I’m sure we can all agree that getting a facial is as relaxing and soothing as it gets. Unfortunately, not all of us working college students have the funds to constantly layout for this guilty pleasure. Facials can make your skin smoother, softer, and less irritable. You can without a doubt re-creating the professional experience at home. So this weekend, pour yourself a nice glass of cucumber water and follow these steps for some serious self-pampering.
Look For A Gentle Scrub
Every true facial should include exfoliation, clay to cleanse the pores, and products that re-hydrate and calm the skin. When you first start preparing for you’re at home facial it’s important to find a moisturizing scrub or an enzyme peel. Some that are highly recommended are Peter Lamas Naturals Exfoliation Facial Scrub or Ling Spotlight Papaya Resurface Peel. Both eliminate dead skin and cleanse out the pores. But remember don’t rinse it off just yet!
Steam Cleaning
For those of you that aren’t Hollywood stars and don’t have a professional skin steamer handy, just run a wash-cloth under really, really hot water, wring it out, and drape it over your face. Let the cloth sit for a few minutes. The enzymes and steam will work together to really open the pores.
Masking
A clay mask removes all impurities from the skin and gives your face a nice, soft touch. Kiehl’s Rare Earth Deep Pore Cleansing Mask, with kaolin, is truly as good as it gets. Let the mask set for 15 minutes, but don’t let it get to that completely crumbly, mummified stage. Then, repeat the steaming wash-cloth routine from above to remove the clay.
Completely Expose
Time to let that skin breathe and feel refreshed! A hydrating mask after a clay mask allows for the moisturizing properties to better penetrate the skin since all the impurities and debris have been thoroughly removed. Try the Nugg Hydrating Face Mask to give your skin that extra boost. Once you’ve let it sit for up to five minutes, rinse it off with cool water.
Moisturize
If you don’t already do this on the daily, then you definitely can’t skip over this step. After using a hydrating mask seal in all in with a moisturizer. Use your normal moisturizer, that you use before applying makeup, but take your time applying it. This is where the massage comes in. The key to massaging the face is to keep moving the hands up, never down. You never want to pull at the skin, because that can lead to wrinkles.
Don’t Go Digging
Now that all of your blemishes are exposed I know how tempting it can be to go picking and popping at them, but avoid doing it at all costs! If you try to squeeze them yourself you’ll have a better chance of breaking out or even causing an infection.
Now that your skin is feeling nice and rejuvenated it’s time to sit back and relax. After about an hour of letting your skin breathe, you can go on with applying makeup and any other products that are part of your daily routine. Make your Sunday morning your own personal spa day at home.
