DIY A Spa-Quality Facial At Home

A professional facial at a spa or salon is an amazing treat, but let’s face it, unless you have a free schedule and an unlimited budget, getting regular facials at the spa is just not practical for most of us. To be honest, you don’t have to go to the spa all the time or spend thousands to take care of your complexion. You can give yourself a spa-style facial at home, any ol’ time you wish for a fraction of the cost and you will look equally beautiful!

Taking the time to nurture yourself with a rejuvenating facial is not only good for your skin, it’s good for your soul. Much like mindfully preparing healthy meals or exercising in nature's fresh air, pampering yourself with a facial and connecting to yourself is a centering practice. Here’s how to do it:

1.  Cleanse

Start your facial by cleansing away all the dirt and grime of the day. Avoid very hot water that can irritate your skin. Use tepid or warm water and a mild and moisturizing soap. This is so important! Don’t just wash up with anything that foams up. Many cleansing bars and liquids are actually detergents which can strip your skin of vital healthy oils. Use natural, organic and healthy soap:

Emz Blendz Organic Soap Bar- Extremely mild and gentle soap that is good for all skin types but especially helpful for oily skin or combination skin because it is made with a blend of Rose Geranium and Lavender essential oils that are helpful in balancing the skin's sebum production.

Emz Chamomile Mint Facial Cleanser- A very mild, creamy and gentle olive and grape seed oil based cleanser that is good for all skin types but especially helpful for sensitive, dry or acne prone skin. Chamomile is naturally anti-inflammatory and tea tree and mint essential oils help to fight bacteria causing acne.

2.  Exfoliate

Soap removes dirt and oil, but can’t remove dead skin build-up. Your skin is constantly creating new skin cells at the lower level and sending them to the surface where they serve as an important protective barrier. Over time, as skin cells rise to the surface, they slowly die and can build up, giving you a dry, rough or dull appearance. Exfoliation helps to remove the outer-most layer of dead skin cells revealing more luminous, younger skin below. To exfoliate your skin, use a gentle sugar scrub:

Emz Blendz Sugar Scrubs are made with skin-polishing sugar granules that effectively exfoliate without irritation because the sugar crystals slowly dissolve as you use them. Regular exfoliation will leave your skin radiant, smooth and glowing. If you have acne-prone skin, Tea Tree Mint Sugar Scrub can help tremendously by clearing away the bacteria-feeding excess dead skin cells, sebum and dirt that cause breakouts. Coconut Vanilla Sugar Scrub Mask smells amazing and can also be used as a clarifying facial mask.

3.  Massage

Don’t skip this step! Facial Massage may be the most important part of your skin care regimen. Like your neck, shoulders and back, your face has many muscles that can get tight and hold a lot of stress and tension. Facial massage stimulates the muscles and the lymphatic system, restores circulation to the facial tissue, relaxes and relieves stress. Apply a small amount of sweet almond oil, jojoba oil, or Age-Well Facial Serum to your fingertips and give yourself a lovely and relaxing facial massage.

4.  Mask

Facial Masks help to tighten, tone and firm your skin. They are detoxifying and work to deep clean and draw out impurities. Use Emz Coconut Vanilla Kaolin Clay Mask which is gentle and good for all skin types. The best thing about it is that it comes in an all-natural, preservative free powder form. Just add one teaspoon mask powder to a little bit of water to create a thin paste. You can also activate the mask powder by adding your favorite herbal tea, yogurt, honey, a bit of mashed avocado or fruit pulp to make a custom and personalized mask. Apply it to your face and leave it on for about fifteen minutes. (This is the part of the facial where you prop up your feet and take a little break.) To remove the mask, rinse with warm or tepid water and cleanse once more with a gentle cleanser to remove all residue.

5.  Steam

Steam opens your pores and helps you sweat which washes out toxins and impurities. Steaming also softens, hydrates and improves circulation bringing a rosy glow to your skin. Steaming your face is simple, feels wonderful and really makes you look fantastic. 

To steam: Boil a small pot of water. Add the hot steaming water to a bowl and add a tablespoon of Facial Steam Herbs to the water. Place your face over the steaming bowl of herbs (stay about 12 inches away) and drape a towel over your head to trap the steam. Try to steam your face for seven to ten minutes. Afterwards, rinse your face with tepid water and gently pat dry with a towel. 

Variation: add three drops of your favorite essential oil to the hot steaming water. Tea Tree, Lavender, Lemon, Peppermint or Rose Geranium are great for acne prone skin. Eucalyptus, Spearmint, Peppermint or Rosemary help to open and clear sinuses. Tangerine, Sweet Orange, Lemon or Grapefruit help to uplift the spirit. Rose, Sandalwood or Rosewood calm, soothe and center the mind and heart.

6.  Tone

Hydrosols are created by steam distillation of flowers and botanicals. They have the most amazing aromas and make perfect healing facial toners. They are soothing, hydrating and mildly antiseptic. You can spritz Hydrosol Facial Toners directly on your face (with eyes closed) or you can spritz on a cotton ball and then apply to your face. They are refreshing and also help to maximize absorption of your facial moisturizer.

7.  Moisturize

Moisturizers lock in water, deliver nutrients, help prevent wrinkles, and make you feel awesome! Find one that works best for your skin and use it regularly.

Chamomile Rose Facial Cream- Medium weight daily facial cream. Best for dry, sensitive or mature skin types. Feels light and absorbs easily leaving your skin feeling hydrated and soft. Chamomile is naturally anti-inflammatory. Real Rose calms the skin and is considered the essential oil of the highest vibration.

Balancing Blend Facial Lotion- Light and weightless. Perfect for combination, oily or acne-prone skin types. Made with a blend of natural essential oils that are known for their balancing and acne healing properties.

Face Food- A concentrated, very rich cream that can be used as a precious eye cream or it can be applied to the entire face (recommended) at night to create baby soft, glowing skin. Ideal for dry, mature or sensitive skin types.

Age-Well Serum- A special nutrient-rich facial oil serum that absorbs quickly and feels light. Improves skin’s tone, reduces fine lines and wrinkles and promotes a youthful complexion. 

8.  Hydrate

This should actually be the first step of your facial because skin must be nourished and hydrated from the inside. You can apply all the right products, and follow all these steps, but if you aren't paying attention to how you nourish the temple that is your home and that feeds your skin, all of it won’t make much of a difference… Drink a cup of warm herbal tea, lemon water, cucumber water or healthy smoothie (see previous red smoothie post).

Remember above all to Be Happy. No matter what is happening in the outside world, you can choose to be happy. Your face represents to the world what you feel and think. The state of your mind and heart will manifest itself on your face. Nothing will make you more beautiful than a state of peace and harmony. When you wake up in the morning, think, “Today I choose to be happy!” or

“Today I choose to live healthy and happy from the skin to within...™”

Skin-cerely,

Emily

Emz Blendz Soap Co.