Everyone loves the clean refreshing feeling of a nice facial treatment. Women (and men) appreciate the pampered sensation of having their skin’s pores cleansed as they lay back and perhaps allow their dry facial skin to be moisturized, or their overly oily skin surface to be cleansed. The procedure can become expensive when professionally done however, and many of us simply cannot afford it now. This brings up the opportunity to create a do it yourself spa at home. No need to spend on expensive face items from sephora. Why not simply apply some lotion and maybe a couple of pieces of cucumber (over the eyes) and save some serious money by doing it at home? Well for one thing there is an enormous selection of ingredients to choose from. Which work and on what types of skin? How expensive are some of those specialized ingredients? It won’t work if all you do is throw money away on stuff that simply won’t do the job for you. All that is required are a few basic ingredients found in most homes plus a few low cost additions. Now you can go to a beauty supply store to see just what is there and what we need for that ideal home facial and they will show you that the professionals use the very same ingredients but with fancy sounding names.
Creating the proper environment
To truly experience the proper facial it helps to make the room you do it in into something resembling a spa if possible.
#1 A comfortable chair that can recline, covered with a sheet or large towel will insure a comfortable relaxing atmosphere plus keep the chair from getting spotted up.
#2 Add a small table or TV tray near by to hold the facial ingredients plus a towel and warm water.
#3 Turn on the radio, your MP3 player, or put on some soothing CD’s.
#4 Assemble the ingredients
Choose your ingredients according to what you plan to accomplish
You can either use some basic home ingredients for your facial or purchase some more elaborate combinations. It will depend on how much damage has been done to your face and how seriously you want to pamper yourself. Some really handy items to keep for your home spa use include:
1) Whole milk
2) Olive oil
3) Sea salt
4) Fresh mint leaves
5) A moisturizing antiseptic such as witch hazel
6) Rose water and/or orange blossom water
7) Package of cotton balls
8 ) A loofah
9) Oatmeal
10) Plain Yogurt
11) Egg whites
12) Honey
13) Fresh fruits such as strawberries or bananas
14) A bowl of warm water (to keep the ingredients warm)
Begin by washing your face clean with small amounts of warm milk and olive oil. Next use the sea salt mixed with a bit of olive oil and oatmeal on a cotton ball to exfoliate your skin. Rub in a circular motion then wipe clear with warm water. Don’t forget the toning which will refresh as it moisturizes when you apply some witch hazel and either orange blossom water or rose water. This combo also helps restore the skin’s natural PH balance.
Wash then steam to open pores before applying a mask
After the above treatment it’s best to wash your face thoroughly and then apply a very warm towel to steam open the pores and allow them to be thoroughly cleansed. Facial masks can be easily made using some basic ingredients such as egg whites (2 egg whites plus 2 tablespoons plain yogurt mixed together left on a few minutes). Or try oatmeal and honey for all types of skin. It takes two or three tablespoons of finely ground up oatmeal added to two tablespoons of plain yogurt then add a teaspoon of warm honey. Mix and apply generously, leaving it on for ten minutes or so. Blend together a combination of strawberries, oatmeal, and an egg white then add as a mask, leaving it on for 10 to 15 minutes, then wash the skin thoroughly and blot dry with a soft towel.
If you desire a more “professional” facial go to the beauty supply
A local beauty supply store that sells to the public is the place to go for specialty ingredients you may wish to add, particularly if you have problem skin (too oily, sun damaged, or overly dry). They can advise as to what works best and is the most affordable. You may even get some good advice from your professional beautician or where ever you get your facials done. They know how to find bargains and which combinations work best.
Avoiding the sun from 10 AM to 3 PM
One of the worst and most damaging things for skin is the sun. We who grew up with the knowledge that sunshine and a deep tan were healthy have since found that our wrinkled facial skin and melanoma are directly caused by that beautiful sun shine! Avoid it when possible by using a parasol (a sunshine umbrella) and a sunscreen whenever going outdoors. Moisturize your skin with lotions and humidified air in your home. The condition of your facial skin comes down mainly to using common sense so that later in life you won’t display how you abused your face through wrinkles, blotches, and folds.