Step by Step: Give Yourself a Spa Facial at Home
One of the best things we can do for ourselves is to take care of our precious skin. Here I will share step by step instructions (and some secrets!) on how to give yourself a super facial right in your own home.This should take about 45 minutes to an hour and will be time well spent in not only giving your skin a treat, but in relaxation too!
What you will need:
Hot water
3 hand towels
Thin Cotton Pads
Magnifying Mirror
Fine Mist spray bottle with a solution of 1 teaspoon toner to 1 ounce purified water
Clean Hands
Facial Products:
Cleanser
Enzyme Peel
Non-Alcoholic Toner / Tonique
Viscous Facial Serum, Concentrate or facial oil
Mask to address your skin’s immediate condition
Finishing Treatment Cream
Eye Cream or Mask
Optional:
Lavender Essential Oil for hot towels
Crock Pot
Massage / Cleansing Techniques:
1. Using two or three fingers, create a circular movement about an inch or two around.
2. Aside from your eye area, which should always be treated delicately, don't be afraid to use pressure. This is especially true over prominent forehead creases. Use a cross fiber friction to address these areas, going against the direction of the wrinkle.
Steps to great skin:
1. Prepare the hand towels by wetting thoroughly with hot water and placing in crock pot or a covered receptacle. Do not use a microwave to heat the towels as they will not be a consistent temperature throughout.
2. Thoroughly cleanse your eye area, face and décolleté (upper chest) using small circular motions over entire area. Do this for a full minute or two.
3. Apply full strength toning lotion to cotton pad and wipe face and décolleté.
4. Apply enzyme peel. Apply one of the hot towels to your face once you are down in a comfortable supine (face up) position. Make sure towel is evenly heated and a comfortable, not excessively hot, temperature.
5. Relax!
6. Remove Enzyme Peel with towel
7. If you have any blackheads, now is the best time to extract. Wrap both of your clean index fingers in thin cotton pads moistened with toner. While looking into the magnifying mirror, place fingers around blackhead and gently squeeze. It is very important that your fingers are covered before extracting. Do not use your fingernails or bare fingers. Do not use tissues. (most cotton pads are too thick for extractions, in which case you can gently tear them in half)
8. After you are finished extracting, flush your skin using the fine mist bottle. Over a sink, close your eyes and mist the entire contents over your face. You should do this step even if you do no extractions as this will flush your skin of impurities and it feels really good! When the bottle is emptied gently pat your skin with a cotton pad to remove excess liquid. Gently massage the rest of the moisture into your skin using small circular motions until your skin is dry.
9. Apply a generous amount of Facial Serum, Concentrate or facial oil and massage in small circular motion all over face and upper chest. Do this for at least five minutes.
10. Leaving the serum on, apply eye mask all around eye contour.
11. Apply facial mask in thick layer all over your face and décolleté.
12. Use the two remaining hot towels to cover your face while you are lying supine. Place one towel over the other for heat retention, making sure to leave your nose uncovered.
13. Allow towels to cool while resting on your skin. The heat from the towels allows the active ingredients from the mask to absorb into your skin. Rest like this for 15 to 20 minutes till towels are completely cooled.
14. Repeat step 3
15. Finish with your favorite night cream.
Below are a few different choices of enzyme peels, masks and other goodies to make your special treat even more special. There are some extra pointers next to some of the products as well.
©2008 Marie Swan Black
No part my be reproduced without permission
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