Facial at home: a calm ritual in five steps

An evening to yourself, a warm cloth and an hour in which nobody asks anything of you. That is all you need for a facial at home. In a salon, a beauty therapist does the work. At home, you take the time yourself. In this guide I take you through the ritual I like to do myself, in five steps.

Short answer: a facial at home has five steps: a thorough cleanse, a gentle enzyme peel, a mask, a lotion and serum, and finally a short massage with face oil. Allow about an hour, do it in the evening and keep it to once a week. If your skin is sensitive, do not use the peel and the mask on the same evening.

Your own spa at home: what do you need?

• Time. About an hour, and for much of it your skin simply rests under a mask.
• A small bowl and a spoon to mix the peel and the mask fresh.
• Organic honey or vegan (kefir) yoghurt. You mix the powders with it. Water works too.
• A soft towel or face cloth and lukewarm water.
• Your products, which I name for each step below.

Do the ritual in the evening if you can. Then you do not need to wear make-up or SPF on top, and your skin can settle overnight.

Step 1: a thorough cleanse

A facial starts with clean skin. If you wear make-up or SPF, cleanse in two steps. First massage the Make Up Remover gently over your dry face. This oil cleanser with almond and jojoba oil dissolves eye make-up and SPF, so you do not need to rub. Remove it with a warm, damp face cloth.

Then use the Purifying Cleanser. Massage it into damp skin with circular movements and rinse with lukewarm water. The cleanser is made with aloe vera instead of water and removes dirt, excess oil and face make-up without drying out your skin. Read more about this way of cleansing on our page about double cleansing.

Step 2: a gentle enzyme peel

Dead skin cells on the surface make your skin look dull and feel rough. An enzyme peel loosens them without any scrubbing. This is how you use our Enzyme Peeling:

1. Mix 1 tablespoon of powder with 1 tablespoon of organic honey or vegan kefir yoghurt into a smooth paste.
2. Apply it to your clean face.
3. Leave it on for 5 to 10 minutes. If your skin is sensitive, keep it to 5 to 7 minutes.
4. Massage gently for a moment and rinse with lukewarm water.

The peel contains fruit enzymes such as papain from papaya and bromelain from pineapple, with colloidal oatmeal as its first ingredient. Use it once a week, not more often. You can read how it differs from a scrub in what is an enzyme peel.

Step 3: a mask that suits your skin

Now your skin gets some time. Our masks are powders that you mix fresh, just like the peel, with honey, vegan yoghurt or water. Choose the mask that suits how your skin looks today:

• Collagen Boost Mask for skin that looks tired. With oat, strawberry, raspberry, blackberry, blueberry and acerola. Leave it on for 20 minutes and rinse with lukewarm water. Afterwards your skin feels soft and looks fresher.
• Green Detox Mask for skin that looks dull, oily or out of balance. The green powder with oat, wheat and barley leaf and chlorella, among other things, helps lift away dirt and excess oil. Leave it on for about 15 minutes.

For extra nourishment, mix a few drops of Miracle Oil into the mask. How to mix a powder mask smoothly is explained in how to mix a powder mask with honey or yoghurt.

Sensitive skin? Then do not use the peel and the mask on the same evening. Choose one of the two each time, for example the peel one week and the mask the next.

Step 4: calm and moisturise

After the peel and the mask your skin is clean and ready for care. First apply the Soothing Lotion. This light lotion with aloe vera, witch hazel and panthenol gives moisture and calms skin that feels warm or tight. It is also pleasant after a professional treatment, so certainly after your own facial at home. The lotion also contains organic alcohol. If it stings after the peel, skip it this time and go straight to the serum.

Then press a few drops of Supreme Skin Elixir into your face and neck with gentle upward movements. This serum contains hyaluronic acid, glycerin, tremella and ceramide NP, among other things, and gives your skin lasting hydration without feeling heavy.

Step 5: finish with a face massage

The last step is the nicest one. Warm 3 to 4 drops of Miracle Oil between your palms, take a few calm breaths and press your hands gently against your face. Then massage the oil in with your fingertips, using small circular movements from the centre of your face outwards and upwards. Use little pressure. A few minutes is enough.

Miracle Oil has jojoba oil as its first ingredient, absorbs quickly and does not leave a greasy layer. You will find more movements in our blog about facial massage techniques.

Which product do you use for each step?

Product	Step	Size
Make Up Remover	1. Cleanse (make-up and SPF)	15 ml / 50 ml
Purifying Cleanser	1. Cleanse	15 ml / 75 ml
Enzyme Peeling	2. Peel, once a week	50 g
Collagen Boost Mask or Green Detox Mask	3. Mask	50 g
Soothing Lotion	4. Calm	30 ml / 100 ml
Supreme Skin Elixir	4. Serum	30 ml
Miracle Oil	5. Massage	15 ml / 75 ml

Would you like to try the ritual first? The Organic Detox Box contains mini sizes of the Purifying Cleanser, Hydrating Toner, Miracle Oil, Enzyme Peeling and Green Detox Mask. You will find all our masks together in our collection of masks.

Would you rather have a facial in a salon?

Sometimes it is lovely to close your eyes and let someone else do the work. Abloom is also used in beauty salons. With our salon finder you can find a salon or shop with Abloom near you. At home, you then keep it up with your own ritual.

When do you skip a step?

• Your skin is sunburnt, has small wounds or is inflamed: skip the peel and the mask.
• You have eczema, a lot of inflamed spots or skin that has been red and irritated for a long time: ask your GP or a dermatologist for advice first.
• You are using a product for the first time: test it for a few days on a small area, for example along your jawline.

In short

• A facial at home has five steps: cleanse, peel, mask, lotion and serum, and a massage with oil.
• Allow an hour for it, preferably in the evening.
• Do not use the enzyme peel more than once a week.
• Sensitive skin: peel and mask on different evenings.
• Would you rather be treated? Find a salon near you.

Read more

• What is an enzyme peel, and how is it different from a scrub?
• How to mix a powder mask with honey or yoghurt
• Dull skin: how to bring back its glow
• Double cleansing

Not sure what your skin needs? Take our free skincare test, or ask our skin specialist through the chat on our website.

Love,
Barbara Baars
Skin Specialist