Who says you have to visit a fancy spa every time you want to revitalize your skin when you can learn to give yourself an at-home face cleanup? Your start-of-the-summer skin might be in a rough condition right now after all the scorching sun, sweat and grime but the solution to smooth, beautiful and glowing skin is an amazing 6-step at-home face clean up. It could possibly seem a bit intensive at first, but the results are REAL. And if that sounds too good to be true and more like an infomercial, well, then, we have got you a great excuse to call your girlfriends together for a night of pampering!
Follow this regime twice a week and your skin will thank you!
At-Home Face Clean Up Guide - A Six-Step Regime
Clean-ups are clearly popular among most women(also, some men) as they promise calmer and clearer skin once you commit to the process. While at-home face clean up is rather a simple skincare regime to get rid of dead cells and dirt, it still promises to leave you with radiant skin and keep blemishes and acne at bay.
We do know how difficult it can get to stick to a particular regime let alone a complex one. So, we’ve made this 6-step simple regime which is easy to follow. Let’s start with the first step, shall we?
1. Cleansing
First thing first, you need to clean your skin so that it’s free of oil and grime. Cleansing in the morning is necessary to remove oil, dirt and grime that may build up overnight and cleansing at night is equally important to lay off all the makeup from the day’s work. And for the love of beauty gods, you need to use an all-natural makeup remover which is kind on sensitive skin and also replenishes the dehydrated skin.
Start by applying the makeup remover or cleansing oil which dissolves all the makeup residue without stripping your skin. Gently clear off your skin in a circular motion and use damp tissue or cotton swab for fuss-free cleaning. Then follow up with a gentle, creamy cleanser to get a squeaky clean canvas(FYI, it’s called double cleansing!)
2. Steaming
Once you have double cleansed your skin using a makeup remover and a mild cleanser, use a handy facial steamer or you can make a DIY steamer with a container full of boiling water to steam your face. You can even go-ahead to add a few drops of your favourite essential oil while you immerse your face in a cloud of warm vapours to enjoy a moisturizing effect.
Put a towel under the bowl to create a tent by sitting with your face over the steaming brew, and cover your head and bowl with the other towel (not more than 5 minutes). Facial steaming is a great step for those with acne-prone skin or with stubborn blackheads as the heat-induced sweating flushes out pores of any dirt and contaminants. You can use a blackhead remover tool to start scraping those stubborn blackheads from your face.
As a bonus, any products that you apply post-steam tend to absorb better in your skin!
3. Scrubbing
Most experts recommend scrubbing your skin once or twice weekly to tackle oil and dirt buildup, sweep away the dead skin cells(in turn promoting cell turnover) and reduce dullness. You can use a natural product that is gentle on the skin and scrub your face for about 3 minutes. Focus your exfoliating energy on areas which have blackheads or flakiness (especially near the nose and chin), since those are the areas where clogged pores are more likely to crop up.
While chemical exfoliators are quite abrasive and can create micro-tears on your face that slowly destroy your skin barrier, choose herbal face scrubs that are made from au-natural ingredients that slowly reveal brighter, smoother, more even-looking skin.
4. Applying face pack
Face masks are one of those skincare products that you never knew you needed until after you have seen their results. When used in the right capacity, they can heal your skin and can be super relaxing to cure a stressful day. They are an important part of achieving healthy, beautiful skin, irrespective of your skin type. However, it is important that you pick a suitable face mask that’s suitable for your skin type.
Apply a herbal face mask evenly on your face and leave it on for a good 20 minutes. Once dry, wash it off with cold water and pat dry to see how it gives an 'extra credit' to your skin.
Tip: If you have oily to combination skin, you should pick a face mask which has fuller’s earth(Multani Mitti) as its core ingredient. While dry skin type can opt for a face mask which has honey in it.
5. Toning
This often-skipped step in a skincare regime is amply responsible for various skin-boosting benefits, including the balancing of skin’s pH levels so that your skin is well primed to absorb all the moisturizers and serums that you apply to prep your skin. After applying a mask, tap a chemical-free toner over clean, dry skin, then wait for full five minutes before applying anything else over it. This will help restore your skin and provide nourishment that your complexion needs to look fresher all day long.
6. Moisturising
Always, always moisturize - it’s the only thing that'll keep your skin barrier healthy. We’re almost done with our regime and moisturization is the last step which will give your skin a big drink of water. You may apply a nourishing cream on your face and neck are or use a moisturizing serum and let it sink in for at least a full five minutes before applying any makeup.
Tip: If you have oily or acne-prone skin, moisturizers are especially important for you. This is because dry skin can cause your oil glands to go on an overdrive and leave you with more oil and blemished skin(just slather yourself in all the moisturizer you can get).
References:
- https://www.healthline.com/health/beauty-skin-care/order-of-skin-care
- https://www.femina.in/beauty/skin/why-exfoliation-is-important-86516.html
- https://www.healthline.com/health/benefits-of-steaming-face
- https://www.health.harvard.edu/staying-healthy/moisturizers-do-they-work
- https://www.healthline.com/health/beauty-skin-care/face-washing-how-to