The At-Home-Facial Revised!

Facials are an excellent way to keep your skin clear, smooth and healthy, but they can be quite expensive.  Most salons recommend getting a facial monthly, but that can burn a big hole on your wallet, especially at the price range of at least $60 to $200 a month!  A great way to save money, and still have great skin is to extend the results of your professional facial buy doing an "at- home facial" 2x a month or more if you have problematic skin.

The B.Youneek At Home Facial

1) Cleanse & Exfoliate: Use a gentle cleanser that does not contain Sodium Laurel Sulfate (a toxic ingredient found in many soaps that will actually dry & aggravate skin).  My favorites are any natural milled bar soaps that even last longer than liquid soaps.  Try Tea Tree Oil Soap for oily/combo skin, or almond soap for dry/normal. I also love L'Occitaine's Immortelle Precious Cleansing Foam. After washing the face, mix some sea salt & jojoba oil (found at your local health store) in a small bowl & massage into skin in a circular motion.  This will rid you of any dead skin & smooth the surface to reveal newer, smoother skin below.

2) Steam & Mask: If you have a facial steamer- great!  If not, this is the way I do it-Take a small washcloth and wet with very warm water & press against skin.  Repeat this process with new water about 4- 5 times.  Next, apply a face mask appropriate for your skin type, or make your own.  I suggest a clay- based mask for oily to combination skin such as Alba Deep Sea Facial Mask.  Dry to normal skin, mix 6 oz. of  yogurt, 2 tbls honey & 2 tbls of wheat germ, & 1 tsp olive oil to make your mask.  Leave on & relax for 15 minutes, and rinse.  *Remember to leave extractions to the pros, unless you have some blemishes that are obviously ready to be "released."  Be sure to always extract these with clean hands and tissues, and leave the difficult ones for the pros.  Some cystic- pimples can actually get worse by squeezing, sending the clogged matter back into the skin even deeper.

3) Tone & Moisturize: After rinsing off the mask, use a toner appropriate for your skin type.  Oily- combination skin should use a toner with a small amount of alcohol in it to remove oil & clean pores deeper since oily skin is more prone to breakouts.  Two of my favorites are L'Occitaine Immortelle Essential Water, and Alba Botanica Hawaiian facial toner.  Swipe appropriate lotion across the skin to refine & remove excess mask products, and then apply your serum and/or moisturizer.  Those with acne- prone skin, apply tea tree oil (naturally dries acne) to blemishes before applying a light moisturizer.  For anti- aging, select a serum that is typically a highly concentrated yet light product that delivers all kinds of benefits, based on what you're looking for.  I recommend a serum that boosts collagen production (what makes your skin look youthful and supple).  A great one to use is Reviva Labs Hyaluronic Acid Serum.  Massage in your serum well with circular motions using the pads of your fingertips, let dry and apply your moisturizer.  Great moisturizers contain all- natural ingredients & DO NOT contain propylene glycol, parabans, mineral oil or coloring.  Check labels!  Some I like: L'Occitaine Divine Cream for face and Divine Eyes, Alba Botanica Hawaiian moisturizer, Alba Sea Moss Moisturizer and Burts Bees Radiance Day Cream, and Burts Bees Ageless Eye Cream.  

Skin Product Lines I Like:

L'Occitaine

Alba Botanica

Origins

Avalon Organics

Reviva Labs

Derma E

Aubry Organics

Burts Bees

*Always check ingredient labels for parabans, mineral oil, propylene glycol, coloring, and sodium laurel sulfate- all toxic ingredients you want to stay away from.  

With this at- home facial routine done twice a month, you should be able to extend the results of your professional facial, and even improve your skin!  All it takes is a few extra minutes of your time, time that you deserve to give to yourself!