A daily routine to cleanse, tone, and maintain moisture level is essential to sustaining healthy facial skin. Clean your skin thoroughly at least twice a day and change your pillowcase often. Particularly important is the nighttime washing, which removes accumulated skin oils, makeup, and dirt.
If you have oily skin, use a liquid or bar soap formulated for your skin type; rinse thoroughly. Dry skins thrive on superfatted soap, creamy washes, or cleansing creams; normal skins can take a mild soap or cleanser. Thorough rinsing is essential. Most skins, except extra sensitive or very dry types, need occasional exfoliation (removal of the top layer of dead skin cells). Do this with a scrub cleanser or by going over your face very gently with a rough washcloth or an abrasive puff moistened with soap. Toning
Refresh the skin after cleansing and remove any remaining impurities by wiping your face with a cotton ball soaked in skin freshener; avoid the delicate eye area. If your skin is oily, use an alcohol-base astringent. Dry skin benefits from a mild, herbal toner, which often is all the cleansing needed in the morning. A freshener should make your skin tingle and feel taut. If it stings, it’s too strong. Moisturizers and facials Normal and dry-skinned faces, also dry areas on an oily face, benefit from a thin layer of moisturizer applied after toning and before makeup. If your skin is very dry, or if you live in a cold or dry climate, apply an emollient cream to your skin right after the nighttime wash.
To remove deep-seated impurities and stimulate circulation, you can give yourself a facial. Boil some water, adding two chamomile tea bags for an herb scent. Remove all makeup and cover your hair with a shower cap. Pour the water into a basin, drape a towel over your head to trap the steam, and hold your face about 1 foot above the water for up to 10 minutes. Blot your face dry, then apply a mask (a clay formula for oily skin, a creamy hydrating mask for dry skin). Don’t apply the mask too close to your eyes, mouth, or hairline. Leave on as directed; remove it, then rinse with cool water and apply moisturizer.