The Ultimate Beauty Guide

When you’re dealing with a busy schedule or strapped for cash, it can be difficult to squeeze in or justify a pampering facial appointment. Now you can take matters into your own hands:

Apart from cultivating great-looking skin, following a weekly facial regime will ensure you get more even and longer-lasting wear out of your makeup. Our experts recommend following these six key steps at least once a week to maintain radiant, glowing skin:

Step One – Cleanse: Take a small amount of cleanser, and wash your face as usual. For added benefit, you can use a complexion brush.

Step Two – Exfoliate: Exfoliation is a key step for removing dead skin cells and revealing soft, beautiful skin. Massage your face and neck gently with a small amount of exfoliating scrub (such as one with spherical beads or a sugar-like scrub). Do this for about 30 seconds before rinsing.

Be sure not to over exfoliate. Over exfoliation can cause your skin to become sensitive and inflamed. Typically, exfoliation should only be performed three times per week, every other day.

Step Three – Serum: Apply about two pumps of your serum to your face and neck. Our experts recommend using one with Vitamin C for best results. Lightly tap your fingers around your face for about two minutes. Think lightly playing a piano, or delicate keyboard strokes.

You can also substitute serum for facial oil with jojoba, hazelnut or olive oil. All are great for your skin.

Step Four – Mask: Apply a gel or clay mask to your face. Be sure to avoid the sensitive eye area. Don’t overdo it with the mask. For a gel mask, you just need a thin layer for the all benefits. For a clay mask, apply enough so that you can't see the skin beneath. Leave on for 10 to 15 minutes before rinsing with cool water (or, for a clay mask, wash off just before it is totally dry--once totally dry, it can become irritating).

Step Five – Toner & Serum: Using a cotton ball or spray bottle, apply toner to your face and neck. While your face is still damp from the toner, apply a small amount of serum and gently massage into skin.

Step Six – Moisturizer: Massage your normal moisturizer well on your face and neck. If you use eye cream, this would be the time to apply it.