Not everyone can afford to splash out on the luxury of a salon facial, but that doesn’t mean you can’t receive the same benefits! It is really simple to do yourself at home and you don’t have to spend a lot of money on expensive products.
It is really important to take care of your skin and find a skincare regime that works for your skin type. I use a whole range of different brands and I am always discovering new ones. Also, I tend to switch masks and mositurisers depending on the weather or what my skin needs! To top it off, I tend to give myself a facial once or twice a week. It is nice to take 30 minutes out to relax and pamper yourself.
You can do these steps whilst watching TV, or – better still – whilst you are relaxing in the bath as your pores will open with the heat. To create that Spa at home feel you could light some candles, put some relazing music on and spritz some aromatherapy spray in the air, or put a couple of drops of essential oils on your hot cloth.
To begin, I like to remove my eye makeup with Bioderma H2O micellar water and some cotton pads, I will then apply a cleansing oil or luxurious balm and massage that into my dry skin in circular motions. I will then add a few drops of water to turn the oil into rich milk, massage in, then remove with a hot muslin cloth. It is nice to place the cloth over your face for a few seconds to open the pores and get a deeper clean.
After rinsing, I take a cream or foaming cleanser and massage in to ensure my skin is thoroughly clean, and I will remove the cleanser using a hot facial cloth. I will then sweep my skin with toner – sprayed onto cotton pads – to add hydration, nourishment, and remove any traces of cleanser to freshen up my skin. Oily skin types should go for toners that balance facial oil content, such as lemon, tea tree and peppermint. For dry, sensitive skins, go for rose, tangerine and elderflower to soothe and calm.
To really decongest your pores and brighten up your skin, steam cleanse your face once a week. This is good for almost all skin types, though sensitive skins and those of high colour may wish to skip this step. You don’t even need to buy a facial steamer! Simply pour boiling water into a bowl and add essential oils (lavender, rose, geranium and eucalyptus) to clear your lungs and calm nerves. Inhale steam deeply several times, and then place an ice cold compress on your face to tone up your skin and close the pores.
Following this, I will use a facial scrub or fruit enzyme mask to exfoliate dead skin cells which leaves my skin super smooth and soft. Next, I will apply a hydrating face mask all over my face and neck avoiding the eye area and leave on for 15-20 minutes. If I am in the bath, I will also use an eye mask or soak some cotton pads in brightening eye lotion – you could even opt for refreshing cucumber slices which is a great help to puffy eyes!
I then warm a few drops of facial oil (rose oil is good for anti-aging) in the palm of my hands, and massage them into my face and neck in deep circular movements to lift the face. In efforts to improve micro-circulation of the skin, I stimulate pressure points around my eyes and brows, and gently pinch the skin around my eyes. To do the same, simply work in an upward direction to lift your muscles, and massage outwards towards the lymph nodes on the neck to encourage the toxins and excess fluid out of your system. To finish, I apply a rich eye cream treatment around my eyes, and apply a goodhydrating night cream all over my face and neck.
I hope you get into a facial regime that works for you! Have you tried a DIY facial at home?
