Need a good facial?
My goodness it's been a busy couple of weeks for me. Too much work and not enough relaxation. Does this sound familiar to anybody else? I decided to treat myself to a manicure, pedicure and a facial last night. The manicure and pedicure I left up to someone else to give me but I really do find pleasure in relaxing at home, putting the kids down, uncorking a bottle of Stella Rosa,** and giving myself a great facial. My sister taught me this great facial regime that I'm going to share with all of you! I seriously have the most awesome sister ever. I love you, Sis!
First you take some chamomile tea bags and boil them in a pot of water. If you have lavender oil or another oil you love you can add this in with the pot for the fragrant aroma and sensory experience. Meanwhile, you are turning on some candles and soft music and finding a good magazine to thumb through. You're wine should be nice and chilled and ready to be poured! Once your pot of water with the tea bags has come to a boil turn the fire off and let the water cool for a few minutes....but don't wait too long because you want the water to still be hot. Next, we pour the water into big ceramic bowls and find a couple of towels. We then take our bowls to the coffee table and put our faces over the bowls with the towels draped over out heads. Is this making sense? We are creating somewhat of a tent for our face which allows the steam to open our pores. The scent of the oils and the effects of the chamomile is very soothing to your skin. It may get a little hot....like a sauna beneath your towel so you might want to take a break and have a sip of wine! We like to take a good 20 to 30 minutes during this time. You can do it in as little as 15 minutes if you don't have the time to spare.
Now that your pores are wide open and your skin is soft and hydrated it's time to purify with a great mask. One of my favorites is PURE EMPREINTE MASQUE a Purifying Mineral Mask with White Clay made from Lancome. This is one I have used for years. I LOVE it! I have a couple of new masks by Sanoflore that were just sent to me by Heather with Tractenberg&Co that I will be reviewing in the next couple of weeks along with some other skin and body care. Thanks, Heather! Come back and see what I think!
After you mask has set and then been washed away with a nice warm washcloth I like to tone. I've been using a rose water toner that Benefit Cosmetics used to make. It has been discontinued which I'm so bummed about but I'm out on the prowl looking for a replacement!
Last but not least a good moisturizer is in order. I am a moisturizer whore! I admit it. I have at least 20 different ones that I actually use on a regular basis. I guess which one I choose depends on my mood and what time of day I'm using it. You know, day vs. night moisturizers. Our skin has different needs during the day then it has at night. Anyway, the one I seem to usually gravitate to after this facial routine is Caudalie. I have many of their products and one of my favorite moisturizers is the C20 Moisturizing Cream. I love their products. Chalked full of antioxidants and are made from the "vine." Check out their website!
So you are now down with your "at home" facial. You should be feeling nice and relaxed having beautiful glowing skin. Now go finish your glass of wine!
**To those of you who either are under the legal age limit for drinking or just prefer not to drink alcohol a great spa water in place of wine is also divine. I like to add cucumber, lemon slices, lime slices, and orange slices to a big pitcher of water and ice for a great spa water!
Comments
Great post!