A good facial treatment requires the use of certain tools. When a facial is performed in a spa or doctor's office by a licensed aesthetician, equipment such as a professional facial steamer is used, but if someone is doing a facial in the home, she may not have all the tools a professional has. A home facial can be just as beneficial as a professional one, though, since some home facial tools can be purchased in a drugstore or beauty supply store, while others are already right at your fingertips.
Facial Cleanser or Soap
Use a gentle cleanser or soap at the beginning of a home facial. Choose a facial cleanser that is made for your type of skin. Most skin cleansers and soaps will clearly display this information on the product's container, if it is a cleanser, or on the wrapper, if it is a bar soap.
Hands and Fingers
Your hands and fingers are two of the most readily available home facial tools around. Use your hands when you need to wet your face, and use your fingers to gently massage the cleanser onto your skin. Use the tips of your fingers to gently force out impurities when doing extractions.
Face Towel
Use a face towel to dry the skin after cleansing. Make sure it is soft and absorbent. Do not rub the skin with the towel. Gently press it against the skin to soak up all the moisture.
Tissues
Wrap your fingertips in tissues when doing extractions. Since tissues are thin, they can be wrapped around the fingers very easily. Tissues also make the extraction process less cumbersome, as they are much thinner than cotton strips.
Large Towel
Use a very large towel to form a tent when you steam your skin. This is a home facial tool that will help you effectively open up your pores during the steaming process. Make sure the towel is large enough to hold in the steam, and large enough to allow you to keep your head 16 inches above the bowl of water.
Plastic Bowl
Make a medium-size plastic bowl one of your home facial tools if you do not have a facial steamer. Fill the bowl with very warm water (almost hot) and hold your face over it, about 16 inches away from the water's surface. Drape a towel over your head and the bowl so the steam created remains inside the tent. Steam the skin to soften the dead skin and open up the pores.
Mask
Use a mask as a tool for deep cleaning the skin and evening out skin tone. Make sure this home facial tool is one suited for the skin type you will be working on. A mask is one home facial tool a facial would be worthless without.
Cotton Eye Pads
Make cotton eye pads one of your home facial tools if you are giving a facial to someone other than yourself. You can easily make them with a 1 ½ by 7-inch strip of cotton. Saturate the cotton with water, twist the strip in the center, and then fold the strip in half and squeeze out all the water. Unfold the strip, leaving the center twisted, and cover the eyes with the cotton pads after applying the mask.
References
- "Milady's Standard Textbook for Professional Estheticians," Joel Gerson, 1999
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