With bills to pay, food to buy and the plethora of other items and events helping to deplete your bank balance on a regular basis, heading to the spa and getting a facial is probably the last thing on your mind. However, with the right know-how and equipment to hand, the experience of an at home facial can be just as luxurious as one in a spa.
It only takes a few steps to elevate a skincare routine to an at-home facial, and we promise it’s easier than you’d think! So, if you are ready to reap the benefits of a relaxing and replenishing treatment, read on.
If you are in a hurry and want to jump to specific parts of our at home facial procedure, here are the steps broken down for you.
How to give yourself a facial at home: Evolve’s 6 step facial procedure
Step 2: Exfoliate your skin with a face mask
Step 3: Remove the face mask with a DIY hot towel treatment
Step 4: Add your desired facial treatments
Step 5: Concentrate on your eyes
Step 6: Apply the finishing touches
Now it’s time to breakdown how to do an at home facial. We’ve separated out the steps of a facial into small, bite size chunks to make things as simple (and therefore relaxing) as possible.
Step One: Thoroughly Cleanse Your Face
As with any skincare treatment, it’s best to start with a clean, fresh canvas before you apply multiple products. Not only does this mean you’ll prevent bacteria from being trapped in your skin, but you’ll also get the most out of the nourishing ingredients in your skincare.
The best way to do this is by cleansing or even double cleansing your skin.
If you’ve been wearing makeup or SPF, double cleansing is a great option: the first wash removes surface pollutants like foundation, while the second works to actually clean your skin of impurities.
The technique was actually first used on Geisha in Japan to remove their heavy white face paint, so we know that it works!
If, on the other hand, you haven’t put anything on your face all day and haven’t been exposed to anything particularly grubby, you might want to just stick to a single cleanse.
How to cleanse for a home facial
We aren’t talking about a quick splash of water here: part of what brings this from an everyday routine to an at-home facial is the intent behind it - we want you to fully relax.
First, wet your face with warm water - The warmth will enlarge your pores and make it easier for the cleanser to remove impurities.
However, it is worth remembering that certain cleansers require a splash of cold water before applying them so be sure to read the product label carefully!
Next, choose your preferred cleanser and begin to work it gently into your skin, massaging as you go. Taking the time to massage your face both stimulates your lymphatic system to leave you glowier and ensures that the product has time to work its magic.
The lymphatic system actually supports your skin’s natural ability to cleanse, so by massaging in your cleanser properly you’re getting double the benefit.
It might feel a bit odd to massage your skin so thoroughly if you’re using a water-based cleanser over a balm, as it will start to dry out and get a little sticky.
If this is the case and you don’t want to use just a balm, you could always use one just to massage your skin, and then apply your regular cleanser over the top of it to lift away any last traces.
Work outwards from the centre of your face in smooth, sweeping motions. For firmer skin, try pressing deep into the skin, and for oily or sensitive skin opt for a light massage.
Remember, this is all about you taking some time for yourself to just relax - and who doesn’t love a face massage?
Remember to remove the cleanser and reduce the size your pores
When it comes time to take the cleanser off, you could opt for the luxurious route of using a hot cloth, which will lift the product away with the impurities, or you can just rinse off using warm water.
Now you have clean skin, it can be a good idea to close the pores again.
You can do this with either a splash of cold water or a spritz of your favourite facial mist to refresh your skin.
Product recommendations for this step
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Daily Detox Facial Wash - For Normal to Oily Skin £16.00 |
Gentle Cleansing Melt - For Normal to Dry Skin £22.00 |
Step Two: Exfoliate with a face mask
Now that your skin is cleansed and prepped, it’s time to treat it. Enter: face masks.
Face masks are a great way to treat yourself to an at-home facial, because they’re often formulated with exfoliating ingredients and because they’re a simple, yet brilliant way to escape from the routine of everyday life.
You can choose either a physical or a chemical exfoliant, depending on your skin’s needs. Despite their name, chemical exfoliators actually tend to be gentler on sensitive skin, while physical exfoliants give impressive instantaneous results.
If you’d like to learn more about this topic, here is where we have written all about the difference between physical and chemical exfoliation.
How to exfoliate during a home facial
As is the case with the rest of this routine, it is your choice how you exfoliate, depending on what is best for your skin.
You can either use your fingers or a soft brush to apply your face mask, sweeping outwards again and avoiding the delicate eye area.
Introducing Our Free Downloadable At Home Wellness Toolkit
During times of anxiety and stress it is more important than ever to pay attention to both your mind and your body to maximise your wellness.
That is why we have put together our Free, 50-page Downloadable At Home Wellness Toolkit for you to take a look through, and find something that can help you relax and truly care for yourself. All you have to do is fill in the form below and the guide will be emailed to you! We made the guide with the intention of including something for everyone, so we hope that you find a section in there that helps you relax and destress in these trying times.
Remember to relax
We’d recommend taking the time you’re masking to just do nothing.
Why not lie down and relax for a few minutes?
Give yourself permission to just enjoy the moment, as you would if you were having a salon facial - you wouldn’t be busy preparing dinner, answering the phone or worrying about work emails there!
In fact, now could be a great time to place either some cooling cucumber or something warm and relatively heavy like a small wheat bag over your eyes.
Another option to take this facial to the next level is to give yourself a hand massage - or rope in someone else to assist. A few minutes of soothing pressure on your hands or shoulders is sure to leave you feeling pampered.
Product recommendations for this step
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Miracle Mask - For All Skin Types £24.00 |
Radiant Glow Mask - For All Skin Types £24.00 |
Step Three: Remove your face mask
Once you’ve taken a few minutes to unwind, it’s time to take off your face mask. This is an important part of the at home facial procedure as it means your skin is prepared to move onto the next steps.
