No woman can ever say no to a good hour of facial and spa time! The multistep facial treatment cleanses up your skin, stimulates skin cells, hydrates and nourishes it, giving you younger-looking, radiant skin. The fact that it relieves stress and makes the skin glow is just amazing. Isn’t it?

That feeling of getting pampered at a salon and coming back home with soft, flushed skin is unbeatable. However, as much as we love the two whole hours of getting the royal treatment, sometimes hectic schedules don’t leave us with enough time to get a facial. But that doesn’t mean you deprive your skin of the heavenly treatment. Have you ever tried a facial at home? To give your skin that divine spa treatment and to maintain its glow, how about doing a facial at home and getting the same results? All you have to do is go step-by-step and do it right.

So get ready, pull your hair away from your face and throw it in a headband. Read and follow these 7 simple and easy facial steps to pull off a salon-like facial at home and get the envious glowing skin you’ve been longing for.

 

Step 1: Cleanse well

Step 1: Cleanse well

First and foremost, start with a clean canvas. It is really important to cleanse your face thoroughly to remove any dirt, makeup or product build-up before you start with your facial. Wipe off any makeup residue from the face using cleansing wipes. Then use an oil-based cleanser or any facial oil like coconut oil or olive oil and gently clean your skin surface. It will help get rid of every ounce of dirt and give you a clean slate to work on. Lastly, use a mild foam cleanser like Dove Beauty Moisture Conditioning Facial Cleanser on your face and wash off with lukewarm water.

 

Step 2: Exfoliate

Step 2: Exfoliate

The second step is to exfoliate. Exfoliating skin with a mild scrub helps remove dead skin cells, polish the skin and making it brighter. Take a pea-sized amount of your face scrub and rub it gently onto face and neck in a circular motion. If you are blessed with oily skin, use St. Ives Gentle Smoothing Oatmeal Scrub & Mask. For dry skin, we recommend St. Ives Energizing Coconut & Coffee Scrub. Splash the scrub off with lukewarm water.

BB Pro tip: Scrub essentially on the nose and chin area to deep cleanse and get all the blackheads and impurities out from the skin.

 

Step 3: Massage your face

Step 3: Massage your face

No facial is complete without a facial massage and, let’s be honest, this is the most fun part of the treatment. This step is essential to increase blood circulation and improve muscle tones, which keeps skin firm and bright. Dampen your palms and take a small amount of face massage cream. Start with the middle of your forehead and work towards temples. Then massage along the sides of your nose and cheeks. Lastly massage lips, chin and jawline. Don’t forget to massage the neck. Use your fingers and massage in an upward direction working towards the chin. Wash your face with water after good 10 minutes of massage time.

BB Pro Tip: Use both hands and give yourself a facial massage with the help of your fingertips, moving them in an upward, outward circular motion, never down. The upward motion would help to lift up the skin and firming it while downward can result in saggy skin.

 

Step 4: Take steam

Step 4: Take steam

Time for some pore cleaning! After exfoliating and massaging, next comes the steam. It helps the pores to open and makes skin absorbent for the products to follow. Heat is also good for the skin as it makes skin relaxed and moist. This step does wonders for oily and acne-prone skin. Boil water in a pot and take it off the stove. Lean over it and take steam for 5-10 minutes. Cover your head with a towel and to make sure the heat is trapped and skin gets the steam. Take the towel off every now and then if you need air.

BB Pro Tip: Add aromatic essential oils like lavender oil or rose oil to the water for a salon-like experience. You can also put green tea or rosemary for extra skin benefits and aromatherapy treatment.

 

Step 5: Mask it

Step 5: Mask it

After steaming, your skin needs something nourishing and moisturising. Face masks get all the impurities out and give its radiance back. Grab your favourite face mask and enjoy some relaxed time while your skin relaxes as well. We suggest Lakmé Strawberry Blush & Glow Mask that suits every skin types and gives glowing, rejuvenated skin.

You can also DIY a face mask according to your skin type and requirement using natural ingredients from your kitchen. For example, facial for oily skin, prepare a face mask with oatmeal and avocado or for dry skin, blend banana and honey. Just put chilled cucumber slices on your eyes and leave the face mask for 15 minutes before washing it off.

 

Step 6: Get toning

Step 6: Get toning

An essential part of your CTM routine, toning is also very important in facial. Now that your skin has absorbed the nutrients and goodness of the face masks, toner would help to close and clean the pores. It also restores the balance of the skin and is essentially beneficial for acne-prone skin as it doesn’t let the dirt settle in on the skin. Take a cotton pad and pour a small amount of toner such as Lakmé Absolute Pore Fix Toner. It shrinks and tightens pores that were opened during the steam and leaves skin clean and bright. Gently move the cotton pad all over the face and let it dry.

 

Step 7: Moisturise obviously

Step 7: Moisturise obviously

Wrap up your 7-step home facial with a soothing moisturiser. Cleansing and steam dries out the skin in the process and thus the facial needs to end with moisturising skin. This last step hydrates the skin and helps to retain and sealing in the moisture it lost. Make sure your hands are clean. Get a lightweight moisturiser such as Lakmé Peach Milk Soft Creme Moisturizer and apply it all over your face using your fingertips. Gently massage the cream onto face and neck and let it absorb in the skin. If you’re performing the facial at night, finish with applying eye cream to nourish the under eye area.

Here is a short and quick nighttime home facial tutorial to get glowing skin in simple steps. Take a look…

 

After Facial Care

After Facial Care

1) Keep yourself hydrated

After a facial, your skin will feel supple and hydrated. However, to maintain that suppleness, you need to keep your body hydrated. Drink at least 3 liters of water every day for the next three days to maintain that facial glow.

2) Be gentle on your skin

A facial involves extensive scrubbing, cleansing and exfoliating, which may make your skin a little sensitive after the facial. For that reason, be gentle on your skin for the next few days. Avoid harsh cleansers and any other products that might irritate your skin. Also, avoid topical treatments for at least 4 days after the facial.

3) Don’t pick at your skin

It may be tempting to pick your pimples, but post-facial, it’s best to keep your hands off your face. Every pop and squeeze will scar your complexion, inflame your skin and spread the bacteria. You surely don’t want all that to ruin your skin after your facial, right? Then keep your hands off your face.

4) Don’t wear makeup immediately

With all that deep cleansing you did during your facial at home, some pores on your skin will remain open after your facial session. They need time to breathe and close on their own. If you apply makeup immediately, it’ll get trapped in your skin and irritate it, leading to breakouts. That’s why you must ideally wait for at least 24 hours after a facial before applying any makeup.

5) Protect your skin from the sun

The facial at home exfoliates your skin deeply, thus making it more vulnerable to harmful UV rays of the sun. Moreover, all that’s scrubbing and cleaning involved in a facial makes your skin sensitive. So, after getting your facial done, stay away from direct sunlight for some time. If you do need to go out in the sun, make sure you wear broad-spectrum sunscreen.

 

FAQs about facial at home

FAQs about facial at home

Q. Can I do a facial every week?

A. Getting a facial on a weekly basis is not really necessary. Ideally, get a facial every six to eight weeks to get consistent results.

Q. What are the disadvantages of facial?

A. A facial involves extensive cleansing and exfoliating, which might lead to redness and irritation on the skin after you’re done. However, it will heal on its own, so you need not do anything.

Q. How long does facial redness last?

A. Redness after a facial is okay and normal and usually does not last more than 24 hours.