The jetpeel facial is seriously impressive

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This article was published 06/01/2022 (1700 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

It’s been likened to a “car wash for your face,” perhaps not the most enticing of descriptions, though I have to say it is pretty accurate. I recently lay down on a treatment bed to try the much buzzed-about JetPeel facial for myself. I’ll admit the name had me a tad worried. Having one’s face peeled by a jet doesn’t exactly sound like a pleasant experience. I took a deep breath and braced for the worst.

I was being a wuss for nothing. It turns out it’s much less invasive than I’d imagined. Essentially, the device utilizes pressurized air and water to gently stretch the surface of the skin and open microchannels. That allows various solutions to travel deeper inside the epidermis. It’s a bit like how microneedling can be used to drive hyaluronic acid or other ingredients into the skin, only with a JetPeel there’s no needles.

The actual wand never even comes into contact with your face. All you feel is the liquid and the air. That’s also what differentiates the treatment from the very popular HydraFacial, which works more like a vacuum, if you will, sucking all the gunk from your pores. (How appetizing — I know.)

So what actually happens during a JetPeel? First comes a course of lymphatic drainage. The skin is essentially massaged via a blast of oxygen and water. The technician directs her strokes toward the lymph nodes, down the neck and along the collar bones, to encourage the body’s natural detoxification process. This also stimulates blood flow and feels quite nice.

The next part is what’s referred to as “hydra-dermabrasion,” meaning exfoliation by water. Have you ever seen someone pressure-wash their house and couldn’t believe how much grime had been stripped off? It’s a bit like that, but on your face. Pores are deep-cleaned and dead cells sloughed away, preparing the skin to soak in all the good stuff to come.

That includes the “hydroporation” phase, where active ingredients are delivered into the skin, and the “booster infusion,” an optional and completely customizable step where a targeted solution — be it for rejuvenation, redness, acne, hydration, brightening, you name it — is added in to enhance results.

And let’s talk about those results. The before-and-afters are pretty jaw-dropping. Lines are visibly diminished, skin is more even, more radiant and noticeably tauter. Most of the images depict patient improvements after six treatments, though I can confirm that after a single session I saw a marked difference. My face was a bit pink in the hours that followed, but that subsided by the following day, making way to glassy smooth skin. There was no peeling or sensitivity. Instead, light was bouncing off my cheekbones before I even tapped them with highlighter. I was impressed.

It’s no wonder stars like Jennifer Aniston, Uma Thurman and Demi Moore have been known to book a JetPeel in the days before a big red carpet event. The effects are by no means permanent, but the treatment does provide a nice sort of perking up of the complexion that lasts a few weeks.

Though it doesn’t come cheap. A single treatment will set you back between $350 and $550 depending on where you go (the service is offered in many medispas). A lot more than your average facial, but this is pretty much the furthest thing from an average facial. It’s much more results-driven than it is relaxing, without in any way being uncomfortable, either. It’s just not a “this is so blissful, I might fall asleep” kind of scenario. However, you will look like you’ve had the most amazing sleep of your life, which is, some might argue, far, far better.

Katherine Lalancette is the beauty and lifestyle director of The Kit, based in Toronto. She writes about beauty and trends. Reach her on email at kl@thekit.ca or follow her on Twitter: @kik_tweets