4 Step At-Home Exfoliating Facial

Very truthfully, I’ve only had a handful of spa facials in my lifetime. But, I have loved every one of them. There is something so soothing about someone taking care of your face- from the steam, to the exfoliation, to the gentle massage, it’s really hard to replicate that kind of calm at home.

BUT, the purpose of a facial is to take care of your skin, and to give it extra attention to maintain its health. Whether that’s to clear out your pores, or to provide intense hydration, or to soothe irritation, the basics of a facial can still be done at home.

In New York City, we are only in phase one of reopening, which means we have a long ways to go before we get back to our regular beauty treatments. It also means you might have a little more downtime and not as many options for what to do in that time. Personally, I’ve been dedicating a lot that time to self-care.

So how can you replicate a facial at home? I was originally inspired for this post from a couple of skincare gurus I follow online. But after attempting the process a couple of times at home, I created a super simple breakdown for how to give yourself a four-step exfoliating facial at home that is relatively inexpensive for the result it gives.

Step 1: Cleanse

Similar to your skincare routine, the first thing you want to do is a double cleanse of your skin. You want to have absolutely no other products or ingredients on your skin when you use an exfoliating face mask. Trust me- you may end up with a rash, redness, etc. if you don’t remove those products before using a chemical exfoliator.

Right now, I am super into the Farmacy Green Clean Cleansing Balm, followed by the TATCHA rice polish. I always start with a balm first (even if you’re oily), because it really removes the make-up better than anything else. Then you can give a gentle exfoliation in your second cleanse. Your skin will already have a natural tightness and shine when you dry off.

Step 2: Dermaplane

Derma-what? If you have have no idea what I’m talking about here, just try me and follow along. Dermaplaning is a process that removes the facial hair and dead skin off the surface of your face so that the products you use are able to seep into the pores instead of getting trapped in the hairs.

Personally, I use the Tinkle razors from Amazon, but there are tons of different tools available. These are just super cheap and get the job done. Don’t spend a ton of money on these- you have to replace them often.

NOTE: Do not use these unless you have healthy skin. What does that mean? If you have breakouts or blemishes, do not use these razors over that area. Blemishes will then become a wound, and the bacteria will spread and the wound itself will become irritated/infected.

You might be wondering- well is my facial hair going to grow back looking differently than it does now? No. If you have facial hairs that you don’t want now, they will still be there when they grow in. Sorry. But if your facial hair is more fine and invisible, it will grow back the exact same way in about a week. Trust me.

Gently sweep the razor in an upward motion to remove the face. Do not push the razor into your skin. It should gently skim the surface. You will see hair and some dry, dead skin come off. Wipe with a tissue, and keep going. You want to do your whole face, and maybe even your neck.

I do this process once a week to remove dead skin. I have super dry skin, so dead skin builds up easily. This does not irritate my skin if you do it the correct way. If it does irritate you, skip this step. The goal here is just to prep the skin to its prime place to let the next step work its magic.

Step 3: Mask

Now you can apply any mask that you want, depending on what you are looking for. In this case, I am looking to continue the exfoliation process. For that, I want to use a gentle, chemical exfoliator, not something harsh or abrasive.

There are three masks I am going to recommend here, with three different price points:

I have to be honest, my favorite is probably The Ordinary mask that retails for under $10. Do you look slightly crazy wearing it? Yes. Can you feel and see the results? Yes. It is really incredible, especially for the insane price point for a mask that works this well.

Second bet would be the Summer Fridays Overtime mask. I love the way this feels, and that it gives you the extra, yet gentle, exfoliation at the end with pumpkin seeds when you wash it off. I got this mask in a sample pack, and have quickly become addicted. It is a bit more hydrating than the other two, but doesn’t have the active AHA or BHA components that the other two have, so the effects are not as long-lasting.

And then there is the Drunk Elephant mask that retails for just under $100. Is it worth the money? Yes. It does leave you skin feeling like a baby’s skin. Do I think it is better than the others? No, I honestly do not. It’s a great product, and definitely worth the splurge if you have a gift card. It also lasts forever. But I think you can get similar results with the other two products, as well.

Do not leave The Ordinary or the Drunk Elephant mask on for more than 10 minutes thinking you want extra exfoliation. That’s not a real thing. It will damage your skin. Set a timer on your phone for this, and wash off with a washcloth.

Step 4: Hydrate + protect

Your skin should be glowing at this point, despite some redness. That will subside once you cool and hydrate.

At this point, make sure you utilize a hyaluronic acid to ensure your skin retains moisture. You want to do this before any other skin care. Personally, I would stop there, and move on to your moisturizer; avoid using products with active ingredients like vitamin C, retinol, or glycolic acid products that might further irritate your skin.

Moisturize with something substantial. This might be when I use that thicker moisturizer that has hydrating components. If you can find something with SPF, all the better, because you definitely want to protect your skin from the sun. It will be even more sensitive right now. I love this moisturizer that does both, and even layer it with this sunscreen– the only one that has never made me break out.

Once you’re done with your skincare routine, I love to use an ice roller to calm any of that redness. This step is for sure optional, but also feels nice and luxurious. It will tighten your pores to really suck in that moisture. For that reason, it should be done after you hydrate and protect.

I hope you take time to create a mini-spa experience for yourself at home. So many of us are spending a lot of time indoors and in front of screens, both of which can dry our your skin. Make sure you take 20 minutes for you to keep your skin healthy, and protect that glow.

Let me know if you try this at home- don’t forget the calming spa music and maybe lighting a candle for bonus points. Enjoy!

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