DIY Spa Facial in 6 Simple Steps: Step 2, Exfoliate

Today’s post, the second in a series on spa facials, is for you if:

1. You want to experience a spa quality facial;

2. You want to save money by DIY’ing it;

3. You want to know how to safely exfoliate your face;

4. You want to avoid synthetic ingredients such as perfumes, fragrance, dyes, or preservatives.

Yesterday’s post was the first part in a series of six, which covered the Step 1: Cleanse. I’m giving everyone credit that they cleanse their faces daily and have a basic understanding of how to do that. But if you are interested in learning how to use the Oil Cleansing Method, be sure and go have a look at this very important step.

You might think it’s not very important to exfoliate, but it can make a big difference in the appearance of your skin. It makes your complexion brighter and younger looking because you are revealing new, “younger” skin when you remove the dulling, dead skin cells. Although skin cells will turn over by themselves eventually, exfoliation speeds up the process.

It normally takes about 28 days for new skin cells to push themselves from the deepest layers of the epidermis to the skin’s surface and then fall off as dead skin. This takes a bit longer as we get older, so mature skin can especially benefit from exfoliating. Another skin type that will see improvement from exfoliation are those with oily or acne prone skin because it helps to prevent clogged pores.

There are many products that are designed especially for using on the face, because facial tissue is more delicate and sensitive than other parts of the body. I love to use sugar scrub on my body but I would never use it on my face – the grains of sugar have sharp edges than can make tiny cuts, and it’s just too abrasive for the face. Instead, there are a few things that work extremely well as facial scrubs – here are my recommendations according to skin type:

▪ Dry or Mature Skin – use a mixture of 1 tablespoon oat flour, combined with 1 teaspoon (or enough to make a thick paste) of either plain yogurt or honey.

▪ Normal to Oily Skin – combine 2 teaspoons chick pea powder (also called garbanzo bean flour), ½ teaspoon of turmeric powder, and plain yogurt or honey.

▪ Oily and Acne Prone Skin – combine 1 tablespoon baking soda with 1 teaspoon distilled water, warm green tea or chamomile tea.

▪ Very Sensitive Skin or if you are prone to rosacea or broken capillaries – use raw honey as a single ingredient.

Always make your scrub for exfoliation with fresh ingredients immediately before using it. Since we are not using any preservatives, these mixtures should be used or refrigerated for up to 48 hours, max. Apply to damp skin and massage with a light circular and upward motion, avoiding the eye area. Rinse with barely warm or tepid water and pat dry with a towel. Your skin should be pinkish, glowing, and feeling refreshed. If the scrub leaves your face red and irritated, you’re either scrubbing too hard or you will need to use a gentler exfoliate material.

Use a facial exfoliate once a week, as part of a complete facial or just after cleansing, but it’s not recommended to do more frequently than once weekly. Next: moving on to Step 3: Facial Steam. (This is my favorite part of the facial – don’t miss this one!)