An Easy At-Home Facial
The easy facial is a treat even if you're doing it for yourself. Here's all you need:
• Hand towels (2-3 per person)
• Cold Cream or Make-up remover
• Facial cleanser (whatever brand you prefer)
• Moisturizing cream (again, your choice, but keep it light)
• Astringent or toner (you can use your preferred brand name product, or witch hazel
for a mild version)
• Cotton pads (several per person) or face cloths (2 per person)
• Facial Tissue
• Slow cooker or chaffing dish (for heated towels) and tongs
• Small bowls (soup-sized bowls) with warm water
• Nourishing Facial Masque (see recipe below for an all-natural homemade masque)
• Small, Soft, Natural-Bristle Painting Brush (optional)
• Cheesecloth (optional) The
first thing you want to do to prepare is to moisten a hand towel with
hot water and place it into your slow cooker (on low heat setting) or
chaffing dish to keep it warm. Be sure to have about ¼ inch of water in
the bottom of the dish, so the towels won't dry out. If you're going to
be doing facials on more than yourself, be sure to prepare at least one
towel per person.
Next use a hand towel that has been folded
diagonally and use it to hold your hair off of your face. Wrap the
towel around the back of the head and bring the folded corners up to
the front of the face and secure the ends at the forehead using a hair
pin or clip. Be sure that any hair is tucked out of the way.
Use
your cold cream or make-up remover to take off all face and eye
make-up. (Use the facial tissue for this.) Be sure to be thorough in
removing all traces of the make-up. Once you've gotten all your make-up
off, wipe away any excess cold cream or make-up remover with the facial
tissues.
The next step is to open the pores. To do this we
take the moistened, heated towels and lay them on the face in a
circular pattern. Make sure all parts of the face are covered, but you
can feel free to arrange the towel so that you can breathe clearly
through the nose if desired. The moist heat serves to open the pores of
your skin so that you can remove dirt and oils more easily in the next
step. The warmth and moisture are also very relaxing. Allow the towel
to stay on the face until it begins to cool.
Once the towel
begins to cool, remove it and apply the facial cleanser. Use a cotton
pad to add sufficient water to allow you to create lather on the face
as you massage the cleanser into the skin. Apply the cleanser and
massage it in using the ring and little fingers of your hands. These
fingers exert the least amount of pressure and are therefore the most
gentle to the face. In addition, always work your way up from the chin
to the forehead in circular strokes. Once you've applied the cleanser
and massaged it all over the face, use a moistened cotton pad (or face
cloth) to rinse away the cleanser.
Our next step is the facial
masque. Using the painting brush or your fingers, apply a thin coating
of the facial masque preparation, taking care not to get the mixture
into the eyes. Once it is applied, allow the masque to sit on the face
for 5-10 minutes so that the masque can be absorbed into the skin.
Afterwards, remove the masque using facial tissue and rinse the face
completely with moistened cotton pads or a moistened face cloth.