The at-home facial is actually part of my regular skin-care routine. I have my daily routine, about which I wrote in my first post (though it has changed slightly, so...future blog post idea!); once a week, though, I like to incorporate those more intensive treatments that are not appropriate for everyday- namely, scrubs and masks. If you can squeeze in a half-hour a week of down time, or even quality time with your spouse or child(ren) of an appropriate age (I assume this goes without saying, but please don't give your six month-old a facial!), I highly recommend indulging in an at-home facial once a week. I, of course, use many natural products and at-home remedies; if that's not your cup of tea, you could easily swap out the products I use for your own products, as long as they serve the same purpose. Here is a breakdown of the facial that I, myself, just enjoyed in the comfort of my own home.
My Weekly Facial
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| Please do admire and enjoy the way I carefully positioned these items, as though they were sitting for a family portrait. Products I use in my at-home facial, from left to right: clay mask, olive oil (for makeup removal, if needed), honey (which I am currently not using), oatmeal, aloe vera water, shea butter, lemon water, rosewater and glycerin, micro-dermabrasion scrub, tea tree oil, jojoba oil. |
Step 1: Cleanse
Product: Oatmeal
I like to think that the progress of a facial is from superficial to deep, meaning you start by addressing the surface of the skin, then with each step go a little deeper. With that in mind, cleansing is the step that gets the dirt (and makeup, if you're wearing any) off of the outer surface of your skin. Whatever cleanser you normally use is A-OK for this purpose.
Step 2: Exfoliate
Product: Kiehl's Epidermal Re-Texturing Micro-Dermabrasion
After you have removed the surface dirt, it is time to also remove the dead skin that sits on your face. A cleanser alone is not abrasive enough to do this, so you need either a physical or chemical exfoliant for this purpose. Mine is a scrub, so it is a physical exfoliant; it sloughs away the dead skin manually. A popular example of this kinds of exfoliant is the St. Ives Apricot Scrub (which I used to use when I was a teenager as a face wash, before I knew what the heck exfoliating was. Oops!). You just take whatever scrub you have and gently (without really applying any more pressure than the touch of your fingers to your face) smooth it over your face in small circular motions.
A chemical exfoliant, like a peel, uses acids to break down the dead skin so that it is easy to peel away or rinse off. You can use fruit or dairy products (e.g. sour cream or yogurt) for this purpose, though I can't vouch for that since I have yet to try it. Of course, there is also a plethora of these chemical exfoliants on the market.
Step 3: Steam
Product: A pot of hot water!
I just recently started doing this step after seeing Annie Jaffrey do it during her facial on YouTube. It's purpose is to open your pores in preparation for the final cleansing step: the mask (dun dun duuuuuuun! Aaaaaaah! No, don't be scared- it's fun!). Steaming your face is honestly just very relaxing, and, though I'm sure it does open my pores and soften my skin, I think this step might be skippable. If you do decide to do it, begin boiling the water right before you start your facial, so that it is nice and hot by the time you need it.
Step 4: Deep Cleanse
Product: Health & Beauty Aztec Secret Indian Healing Clay
Now that your skin is softened and smooth, it's time to remove any remaining dirt or impurities from your pores. A clay or mud mask is usually used for this purpose. I learned about the mask I use, again, through Annie Jaffrey on YouTube, and it is available at most natural food or vitamin stores (I found mine at the local Vitamin Shoppe) and online. This mask is serious. It pulls your skin so tight that you can feel the blood being pulled to the surface of your face, which may sound scary but that is actually good; increasing the blood circulation near your skin improves oxygen and nutrient levels in the cells and removes waste. This mask is actually my favorite step, because it is the one that makes the greatest immediate difference. Once I take it off, my blackheads are gone and my skin is smoother. If you can't or don't want to find the mask I use, you can use your own or pick up Queen Helene's Mint Julep Mask, which is a beauty staple and is easy to find in almost any store.
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| Why does this look like a mug shot? Of all of the steps, I felt most compelled to share a picture of this one because it's my favorite and we all know it looks the coolest. |
Step 5: Treat
Products: lemon water; aloe vera with tea tree oil
After you rinse of your mask, you are officially done with the "Taking Stuff Off of Your Face" portion of the facial and are ready for the "Putting Good Stuff on Your Face" segment. This is the point where you would use any treatments that are targeted for your specific skin needs; these are usually either acne prevention or anti-aging products. At my age (which is 28, if you must know :-P), I use products that address both.
First, I spritz my face with lemon water (about a 1:5 lemon juice to water ratio). According to Livestrong.com, lemon juice restores the pH balance of your skin, while also killing bacteria to fight acne and encouraging cell turnover to keep skin looking youthful. I let the lemon water sit for about 10 minutes, then wipe it off with a wet cotton round to wipe away any dead skin that was disintegrated by the acid in the lemon juice. Then, I mix a couple of drops of tea tree oil with five drops of aloe vera water in my hand and rub that on acne prone areas (for me, that's mainly my chin and jawline).
Step 6: Moisturize
Products: Trader Joe's 100% Pure Jojoba Oil; Heritage Store Rosewater and Glycerin spray; Nubian Heritage Shea Butter Infused with Indian Hemp and Haitian Vetiver
The final step in what may seem like a long, but hopefully enjoyable, process is to seal in all of that good stuff with a moisturizer. I always think of a moisturizer as some kind of protective second skin that I spread all over my face to protect my real skin. I looove how my face feels after I moisturize- just so dewy and soft (sigh). I start by rubbing five drops of jojoba oil into my palms then patting it into my face. I then mist the rosewater and glycerin spray all over my face (about 10 squirts- I'm pretty generous with it!) and pat that into my face, including my eye area. Finally, I take a small dab of the shea butter and pat it under my eyes and on my lips. Products: sealed. Skin: treated.
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| Skin may not look perfect, but it feels absolutely refreshed :-) |
I don't naturally have great skin, but I feel that this facial keeps it looking its best. Remember that the whole concept of a facial is more about the process and less about the products; as long as the products you use serve the purpose described in each step, you will derive some benefit from the process.
By the way, in case you want to know about the last remaining hour of my girly day before Israel came home, I made myself the following yummy smoothie and sandwich, because nothing feels better than giving your insides a treat when you're done giving your outsides a treat:
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| Foreground: Yummy sandwich. Background: Only slightly less yummy smoothie. |
Blend together:
1/2 cup of acai juice
3/4 cup of frozen berries
2 cups of kale
half a banana
Sandwich:
2 slices of Alpine Valley Organic Sprouted Wheat Bread with Flaxseed (best wheat bread ever, available at Costco)
Hummus and Whole grain mustard (to spread)
1/4 avocado
1/2 tomato
spinach
1 slice of Trader Joe's Roasted Turkey Breast
Pretty nutritious, and delicious, if I do say so myself!
Thanks for reading and vicariously spending a girly afternoon with me :-)
-Melissa
CLIP OF THE DAY: From Parks and Recreation, Season 4, Episode 4, "Pawnee Rangers." If you want to know where I got the oh-so-clever title for this post, please do treat yo' self to the following clip, from what is one of the best episodes of easily one of the best shows on TV right now.
Treat yo' self 2011!
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