During the dog days of summer, most of us need a pick me up to our beauty routines.  Forget the spa and save some money by giving yourself an at home facial.   Here are some easy steps on how to get a spa-worthy facial in the privacy of your own home and at a fraction of the cost.

Step 1 – Get Your Face Squeaky Clean
Use a good facial cleanser to rid your face of make-up and debris from the environment.  Be sure to use the right cleanser for your skin type.  If you are dry or sensitive, avoid cleansers with too many active ingredients, glycolic or alpha hydroxy acids.  If you are oily, be sure to use a cleanser that gets your skin and pores clean without stripping it.

Step 2 – Scub a Dub Dub
Get rid of dead skin and rid pores of the gunk.  Find a physical exfoliant – one with some grit to get rid of the ick.  Beware of physical scrubs that use nutty ingredients as their scrubbing agent.  These can superficially scar the skin and cause problems during your not so youthful years.  Look for scrubs that use perfectly round spheres to ensure a safe exfoliating experience.  Examples of such are those with ingredients of diathomous earth or jojoba beads.

Some tips on using a scrub:

1. 1. If you use on dry skin, you’ll get a deeper exfoliation
2. 2. For a good scrub, but not too deep, use on damp skin after you cleanse.
3. 3. For a mild exfoliation, mix the exfoliant with your cleanser.

Step 3 – Put on a Mask Even Though It’s Not Halloween
Now that you’ve cleansed and scrubbed away the dead skin, apply a facial mask.  Masks come in many forms and have different uses.  If you are feeling as dry as the Sahara, you might try a mask that boosts the moisture in your skin.  Moisture or hydration masks – as they are often called – usually look like jelly and don’t dry while sitting on the skin.  Clay based masks are great for skin that is either dull or congested.  The clay ingredients work to pull out impurities that are clogging pores and to bring back the natural glow that has been camouflaged by dead skin cells.

Step 4 – Give your Face a Treat
After your mask is wiped clean, your face is ripe for a treat.  Apply a treatment serum appropriate for your skin type.  If you are worried about your age catching up to your skin, apply a Vitamin C based serum.  Vitamin C is the closest thing to the Fountain of Youth.  It helps to rebuild collagen and improve the skin’s elasticity.  If you are acne prone, apply an anti-acne serum.  These serums help keep pore-clogging, acne-instigating bacteria at bay.  For normal skin types, simply apply a vitamin-infused cocktail of antioxidants to help keep the skin looking healthy.

Step 5 – Let it Glow, Let it Glow, Let it Glow
The final step is to seal in all the goodness with a moisturizer to improve your natural inner glow.  Choose the right moisturizer for your skin type – creams for dry skin, lotions for combination, and oil-free for oily skin.  If you are performing your spa facial during the day, you might choose a tinted moisturizer to even the tone of your skin and give you a little added glow.

Now, go put your best face forward and rejuvenate your skin during these dog days of summer!

Written by: Kim Putens

Kim Putens is the founding partner of Bellacara, a beauty boutique located in Old Town Alexandria.  Bellacara is also on the web at www.bellacara.com.  Become a fan of Bellacara on facebook.