How To Do The Basic At-Home Facial

There’s nothing better than getting a professional facial, but they can be expensive. To maintain your healthy skin between professional treatments or to do them yourself, try this basic at-home facial once a week. This basic facial works on oily, dry and combination skin.

And don’t worry, I’m not going to make you whip up a batch of egg-whites and oatmeal, but you will save money if you do your own mask. I list a bunch of organic, natural Homemade Face Mask Recipes for every skin type. But if you don't want to whip up your own, you can buy a great mask at health food stores or even your local drugstore.

Cleanse the skin

You’ll want to wash the face, neck and ears with a good facial cleanser to remove any grime or dirt. I recommend some great options in my list of the best cleansers.

Don't forget to remove makeup with a makeup remover. My hands-down favorite is Clinique, but Neutrogena's eye makeup remover is a great drugstore option.

Exfoliate

Using your fingers, rub a gentle exfoliating facial scrub in a circular motion on your face. Concentrate on the areas around your nose and forehead or if you have combo skin, work harder on the areas that tend to be "greasy." Rinse your face well since exfoliating scrubs tend to be drying.

Steam

There are several ways to steam your face. You can fill your sink with warm water, dip a washcloth in and press to your face repeating 2-3 times or you can take it further by boiling water over the stove, then turning off the stove and putting your head over the water with a towel over your head, letting the steam seep into pores for a good 5 minutes. My favorite steam trick is to actually use my clothing steamer. I turn it on, put a towel over my head and put my face a good foot above the steamer. Works like a charm. But be careful: Do not burn yourself.

The mask

For oily skin, use a clay-based face mask. For dry skin, go for a hydrating gel or cream mask. 

Apply the mask, avoiding the areas around the eyes. Keep it on for 10-20 minutes (or, according to the directions on the product). Rinse completely. You can even make your own face mask.

Get recipes for every skin type in 23 Homemade Face Mask Recipes.

Moisturize

Smooth on a soothing, basic moisturizer over your face and neck. See my list of the best facial moisturizers.

Tip: Stay away from strong moisturizers containing retinols or acids. These will over-exfoliate your skin.

What You Need

Gentle cleanser

Exfoliating scrub

Warm water & a washcloth

Clay-based or cream facial mask (based on skin type)

Basic moisturizer