HOW TO HIRE · BEAUTY & GROOMING

How to hire a facialist in the UK
The checks, the questions and the paperwork.

Facialists need no licence anywhere in the UK. Here is what to check, what to ask about your skin, and what to do if it goes wrong.

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  • One score from Google, Trustpilot and Locufy reviews

THE 60-SECOND VERSION

Hiring a facialist in five steps

  1. Tell them your skincareRetinoids, acids, prescription creams and recent peels.
  2. Mention allergiesNuts, fragrance or ingredients you react to.
  3. Ask what the facial includesCleanse, exfoliation, extractions, mask, massage.
  4. Machines cost moreLED, microcurrent and hydradermabrasion are priced on top.
  5. Skip waxing that weekAvoid waxing or exfoliating your face for a few days first.

BEFORE YOU BOOK

Check before you book

No register applies

Facialists need no licence and sit on no register in England, Scotland, Wales or Northern Ireland. Council skin-piercing licences begin only where a needle breaks the skin, which a facialist does not do. Greater London boroughs license special treatments (gov.uk names massage, manicures, chiropody and saunas), so a salon there may hold a licence worth asking about.

Ask which course they took for the facial, and who insures them for it. gov.uk →

Insurance that covers the facial

Cover is treatment-specific: one facialist's policy may include the facial but not home visits, another the reverse. Public liability insurance is what pays if you are hurt.

Get the insurer's name in writing and check the schedule mentions the facial.

Trader status under the Consumer Rights Act 2015

The Consumer Rights Act 2015 covers a facial bought from a facialist in business. Reasonable care and skill is the standard; below it, you can require the work again or a reduction.

See whether the profile carries the trader badge before you pay, and screenshot what was agreed. legislation.gov.uk →

VAT

A facial is a cosmetic treatment, standard-rated at 20%. A spa or salon above the £90,000 registration threshold must charge VAT on the facialist's work and show it separately on the bill.

Ask for the spa's VAT number and for VAT shown apart from the facial price. gov.uk →

“Which facial suits my skin, and why?”

A good answer: A recommendation after the facialist has looked at your skin and asked about your routine.

“What is in the products you will use?”

A good answer: Named products, and a check against your allergies.

“Will you do extractions, and how?”

A good answer: Gentle, gloved and only where needed — and your permission first.

“Is the facial suitable with my prescription skincare?”

A good answer: Questions about retinoids and acids, and a gentler plan if needed.

“Are LED or other machines extra?”

A good answer: A price for each add-on before the facial starts.

“What aftercare do I need?”

A good answer: SPF, no heavy make-up for a few hours, and what to avoid.

“What if my skin reacts?”

A good answer: The facialist stops, removes the product and soothes the skin.

Getting the quote right

  • The facial by name and length
  • Machine add-ons — LED, microcurrent — priced
  • Products to take home, if any
  • Who actually attends: the facialist you chose, or another therapist on shift, and whether that therapist is employed by the spa or subcontracted
  • The VAT number on the bill, with VAT apart from the facial and each add-on

Walk away if

  • No questions about your skincare or allergies
  • Extractions without gloves or without asking
  • Pressure to buy a course or products on the first visit
  • Dirty towels or tools
LOW
£35
TYPICAL
£65
HIGH
£120

What a facialist costs: £35–£120 per treatment

Facialists price per treatment by length and type, with machine add-ons priced on top. Facials price guide →

Guide prices compiled by the Locufy team from published Irish and UK provider price lists and 2026/27 cost guides. Updated 2026.

KNOW WHAT TO LOOK FOR? NOW FIND ONE

Facialists near you, with the badges that matter shown

ID checked, trader status and one score from every review — on the card, before you message anyone. Nearest first. No account needed to look.

Or post the job free and let them come to you.

  1. Skin consultationSkin looked at and history taken.
  2. Cleanse and exfoliateA double cleanse and a gentle exfoliation.
  3. Extractions and maskBlackheads cleared where needed, then a mask.
  4. MassageFace and shoulder massage.
  5. FinishSerum, moisturiser and SPF, and the facialist's home-care advice.

Extractions
Clearing blackheads by hand.
Double cleanse
An oil cleanse then a water-based cleanse.
LED
Light therapy added to a facial.
Microcurrent
A low electrical current used to tone the face.
Hydradermabrasion
Exfoliation with water and suction.
SPF
Sun protection factor.

AFTER

When the job is done

Keep the product listNote what was used in case of a reaction.
Wear SPFSkin is more sensitive after exfoliation.
Watch for a reactionRedness or bumps that last more than a day: tell the facialist.
Leave the reviewRate the facial from your Locufy booking once it is finished. If the facial is not right, use the make-it-right step first so the facialist can put it right before the review goes up.

STEP 1Tell the facialist, in writingRaise it within days, by message, not just in the chair. If the facial was below the reasonable care and skill the Consumer Rights Act 2015 requires, ask for a repeat or a reduction.
STEP 2Use the make-it-right step on LocufyGive the facial under four stars and we ask whether to send it to the facialist first; we follow it through with them, and then you review.
STEP 3No regulator — Trading StandardsNo body licenses a facialist, so a facial dispute you cannot settle goes to Trading Standards through the Citizens Advice consumer helpline (0808 223 1133) in England and Wales, Advice Direct Scotland (0808 800 9060) or Consumerline in Northern Ireland (0300 123 6262).
STEP 4Small claims, if it comes to moneyIf the facialist will not refund or redo the facial, you can claim without a solicitor: up to £10,000 on the small claims track in England and Wales, up to £5,000 under simple procedure in Scotland, and up to £5,000 in the small claims court in Northern Ireland.

Hiring a facialist: questions people ask

No register exists for facialists. The one licence to ask about is a London borough's Special Treatments Licence, if the salon is in Greater London.

The Consumer Rights Act 2015 says a facialist who trades must use reasonable care and skill. Put the problem in writing; a redo comes first, then a price reduction if the facial cannot be fixed in reasonable time.

£35–£120 per treatment, typically around £65. An express facial costs least; machine-based and signature facials cost most. Our facials price guide breaks the figure down; to see what facialists near you charge, search your town above.

Tell the facialist first; they may use gentler products or skip exfoliation.

Ask the facialist — it depends on your skin and the treatment.

Get advice from a pharmacist or GP, then tell the facialist in writing. A treatment not done with reasonable care and skill is a reason for a reduction.

MORE GUIDES

More hiring guides in beauty & grooming

How to hire: DermaplaningHow to hire: MicrodermabrasionHow to hire: Chemical PeelsHow to hire: AestheticianHow to hire: MicroneedlingHow to hire: Anti-Wrinkle InjectionsHow to hire: Dermal FillersHow to hire: Lip FillersAll 701 hiring guides →

Facialists near you

Facialists in LondonFacialists in ManchesterFacialists in BirminghamFacialists in GlasgowFacialists in BelfastAll facialists on Locufy →

Sources — checked October 2026

  1. gov.uk — tattoo, piercing and electrolysis licence (England and Wales), with London's Special Treatments Licence
  2. Consumer Rights Act 2015, section 49 — reasonable care and skill
  3. Consumer Rights Act 2015, section 54 — your rights when a service falls short
  4. gov.uk — VAT rates
  5. nidirect — small claims process (Northern Ireland)
  6. GOV.UK — Register for VAT: when to register