Organic and Vegan Facials are one of my favourite services to do as an Esthetician.
Facial services vary greatly and there are growing options that use organic and vegan product. Before you book your next facial make sure you understand what you are getting and what type of products are being used.
The European Facial is one of the most common facials in the Spa Industry. Most Spas customize the name of this facial to match their branding, however the steps and techniques are quite similar. This type of facial is great for clients who need a deep cleanse of black heads,while still tending to each person's unique skin care needs.
The mini-facial condenses the European Facial by skipping some steps. Extractions of black heads andwhite headsbeing the main feature missing in the mini facial. I do not recommend performing any sort of extraction on yourself, as it can result in scarring when done incorrectly.
Today I am going to walk you through all the steps in a mini facial and show you what you can do at home to get professional results.
Determiningyour skin type will be your first step. If you are feeling dry, using a Milk Cleanser will be most beneficial. If you are feeling oily, then a Gel Cleanser will rid your skin of any excess oil.
If you are not sure orfall somewhere in the middle, then I suggest using an oil cleanser. Oil cleansers are fabulous for combination skin, asoil pulls oil.The concept of an oil cleanser is very simple. The oil will moisturize your skin where you are dry and remove excess oil where you are oily.
To apply an oil cleanser, or any cleanser for that matter, you will want to start with dryskin and dry hands. Apply the oil cleanser to your face and massage the product in. Once you have fully applied the oil cleanser, add a bit of water to your hands. Now massage your wet fingertips onto your face and watch as the oil cleanser turns milky.
How you remove the Oil Cleanserwill also affect the results of your facial and there is more than one right way to do it.Removing your cleanser by splashing water on your face will leave a little more oil behind which can help protect and moisturize dry skin. Removing your cleanser with a clean warm wash cloth or disposable gauze will remove more oil for those who find their skin is naturally more oily.
For anyonewearing a full face of make up, doing a double cleanse is beneficial. Refer to my previous Blog on the When and Why You Should Double Cleanse hereThe Double Cleanse – Courbet Beauty.
Don't forget to cleanse your neck anddécolletéarea as this area shows the first signs of aging.
Next you will exfoliate your skin. Exfoliating your skin twice a week is veryimportant.Naturally we shed dead skin cells everyday.Between 30,000 to 40,000 an hour to be exact. Dead skin cells gives our skin a dull complexion, and as we age, we do not shed them as quickly. We will want topush along the shedding process as we age,to bring out our skins natural glow.
You can over exfoliate and this is not recommended.When we over exfoliate with either a physical or chemical exfoliant, this can cause redness and inflammation to the skin. I have even seen client's skin start to peel, and having the client think they need to exfoliate even more!So limit exfoliating to twice a week for best results.
Deciding on what product to use for exfoliating our skin is important. There are granular and chemical exfoliants. One way to decide is by your skin type. If you have acne you will want to refrain from any type of physical exfoliant. This refers to using any product with a granular ingredient. When you have acne present and you use a granular exfoliant, you risk breaking the pustule and spreading the bacteria onto your skin. A chemical exfoliant is best for acne affected skin, as it will remove dead skin cells without rupturing a pimple.
For client's with normal to dry skin, a granular exfoliant with a milky cleanser base is ideal. This will rid your skin of dead skin cells while soothing any irritation at the same time.
Aging skin types can benefit from both types of exfoliators.
Once you have finished exfoliating you will want to Tone your skin. A lot of my clients admit to not toning their face. They either feel too dry after using a toner or don't understand the importance of it. Toner balances the PH level of your skin. While some cleansers and exfoliants can alter your PH Levels, using a toner after cleansing will help adjust your levels.
If your skin is normal to oily or acne prone, I suggest applying your toner with a clean gauze or cotton ball.Cotton pads will work but are very absobant so I find they waste too much product unnecessarily.For those with normal to dry skin like myself, spritzing your face with a toner Mist will work well.
If you have a portable facial steamer at home, you can begin to steam your skin. Remember to turn on your steamer before you begin your at home facial so that it is ready once you arrive at this step. Since you will not be doing extractions at home, I would recommended steaming your skin for no longer than 5 minutes. Steaming at home is to allow your pores to open so that yourmask will be absorbed into your skin and allow the nutrients todo their magic.
If you do not have a facial steamer at home, you can run a face towel under hot water, squeeze out the water and apply the towel to your skin. Let the towel sit on your skin until it becomes cool.
Now you can apply your clay mask. One of my tips as an Esthetician is to apply any mask in the direction of your facial muscles. You can google an illustration of this. The thought behind this, whether true or not, is the mask will tighten in the proper direction, giving you a lifting effect.
Leave your clay mask on for the directed amount of time depending on the product you are using.
Once you have removed your clay mask, you can use a second mask of your choice depending on your skin type. If you have normal to oily or acne prone skin, a light in texture, calming mask would be a perfect choice. If you have normal to dry skin, a thicker cream mask would be perfect for you.
There are lots of masks out there to choose from such as anti aging masks, a calming mask for rosacea, or even a brightening mask. It really depends on what you would like to achievewith your Mini Facial.
Now for those of you who aren't big fans or toners, you may be shocked to know that I tone both before and after my mask! So go ahead and spritz on some more toner!
When applying your eye cream always use your ring fingers. This allows the right amount or pressure for an eye massage. Not too light, and not too firm. A gentle massage will help to lock in the cream.
Picking the right serumcan be overwhelming with so many to choose from. Corpa Flora has made it easy with very direct marketing. Day serum, Night Serum, Antidote 01 for Firming, Antidote 02 Nature's answer to Retinol, and Antidote 03 Anti Redness Serum for those who suffer from Rosacea as well as undergoing Chemotherapy treatment. You will apply your serum of choice after your eye cream and before your moisturizer. Don't forget to apply your serum and moisturizer to your neckanddécolletéarea as well.
When you apply your moisturizer, use a crystal roller of your choice. Jade or Rose Quartz are two of my favourite. Jade Crystal is known as the stone of beauty and Rose Quartz is for love. Do you need to remind yourself to love your skin more? Than my advice to you is to purchase a rose quart facial roller and massage your favourite moisturizer into your skin.
Having an all natural SPF of 30 or more is important for all skin types, and will be the last step of your mini facial, if you are leaving the home!If you are staying home for the day, then you can forego an SPF.
And there you have it. A very thorough at home Mini Facial that you can treat yourself to on a lazy Sunday, or any day really!
TIPS
- If you suffer from Rosacea, please skip the exfoliation step and clay mask, andgo right to using a cream based mask for sensitive skin.
- If you find your products at home have alcohol high up on the ingredient list, this will most likely strip moisture from your skin. Try using all natural products.
- Treat yourself to a facial at a spa, and have your Esthetician diagnose your skin type for you. This way you can purchasethe right products for your weekly at home Mini Facials.
