My gym has a spa, so today I went in to find out about getting a facial. I guess it’s been a while since I’ve had one, because I was shocked at the prices. The basic facial is $85 and each add-on – and who doesn’t want add-ons? – is $39 extra. How can anyone sit back and relax and de-stress when they know how much this is costing?! There has to be a way to get the same or similar spa treatments for a fraction of the cost.

Cut the cost of spa facials – while using the same high-end products.

The “signature facial” (or “basic facial”) at my local spa runs $85. The spa claims that “routine facials help diminish fine lines and wrinkles, reduce sun damage and give your skin a youthful glow.” Sounds good to me! (Except for the price.) I interviewed an esthetician who said they use Epicuren products for the basic facial. Specifically, the cleanser, exfoliant, mask, toner and moisturizer. The Apricot Cream Cleanser runs $29 on the Epicuren site, the Extra Fine Citrus Facial Scrub is $34, the hydrating mask is $24, the Protein Mist Enzyme Toner is $35 and the Hydro Plus Moisturizer is $60. That’s a total of $182 worth of products that could undoubtedly be used for many facials! 

But I wanted to get the price down much lower.

A Google search showed that buying these products directly from your local spa or from the site is the most expensive way to go. Buying them on Amazon, eBay or online beauty sites got the prices way, way down. For example, I found the Protein Mist Enzyme Toner for $24.29 from Amazon (free shipping with orders over $35) – that’s a savings of $10.71, which is almost 1/3 the price. On eBay, I found the Facial Scrub for $22 plus $2.94 shipping. That’s a savings of $5. The beauty site Zabiva offers the moisturizer for $39.79 plus $5.95 shipping for a total for $45.74, which is $14.26 cheaper than buying directly from Epicuren or the spa. With enough research, it would be easy to get all these products down to $100 total. Considering the basic facial runs $85 and these products can be used for many, many facials, that’s quite a savings.

But what about the add-ons?

I grilled the esthetician about what products were used in the add-ons. The $39 Four Layer Facelift Treatment which claims to “lighten, brighten and hydrate” is achieved with Image Skincare’s Vital C masque and serum. The spa sells the masque serum for $54 (for 1.7 ounces!) but I found it for as low at $27.65 (not including shipping) at Skinsolutionstore.com. The masque was also overpriced at the spa compared to online web searches.

The spa’s $39 Peptide Treatment add-on claims to “calm sensitive and mature skin” with an anti-inflammatory “gentle exfoliation for a glowing complexion.” The products they use for this treatment are Image Skincare’s Ormedic Balancing Antioxidant Serum and Balancing Gel Masque. The spa sells the serum for $44 and the masque for $34.  But on Amazon, I was able to find the serum for $20.99 and the masque 22.99 (buy both and get free shipping). That’s a savings of $43.98.

So what’s the bottom line?

With a little research, you can buy the same high-end salon products for a fraction of the cost (on average about 30% off or greater) and duplicate spa facial treatments at home for a significant savings. Just thinking about all that money you’ll be saving is de-stressfying! So while the relaxing atmosphere of the spa is a great selling point and a wonderful “sometimes treat” – you may find yourself asking whether regular spa facials are really worth it.

What are your favorite facial treatments?