What's the Deal with Skin Care Memberships?

It’s undeniable that taking a single exercise class or hitting the gym once a year won’t make much of a dent in your fitness goals. And the same logic can be applied to skin care. Receiving one facial or skin care treatment may have a positive impact on your skin, but it likely won’t leave you with the complexion of your dreams. The reason being that your fitness and skin care objectives both require time and consistency for best results—which is why it makes plenty of sense that cosmetologists and dermatologists have started to take inspiration from the membership models used by gyms and boutique fitness studios. Instead of (or in addition to) paying monthly fees to use your gym’s facilities, you can obtain a skin care membership that—for a monthly fee—gives you the ability to experience regular skin treatments. Up for learning more? Read on to find out how skin care memberships work and whether or not signing up could be right for you. 

How Do Skin Care Memberships Work?

Here’s what you can expect from a typical a skin care membership: You’ll likely pay a fee each month in order to receive approximately 12 services per year. The price per month can vary depending on the salon or spa offering the membership, as well as what type of services you will be receiving. The treatments that are offered through a skin care membership run the gamut from relaxing facials to non-invasive laser treatments.

Not only are these memberships a good deal—the monthly fees typically cost less than the service(s) you’ll receive that month—but many dermatologists and cosmetologists also consider them a great way to take care of your complexion. Rather than shelling out for one big treatment a year, and expecting it to tackle all of your skin concerns, you can receive smaller treatments on a more regular basis. This method can be a more realistic way to meet your skin care goals over time.

Is a Skin Care Membership Right for You?

Skin care memberships may be trending but they aren’t necessarily for everyone. Just as you don’t want to lock yourself into a yearlong commitment with a gym if you won’t actually go, it’s important to make sure you’ll utilize your skin care membership. To determine whether seeking out a membership is right for you, you’ll need to answer a few questions:

Do you already receive skin care treatments on a monthly basis? If you’re already a regular at your dermatologist or esthetician’s practice, signing up for a skin care membership is likely meant for you. You can continue receiving regular treatments—at a discounted price.

Would signing up for a skin care membership encourage you to be more consistent with caring for your skin? The same way knowing you’re dropping a pretty penny on a gym membership can be the push you need to get into the gym, paying a monthly fee for skin care treatments can be a very convincing way to get you to start receiving said treatments. So, if you want to up your skin care game but haven’t been able to get yourself to the derm often enough, a skin care membership may be just the encouragement you need. 

Do you think of skin care treatments exclusively as special occasion treats? Plenty of people think of facials as treats that are only appropriate for special occasions. If you fall into that camp and prefer to only receive a treatment once or twice a year, it’s probable that you wouldn’t enjoy all the benefits of a skin care membership. In that case, it’s understandable to stick with paying per treatment.

Do you have a favorite treatment or prefer to try everything that’s offered? If you’re partial to visiting different dermatologists and checking out a variety of spas and treatments, a skin care membership may end up hindering your more adventurous side, since they often require that you stick with the same location and type of treatment. Creatures of habit will be better-suited to a skin care membership.

3 Skin Care Memberships to Consider

Wondering what your options are when it comes to signing up for a skin care membership? Find three of our favorite memberships, below:

Skin Laundry’s The Laundry Club: Known for their laser and light facials, Skin Laundry was an early adopter of the skin care membership model. With locations everywhere from New York and California to Hong Kong and London, members of their ‘laundry club’ can pay $110 per month for 2 facials or $200 for 4—with no minimum commitment.

Skin Bar Memberships: Rather than offer a single membership, Skin Bar—which is located in NYC—offers three different types of memberships: Clear Skin, Simply Skin, and Laser Hair Removal. For a monthly fee that falls somewhere between $100 and $200, each membership will get you 1-2 treatments in addition to a slew of member benefits, including 15% off extra services.

Skin Spa Membership: Skin Spa, located in New York and Boston, is one of the least expensive memberships you’ll find, ringing in at just $60 per month. For that price, members receive their first treatment free every month. As for what treatments you can choose from, the options include a customized facial, microdermabrasion treatment, power peel, Swedish massage, deep tissue massage, and Brazilian wax.