Students at the San Francisco Institute of Esthetics & Cosmetology (SFIEC), a Paul Mitchell partner institution, are on the verge of launching fabulous careers in the cosmetic industry. These are the specialists who will soon receive top dollar for their work at San Francisco’s elite salons and spas. But while these soon-to-be salon artists are still in school perfecting their masteries, you can take advantage of their student status and get top-notch services at affordable prices. With today’s Groupon, $30 gets you a luxury facial plus a revitalizing eye treatment—half off the already reduced price of $60.

A certified instructor will oversee your procedure at SFIEC to help take the work of these trained students to the next level. The Institute uses Dermalogica’s quality line of skin-care products. Choose one of five luxurious hour-long facial treatments to suit your skin needs:

• The Face Treatment includes customized exfoliation and massage for all skin types.
• Men’s Skin Care Treatment targets male skin needs specifically with exfoliation and massage.
• Medicated Clearing Treatment helps reduce the appearance of acne through extraction and exfoliation.
• Environmental Control Treatment exfoliates and massages sensitive skin.
• Skin Brightening Treatment combines exfoliation and pigment-production control to balance skin tones and illuminate your skin.

You’ll also get a revitalizing eye treatment to complement any facial you choose. Your tired eyes will burst with vigor, and your vigor will burst with lasers, so please be careful whom you stare at.

Let your skin reap the benefits of SFIEC’s skilled cosmetology students. SFIEC recommends coming on a weekday to avoid the Saturday rush. Buy a few Groupons for your exfoliation-loving friends and watch your karma grow to an alarming size.

Reviews

Citysearchers give SFIEC 4.5 stars and 100 Yelpers give the school’s services a solid four: > * First off, you would not realize you were in a beauty school unless someone told you. The girls I have visited so far have been really professional and sweet. Definitely add at least double the time you would spend at a normal salon, but well worth it! – luv2shopski, Citysearch > * The students are so attentive and really do a great job. The instructors who supervise everything are very professional and everything is so clean. There are few spas in the city as clean as this place, believe me… – jpiercesf, Citysearch > * The facial couldn’t have been better… The instructor and student both recommended some great products for me afterwards and I couldn’t be happier! – Sonya M., Yelp

Facials in Space

Getting a facial is a cleansing, relaxing experience, which is why they are so often given to those with the most stressful job in the universe: astronauts. Each of America’s hardworking, Earth-orbiting astronauts is given a daily facial by NASA’s official on-ship Facial Officer Monica Danvers.

Monica trained in Europe for more than seven years so that she can soothingly apply facials and spent almost nine days training to go into space. She now lives full-time on the International Space Station, where her healing touch erases astronauts’ worries about losing oxygen and the possibility of leaving geosynchronous orbit and rocketing toward the sun. “I must have a facial everyday,” says current space station resident and facial-fan Alexander Kaleri, “Without a daily facial, I will become a danger to myself and the other astronauts. Please, send a rescue ship from Earth into space to take me home.”