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When I first heard OxyGeneo, I quickly assumed it was a new take on the oxygen facial that gained popularity about 10 years ago. And yes, oxygen is involved, but it’s nothing like the oxygen facial you think you know.

Back-tracking just a bit, you might have heard of or maybe even tried the popular oxygen facial that celebrities have been raving about for ages, thanks to the instant glow you get. It’s a simple treatment that essentially delivers a pressurized stream of oxygen with a mixture of active ingredients to your skin. You leave the office feeling great (inhaling pure oxygen is slightly uplifting), and your skin is plump and glowy. But it’s not all rainbows and sunshine. Critics of this treatment say the plumping effect is due to inflammation of the skin, and that oxygen is actually a free radical that’s actually doing more damage than good. Others say there aren’t even real benefits to using oxygen to deliver nutrients to the skin.

This brings us back to OxyGeneo. Touted as a “super facial,” you actually get a 3-in-1 experience.

1. Exfoliation. Very similar to microdermabrasion, the upper layer of dead skin cells are removed.

2. Infusion. Depending on what treatment you select, active nutrient-rich ingredients are infused into the skin (like antioxidants and hyaluronic acid).

3. Oxygenation. The system products CO2 bubbles that gently burst onto the skin, sending oxygen-rich blood to the surface, helping to absorb the nutrient-rich ingredients.

The biggest difference between an oxygen facial and OxyGeneo, is that with OxyGeneo it’s your body that’s producing the oxygen, not the other way around. Not to get too technical, but it’s a physiological phenomenon called the Bohr effect. When the carbon dioxide bubbles gently burst on your skin, oxygen is attracted to this and rises to the skin’s surface, increasing the metabolism of your skin cells and allowing your skin to better absorb nutrients.

You get to choose from two different formulas, depending on your concern. NeoBright helps with skin pigmentation and sun damage, while NeoRevive helps to fight the appearance of fine lines and brightens a dull complexion.

The treatment takes only about thirty minutes and it doesn’t hurt at all. There’s also no down-time, so it’s perfect to do before a trip or big event. Besides having a glow, I found it was amazing for exfoliation. Right away I could feel how soft my skin was.

Because the NeoBright formula helps with sun damage and pigmentation, it’s a great post-vacation too when you’re skin is dehydrated from travelling and you may have been out in a sun a bit too much.

This treatment is widely available in medi-spas and dermatologist’s offices. It’s even offered at the Four Seasons Spa in Toronto. The cost is approximately $150 for the basic treatment and $250 if you add the new TriPollar handpiece (best for spot treating wrinkles and lifting skin).

Although it doesn’t come with the same pampering you get with a traditional facial, it’s a great treatment to consider if you’re looking to rejuvenate your skin in a pinch and want the instant satisfaction of leaving with a gorgeous glow.

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