Face Vacation

Does your face need a vacation? Maybe it’s also under a little stress and everyone can tell! This problem can be simply fixed with a facial; it brings about a needed break for your face, its almost like comfort food but for the face to get a little soothing action. Facials help to create that sexy glow and keep you healthy, while rejuvenating and energizing dull skin. It removes dead outer layers of cells on the skin’s surface. The massage factor of a facial helps blood circulate, which helps remove toxins and waste from the body. Your skin is the largest organ and performs important functions, such as protecting us from foreign substances and managing the transfer for the release of toxins. With this being said we have to give our beautiful faces a little loving!

Who would have thought that facials can be so great for your face! Let’s face it, who can afford regular professional facials? So here are a few techniques for Home Facials and some neat products that can bring that natural glow back.






1. Cleanse: You have to make sure your face is properly cleaned. There are many techniques for this step soap and water, warmed milk and olive oil, as well as over the counter cleansing products. Massage your cleansing product of choice into your face, and then remove with warm water.

(Cleanser Products: Cetaphil Cleanser, Boscia Cleansing Cream, Clinique Wash Away Cleanser, Neutrogena Oil-Free Acne Wash, and Olay Foam Face Washing, )

*Extra: Sephora Cleanser Picks

How To Make A Cleanser



2. Exfoliate: You can use an over the counter exfoliate or make your own. A popular home-made consist of dry oatmeal, almond oil, sea salt, and fresh mint.

(Exfoliate Products: Biomedic Conditioning Solution, Murad Exfoliating Acne Treatment, and Clarins Skin Care)

*Extra: Sephora Exfoliating Picks

How To Make A Sugar Scrub


3. Tone: After steps 1 and 2, you want to remove all the cleansers from your face and create some moisture. Besides the use of over the counter tones, witch hazel has proved to be a strong toner to help fight blemishes.

(Toner Products: Alba Facial Toners, Witch Hazel Toner, and Tea Tree Toner)

*Extra: Sephora Toner Picks

How To Make A Facial Toner



4. Steam: To get that deep clean, steaming will help open up the pores. A simple cloth, boiled water and your favorite fragrant herb can be the best steam machine possible.


How To Make A Facial Steam




5. Mask: Not always a necessary step, but to get that necessary added deep cleanse, a mask is a great tool. There are many mask products on the market, a clay based mask is recommended.


(Mask Products: Queen Helene Mint Julep Face Mask, Biore Self Heating Mask, and Clinique Deep Cleaning Emergency Mask)

*Extra: Sephora Mask Picks

How To Make A Face Mask



6. Massage: Just like we love to indulge in body massages, our faces need a little attention. Take a gentle face cream and warm it up and massage it into your face.

(Face Cream Products: Olay Regenerating Lotions, Aveeno Daily Moisturizer, Clinique Moisturizing Gel, and Neutrogena Healthy Skin Cream)

*Extra: Sephora Cream Picks

How To Make Herbal Face Cream

Enjoy!

P.S. Set The Mood, Have The Right Mellow Music Playing and Even Dim The Lights!

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The Skin Regimen I Swear By

So I'm pretty much open to trying new products....when it comes to my daily skin regimen. Which doesn't necessarily make it any easier for me to stay consistent.

I'd probably categorize my skin type as combination skin. Sometimes is oily, sometimes its dry. I'm definitely no stranger when it comes to breakouts. Which is why I've been through such a vast amount of products. From quick fixes to detailed regimens; you name it, I've tried it. In a relentless effort to find something that actually works and is customized for my skin type, I think I'd be doing myself a disservice if I said my journey was easy. BUT!!!! I think I've finally stumbled across my perfect skin regimen...well, for now anyway...

In all honesty, I for one never thought products like "Neutrogena" or "Clean & Clear" were made for darker skin tones such as mine. I would always look for Products that catered specifically to African American skin or people of color. But with no such luck I had no choice but to venture out...I remember seeing a Neutrogena commercial with actress, Gabriel Union as the spokes model. She was sponsoring a new line called "Visibly Even" which was formulated for darker skin. Now you know I'm a sucker for those commercials and the fact that she has flawless skin was definitely a plus. They had me, so I tried it.


These are the 5 products I use:

$.3.99

Clean & Clear "Deep Cleansing Astringent": I always start off with an astringent and or toner to make sure I get rid of the most noticeable grime & gunk. I make sure that it is specifically formulated for sensitive skin and that it clearly says that on the bottle. Depending on your skin type, normal astringents can be extremely harsh and can cause burns or rashes. We can avoid this by reading the ingredients. I use 1-2 round cotton facial pads ;I soak them lightly in the cleanser then rub them firmly across my face & neck. I have oily skin, so in my case I pay close attention to my t-zones; my nose, my cheeks and my forehead.

$7.99

Neutrogena-Visibly Even "Foaming Cleanser": Next, I use a facial scrub. I love this product because its formulated with tiny beads and soy that help exfoliate my skin. I love the way the beads feel when I scrub the cleanser across my face, I can literally feel the dead skin gently lifting from my skin. I normally squirt about two dime sized amounts in the palm of my hands then wet my fingertips with warm water and distribute the product evenly over my face & neck. Once I rinse it off I can instantly notice a brighter more vibrant complexion.

$6.49

Dove "Facial Cleansing Cloths": I always follow any scrub with a soapy cleanser. I love these cloths because they are very lightweight and are also formulated for sensitive skin. I dampen the cloth with warm water and rub each end together until I can see the suds foaming inside. Once I'm content with the amount of soap I then lather the cloth across my face & neck. This removes any residue that may have been left over from the scrub that was used.

$5.49

Clean & Clear "Foaming Facial Cleanser": While using a liquid cleanser directly after a soap treatment is not a necessity; I still prefer to use it as an additional perk. Just for that extra squeaky clean feeling. I squirt out 2 even amounts and wet my hands with warm water. I lather the cleanser over my face in its entirety then I immediately wash it off with a luke warm wash cloth. Since I use two facial cleansers back to back, I often find my face feeling dry and stripped from its natural oils. Which is why I follow up with a moisturizer.

$14.99

Neutrogena-Visibly Even "Daily Moisturizer": One of the things I love about this product is that there's no bold smell, there IS a smell but its very neutralized. The best thing about this lotion is that it does EXACTLY what it claims to do; which is vanish blemishes and dark spots. I've literally noticed a tremendous difference within as little as two weeks. The only disadvantages I've notice is that it comes in such a small container. Only about 1.7 oz. And depending how much you're using per application it can dwindle quite quickly. But the good part is that the moisturizer is extremely rich and one drop is usually plentiful. The other downside I've noticed is that on occasions it kinda burns. This could be because of the prior products I'm using with it or because my pores are open and are extremely sensitive. But the burning only lasts a few seconds and it's not aggressive enough to make me want to stop using it.


I've been using this regimen for close to 2 years now and I've gotten a lot of compliments on my complexion. While everyone's skin is different, I'd recommend experimenting with different products until you can customize a routine that's perfect for you.

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