That’s why it is important to remain relaxed and calm as you are removing your face mask, and this will also help to ensure that you remain fully immersed in the blissfulness of your at home facial.
How to remove your face mask
Gently add warm water, which will rinse the mask off without pulling at your skin.
This is especially important if you’ve chosen a physical exfoliant, as overzealous scrubbing can cause microtears in the skin. However most scrubs will emulsify on contact with water, lifting away the dead skin cells without causing any damage.
Once the majority of the mask has been removed, you can treat yourself to a hot towel treatment. This is another opportunity to unwind, and any mask residue can be gently wiped away as well.
How to enjoy a hot towel treatment for your face
Making a DIY hot towel treatment couldn’t be easier: pick a lovely soft towel and either pour some hot water over it and wring out or dampen it before popping it in the microwave for 30 seconds or so.
You could also add a few drops of your favourite essential oil: aromatherapy is a key part of a salon facial, after all, so why should you miss out in your at-home variation?
If you’re going for this option, please make sure the towel is cool enough to use on your face!
If the towel is cool enough, place it over your face, leaving a gap for your nose, then just lie back and enjoy - you could even pretend to be somewhere exotic if you close your eyes!
Playing rain sounds or classical music is a fantastic way to increase the levels of relaxation at this point in the facial.
How Evolve can help take your at home facial to the next level
Here at Evolve we understand the importance of taking back some “me time” in a world that rarely wants to give you any, and that is why we want to make planning your skincare routines, including an at home facial, as stress-free as possible.
Our bespoke online skincare product recommendations are a great way to utilise the decades of skincare expertise in the Evolve team, and best of all they are a completely free way to get advice that is specifically tailored to your skin.
So whether it is to help you put the finishing touches to your at home facial procedure, or to simple fill the gaps in your everyday skin routine, get your bespoke, online skincare product recommendation today
Step Four: Choose your favourite facial treatments
Now that your skin is pristine and glowing, it’s a great time to add a treatment or two to your at home facial.
Waiting until after exfoliation means that your product will be able to penetrate the healthy skin cells more easily, without having to break through a layer of dead skin first.
Press a few pumps of your favourite serum into your face, neck and decollete until you can feel that it has sunk in: it will probably still be obvious to the touch that you’ve applied a serum, but it shouldn’t be wet any longer.
If you are unsure about what a serum should do, or which to go for, worry not as we have already written all about how to choose the right face serum
Product recommendations for this step
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Rainforest Rescue Blemish Serum £22.00 |
Hyaluronic Serum 200 - For All Skin Types £30.00 |
Superfood 360 Serum - For All Skin Types £38.00 |
Step Five: Concentrate on your eyes
Up until this point, you may have noticed that we’ve been very careful to avoid the eye area.
This is because it is much more delicate than the rest of your facial skin, and poses the obvious risk of products getting into your eyes.
There’s an easy solution for both of these issues, though: use a product that comes with a rollerball applicator.
This should prevent excess product from veering towards your eyes, and you can sweep the rollerball across the undereye area without tugging.
Bonus: you can probably do this with your eyes closed!
It’s a good idea to pick an eye product that aims to hydrate, as dehydration is one of the key causes of fine lines, puffiness and dark circles around the eyes.
A delicate touch is key around your eyes
Remember to use a very light touch, and to let the ball do most of the work for you.
As you roll it across, you’ll be stimulating blood flow under the eyes which works to de-puff and alleviate dark circles, as well as depositing a nourishing product. Win win!
Remember to cover the entire eye area
It’s not just the under eye that needs attention though: you should also concentrate on an area that probably gets neglected during your usual nighttime routine: the brow bone.
If your chosen eye product doesn’t come with a rollerball applicator, try using your ring fingers to (very) gently tap the product into your skin.
You don’t want to tug the area, as this can actually damage the collagen in your skin as the eyes are so delicate. Instead, try to create a rolling motion with your ring fingers, to mimic the effects of the rollerball.
Product recommendations for this step
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Hyaluronic Eye Complex - For All Skin Types £16.00 |
Step Six: Adding the finishing touches
Cleansed, exfoliated, and soaking up its favourite treatments: we bet your skin is pretty happy right now. We’d just recommend a few finishing touches to make your at-home facial complete.
Now that the serum has had time to fully sink into you skin, you have the chance to apply a moisturiser of your choice. Whether you opt for a heavy-duty night cream or a light summer lotion, hydration is key.
Warm your cream of choice between your hands and smooth onto your face in sweeping outwards motions.
Finally, don’t forget to apply a hydrating lip balm to plump and soothe your lips.
Product recommendations for this step
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Daily Renew Facial Cream - Suitable for All Skin Types £28.00 |
True Balance Lotion - For Normal to Oily Skin £24.00 |
Multipeptide 360 Cream - For Dry or Mature Skin £30.00 |
Is an At-Home Facial right for me?
Short answer: yes!
It doesn’t have to be an everyday occurrence, but taking a few minutes to appreciate both your incredible body and the quality of your skincare products can be really beneficial.
Taking a moment to indulge signals to our minds that it’s time to unwind, and can be a key component in making your week more enjoyable.
Whether you’re after a brilliant night’s sleep or preparing for an important event, taking time to look after your body is a step towards looking after your mind as well.
We hope our advice on how to do a spa quality facial at home has been useful for you, but if you have any other tips and tricks that you use get in touch as we love to hear about them!
If you are looking for the skincare products that will take your at home facial to the next level, take a look through our shop which contains everything you will need to rest, relax and refresh at home.
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