Aftercare: the days that decide the result
A session lasts an hour. What you do for the three days afterwards decides how much of it lasts. Here is exactly what to do, what to pause, what is ordinary, and when to message us.
- Every guest leaves with a written note
- Most guidance applies for 72 hours
What should I do the night of my session?
Do less than usual. Skin has just been cleansed, warmed and worked on, and the most useful thing you can give it that evening is nothing new. Rinse with lukewarm water if you need to, apply the simplest moisturiser you own, and leave it alone. No actives, no fresh product you have never used, no double cleansing on top of a clean face.
Skip the gym, the sauna and a hot shower that night. Heat keeps skin flushed for longer and there is nothing to gain from it. Sleep on a fresh pillowcase if one is to hand — it is a small thing that quietly matters.
DAY BY DAY
How does the first week after a session go?
Four phases. Your written note names the exact days for the protocol you had.
- 01
Hours 0 to 12 — leave it be
Skin may look flushed and feel warm. That settles on its own. Moisturiser and nothing else is the whole routine tonight.
- No make-up until the next morning where you can
- No heat: gym, sauna, hot shower
- 02
Day 1 to 2 — keep it simple
Cleanse, hydrate, protect. Sunscreen every morning without exception, because a freshly refined surface takes light more readily than usual.
- Sunscreen in the morning, reapplied if you are outdoors
- Still no acids, retinoids or scrubs
- 03
Day 3 to 4 — bring actives back, one at a time
Reintroduce one product per night rather than the whole shelf at once. If something stings on the first night back, wait two more days before trying again.
- One new thing per night, never two
- 04
Day 5 to 7 — back to normal
Your usual routine resumes in full. This is also the point at which the result of the session is most visible, and a good moment to note what you would like to keep or change next time.
- Take a photo in daylight to compare next visit
THE PAUSE LIST
What should I pause, and for how long?
| What | Pause for | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Retinoids | 3 days | The surface is already renewed; stacking makes skin tight |
| Strong acids (AHA, BHA) | 3 days | Same reason — one surface step at a time |
| Physical scrubs | 5 days | Nothing to remove, and easy to overdo |
| Fragranced products | 2 days | Warm skin registers fragrance more sharply |
| Sauna, steam room, hot yoga | 48 hours | Heat prolongs flushing with no benefit |
| Swimming pools | 48 hours | Chlorine on a freshly cleansed surface |
| Direct sun without protection | 7 days | A refined surface takes light more readily |
| Waxing or threading the same area | 7 days | Two surface steps too close together |
| A second studio session | 3 to 4 weeks | Matches the skin's own renewal rhythm |
Retinoids
- Pause for
- 3 days
- Why
- The surface is already renewed; stacking makes skin tight
Strong acids (AHA, BHA)
- Pause for
- 3 days
- Why
- Same reason — one surface step at a time
Physical scrubs
- Pause for
- 5 days
- Why
- Nothing to remove, and easy to overdo
Fragranced products
- Pause for
- 2 days
- Why
- Warm skin registers fragrance more sharply
Sauna, steam room, hot yoga
- Pause for
- 48 hours
- Why
- Heat prolongs flushing with no benefit
Swimming pools
- Pause for
- 48 hours
- Why
- Chlorine on a freshly cleansed surface
Direct sun without protection
- Pause for
- 7 days
- Why
- A refined surface takes light more readily
Waxing or threading the same area
- Pause for
- 7 days
- Why
- Two surface steps too close together
A second studio session
- Pause for
- 3 to 4 weeks
- Why
- Matches the skin's own renewal rhythm
Your written note overrides this table — intervals differ between a gentle enzyme session and a deeper refinement.
Why does skin sometimes look busier before it settles?
After a session that includes surface work, congestion that was already sitting below the surface can come up sooner than it would have on its own. It appears in the places you usually congest, it is brief, and it settles within one to two weeks. That is different from a genuine reaction, which brings new spots to new places and does not follow your usual pattern.
If you cannot tell which one you are looking at, do not decide alone. Send us a photo taken in daylight and we will tell you plainly, and adjust the next session accordingly.
COMMON QUESTIONS
Aftercare questions guests ask
Filter by timing, or search for what you need.
You can rinse with lukewarm water if you feel you need to, but a full cleanse is unnecessary — your face was thoroughly cleansed at the start of the session. Moisturiser straight onto slightly damp skin is the whole routine that night.
Leave it until the next day. Heat and sweat on a freshly cleansed face keep flushing going for longer, and there is nothing to be gained by pushing through it.
The next morning is comfortable for most guests. If you have an event the same evening, tell us when you book and the protocol is adjusted so your skin is event-ready rather than freshly worked.
Yes, if you sit near a window or step outside at all. In Kuala Lumpur the walk from a car park counts. Sunscreen is the single most useful thing in the week after a session.
Water first, then something over it. A hydrating essence onto damp skin, then your usual moisturiser, and a slightly richer layer at night on the areas that feel tightest. Do not add an active to solve tightness.
A plain hydrating mask is fine from the second night. Avoid anything that lists an acid, a strong fragrance or a brightening complex until your pause window has passed.
Three to four weeks suits most guests and most protocols, because it follows the skin's own renewal rhythm. A shorter, gentler session can sit in between if you have an occasion coming up.
Yes. A calming or hydration session asks very little of you afterwards. A refinement or enzyme session has a longer pause window. Your written note is the version that applies to you — this page is the general shape.
Message us and we will resend it. Every note is kept with your record, along with what was used, so nothing has to be reconstructed from memory.
Not on the strength of one visit. Give any change three to four weeks before judging it, and change one thing at a time — otherwise you will never know which one worked.
What the studio does on its side
- A written note every timeWhat was used, and the exact pause window
- A message channel that stays openSend a photo any day of the week
- Your record is keptEvery product and step from every visit
- The next session adaptsHow this week went shapes what comes next
PLACEHOLDER FOOTAGE
What a quiet post-session evening looks like
The evening after a session should look almost empty compared with your usual one. This is placeholder footage while our own is filmed, but the restraint is the point — water, one moisturiser, and nothing you have not used before.
Placeholder footage — not filmed at NOMAD.
Something not settling the way this page describes? Send us a daylight photo. We would far rather look at it now than hear about it at your next visit.