Express beauty bars are starting to replace the leisurely day at the spa. We went to Blitz Facial Bar in Toronto to try their unconventional 02 Blitz Facial.

Real talk: Consumers today are go-go-go, and long elaborate spa days aren’t really attainable for most women. Express beauty is a trend that’s been growing in popularity since the mid 2000s with the introduction of blowout bars. The beauty service space is contuining in this express direction, creating a new niche for itself, think of it as a beauty pit stop.

Earlier this month I tried my first express skin treatment at Blitz Facial Bar in The Path, a underground walkway in Toronto linking 30 kilometres of shopping, services and entertainment, mainly in the financial district. A perfect location for this kind of targeted beauty service—walk-ins are welcomed. 

When I step into the shop it felt calm and relaxing but there was no robes, no change rooms and no area to decompress pre or post service with a cup of tea and a stack of magazines. What it does have is the same high quality aestheticians, products and services. Rather then individual treatment rooms, there was one large room with several rows luxury dentist-like chairs draped with red knit throws and pillows.

Courtesy of Blitz Facial Bar

The treatment: I tried The 02 Blitz facial, a dermal facial that claims to reduce fine lines and wrinkles. Plus, it also said that results continue to get better over 10 days. That was the bit that really sold me. “If someone is looking for brightening, anti-aging and collagen boosting the 02 is a great overall treatment to do,” says Tina Griffin, Blitz Facial Bar director. “I would recommend this for brides because it’s peak results develop about a week after the treatment.”

Like most skin treatments it starts with makeup being removed and skin being cleansed. Next, a peel. “Depending on skin type we do one of two peels. The oat milk, which is very gentle and uses lactic acid,” says Sarah Callahan, my medical aesthetician at Blitz Facial Bar. “The pumpkin peel uses Vitamin A [retinol] and is great for acneic and oily skin skin.” Due to my dry skin, Callahan went with the oat milk. 

Next was the 02 part. I’ve had oxygen facials in the past. The typical style uses a machine attached to a wand that sprays atomized moisture and serum onto the skin using a stream of pressurized oxygen, giving you the appearance of super plumped skin due to the mega hydration. This 02 facial was different. It used a combination of a gel mask and sheet mask which contained liquorice root extract (for brightening), sodium bicarbonate (for acne prevention), eucalyptus (for its anti-bacterial properties) and caffeine (an anti-inflammatory). 

Once the two masks were layered onto eachother there was a chemical reaction that created C02, which promotes an increase in oxygen. This part tingled and heated up quite a bit, though it wasn’t painful, just slightly uncomfortable. But the heat dissipated quickly.  

The final step was eye cream and moisturizer—and if there was any daylight I’m assuming an SPF, too. 

The results: Blitz Facial Bar is welcoming, attainable, available and affordable. A great place to try if you’re new to skin treatments and an even better place for women (and men) who love to do skin treatments on the regular. Express facials will take 30 to 60 minutes and cost $48 to $190. They also offer light and laser services. The 02 treatment lived up to the hype and my results truly did peak around 10 days; radiant, hydrated and smooth. 

The cost: The 02 Blitz Facial is $190 for the 60-minute service.