This week: How to get that spa feelgood factor in your own home.
If you are looking for ways to cut back on your spending, how about running your own home facials (or manicures, pedicures or whatever else you are finding it hard to live without but which you also can’t quite justify spending on at the moment)?!
Really, all the techniques which are used in a salon facial are techniques which you can carry out on yourself to the same effect. As one friend of mine says, however: “It’s the lying back, relaxing and doing nothing as someone takes care of your skin the way you know you should but rarely do.” She adds: “I also love the massage part of the facial. I don’t know what it does but it feels lovely and as if your skin is being really cared for.”
If the idea of a DIY facial on yourself is not appealing, then get a friend or a group of friends and do it together. I guarantee you that your skin will feel just as pampered afterwards (assuming your friends are gentle!) and you will feel just as relaxed as if you had been to a spa or salon.
The benefit for sensitive-skin types of the home facial is that you can use products you know are safe and effective for you. Too often, we hear about clients who have been for a facial and have suffered a reaction afterwards despite being assured that the products used on them were for sensitive skin. If there’s a whiff of perfume or essential oil, it’s not going to be suitable for you.
To set the scene, have dim lighting, gentle music and make sure the room is nice and warm. Tie hair back and wear a soft hairband to keep hair well off your face. Breathe slowly and deeply and close your eyes (assuming someone else is carrying out your facial!).
What you will need:
Cleanser (and eye make-up remover if you use a separate one), toner, moisturiser, some sort of massage lotion, cream or oil, porridge oats
Cotton balls, soft tissue
Warm water
Step 1. Cleanse and tone your face
See our detailed post on how to cleanse and tone here. For removing eye make-up without pulling at or irritating sensitive eyes, see here. You can also extend your cleansing to your neck, neckline and chest area.
Step 2. Massage
The bit my friend loves! Use a product such as Queen Skin Cream or Queen Theatrical Cleansing Cream (also used as a massage cream by beauty therapists, sports masseurs and osteopaths) i.e. something which enables you to easily glide your fingers over the skin without pulling at it.
Use both hands and use your middle three fingers (or first two if it’s more comfortable) to apply gentle pressure then make small circles across the forehead. Apply gently pressure and sweep your index fingers across the eyebrows from the middle outwards. Time: 2 mins
Massage the temples gently and in a circular motion using your first two fingers. Time 30 secs.
Using your index fingers, sweep gently down the sides of the nose, starting in the corner of the eyes (be careful not to pull the delicate eye skin). Time: 2 mins
Take great care around the eyes. In the inner corners, just apply a little pressure two or three times with your ring finger. Repeat at the outer corners. Using your middle finger, just tap lightly under the eye from the nose outwards. Repeat two or three times. This is great for helping reduce puffiness. Time 1 min.
For the rest of the face, use gentle upward sweeping motions with your middle and index fingers working upwards from the chin and over the cheeks and under the nose. Keep your touch light and finish with long gentle upward sweeps of your three fingers together. Just pressing your hand, palm-side down, and lifting gently also works well. Make small circular motions with your index and middle fingers over the chin and upwards around the mouth and under the nose. Time: 2 mins
Use sweeping strokes of all three fingers on the neck and throat area. Apply gentle pressure with your thumb and sweep your thumb up along the jawbone to the ears, repeating two or three times. You can also carry out a gentle neck and shoulder massage and sweep your fingers outwards and upwards across the neckline/collarbone area. Time: 2 mins
Blot the skin gently with a soft tissue.
Step 3. Gently remove dead skin cells
We always advise against exfoliating sensitive skin with scrubs. The cleansing process will remove dead skin cells so it is not essential at all. However, if you prefer to feel you skin has in some way been buffed, try using a handful of porridge oats moistened with a little bit of warm water. Pat them over your skin and massage your skin in small circular movements, avoiding if possible the delicate skin around your eyes. Then, remove with cotton pads moistened with warm water (this is definitely easier if you have a friend carrying out your facial). Do carry out a patch test in advance to ensure you don’t have a reaction to oats.
We would also not advise steaming sensitive skin or trying to extract blackheads. These are just too stressful for sensitive skin. If you like, and your skin can tolerate, a face mask, however, just leave on the oats for 10 minutes or so until they feel stiffer and dryer. Then remove as above. Sweep toner lightly over the face to remove any excess.
Step 4. Moisturise, moisturise, moisturise
Take a really good dollop of moisturiser in the palm of your hand, press your hands together then press them onto your face. Press a few more times then, using your fingertips, begin to pat the moisturiser into your skin, taking particular care around your eyes. Re-apply to your hands if there is no cream left and sweep up and over your neck and throat. Let the moisturiser soak in for a few minutes. If there is any excess, blot very lightly with a tissue.
There, how good does that feel?
Good luck and enjoy!
