As much as we’d all like to dedicate an afternoon per week to the magic doings of a top of the range facialist’s hands whilst lying down with a seashore or rainforest soundtrack playing in the background, few of us have the budget or time to do so. Luckily, we can take tips and skills from the pros into our own bathrooms and still give our skin the nourishment and TLC it deserves.
Remove & Massage
One of the biggest pieces of advice I give in the skincare department is to treat your skin as you would a painter treats their canvas. Confused? Let me explain. A painter would never begin painting on a dirty or marked canvas, so you should apply the same thinking to your skincare routine.
Before applying any products on to your face, you should always ensure your skin is as clean as it can be. Double-cleansing is a great way of doing this as your first part of the double cleanse (using an oil-based cleanser) breaks down any existing makeup, oils, sweat and dirt, while the second cleanse (using a gentler cleanser such as a milk, gel or cream) cleanses and purifies the skin.
Regularly massaging the face can help to increase the skin’s elasticity, collagen production, and rid the skin of toxins through lymphatic drainage. This all sounds rather technical, but lymphatic drainage is achieved by massaging the face using your cleansing oil/balm with movements towards your lymph nodes (towards your ears and up towards your skin) to drain your skin of the toxins that cause dullness, blocked pores, puffiness and dark circles. You can of course use your fingers for this, but tools such as this facial massager from The Body Shop are great, too!
Resurface
After thoroughly cleansing the skin, resurfacing/exfoliating is the next step towards your best skin! If you’ve ever visited a facialist, you’ll know that this usually comes in the form of a peel or intense acid exfoliant treatment; it’s important to leave this to those who are trained as intense acids in the hands of non-pros can lead to severe irritation and even skin damage.
Instead, try using a chemical exfoliant with an acid concentration of between 5-10%, which will help to resurface, increase cell turnover and rid your skin of dead skin cells and dullness. Acid exfoliants also increase the skin’s absorption capabilities, which means that the products you apply afterwards can penetrate more deeply and give you even better results.
Soothe & Nourish
Finishing your at-home facial with nourishing, soothing products is essential as it helps to rebalance the skin and bring it to optimum moisture levels. Your skin is now primed for maximum absorption, so using products with a thinner consistency and a smaller molecule size such as a hyaluronic acid-based serum and working up towards a moisturiser and oil will ensure perfectly soothed, hydrated and nourished skin.
Do you take the time to do an at-home facial routine for yourself?
Jess Hall