself and if you can, support your local Black-owned skincare business. Until our next Self-Care Sunday Essentials Guide, enjoy your #SelfCareSunday, friends!
XO, Xiara.
Enjoy these no filter photos of my after-facial experience.
(note: please ignore my hair. She does what she wants lol. Also ignore my brows, I'm getting myself together this week friends!)
Xi's Takeaway Essentials:
Put yourself first. Take care of YOU.
Indulge in self-care activities, weekly.
Skincare is the best care! Find a routine/products that work best for you.
As always, support Black-Owned businesses.
Artwork by: Lindsay Adams
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