WATCH | How to do the lifting at-home facial our beauty editor swears by

20 May 2020 - 13:57 By nokubonga thusi
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Using a facial roller during a DIY facial helps to ensure any serums you've applied will be better absorbed by the skin.
Using a facial roller during a DIY facial helps to ensure any serums you've applied will be better absorbed by the skin.
Image: 123RF/Iuliia Doga

Feeling a little stressed out by all this stay-at-home sameness?  Your skin is feeling it too.

Until beauty therapists are back in business, take matters into your own hands and try this DIY facial designed to lift sagging skin and give your complexion that all-important glow.

Watch the Instagram tutorial below to see how best to apply the various products, then scroll down for expert tips and the names of all the products used.

STEP 1: CLEANSE

It’s important to choose a cleanser that’s right for your skin type and has a texture that feels good.

As a rule of thumb, go for foaming, milky or cream cleansers if you have a dry or combination skin, and a gel or salicylic-acid based cleanser if you have oily skin. Look for a pH-balancing cleanser that is gentle on the skin but will still give a good clean.

If you have, add a cleansing tool like an electric facial brush (like the Foreo Luna Mini) to buff skin smooth as it cleans.

Products used:

  • The Lotus Jeju Botanical pH Balancing Cleanser
  • Foreo Luna Mini T-Sonic face brush 

STEP 2: EXFOLIATE AND MASK

Masking and exfoliation should go hand in hand as one refines skin texture by removing dead skin cells, while the other controls your pores' size and ensures over-exfoliation does not lead to enlarged pores appearing.

Choose a mask and exfoliation pairing that fits your skin's needs — whether it’s hydration, brightening or a peeling action. Go for enzymatic exfoliators as opposed to physical, granular exfoliators as they are less harsh on skin.

Product used:

  • Ren Flash Rinse 1-Minute Facial

STEP 3: TREAT

This is the step where you address your skin’s toughest concerns and where you use products that have more active ingredients such as vitamin C, hyaluronic acid, glycolic, lactic acid or retinol. You can use an essence to prep and hydrate the skin before adding a serum or just go in with a serum of your choice.

Pay attention to the consistency of your products: you want to go from lightest to heaviest or thickest to aid in proper product absorption.

Products used:

  • The Lotus Jeju Lotus Leaf Essence
  • Clarins Bright Plus Advanced Brightening Dark Spot-Targeting Serum

STEP 4: HYDRATE

Some people hydrate their skin before treating it, but depending on the texture of the serum you use, you may find you need more “slip” on the skin to perform step 6, which is to massage the skin using a facial roller. Applying a facial mist to hydrate your skin beforehand gives more “glide” and feels so refreshing.

Product used:

  • Suki Suki Naturals Papaya Rose Hydrating Facial Mist

STEP 5: EYE CREAM

This step is non-negotiable. Using eye cream is crucial to giving the skin a youthful, radiant appearance.

The eye area is very delicate and quick to show signs of ageing or dehydration, so always apply a hydrating or firming eye cream (dependant on your needs) and tap the product in with your ring finger using minimal pressure.

Product used:

  • Benton Fermentation Eye Cream

STEP 6: FACIAL ROLLING

This step really helps with lymphatic drainage in the face, lifts the contours, reduces puffiness and helps serums be better absorbed into the skin.

Make sure to be gentle with the pressure that you apply when using a facial roller — especially around the eyes — as you don't want to be too rough and “injure” the skin. Use an upward motion towards the ears and then a downward motion towards the neck to activate your lymphatic system.  

If your skin is looking extra puffy on facial day, put your roller in the fridge ahead of time to enjoy a cooling sensation during use.

Product used:

  • Rose Quartz Facial Roller

STEP 7: MOISTURISE

Lock in all your hard work by applying a moisturiser that best suits your skin type and needs, whether it’s a water-based gel formula to give you that glow or a thicker, creamier texture to remedy dry skin.

Product used:

  • Yves Saint Laurent Top Secrets Instant Moisture Glow

STEP 8: LEAVE-ON MASK

This is an extra step, but if you'll be doing your facial in the evening you can apply a leave-on mask to boost hydration levels overnight. You can even skip the moisturiser and use one of these masks instead if you prefer.

Look for a leave-on mask that contains hyaluronic acid, which is an ingredient that acts as a moisture magnet.

Product used:

  • Optiphi Hydra-Derm HA Masque

STEP 9: HAND CREAM

Don’t forget your hands — they need love too. Using the richly textured hand cream of your choice, give yourself a mini hand massage: apply the cream using circular motions and a medium pressure on stress points such as the thumb joints, palm and individual fingers.

Don’t forget to lightly stretch and release tension in the wrists by interlacing fingers and twisting each hand in a circular motion.

Product used:

  • Chanel Le Lift La Crème Main

STEP 10: LIP SCRUB

You can’t have glowing, plump skin and chapped, dry lips, so make sure your lips come to the pamper party too.

Use a lip scrub — or for a DIY fix, try a combination of brown sugar and olive oil — and buff your lips using gentle circular motions to remove any dead skin cells or flaky skin. Finish off with a hydrating lip balm if your lips are in need of more hydration.

Product used:

  • Dior Addict Lip Sugar Scrub

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