How to Enjoy a Spa Facial at Home

When you don’t have time to visit your favorite spa or salon for a facial, you don’t have to miss out on the opportunity of a facial at home! A facial treatment is beneficial for your skin, and ideally you should be having a facial at least once per week. Making time for a facial at home can be fun, and you can experiment with a variety of treatment options and products.

Facials help the skin to replenish essential nutrients, revitalize the skin, and reduce the signs of aging and damage naturally! The process of cleansing, exfoliating, steaming, and hydrating can be performed at home with some basic products and easily managed care. Whether you organize a spa party for a group of friends to enjoy a facial’s benefits, or simply need a time out for rest and relaxation on your own, a facial at home is a great way to start!

To begin, you’ll need to gather the following components to make your facial at home a comforting and refreshing experience:

� Steaming bowl
� Facial buffer
� Warm water available for rinsing
� 4 small hand towels
� Cleanser (select the best cleasner that works for you)
� Mask (choose your favorite exfoliating, deep cleasning, mud, or other)
� Serum/tonic (choose from the best regenerative or antioxidant formula for your skin)
� Toner (choose your favorite toning spritz)
� Moisturizer (select the best moisturizer for your skin type)

When you have gathered your items, you’ll need approximately 45-50 minutes of time to get through all seven steps:

Step 1: Cleanse

You’ll need to gently apply the cleanser to your face and throat, and use upward circular motions. Be sure to go all the way up to the hairline, and down to the breastbone. Cleansers help to break down dirt, accumulated oil, and make-up. Rinse well, and pat dry with a towel. Next, you’ll use the facial buffer to gently scrub around the nose, chin, and forehead areas, and works as a great ‘buffing’ agent for tired skin. This will also help in removing dirt and oil. Rinse again, and pat dry.

Step 2: Steam

You can ether use a home-steaming system designed for facials, or an ‘old-style’ version by filling a bowl of hot water from a kettle, covering your head and bowl with a towel, and resting your face above the bowl for 1-5 minutes. If you choose the ‘old-style’ version, be sure to let some steam evaporate to avoid burning your skin! You’ll need some practice, but it is a great option if you do not have a facial asteamer. You’ll need to moisten two of the small towels and heat them in a microwave or Crock-pot to create a hot towel after the steam. Steaming opens the pores and increases circulation on the skin’s surface. It is your skin’s ‘primetime’ state to unclog pores, so it’s important not to touch the face and use clean towels! After steaming is complete, use the moistened towels to further buff and wipe your skin; it may be slightly red, but this is normal.

Step 3: Exfoliate

Here you will need to use a grain-based scrub (oatmeal and apricot are great options) to gently polish your skin with circular movements. Be gentle, as your skin will be exceptionally soft after the steaming phase. You are rubbing away dead skin cells and impurities, and will need to rinse thoroughly, and use the moistened towels to remove anything remaining.

Step 4: Serum/Tonic

Your skin is now in its ideal state for maximum absorption; you’ll need to gently massage a regenerating serum or tonic at this stage only, and let your skin absorb it well. Add a moistened towel to cover your face if you choose, and let it rest for 5-10 minutes to soak into your skin. You do not need to rinse this off, as it will continue to absorb while your skin goes through the next step. . .

Step 5: Mask

The mask is designed to envelop your skin and nourish it with additional extracts; this is the longest phase of the facial, and will require you to apply the mask and let it harden or dry, depending on the type you have chosen. Each type of mask has different properties and unique ingredients for various results; you’l need to decide what is most suitable for your skin. After application and drying is complete, rinse all areas well with warm water.

Step 6: Toner

You can easily rehydrate skin immediately with toner after the mask stage; apply by misting, or using a cotton pad. The toner will help smooth out and replenish your pores.

Step 7: Moisturize

The final application of moisturizer is essential to smooth out and seal in the water from your facial experience. Apply this sparingly, as your pores will already be ‘full’ with the extracts from your mask, toner, and serum. This final stage will help protect your skin until your next facial, but moisturizer should be applied at least once daily in between facials.

With these seven steps, it is easy to perform a facial at home. Not only will you enjoy the cost-saving benefits, but a facial at home will give you the benefits of fresh skin on a weekly basis with minimal stress. Always be sure to use the right products for your skin; at your next spa or facial appointment, it’s helpful to ask for recommendations and insight for your specific skin needs. From there, you can research and learn the many at-home facial options available to you, and will soon become an expert! Spa parties for friends and families are also a great opportunity to enjoy a facial at home, so look forward to some refreshing times!