Pamper Yourself with a Facial at Home
After a busy week at work, school, or being a mom you need to spend some time doing something for you that makes you feel more relaxed and more beautiful. Spend about 30-40 minutes and turn your bathroom into a home spa to give yourself a facial. Turn on some relaxing music and light some candles. Prepare a tall glass of ice water with lemon, or a pot of tea to enjoy throughout your facial.
Pull your hair back with a terry cloth headband or wrap and secure your hair away from your face with a towel.
Cleanse
Use your favorite gentle cleanser and eye makeup to carefully cleanse your face of all makeup. While you are cleansing spend a little extra timing massaging the skin and kneading around your eyes and temples to help start the relaxation process.
My favorite cleansing products are Cetaphil Gentle Skin Cleanser and Lancome BI-FACIL Makeup Remover.
Gently pat your face dry with a clean towel.
Exfoliate
Feel free to try some ingredients from your kitchen as described on the Home Remedies page. Or, use a Microdermabrasion kit or Home Chemical Peel, whichever you prefer. See the Exfoliators page for a complete listing of recommended products.
My favorite: Dermanew Home Microdermabrasion Kit
After exfoliating, gently cleanse your face again to remove all residue from the microdermabrasion crystals of the chemical peel
Steam
Follow the exfoliation with steam to open and fully cleanse the pores of products. If you do not have a home facial steamer, just using a pan of boiling water with a towel over your head. I usually put a 2 quart casserole pan in the microwave and bring it to a boil. Start it before you cleanse and exfoliate and it should be boiling by the time you are ready for it. Put a towel over your head and hold your face as close to the steaming water as comfortable without burning your face. Let your face drink in the steam for about 5 minutes. Adding some essential oils to the water can be very soothing.
After steaming some facialists may recommend extracting whiteheads or blackheads. I do not recommend squeezing or extracting whiteheads/blackheads. This should be left to the dermatologist to avoid causing skin damage.
Apply Mask
See Home Remedies for a natural mask you can make at home, or you can purchase mask products for use at home. Various masks are available for different needs. Masks are available to deep cleanse pores, regulate ph and moisture levels, and for deep moisturizing.
My recommendations:
For acne-prone skin: ProActiv Treatment Refining Mask
For oily to normal skin: La Prairie Cellular Deep Cleansing Mask
For normal to dry skin: Dermalogica Intensive Moisture Mask
Relax while the mask is on. I have a wonderful little bean bag eye mask that can be kept in the freezer and applied to the eyes to soothe and reduce puffiness. If you have one of these, it is a wonderful addition to your facial. If not, just put some cold, damp cotton pads over the eyes while you are letting the mask do its job. Normally masks should be left on for 10-20 minutes.
Thoroughly rinse the mask from your face with lukewarm water.
Toner
Apply a spray toner or spray Aloe Vera that you have kept in the refrigerator to close your pores afterward and lock in the moisture from the facial.
Moisturize
Moisturize with your favorite moisturizer and eye cream.
My favorite moisturizer:
For oily to normal skin: Dr. Grandel Moisture Depot
For normal to dry skin: La Mer Crème de la Mer
My favorite eye cream:
Jan Marini Age Intervention Eye Cream
Enjoy your music, your water or your tea, and spend some quiet time just relaxing.
Pull your hair back with a terry cloth headband or wrap and secure your hair away from your face with a towel.
Cleanse
Use your favorite gentle cleanser and eye makeup to carefully cleanse your face of all makeup. While you are cleansing spend a little extra timing massaging the skin and kneading around your eyes and temples to help start the relaxation process.
My favorite cleansing products are Cetaphil Gentle Skin Cleanser and Lancome BI-FACIL Makeup Remover.
Gently pat your face dry with a clean towel.
Exfoliate
Feel free to try some ingredients from your kitchen as described on the Home Remedies page. Or, use a Microdermabrasion kit or Home Chemical Peel, whichever you prefer. See the Exfoliators page for a complete listing of recommended products.
My favorite: Dermanew Home Microdermabrasion Kit
After exfoliating, gently cleanse your face again to remove all residue from the microdermabrasion crystals of the chemical peel
Steam
Follow the exfoliation with steam to open and fully cleanse the pores of products. If you do not have a home facial steamer, just using a pan of boiling water with a towel over your head. I usually put a 2 quart casserole pan in the microwave and bring it to a boil. Start it before you cleanse and exfoliate and it should be boiling by the time you are ready for it. Put a towel over your head and hold your face as close to the steaming water as comfortable without burning your face. Let your face drink in the steam for about 5 minutes. Adding some essential oils to the water can be very soothing.
After steaming some facialists may recommend extracting whiteheads or blackheads. I do not recommend squeezing or extracting whiteheads/blackheads. This should be left to the dermatologist to avoid causing skin damage.
Apply Mask
See Home Remedies for a natural mask you can make at home, or you can purchase mask products for use at home. Various masks are available for different needs. Masks are available to deep cleanse pores, regulate ph and moisture levels, and for deep moisturizing.
For acne-prone skin: ProActiv Treatment Refining Mask
For oily to normal skin: La Prairie Cellular Deep Cleansing Mask
For normal to dry skin: Dermalogica Intensive Moisture Mask
Relax while the mask is on. I have a wonderful little bean bag eye mask that can be kept in the freezer and applied to the eyes to soothe and reduce puffiness. If you have one of these, it is a wonderful addition to your facial. If not, just put some cold, damp cotton pads over the eyes while you are letting the mask do its job. Normally masks should be left on for 10-20 minutes.
Thoroughly rinse the mask from your face with lukewarm water.
Toner
Apply a spray toner or spray Aloe Vera that you have kept in the refrigerator to close your pores afterward and lock in the moisture from the facial.
Moisturize
Moisturize with your favorite moisturizer and eye cream.
My favorite moisturizer:
For oily to normal skin: Dr. Grandel Moisture Depot
For normal to dry skin: La Mer Crème de la Mer
My favorite eye cream:
Jan Marini Age Intervention Eye Cream
Enjoy your music, your water or your tea, and spend some quiet time just relaxing.
