Here’s a question for you… are you the extra time you have at home for a little self-indulgence?
We might not be allowed on holiday but your face can! That’s right, give your skin a vacay by adopting a serious skincare regime you can really get behind on lockdown. Your skin may already be leaping up the benefits of working from home (no heavy make-up and city pollution-triggering breakouts is a silver lining) but to really maximise the results, it’s worth turning to the experts.
While in-clinic treatments are off the cards, there are ways you can replicate the professionals and give your skin an extra boost.
Here, Debbie Thomas, facialist to the likes of Dua Lipa, Jourdan Dunn and Vogue Williams shares some of her at-home hacks to get you glowing like an A-lister.
The at-home cryo-facial
If you’re missing your usual cryo-facial, using ice therapy to reduce inflammation and puffiness, Debbie has come up with a trick to get the same results at home.
“Cleanse your skin with your face cleanser, apply a little serum and massage it in to the skin,” advises Debbie.
“Then take an ice cube (held in a cloth or tissue so just an end sticks out, wait 2-3 mins so the frosting of the ice cube reduces, you don’t want it to stick to the skin), rub the ice cube over the skin and around the eyes, the important thing is to keep the ice cube moving, work over the face for 2-3 mins, pat dry and apply either you daily or evening hydrator. An ice rub is suitable for most skin types for a quick wake up boost.”
How to steam your face like a pro
The celebrity-favourite facialist also recommended some good old-fashioned steaming. “This is a good way to deep cleanse the skin and get your actives in whilst boosting circulation and hydration but avoid if you’re really prone to flushing and rosacea.”
Debbie recommends a cleanse to begin with, “when you steam the pores relax a little meaning surface grime could go in them.”
“Then boil some water (using the kettle is fine), you need a reasonable sized bowl – you want to fill it half way, it’s boiling water so make sure the bowl is heat suitable and secure (you don’t want it wobbling over), finally you need a towel big enough to go over your head and the bowl.”
“Place the bowl securely in a position you can easily lean over it for several minutes (on the table if you’re sitting on chair is ideal), pour the boiling water in halfway then place face over the bowl so it is comfortable (not too hot or uncomfortable on neck) and use towel over your head and the bowl to trap the steam around your face. The steam warms up the skin promoting circulation, it can also soften oily blockages and impurities within the pores, sweating can help push some of the impurities out.”
“After 3-5 mins you can go and cleanse you skin again to wash away sweat and impurities, use warm water, dry the skin and apply a serum or active ingredients while the skin is warm, as its more absorbent so you get better penetration of products.”
“My final step is to either splash some cool water or press a cloth with cold water on the skin this will close the pores and give circulation an extra boost finish with your moisturiser to seal in your actives and the moisture from the steam.”
Try this at home and you’ll be glowing through your next Zoom call.