10 Top Home Facials

Posted: Tuesday 19 October 2010 11:19am

A facial isn’t something you can only enjoy at a beauty salon. With many excellent home use products on the market today, it’s easy to give your skin a major boost or a makeover in your own bathroom.

Twenty years ago I enjoyed a fairly simple skin care regime dominated by three basic steps – cleanse, tone and moisturise. As the years have ticked by, and having spent the past 12 years living in the Australian climate, things eventually had to change.

Today, the regime I follow is more complex, and it changes frequently according to whether I am at home or travelling, or what I feel my skin needs on the day. One beauty step which I have faithfully maintained over the years, even when on the road, is a weekly home facial. For me a DIY facial is a necessary ritual, an opportunity to give my skin a boost as well as keep it in good shape, but it’s also a great excuse to take time out to focus on me.

However, according to the leading beauty expert Mandy Gray of True Solutions,  home-use facial products are not that popular in Australia. “Many consumers believe that a skin care mask takes too much time to carry out along with their existing skincare regime,” she explains. “They also tend to look at masks as quick fixes to problems, and not as an ongoing part of their regime.”

Casting my mind back to my teens, it’s fair to say that many products for home use in those days were aimed at teens. Designed to tackle pimples and breakouts, they were neither an indulgence, nor a treat for the skin. “Old fashioned masks were made of clay and tended to be drying,” says Mandy. “But some of the masks of today have really come of age. There are many options available that address a variety of concerns and problems.”

The new generations of home-use masks have also come a long way in terms of ingredients and technology. “There are vitamin boosting masks, organic masks, hydrating and soothing masks, oil reducing and pore refining masks, and illuminating masks,” she adds.

Clinique is one leading skin care range which has always featured a variety of home-use masks in its extensive product range, backing the notion that adding a face mask to your regime can really make a difference to your skin in more ways than one. One area is undoubtedly treating problem skin, but masks can also be used to add moisture or hydration to the skin in the winter months, improve texture, reduce pigmentation, or just to boost circulation and radiance.

Another brand which has a strong focus on facials is the paramedical skin care range, DANNÉ. Intensive salon treatments form an important part of its highly customised regimes, but its therapists also recommend mini home facials once a week to enhance salon results, usually comprising an exfoliant and a face mask.

Besides giving your skin a boost, and providing a great excuse to indulge in some “me-time”, however, home facials can also save you time and money if you are struggling with both. “Many consumers can’t afford their regular visit to the salon to have a facial treatment that includes a specialised mask,” explains Mandy Gray.

“This is where at-home masks can benefit, and continue, the results of a good skin care regime. Masks are an at-home booster to treat concerns, and a great excuse for downtime and pampering. I find that a ‘mask and movie night’, a ‘mask and bath’, or even a ‘girls night in home facial’ with friends is a great opportunity to treat yourself and your skin.”

The 10-Step Home Facial

1.   Cleanse: start out by thoroughly cleansing your face and neck to remove any dirt, makeup or excess oil from your skin, and pat dry.

2.   Exfoliate: this step removes dead skin cells, and enables the face mask you use to be more effective. Options include using a facial scrub, peel pads, or a peeling/exfoliating mask.

3.   Steam: this is an optional step, but worth adding as it softens the skin as well as opens pores so you can remove any blackheads or blockages more easily. Pour boiling water into a large bowl, hold your face a comfortable distance above it, then cover your head with a large towel to capture the steam for about five minutes.

4.    Remove blackheads: check your skin using a magnifying mirror, and with clean hands gently press out any blackheads using your fingertips and tissue paper.

5.   Mask: this is the fun part. Following the instructions on the packet, apply the mask of your choice to your face, neck, and decolletage if desired using a large, soft makeup brush or fingertips, and chill back for the recommended time.

6.   Close pores: remove the mask according to the instructions, then splash your face with cool water to close any open pores. Pat dry.

7.    Tone: this step is also optional, but sweeping a cotton ball soaked in your
favourite toner, or spraying the face with a spritzer or mineral water spray will help to balance and rehydrate your skin, and remove any final traces of mask residue.

8.    Serum: for an added boost, apply the anti-ageing serum of your choice and allow to soak in well.

9.    Moisturise: complete your facial with an application of eye cream and
moisturiser.

10.    Enjoy: your skin will look refreshed and glowing, ready for that weekend away, or a big night out!

10 Of The Best Home Use Face Masks

Dr Spiller Biocosmetic Sanvita Cream Mask (rrp: $81/50ml, call 03 9645 0200 for stockists). New to the market, this power packed anti-ageing mask contains green tea, ginseng and olive oil to calm skin and slow down premature ageing.

OmVeda Diamond Mask (rrp: $96/50ml, call 1300 662 383 for stockists). Formulated using the principles of Ayurveda, a key ingredient in the mask is Diamond Ash, which revives tired skin and leaves it feeling incredibly soft and smooth.

Decléor Hydra Floral Anti-Pollution Face Mask (rrp: $90/50ml, call 1800 808 993 for stockists). An intensive moisturising mask featuring a unique drip-feed hydration system, which immediately relaxes the skin and quenches its thirst.

MV Organic Skincare Calming and Softening Mask (rrp: $44/100g, visit www.mvskincare.com.au for stockists). Rich in silica, zinc and magnesium, this mask softens and strengthens while gently exfoliating the skin.

Ella Baché Hydra Mask (rrp: $82/75ml, from Ella Baché salons and David Jones). A lightweight cream mask which delivers an intensive boost of moisture to plump up the skin. For a serious boost, it can even be left on overnight.

Dr LeWinn’s Puressence Purifying Masque (rrp: $34.95/100g, from selected pharmacies, or visit www.dr.ewinns.com.au). Aimed to soothe oilier skins, this mask brightens the complexion while drawing out pore clogging impurities.

MD Formulations Vit A Plus Firming Treatment Mask (rrp: $160/75ml, call 1800 808 993 for stockists). A fabulous anti-ageing mask with Alpha Retinyl Complex and natural papaya, improving both texture and softness.

Skeyndor Aquatherm Bi-Zone Soft Mask (rrp: $54/50ml, call 1800 554 545 for stockists). Intense first aid for sensitive skin with a high concentration of magnesium from thermal water drawn from the French Pyrenees.

Clinique Turnaround Instant Facial (rrp: $68/75ml, from Myer and David Jones, Terry White and selected pharmacies). Delivers the glow and smoothness of a gentle microdermabrasion, and gives skin a healthy boost of radiance in just five minutes.

Inspa Intensive Moisture Mask (rrp: $40/75ml, from selected Amcal and Guardian pharmacies, and GNC outlets, or visit www.inspa.com.au). A calming and soothing moisture mask boasting certified organic wheatgerm and vitamin E.

by Joanna Hall

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