Your DIY Facial!

How to do your own facial:

Be it Winter or Summer we long for great skin all year round...right?..Absolutely!

Skincare starts with your everyday eating choices to your skincare routine...and with our fast paced lifestyles and sedentary jobs, we often don't have the time to adequately take care of our skin. At home facials need not be time consuming, expensive or frustrating.

Whilst a professional facial is recommended, they are expensive. I generally love doing my own facials even if I do have the budget for a professional one. I love them as they are effective, relaxing, fun and gives me the satisfaction of knowing I can do it myself. I strongly believe that no one can take care of 'You' better than 'You'!

Here are the steps to follow in order for an effective facial:

1. Cleanse
2. Exfoliate
3. Steam
4. Mask
5. Tone
6. Moisturise

Method:

1. Cleanse:
* Use an effective make-up remover with a cotton pad   to remove all traces of make-up.
* For mascara, place a cotton pad on your under eye area near the lower lash line, close eyes and
using another cotton pad gently swipe down on upper lashes to remove mascara.
* Use a cleanser suited to your skin type and cleanse face, neck and ears(often neglected)
Try these cleansers:
Cetaphil cleansing lotion for sensitive skin
Vichy Normaderm cleansing gel or Neutrogena visibly clear 2 in 1 mask and wash for oily skin or Avon milk and honey cleanser or cetaphil for dry skin

2. Exfoliate:
*Using your fingers gently rub your face in circular motions using an exfoliating facial scrub. Concentrate on the areas around your nose and forehead and the areas that tend to be "oily."
*Rinse your face well as exfoliating scrubs tend to dry out the skin.
Try these for exfoliation:
Diy- teaspoon sugar added to your cleanser, sugar added to olive oil with a few drops honey, brown sugar added to honey.
Try Bodyshop's Vit C microdermabrasion- I love this product! It has just the right texture to slough off dead skin cells and a friend of mine says it gives her  a glow better than that of salon treatments. Garnier 3 in1 wash,mask and scrub and if you can afford it, Saint Laurents chemical exfoliator and Clinique 7 day scrub is amazing.

3. Steam:
*There are many ways to steam your face. You can soak a washcloth in hot water and press to your face repeating 2-3 times or you can boil water and add to a deep dish or teapot which is a safer option, lean over the steam and cover with a towel.

4. Mask:
*For oily skin, use a clay-based face mask.
*For dry skin,try a hydrating mask.
*Apply the mask, avoiding the areas around the eyes and lips.
*Keep it on for 10-20 minutes (or, according to the directions if using a store bought mask).
*Rinse well.
Try these masks:
Sorbet masks, Avon solutions mask, Avon tea tree and cucumber is very popular and is a gentle peek off mask, also try Neutrogena visibly ckear 2 in 1 mask and wash for oily skin.
Diy- see my blog on masks to suit your skin type

5. Tone:
* Use a gentle toner to soothe the skin and prepare it for your moisturiser.
Try these: Clinique clarifying toner for dry, oily or combination skin, Avon Solutions Hydra radiance toner for all skin types.
Diy- try a brightening toner by mixing 1 cup water to 2/3cup witch hazel and 1/2cup lemon juice. You can store it in a plastic bottle.

6. Moisturise:
* Use a moisturiser that suits your skin type and wear sunscreen everyday.

VOIL�! Prepare for an afterglow!