With beauty salons closed and professional treatments a distant memory, more and more of us are resorting to being practical and making do at home, and why not? While we desperately want to see our favourite salon back up and running, we cannot lose sight of the care our skin needs and deserves! It seems that Covid has caused some serious shifts in the our perceptions of beauty. According to a recent Mintel report, consumers seem to be ditching makeup for a more holistic lasting approach through more thorough skincare as opposed to aesthetic practices.

In our latest IGTV instalment, Facials 101, we aim to take you through the A-Z of a 6-step facial together with the benefit of each step on your precious skin. Our freelance beauty therapist, Munawar Fazil of Heaven Scent, was on hand to show us and talk us through each step. Here is a quick breakdown;

Step 1: Cleanse

Essential for removing dirt on the surface of the skin, cleansing should be carried out morning and night.  Depending on your skin type, go for a gentle cleanser that doesn’t contain harsh chemicals & surfactants that strip your skin not only of dirt, but essential protective oils which form a barrier on your skin! Our Hand & Body soaps are SLS free and do not contain surfactants that leave your skin dry and sensitive. These soaps can be used on face, body & hands.

Step 2: Exfoliate

Cleansing will clean on the surface and is ideal for removing daily grime. Exfoliating will remove the dirt that is deeper set into the pores along with dead skin cells that remain on the surface of the skin. Professional exfoliants include peels, however, DIY alternatives include coffee grinds, oats, sugar and, our personal favourite, ground rice. These are gentle but effective enough to get rid of dirt and slough away top layer dead cells to leave your skin looking radiant and supple. Exfoliate between 2-3 times a week

Step 3: Tone

Best done daily, if not twice a day after cleansing, spritz with a floral water or hydrosol of your choice. Different products will impart different benefits but we would recommend staying away from anything that contains high levels of perfume and alcohol, which can irritate and strip the skin. Toning helps to return the skin to its normal pH balance and has astringent properties.

Step 4: Massage

A great way to warm up the skin and get the blood going even further than it already is at this stage is a facial massage using your favourite facial oil-ours is the Argan & Orange Blossom Elixir. If you do not have one, a neutral oil such as almond or jojoba will do nicely. Your hands should be warm and the massage should take around 10 minutes. A full demo can be seen on our IGTV episode ‘Facials 101’. After the massage your face will have a visible glow and will likely have more colour in it too. The massage will help the skin to absorb the properties within your oil of choice and will prep it for the final step which will be to apply your moisturiser. A massage can be done every night before bed to impart benefits on the skin but also to relax and aid good quality sleep

Step 5: Mask

Having cleansed, exfoliated and toned, your skin will now need a mask to help replenish it with skin food! A mask should be nourishing, hydrating and, we find, ones that have a cooling effect at the end of this step are the best. If you have dry skin, avoid clay based masks as they will dehydrate your skin, opt instead for a sheet mask or a peel off mask. There are some great homemade masks that you can make with ingredients from the fridge and food cupboard that provide your skin with all it needs to stay hydrated and supple. Our favourite is our Skin Cashmere which we mix with cooling yogurt and rosewater. Head over to our Instagram feed to find out more about great masking combinations for different skin types.

Step 6: Moisturise

Having completed a full routine for your skin, do not skip this step! Be sure to moisturise with a facial oil or balm which does not contain a whole lot of water! This will ensure that your skin stays hydrated for longer as the water content will not evaporate after application. Humectants are ingredients which help to lock moisture into the skin by binding water molecules with skin cells and drawing in moisture from the air around us. Natural examples are honey, oat oil & aloe vera gel.

We hope that you have found our Facial 101 episode and blog useful. Looking after your skin is so important that you will reap the benefits long into your later years and, your mind & body will thank you for the few moments of relaxation and calm that they yearn. It would be great to think that new habits we have acquired during this pandemic will last long after Covid is gone!

Let us know how you get on and if you have any questions DM us via our Instagram page!