What Is an Oxygen Facial?
March 1, 2026
Definition, Benefits, and Risks
Oxygen facial is one of the new trends in the beauty industry. It is highly recommended for people who are looking for getting rid of wrinkles, fine lines, and other aging signs. It also improves blood circulation and promotes collagen production in the skin to make your skin look younger.
Simulated demonstration of the oxygen-facial 'event glow' effect. Hydration restored, redness calmed, luminosity added — a temporary refreshed look ideal for pre-event prep.
What Is an Oxygen Facial?
An oxygen facial is a non-medical procedure since it is usually done in spas by beauty experts and does not involve injecting any chemicals into the body or doing any surgical interventions. This procedure depends on providing the cells with more oxygen. The theory behind oxygen facial is that when skin cells are filled with oxygen, they become brighter, healthier, and younger. (1)
The Oxygen Facial Procedure
During the oxygen facial procedure, the first step will be cleansing and exfoliating your skin. The process differs from one place to another, and each aesthetician has his own way to administer an oxygen facial. However, in most cases, high pressurized oxygen is delivered to the skin using a wand. Also, hyaluronic acid serums are usually used to rejuvenate and plump the skin cells. They are applied using the same wand or after applying the oxygen facial. The length of the process varies depending on many factors including the severity of the aging signs, the spa, and the level of experience of the beauty expert. It usually takes 30 minutes to an hour. Unlike other treatments, there is no recovery period after applying oxygen facial. You can even put on makeup immediately after the process. (2)
What Are the Benefits of Oxygen Facial?
Studies regarding the efficacy of this treatment are not conclusive. Most people say that their skin becomes healthier, younger, and brighter after the procedure. However, the research is limited (3). The benefits of oxygen facials may include:
- Radiant Skin: Oxygen facials enhance the ability of the skin to absorb beneficial ingredients such as hyaluronic acid from the serums applied during the procedure. The level of radiance varies depending on the type of serum and its quality.
- Skin Hydration: When the cells are filled with oxygen, it enhances the ability of the skin to absorb the serum. The oxygen wand delivers the serum ingredients to your skin cells, which will hydrate them, especially when hyaluronic acid is among the ingredients of the serum.
- Improving Skin Tone: Oxygen will provide your skin with huge amounts of vitamins and many other useful ingredients, which make your skin brighter and more glowing.
- Removing Fine Lines and Wrinkles: Oxygen facial enhances the skin’s blood circulation, which improves the overall appearance of the skin and makes it brighter.
- Treating and Calming Acne: Oxygen enhances the healing process of wounds and can eradicate certain bacteria. That is why when oxygen levels decrease, skin issues emerge. Oxygen facials can treat and/or calm your acne and kill Propionibacterium acnes bacteria, which can cause certain types of acne.
Oxygen facials shine as immediate pre-event treatments — one session delivers visible glow for 24-72 hours. Chronic dullness, fine lines, or acne need ongoing series and usually combine with other modalities.
How Often Do You Need to Get an Oxygen Facial?
According to dermatologists, it is highly recommended to get an oxygen facial once per month. It can help you keep your skin younger and brighter. However, it may not be as effective as other treatments. Therefore, you should consult your dermatologist before using oxygen facials. For most people, oxygen facials are suitable for people who already have healthy and bright skin. Dermatologists usually recommend this procedure for young people to maintain their healthy skin. Of course, the procedure can be done at any age. However, aging signs usually require stronger treatments.
What Are the Risks and Side Effects of Oxygen Facial?
While many people recommend oxygen facials, some do not believe in their efficacy. Some dermatologists do not recommend this procedure at all and say that applying high-pressure oxygen to the skin is not an effective way to treat aging signs (4). In addition, there may be some side effects to the procedure including:
- Temporary Redness: Applying high-pressurized oxygen and serum to the skin may make the skin red, especially if you have sensitive skin. This redness usually disappears after a few hours.
- Facial Puffiness or Swelling: Skin inflammation is common after the procedure due to applying intense oxygen blasts to the face, which may make the skin swollen or plumped, especially if you have sensitive skin.
- Allergic Reactions to the Serum: You should check the ingredients of the serum before the procedure and make sure that there are no ingredients that you are allergic to it. If there is any persistent itching, swelling, redness, or any other allergic reaction symptoms, visit your doctor immediately.
How Much Does an Oxygen Facial Cost?
The cost varies depending on your location, the spa or clinic, and the level of experience of the aesthetician. The session’s price ranges between 75$ to $500. It is highly recommended to find a reputable spa with a highly trained professional aesthetician to perform the procedure to avoid any side effects. In some cases, the price is too good to be true. Of course, oxygen facials are not covered by most health insurance policies. However, if the sessions are part of a skincare treatment or you have a certain skin condition, they may be included. Ask your health insurance providers if the health insurance policy can cover oxygen facial sessions.
What Is the Difference between Oxygen Facials and Other Facial Treatments?
Some other treatments can offer the same results as including:
- Microdermabrasion: If you do not want to give oxygen facial treatment a try, microdermabrasion can provide you with the same results. It is a safe exfoliating treatment that can help you to improve your overall appearance and treat sun damage, fine lines, wrinkles, acne, and more.
- HydraFacial: HydraFacial is highly recommended for people who want to remove impurities from their skin pores. It is a three-step treatment process that is also called the “Vacuumlike”. The process starts with a deep cleanse and peel of the skin, then extraction of the impurities, and finally hydration of the skin. It is highly recommended for people who want to protect their skin and keep it fresh.