How To Give Yourself A Facial At Home (Includes a Massage guide)

While we're all stuck indoors (and waiting for BMF to open again) for the next few weeks, treating yourself to a much-deserved facial may seem like a far-off, unimaginable luxury — but that doesn't mean you shouldn't continue to care for your complexion. On the contrary! It's more important than ever to take care of yourself and feel good, and one of the best ways to do so is to pamper yourself with a good facial experience at home. When you feel good, it'll create positive mental health.

CREATE — AND ENJOY — SOME AMBIENCE

It is really important to set the ambience right before you start your facial experience at home that will trigger your senses – essential oil diffuser, candles, music, and crystals. Bottom line: Relax in the moment. Create an ambience using whatever makes you calm. It could even include soaking in your bathtub while doing your facial!

Step 1: Cleanse

With any type of facial, the first step should always be to cleanse in order to prep the skin. Our Velvety Cleanser with Marine Actives is a cream-based cleanser, which makes it a perfect cleansing without harshness for anyone who has sensitised skin.

Step 2: Exfoliate

This step is important to remove dull, dead skin cells to reveal the newer, more radiant ones underneath. As a general rule, less is more. The goal is NOT to turn beet red or to feel a sting—it’s to gently help along your body’s natural exfoliation process so that your face glows. Try our favourite Honey Oatmeal Scrub. Smells yummy too!

Step 3: Mask

Choose your face mask based on whatever current issues your skin is facing. If your skin is dull and seeing signs of wrinkles, try our Skin Revival Mask with Snail Secretion Filtrate that evens out wrinkles, tightens pores and improves tone. Put it on and relax for the next 20 minutes.

Step 4: Moisturise

After removing your face mask of choice, it's time to layer on your favourite serums and moisturiser — with the overall goal being hydration. Our most popular serum is the Proteo Hyaluronic Acid. Following serum, apply a layer of your favourite moisturiser. For an ultra-luxurious option, we love the Intense Nutrition Cream and the Moisture Mask Balm.

Step 5: Massage

After applying as many hydrating products as you like (working from thinnest to thickest), give yourself a facial massage to boost blood circulation and lymphatic drainage. It is important to use very hydrating, rich ingredients as the skin are massaged. To give yourself a top-notch facial massage, follow our signature Express Lift Drainage Massage guide for some “lymphatic love”.

You can use your fingers, a rose quartz roller, or a gua sha tool — whatever you have on hand — just as long as you don't push too hard. Don't bruise yourself. The idea is to go really lightly and focus on draining versus rubbing.

WHAT NOT TO DO DURING AN AT-HOME FACIAL

There are some aspects of a professional facial that is always best left to the professionals. Extractions, which, tempting as they may be, can lead to scarring and worsen inflammation associated with a breakout. “In this time, when we want to be especially mindful about keeping our hands off our face, you don’t want to transfer any germs from your hands to your face and lead to any type of infection”, cautioned Beauty Consultant from BMF.

Use of certain devices, or rather, a combination of them, is best left to the professionals. If you'd like to incorporate a device — whether a micro-needling roller, an LED light, or a microcurrent device — limit yourself to one per facial. Again here, the key goal is to avoid any potential injury to the skin or make the skin worse, or lead to scarring!