Beyond Soap and Water: Handling Skin Care Like a Professional

We all wish we could spend a day in the spa every month, getting a facial, a pedicure, an exfoliation treatment, and a nice hot stone massage. Unfortunately, for most of us, the professional spa treatment comes rarely. In the meantime, we have to treat ourselves by learning how to take care of our skin like the professionals.

Here are some tips to help you pamper and care for your skin. Remember that the healthier your skin is, the better YOU look and feel!

Washing

If you are using plain old bar soap when you wash your face and body, you need to do your skin one better. Look for a body wash that contains moisturizers such as shea butter, then use it with a loofah to clean, exfoliate, and moisturize in in a single step. If you’d still rather stick to the bar, look for a higher-end bar soap that contains similar moisturizing and exfoliating elements, such as the nubbly bar soaps from Lush or the highly-recommended Bliss products.

Drying

The purpose of toweling off after a good shower isn’t just to get yourself dry; it’s also to slough off all of your dead skin cells and bacteria that still might be hanging on after the shower. Remember that those skin cells stay on your towels, so try to change your towels at least every three days.

Facials

The facial, which is designed to “cleanse, firm, smooth, and moisturize the skin,” is my favorite part of my all-too-rare spa treatments. So I took the time to learn how to do a facial at home:

1. Remove all of your makeup and wash your face clean.
2. Exfoliate with a facial scrub.
3. Wash off the scrub, and hold your face above a bowl of steaming-hot water to steam out your pores.
4. Apply a face mask, and leave it on according to the instructions on the box (usually around 20 minutes)
5. Wash off the mask, and moisturize your fresh, clean skin!

A facial is also a great opportunity to take some time out for yourself. I like to put on nice, relaxing music and truly treat myself right.

Moisturizing

Is it possible to use too much moisturizer? Well, if your skin starts to feel oily or greasy, you’ve probably gone too far, but otherwise, NO. Especially if you’re using a really high-quality moisturizer; that stuff is designed to absorb right into your skin and turn it soft and buttery, not clammy and greasy.

Here’s the deal with moisturizer: you need to use it every day, even if you already use a moisturizing body wash. I used to think I didn’t have time to moisturize my entire body after a shower, but when I started doing it, my skin improved dramatically. Use a moisturizer that includes sunscreen for a little extra protection.

Waxing

I have tried every method of removing unwanted body and facial hair: plucking, shaving, even threading. Waxing is still my favorite. If you get a home waxing kit and use it regularly, after about two months you get to the place where you only have to wax every eight weeks. That’s much better than shaving every day!

Try setting aside an hour or so to do a home waxing treatment. I like to turn on a favorite TV show and pour a glass of wine. Yes, the waxing will hurt a bit, but you’ll feel so much better when you have smooth, silky skin that lasts for weeks.

Massage

Try as I might, I cannot do my own hot stone massage. However, two people can do a hot stone massage together! Recruit a partner or a BFF and buy yourself a hot stone massage kit. Read the instructions carefully before you begin, and don’t put massage oil directly onto the face. Otherwise, enjoy this special bonding experience as you and someone you love learn how to treat each other.