I recently got a facial for the first time in several years. I’ve always been into skincare, but I just never had the money to splurge on a full-blown facial. Luckily, I was gifted a facial by someone. The experience itself was amazing, but the tips I learned from my esthetician were even better.
Watch out for chemical exfoliators. When we were trying to figure out the cause of my breakouts, my esthetician discovered I was using chemical exfoliators on my face morning and night. This was news to me—I had no idea to even check for these things in my facial cleanser. Because my cleanser contained several acids, I was stripping my face and breaking down the protective layer of skin. This was the cause of my recent breakouts that just didn’t seem to go away. Regardless of what skin type you have, it’s important to watch out for ingredients like tartaric acid, lactic acid, and glycolic acid because they exfoliate the skin. Instead, grab a gentle cleanser that gets the job done without stripping your skin.
You don’t need to wash your face in the morning. If you wash your face at night, you can skip a morning cleanse unless you feel like you absolutely need it. My esthetician said I could simply rinse my face with water and follow up with the rest of my skincare routine. This includes a water-based toner, a serum or two, eye cream, moisturizer, and sunscreen. Be sure to apply your sunscreen after your moisturizer so it doesn’t clog your pores.
Start a regimen. Getting regular facials is important to maintaining great skin. She suggested getting a facial every three-four weeks, but this can sometimes be hard on a college budget. Find out if there’s a membership program that gives discounts on basic facials. These are really all you need as long as you’re taking care of your skin at home. If you still can’t make it work, do your own facial at home. Start with cleansing your skin. Follow with a detoxifying mask for 20 minutes and then a soothing mask for another 20 minutes. Finish with serums and a moisturizer or face oil for brand new skin from the comfort of your bathroom.
While it’s only been a few weeks since my facial, following these few simple tips have changed my skin. I’m already seeing improvement in my breakouts and pore size, both huge problems for my oily, acne-prone skin. These tips were not hard to incorporate into my routine, but they’ve made a huge difference.
What other tips have you learned that have changed your skin? Let us know in the comments below!
This story was originally published August 2, 2017.
