Giving yourself a facial at home is an excellent way to decompress after a busy day or week while taking care of your skin. However, if you’re like most people, you don’t really know the best way to give yourself a quality facial.

While doing a facial the wrong way probably won’t hurt your skin, it’s not going to leave it looking much better either. Follow these basic tips when giving yourself an at-home facial.

Cleanse First

Before you do anything you need to cleanse your skin to get rid of any excess oil or dirt on the surface of your skin. You can use a basic store-bought cleanser as long as it’s mild, soap-free and designed specifically for facial use. Harsh cleansers can irritate your skin and strip essential oils.

You can also make your own cleanser by combining natural ingredients like equal parts milk and olive oil. However, this isn’t an everyday cleanser – it’s just for use during your facial.

Open Up Your Pores

Using steam can help open up your pores to make facial treatments more effective. While professional spas use different methods, the easiest way to use steam at home is to simply bring about two cups of water to the boil in a large stockpot.

Add a drop of essential oils or herbal tea to the mixture and simply place your face over the water with a towel on your head to trap the steam. Take care not to burn yourself, and avoid using steam for more than about five minutes at a time.

Exfoliate Your Skin

Exfoliating helps remove dead skin cells that can clog your pores while giving your skin a natural glow. To exfoliate, you can use a store-bought product, but making your own is very easy by combining 3 parts brown sugar to 1 part olive oil.

To use the exfoliating mixture, splash your face with cool water and rub the ingredients over your skin in a circular motion. Do this over the sink or it will get messy!

Use a Face Mask

A face mask is designed to make your skin look better and give it a natural glow. While some face masks are designed for specific skin problems, a basic one is your best bet at home.

To make your own face mask, beat two egg whites and apply them to your face. Cover the egg whites with a mixture of avocado and yogurt and allow the mask to stay on your face for about 20 minutes.

It might sound like you’re making salad dressing, but this natural face mask really works to soften and tighten your skin without using any harmful chemicals.

Specific Treatments

If you use specific facial treatments in your skin care regimen like a topical acne treatment, it should be applied after the face mask is removed. Use the treatment as specified by the manufacturer.

Moisturize

The final step is to moisturize. The best way to do this is with a gentle store-bought moisturizer that works for your skin type.

If you use a night cream or heavier cream on occasion, using it after a facial is ideal. Otherwise your normal moisturizer will do just fine.

Facials tend to be a luxury service that many people tend to skip it out on because of costs or because of time. While getting a facial at a spa is always the ideal, sometimes having a little at-home luxury can help keep skin clear and healthy.