One of the most relaxing and enjoyable things you can do for yourself has a facial. Many of us need to take care of ourselves and de-stress now more than ever, yet it’s impossible to schedule a professional facial with your favorite esthetician. Fortunately, you can still give yourself a spa-quality facial at home.
“You can do it at home once a week,” says Ling Chan, CEO of Ling Skincare and Spa, adding that now is the ideal time to attempt recreating your favorite facials. Even though we now have more free time at home, a facial should still be treated as a special occasion rather than an everyday event.
According to Olga Lorencin, celebrity beautician and inventor of Olga Lorencin Skincare, “to term, something an at-home facial in my mind suggests I’m going to do something deeper than my everyday practice.”
1. Create a Relaxing or Peaceful environment
If you are unable to visit a spa, you can bring the spa to you by creating a peaceful atmosphere in your own home. This may appear to be a minor step, but relieving as much tension as possible will improve the appearance of your face.
Lorencin suggests having an Epsom salt bath. If you’re not in the mood for a full-body soak, soak your feet for a similar stress-relieving effect. “It’s extremely good for all those pressure spots in the feet, and it’s also very calming,” Chan explains.
Both Chan and Lorencin recommend using a few drops of lavender essential oil to help you relax (but you can use any essential oil that feels right to you). Make sure you light a few of your favorite candles and listen to a soothing song.
2. Gently cleanse your skin
FourCreeds says You must start with a blank canvas before doing anything else to your face. Any makeup or product left on your face will make your face less effective. Try repeated cleansing to ensure your skin is as clean as possible before beginning the facial process.
“First, cleanse with an oil-based cleanser,” Lorencin advises, “but the second cleanse should be more of a de-greasing cleanser.” An oil-based cleanser will remove makeup, products, and sebum, while a water-based cleanser will remove any dirt or sweat from your skin, leaving you with squeaky-clean skin that’s ready for the next step.
3. Steam your skin.
If you’re a fan of facials, you’re probably aware that most of them contain some form of steam. Steaming your face helps open up your pores and soften the top layer of your skin, making it easier to exfoliate.
If you wish to steam your face at home, be careful not to oversteam your skin, as this might cause it to become dry. According to Ling, there are two different ways to steam your face (safely!). To trap the steam, you can either place your face over a basin of hot water and cover your head with a towel or soak a towel in hot water and place it over your face, ensuring sure the water isn’t too hot to burn you.
4. Exfoliate to make the skin smoother and brighter
Exfoliation is an important part of any excellent at-home facial (or facial in general) since it removes dead skin cells and reveals beautiful skin. Instead of utilizing a manual exfoliation, Chan and Lorencin propose employing an enzyme or chemical exfoliant (like a scrub). “Scrubs leave small micro-tears on the face,” says the author. Micro-tears are “small scrapes” that can irritate the skin and cause breakouts.
Exfoliating using a peel, on the other hand, prepares your skin for the rest of your at-home facial. Exfoliation, according to Chan, helps open pores and smooth the texture of your skin. She suggests massaging a chemical or enzyme exfoliant into your skin, concentrating on problem areas such as your T-zone, which may be oilier or congested.
5. Apply a mask on your face.
A facial would be incomplete without the application of a face mask. You can apply whichever mask you choose based on your skin’s needs, but Chan suggests opting for one with detoxifying elements to help clear out your pores after exfoliating because your pores will be open (think a clay mask or a charcoal mask).
Try rubbing your mask in for a few minutes instead of just smoothing it on fast to make your at-home experience feel more like a spa.
“Wet your fingertips with warm water or, if you really want to be fancy, with some warm green tea if the mask is a little on the thicker side,” Lorencin advises. “then, properly massage the mask into your face. After that, you’ll notice a significant improvement in the radiance of your skin.”
The mask should dry in 15 to 20 minutes. “If possible (and I suppose it is these days), relax in the bathtub or warm shower and softly apply the mask to your face,” Lorencin suggests.
6. Apply moisturizer to the skin.
Well-moisturized skin with a top-rated moisturizer is one of the most important factors in creating a beautiful glow. After removing the mask, apply your preferred serum or moisturizer to seal in the moisture. Lorencin suggests putting a few drops of your serum into your moisturizer to make your face feel less at home and more in-spa.
According to Chan, you can use facial massage equipment like a jade roller or gua sha to help de-puff your face, as well as other benefits such as rejuvenation, collagen promotion, and cell turnover. She claims that “facial massage is actually very helpful for your facial muscle.” “It’s like going to the gym for your skin.”
7. Don’t worry about the extractions.
Extractions are, of course, one of the most pleasurable aspects of a facial. This is one stage, however, that you should leave to the professionals. Chan says, “I don’t endorse it.” “You can acquire an infection if it’s not clean, even if you only get it halfway out.” It’s never a good idea to try to do your own extractions and pick at your face. To avoid scarring and infection, You can opt for specialists to advise leaving micro-needling to the professionals.
