Your Go-To Home Facial Guide
Sometimes, nothing hits the spot quite like a good facial. Whether it’s the end of a long week, you’ve had a bad day, or your skin needs a bit of love, a proper facial can be just the thing to relax you and make your skin look refreshed and brighter. Facial treatments also help improve blood circulation, boost collagen production, reduce the effects of ageing and detoxify your skin – the benefits are boundless!
In Australia, $2.03 billion is spent yearly on skincare treatments, proving that we are a nation who really loves our skin. With the future of salons and spas uncertain at the moment, though, it’s unclear whether we’ll be able to get a professional facial as regularly as we’d like, so it’s time to take things into our own hands. Giving yourself a facial at home is so easy because you don’t need any specialist equipment. All you need is a few of your favourite serums, moisturizers and cleansers, and a good quality face mask for your very own salon-worthy facial. Have a read of our guide for the perfect at-home facial to get yourself started.
In this guide, we’ll cover:
How To Do Your Own Home Facial
Though the salon process may convince you otherwise, doing your own facial at home is actually quite easy – all it requires is a bit of time and a few of your favourite skincare products. Follow these simple steps for an instantly relaxing salon experience in the comfort of your own home.
Set The Atmosphere
Before you even begin your facial, you want to create the right atmosphere for you to relax and rejuvenate. Create a calming ambience that suits you and will help you loosen up to enjoy the facial treatment – anything that enables you to relax and switch off will help you enjoy your facial even more. You could try:
- Telling family or roommates to leave you alone for a while
- Lighting some candles
- Playing your favourite music
- Holding or setting out some crystals
- Rubbing some calming essential oils into your skin
Double Cleanse
Before you begin your facial treatment, you have to purge and prep your skin with a rigorous cleansing. A facial will be the most beneficial if you start with a clean palette because it will penetrate the skin better, leading to more effective results, so cleansing is an essential step in the treatment. Although a single cleanse is usually enough, we’d recommend double cleansing as this will remove any gunk and moisturize the skin to restore your faces’ natural oils.
Begin with an oil-based cleanser to gently remove dead skin cells and any left-over makeup without damaging the moisture barrier. Once this has been washed off, follow it up with a cream or foam-based cleanser to moisturize your face. Massage this all over your face gently, paying particular attention to any congested, oily, or neglected areas.
Exfoliate
Exfoliating removes any excess oils and the top layer of ageing skin cells, which is an essential step to help the facial penetrate the skin and get the best results. There are two types of exfoliants that you can use (physical or chemical), and the choice is up to you – they will both give the same results.
A physical exfoliant is the use of small grains, a brush, or a scalpel to really help strip away those ageing skin cells. If misused though, physical exfoliating tools can cause micro-tears. Hence, an enzyme powder is a great physical exfoliating choice, as it will do the job without wearing down the skin or causing any potential damage.
A chemical exfoliant is the use of chemical acids to cleanse the face of dying skin cells and boost the cycle of new cells. Chemical exfoliants are easier to use and penetrate the skin deeper than physical exfoliants, giving smoother, brighter results.
Whichever exfoliant you favour, make sure you are careful when using it and follow the instructions properly to avoid skin damage.
Steam
Steaming your face before using a face mask will open up and clean your pores, allowing for a brighter and more penetrative outcome. Although you can get facial steamers, they aren’t necessary for an at-home facial – simply fill a bowl with hot water and hover your face over the bowl, as close as possible without feeling too warm or suffocated, for 5-10 minutes. Cover your hair with a towel to save it getting wet. If you like, you could add slices of orange or lemon to the water to promote stress relief and create an uplifting, calming effect.
Face Mask
Now your face is thoroughly prepped and ready, it’s time for the main event of a facial. There are so many face masks on the market, but if you choose one based on your skin type and what you want it to do – you can get masks that will help dryness, increase brightness, clean out pores, hydrate the skin; the options really are endless.
If your skin is oily or prone to spots, reach for a clay-based mask, or one rich with vitamin C. For dry skin, a mask with hyaluronic acid and vitamin B5 will be the most beneficial. If you’d like, you could make your own face mask at home using yoghurt, honey, and banana. Mash a medium-sized banana into a paste, then mix a quarter cup of yoghurt with 2 tbsp of honey and apply it to your skin for 10 – 20 minutes before rinsing off with cold water.
The overall goal of a facial is to hydrate and rejuvenate your skin, so once your face mask is off, load on your favourite moisturizers and serums to encourage healthier, smoother skin. You can apply as many products as you like here because your skin needs to be hydrated to get the best results from the next step – just remember to apply the thinnest products first and the thickest last and to massage them in properly.
Massage
The final step of your facial treatment is a massage to improve blood circulation and drainage. You can buy different tools for a facial massage, such as a roller or a gua sha tool, but you can use your fingers just the same, as long as you wash your hands properly first. Begin at the chin and work your way outwards and upwards, gently rubbing the skin with your fingertips and softly working the muscles beneath the skin. Apply the same technique to the rest of your face, and don’t neglect the often-abandoned areas like behind the ear lobes, around the nostrils, the centre of the forehead and the neck. Whether you use a tool or your fingers, make sure that you’re not pushing too hard and don’t rush around your face – give every small part a little bit of love
Different Types of Facial
There are many different types of facials that you can get, but the most popular are:
A Classic Facial
Also known as the full facial treatment, a classic facial involves exfoliation, steaming, masks and massaging – basically the facial we’ve described in this guide, just in a salon setting.
A Detox Facial
During a detox facial, your skin is rejuvenated and oxygenized with a gel made up of natural ingredients. This gel improves blood flow and helps form collagen, which will contribute to glowing skin.
A High-Frequency Facial
A high-frequency facial uses electric currents to produce bacteria-killing heat that penetrates deep layers of skin. This treatment helps clear acne, prevent future breakouts and clearing acne scars.
A Microdermabrasion Facial
The aim of this facial is to promote healthy skin cells and collagen production, which is achieved by running a crystal or diamond-tipped device across the skin. This brushes off the upper layer of your skin and sucks up anything that comes off to result in softer, glowing skin.
Common Questions
How Often Should You Get A Facial?
If you want to have a regular facial, it’s recommended you do so every three to four weeks, as this is when the life cycle of the skin cell growth will be coming to an end and your skin will need the boost.
Are Facials Bad For Your Skin?
A facial, if done correctly, shouldn’t have any adverse effects on the skin. Your face might look red and blotchy at first as it’s not used to the treatment, but this should cool down after a couple of days. If your skin is still having an adverse reaction two or three days after your treatment, go and see a dermatologist.
Are Facial Cleansing Brushes Good For Your Skin?
When appropriately used, facial cleansing brushes can be very beneficial to the skin. They are a quick way to clear the face of dead skin cells and can help reduce acne, but if they are used too much or too aggressively, they will irritate skin. To avoid these bad side effects, only use a cleansing brush two to three times a week.
Getting The Glow
Although the near future of salon facials is uncertain for the moment, it doesn’t mean that you still can’t give your skin the treatment it deserves – and now you know-how! A regular at-home facial will promote stress relief and have amazing effects on your skin, so what are you waiting for?! Start taking amazing care of your skin today, and you’ll be reaping the benefits before you know it.
If you’re interested in learning how to do a professional facial while at home, why not have a look at our facial course? You’ll learn everything from setting up your work area to the facial routine options that will give the best results, and there’s even a free sample of the course for you to try it out for free!
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