A SUSTAINABLE GUIDE TO AT HOME FACIALS

Whilst lockdown has had it’s ups and downs, one thing that has been amazing is giving ourselves plenty of ‘me’ time…which involves lots of self care! While we all love a facial, when you’re trying to be sustainable, your beauty salon might still be using products that use plastic packaging, or even harsh chemicals. For those of us who decide to go down a more natural route, we thought we’d put together a sustainable guide to at home facials - so that you can get that cleansed and exfoliated feeling at home!

1.Take Off Your Makeup

First it’s time to wipe the day away and remove any makeup you may have on. Don’t skip this step if you don’t have any on, it’s good to remove any dirt that may have built up over the day. Remember to wipe very gently so as to not irritate the skin. Micellar water is a genius for removing makeup and this zero waste micellar water by Flawless soothes and calms your skin with Aloe and Lavender. It’s packaged in a recycled glass bottle with a recycled aluminium lid. Swap single-use cotton pads for bamboo reusable makeup pads which are naturally antibacterial and antimicrobial, and gentle enough for even the most sensitive skin.

2. Cleansing

Your skin goes through a lot in the day so it’s best to give it a thorough cleanse as much as you can. We love using the Ren Perfect Canvas Clean Jelly Cleanser because of its 100% naturally derived oil-based ingredients which are gentle yet effective for removing dirt and pollution. We love that Ren products are sustainably packaged in recycled plastic.

Apply the jelly cleanser to dry skin and start to massage it in, it will quickly become a rich oil. Splash water on your face and the cleanser becomes a milky emulsion to remove all impurities.

3. Exfoliate

Now, this step requires a judgement call, how is your skin feeling? If your skin is sensitive or very dry we would recommend skipping this step just to make sure you don’t aggravate your skin. Exfoliator is great but it can be harsh on skin, however it can help to deeply cleanse and remove dead skin - leaving your face with a fresh glow.

4. Face Mask

It’s everyone’s favourite part of the facial. Time to lie back with cucumber on your eyes and let the skincare do all the hard work. Instead of using sheet masks, which are generally single-use and non-biodegradable, stick to face masks which can be used again and again. The Clarifying Mask from Tata Harper is a firm favourite at Stay Wild Swim. It’s made of 100% natural ingredients and packaged in glass bottles. It’s bright green so expect to look like a Shrek look alike!

5. Toner

Toner is great for reducing pore size and giving the appearance of younger-looking skin. Flawless’ hydrating face toner is made with organic rose and lavender which both soothe sensitive skin while witch hazel tightens pores.

6. Serums

There seems to be some confusion surrounding serums but this is the step that you definitely do not want to miss out on. Serums are “essentially just shots of extremely concentrated nutrients, hydrators, and antioxidants” says Mona Gohara, M.D., associate clinical professor at Yale School of Medicine. The Vitamin C Serum by Mad Hippie is an award-winning serum is a blend of antioxidants. Vitamin C is a powerful antioxidant and can help reduce the appearance of wrinkles & discolouration. If you have a face roller, use it to give yourself a relaxing face massage. Apply the serum generously and leave on overnight to soak into your skin, leaving you glowing by the morning.