Beauty
Elevate your skincare routine to a salon-worthy experience with our easy guide
Step 1
All facials start with cleansing your skin. There’s no point in progressing beyond this point if there’s make-up, SPF or daily grime blocking the path of your other products.
Start with an oil-based cleanser like Superfacialist Vitamin C+ Skin Renew Cleansing Oil, £5.20, Boots, to melt away what’s on the surface of your skin, using a clean cloth to wipe and rinse until there are no traces of foundation left. With this top layer removed, you can move on to a waterbased cleanser to properly clear your pores. Garnier Brightening Vitamin C Cream Cleanser, £9.99, Boots, is great for hydrating skin and adding a glow. When finished, your skin should feel fresh and clean, not overly squeaky or stripped.
Step 2
This will dislodge all of the old, no-longer-needed skin cells that have outstayed their welcome on the surface of your complexion. They will eventually fall away on their own, turning over with new cells a bit like a conveyor belt, but the older we get, the slower this process naturally becomes. That’s why you might notice your skin has started to look duller and feels rougher with age. REN PHA Exfoliating Facial, £34, renskincare. co.uk, uses a combination of gentle exfoliating acids, fruit enzymes and a soft yet grainy pomegranate powder to send unwanted cells packing. All you need to do is massage into damp skin, leave for up to two minutes and rinse.
Step 3
The most luxurious part of your at-home facial routine, we recommend either timing this part so you can apply your mask in the bath or leaving the bathroom altogether for a little lie-down. Dehydration is really common at this time of year, as months of central heating and freezing temperatures outside have taken their toll, so choose a mask that focuses on rehydrating your skin. Summer Fridays Jet Lag Mask, £26, cultbeauty.co.uk, is a tube of thirst-quenching goodness. Smooth onto dry skin and allow 10 minutes to work its magic before using a clean cloth or tissue to remove any excess that your complexion hasn’t already drunk up.
Step 4
Three key benefits of facial massage are boosting radiance by bringing oxygen to the surface, draining
puffiness and sculpting our facial contours. We also hold a lot of tension in our faces, especially around the brow and jaw, which is not only uncomfortable but can also make wrinkles and sagging worse. Massage will ease this, and you don’t need any fancy tools – just your hands an
