Just like your body requests water to quench thirst, hydrate your body and stay healthy, your skin requests water and moisture to stay soft, smooth and blemish free. A great way to feed your facial skin from the outside is with a relaxing, nourishing facial.
A facial is a family of skin care treatments for the face, including steam, exfoliation, extraction, creams, lotions, facial masks, peels and massages. Facials are often performed in beauty salons, but are also a common spa treatment. Then there are the easy yet rewarding do it yourself facials, which you can perform in the privacy of your own home.
Facials are used for general skin health, as well as to treat specific skin conditions. Popular types of facials include the European facial, LED light therapy facials and mini-facials.
Facial Fun Fact: There are different types of facial masks (cactus, cucumber, etc.) used for different purposes:
- Deep Cleansing: Penetrates the pores, healing acne scars or hyper-pigmentation.
- Brightening: Brings a gradual illumination to your skin tone.
Some masks are designed to dry or solidify on the face, almost like plaster, while other masks remain wet. The perceived effects of a facial mask treatment include revitalizing, healing and refreshing the skin, yielding temporary and long term benefits.
Facial Mask Fun Fact: Facial masks are removed by either rinsing the face with water, wiping off with a damp cloth, or peeling a dry mask off the face. Duration for wearing a mask varies with the type of mask, and manufacturers’ usage instructions. The time of wearing the mask can range from a few minutes to overnight. Facial masks can be found anywhere from drugstores to fine department stores, as well as beauty supply stores and salons. Facial masks vary in consistency and form, depending on the ingredients.
Facial Moisturizer Fun Fact: A large part of the success of the facial is the type of moisturizers used. Moisturizers or emollients are complex mixtures of chemical agents (often occlusives help hold water in the skin after application, humectants attract moisture and emollients help smooth the skin), specifically designed to make the external layers of the skin softer and more pliable. Moisturizers increase the skin’s hydration (water content) by reducing evaporation.
How to Give a Facial or a Do It Yourself Facial:
- Start with a clean, makeup free face.
- Take a close look at your skin, preferably with a lamp over your face, or bright lighting. Determine the skin type: normal, dry, combination, oily.
- Massage your face gently with your fingertips.
- Steam the pores on your face using a steamer and/or very hot water.
- Take a paint brush or a spatula and apply a mineral rich mud or clay mask, and smooth it all over the face.
- Leave the beauty mask on for approximately 20 to 30 minutes.
- Wash, rinse or peel the mask off.
- Apply a skin toner or astringent to the face.
- Apply moisturizer to the skin.
- Give a light spray of water to the skin to hydrate the skin.
- The facial is complete and your face looks youthful, radiant and glowing!
Moisturizers prevent and treat dry skin, protect sensitive skin, improve skin tone and texture, and mask imperfections.
Preservation of Skin Types with Moisturizers:
- Normal Skin: Moisturizers can be used to prevent the skin from becoming too dry or oily, such as with light, non greasy water-based moisturizers. Such moisturizers often contain lightweight oils, such as cetyl alcohol, or silicone derived ingredients, such as cyclomethicone.
- Dry Skin: For treating skin dryness, the most appropriate moisturizers are heavier, oil based moisturizers that contain ingredients such as antioxidants, grape seed oil or dimethicone. For very dry, cracked skin, petroleum based products are preferable, as they are longer lasting than creams and are more effective in preventing water evaporation.
- Oily Skin: For oily skin, moisturizers can still be useful after activities causing skin dryness. For oily skin, water based moisturizers that are specifically non-comedogenic are preferable.
- Aging Skin: Appropriate moisturizers to keep aging skin soft and well hydrated are oil based ones that contain petrolatum as the base, along with antioxidants or alpha hydroxy acids against wrinkles.
- Sensitive Skin: On sensitive skin, (skin susceptible to skin irritations, redness, itching or rashes), it is preferable to use moisturizers which contain soothing ingredients such as chamomile or aloe, and that minimize potential allergens such as fragrances or dyes.
Fancy faces deserve fresh facials!
I scream, you scream, we all scream for a marvelous face cream!
Facial Fun Fact: Using natural ingredients, nuts or sugar may be used as exfoliants, while honey, mayonnaise, cucumber, strawberries or even chocolate may be used as facial masks. Warning: These face masks are made to be worn, not eaten!
“Your face has such a healthy glow; with a radiance and illumination divine.”
“I gave myself a face mask treatment and moisturizer…a facial that intertwined.”
“The results are truly exquisite: your skin looks supple and healthy as can be.”
“You left out youthful, stunning and smooth…completely blemish free.”
“I believe I’ll book a facial so my skin looks as young and lovely as yours.”
“Or do an at home facial…you’ll be impressed with the results and hide facial pores.”
Facials: For a healthy, luscious face with firm skin and wrinkles erased!
Nancy Mangano is an American beauty/fashion/style influencer, fashion journalist, screenwriter and author of the Natalie North murder mystery book series. Visit Nancy on her global online fashion/style/beauty magazine Strutting in Style! at https://nancymariemangano.com, her Facebook page Nancy Mangano at  https://www.facebook.com/nancymmangano/ Twitter @https://twitter.com/nancymangano and her author website http://www.nancymangano.com
