Taking good care of your skin need not be expensive

The price of a good facial can sometimes cost a fortune, of course depending on what you want and which side of town your spa is locate on. The economy is on a downward trend and people are loosing jobs every day so some things like a facial may look like a luxury we can do without. The greatest news is that you can actually do a facial at home with just a few ingredients and it will hardly take you half an hour.  For your simple facial here are the ingredients you will need: Lukewarm water, A skin cleanser, Cotton balls, An exfoliator, A skin tonic, A skin mask, 1 chamomile tea bag and a clean towel.

Woman with Green Facial

Simple steps to follow

Before you start:

Timing:

The activity is going to take just about 30 minutes only. You need a nice place to do the facial which could either be your bathroom or bedroom. You will need a place to lie down and one of the steps will need a place where you will sit or probably stand if it’s your wish.

Organization:

Take your ample time just to ensure you have everything you will need in its right place so that you get to enjoy the whole exercise.

Some steam:

At one stage you are going to require steaming your face to open the pores and release any toxins locked in there. You can put some 5 or so cups of water to boil. Plain water is ok but you can creatively add some herbs such as lavender, chamomile, calendula or any calming herbs that you know about. Some one or two drop of chamomile, lavender or rose oil will do you just great! Only remember to put add just a few drops so as not to irritate your eyes. Do you have a rose at home? Than add just a few petals.

Then make some chamomile tea and add some ice cubes to it to make it cold. You can alternatively use cold water if the tea is not available. Submerge two pieces of cotton; they wil be used to relax your eyes during the mask.

And now the process

Cleaning your skin:

After you have removed all the makeup, clean gently around your eyes in a circular motion.

Exfoliate:

Now you can apply your exfoliator with gentle circular motions and the rinse with water.

Steaming:

If you are not using a steamer, lower the temperature just as the water is boiling, alternatively you can put the water in a bowl and bring it to the place you are going to do your facial from. Cover your face with a towel to preserve the steam and then lean over the bowl staying about one foot away. Stop immediately if you feel a burning sensation. That would mean the temperature is too high or you are too close to the bowl. You can keep the steam going for between 10 to 15 minutes.

Extraction:

Most of us have either blackheads or whiteheads and the steam eliminates a lot of them. But then if there any that are visible this is the time to extract them.  If your nails are too long you may cover them with cotton. You will need to use your fingers or an extraction tool carefully to press around them so as to get the impurities out. Touching any pimples is not recommended because of the danger you may spread the infection around.  Then you can now apply your toner to the skin using either cotton or a sprayer.

The mask:

The mask can be selected according to the needs of your skin: a purifying mask will do if you have an oily skin; a winter time or a deep moisturizing mask will be good if you have dry skin. Apply the mask all over your face then lie down to some soft music. Place the cotton balls on your eyes and leave the mask on for 10 to 15 minutes. Just relax.

Take the mask off with some lukewarm water and apply toner again. Proceed further now and apply your regular moisturizer and eye cream remembering your sunscreen just in case you will walk anywhere under direct sunlight. You can top it up with a drink such as decaffeinated tea or simply just plain water.

Frequency:

The frequency can be determined by you skin type and you can do such a facial every week or once a fortnight.

Are there other recipes I can use?

Oh yes, the goodness of home facials is the great choice of ingredients that you have available. Every recipe has its own unique benefits so you are free to try them all.

Woman with Beauty Mask on Face Holding Avocado

-  Nourish: Banana-Avocado Mask

• Ingredients: 1/2 over-ripe banana, 1/2 over-ripe avocado, 2 Tbsp unflavored full-fat yogurt, 1 tsp olive oil
• Instructions: Mash banana and avocado, combine with other ingredients, and mix well. Apply liberally to face and neck. Leave on for 20 to 30 minutes, and then rinse with warm water.

-  Exfoliate: Tomato-Lemon Mask

• Ingredients: 1 over-ripe tomato, 1 tsp lemon juice, 1 tsp instant oatmeal
• Instruction: Put all ingredients in blender, puree until smooth. Apply to face, let soak 20 minutes, rinse with warm water.

-  Tighten: Peach Mask

• Ingredients: 1 ripe peach, 1 egg white, 1 tsp unflavored full-fat yogurt
• Instructions: Peel and pit the peach. Blend together with egg white and yogurt until smooth. Pat gently onto face. Leave on 30 minutes. Rinse with cool water.

-  Smooth: Honey-Almond Mask

• Ingredients: 1 Tbsp honey, 1 egg yolk, 1/2 tsp almond oil, 1 Tbsp yogurt
• Instructions: Mix all ingredients together until well blended. Apply layer to face, leave on 20 minutes. Rinse with warm water, gently wipe residue with a damp cloth.

So if you are not too lazy you will get the same perfect results from the comfort of your own home and save your money for other things that you want to do with it especially in these hard times.