New York Magazine -- Top Five Budget Facials

The European facial at Dorit Baxter.Photo: Courtesy of Dorit Baxter

Dorit Baxter
47 W. 57th St., nr. Sixth Ave.; 212-371-4542
Dorit Baxter’s hour-long classic European facial ($79) incorporates her own time-tested line of hypoallergenic products based in plant extracts. The small staff is known for its expert, pore-clearing extractions, and facialists often give their clients nutritional advice for maintaining that post-treatment glow.

Fábula Skincare & Wellness
1133 Broadway, Ste. 1020, at 26th St.; 917-750-2895
The $80 Revival facial is a wallet-friendly option for those who prefer not to squirm through extractions. It begins with a gentle lactic-acid–based cleanse and exfoliating cranberry enzyme treatment, followed by soothing apricot and yarrow herb serums applied using light acupressure. An anti-inflammatory calendula lotion rounds out the service.

Water Front Spa
33 First Ave., at 2nd St.; 212-777-3283
The $60 Water Front Spa facial is one of the best bargain deep-cleansing treatments in the city. The hour-long procedure kicks off with an intensive cleanse and exfoliation with an organic scrub. Gentle extractions are performed after a light steam, bringing impurities to the surface. Finally, your face is slathered in a soft hydrating mask.

Mario Badescu
320 E. 52nd St., nr. First Ave.; 212-223-3728
At $65 for a 75-minute facial, this refining European treatment is a steal. The no-frills procedure consists of steaming, extractions, and a customized pair of masks tailored to each individual, from a sulfur mask and soothing, healing mask for acne-prone skin to a fruit-enzyme mask followed by a collagen-based mask for aging or dehydrated skin.

Nirit Reani
214 W. 92nd St., Ste. 1C, nr. Broadway; 212-875-9448
Reani has earned a loyal following of uptown regulars who swear by her painstaking approach to eliminating impurities. Her thorough one-hour herbal and deep-cleansing facial ($90) pairs steam with a plumping powder of ground guar-gum seeds to tackle blackheads and whiteheads.