I Tried It: The Glo2Facial

SKINCARE

Nov 24

The buzzy, new facial machine that made me go filter-free

I’ve developed a new, non-scientific standard for evaluating a facial: Does it make me feel confident enough to ditch the Paris filter? I am not a huge filter person, but I am guilty of swiping right for the Paris filter in my stories when my skin doesn’t look up to snuff. It just smooths everything out. Of course, it’s ridiculous because, hello, real skin has pores! And texture! But still, a little Paris action seems far less egregious than many of the other filters and feature-changing apps out there. I am willing to go without it (and often do) — usually when I have good lighting, good makeup, or my skincare routine has been on point.

Enter the Glo2Facial by Geneo, a new-ish machine available at spas and dermatology offices. I tried a Glo2Facial with Roxanne Valinoti, an esthetician and certified health coach at Incentives Organic Spa and Salon in Babylon. This appointment was a one-part skincare research and one-part catch-up for me because I’ve known Valinoti for at least two decades and hadn’t seen her in many years. She was an educator for a major brand I worked with in my magazine days. I was delighted to find her on Long Island, focusing on skin health.

So, why all the recent buzz about Glo2Facial? “It activates your body’s natural superpower: oxygenating skin from within,” Valinoti says. Combining the brand’s activating serum, a carbon dioxide pod, and gentle exfoliation encourages your cells to pump up the oxygen. What does that mean for skin? For one, oxygen revs up cellular metabolism, which gets sluggish with age (yes, skin has its own metabolism). That means the O2 boost helps skin cells function at an optimal level. It allows the skin to better absorb the nutrients in the serums that will be applied, and it also boosts blood flow, giving skin an amazing glow. “It delivers that plumping effect, but clinical studies have shown it increases the serum retention over time, so the results last,” says Valinoti.

The facial can be customized in six ways, depending on your skin’s needs. I had the Revive Glo2facial, which smooths and tightens skin. Here are the three main steps:

Step 1: Oxyfoliation

The science behind this step is the “Bohr effect.” Do you remember that from high school science class? I do. In simplest terms, Valinoti explains that the activating gel and the CO2 cause a reaction that makes the body naturally send oxygen to skin cells. The pod also delivers gentle exfoliation, priming it for the Revive serum.

Step 2: Lite Ultrasound

In the ultrasound phase, Valinoti applied the Revive serum. Then, the ultrasound delivers gentle vibrations that help the serum penetrate deeper into the skin. She told me the scientific term is “sonophoresis,” which means “it increases the permeability in the stratum corneum (skin’s top layer).” I felt warmth and very light tingling as the ultrasound did its thing.

Step 3: Lymphatic Massage

Here, I got a second dose of the Revive serum and a hands-free massage that stimulates lymphatic drainage, which helps tone and depuff the skin. The massage head has little nubs and delivers light vibration. There’s also some anti-inflammatory red light action, which you can see.

After

My skin felt taut, smooth, and incredibly soft. I snapped a filter-free shot immediately after in the treatment room. And here I am, hours later, ready for a night out with friends. No filter needed. You can see that cheek glow!