Taking care of our skin on a daily basis is essential for maintaining a healthy, youthful appearance, especially as we enter into our golden years. While professional facials can be a luxury we treat ourselves to every now and then, not everyone has the time or resources to visit a spa regularly. That's where an effective and easy at-home facial routine comes in.

In this blog post, you’ll discover the benefits of making facial routines a regular part of your skincare routine, as well as the four steps of a simple yet effective at-home facial routine that will help you achieve clear, smooth, and glass-like skin, all without having to splurge on an expensive spa trip. This facial routine also includes the added benefits of a charcoal konjac sponge, a natural and eco-friendly beauty tool that gently exfoliates and cleanses your skin at the same time. By following the simple steps included in this facial routine, you will learn how, from the comforts of your own home, to pamper your skin so that it gives off a radiant, youthful complexion.

 

Before we dive into the specific steps of our at-home facial routine, here are the three C’s of why we recommend to include them in your daily skincare routine if your goal is to achieve smooth, clear skin without having to break the bank:

Convenience: With an at-home facial routine, you have the flexibility to give yourself an at-home spa experience whenever it suits you. Why take the time to book appointments or travel to a spa when you can just do it from the comforts of your home, right?

Cost-effective: Professional facials can be pricey, ranging from $50-$100, but with an at-home routine, you can achieve similar results at a fraction of the cost. Please note that we are not saying that professional facials are not worth the money, simply that if you are on a budget of time or finances, that at-home facials are a time-efficient and affordable alternative!

Customizable: At-home facials allow you to tailor your skincare routine to your specific needs and concerns, because you are the one in control of the products and techniques used in the routine.

With this knowledge in mind, you can now make a better-informed decision when you are deciding between doing an at-home facial or going to get one done professionally. If you’re ready to learn how to perform your own at-home facial routine to get smooth, glass-like skin, then check out our routine below.

Step 1: Cleansing

The first step in any skincare routine is proper cleansing. Start by washing your face with a gentle cleanser to remove grime, excess oil, and any impurities that have accumulated throughout the day (or overnight, if you are performing this facial routine in the morning).

Optional: If you want to take your cleansing process to a whole 'nother level, put your facial cleanser onto a charcoal konjac sponge. A konjac sponge is a gentle exfoliating sponge that is made from konjac, a root plant found in Southeast Asia. The Yu-Be Charcoal Konjac Sponge, in particular, contains activated charcoal from Japanese Holm Oak, which works to absorb impurities from your pores and give your skin an even deeper cleanse. The sponge's soft texture and the activated charcoal work harmoniously together to gently lift away excess dead skin cells, unclog pores, and absorb excess oil, leaving your skin feeling refreshed and deeply cleansed. The Charcoal Konjac Sponge is gentle enough to use everyday, morning and evening, so don’t be shy about making it a regular player in your at-home facial routine!

Pro tip: Make sure you massage the cleanser/sponge into your face for at least 60 seconds to reap the full benefits of the ingredients. After you use the konjac sponge, be sure to rinse it out completely and squeeze all the excess water out before hanging it to dry in a well-ventilated area.

Step 2: Steam

If you’ve ever sat in a sauna and enjoyed the refreshed, invigorated feeling it leaves your skin and body after you step out, then you’ll love facial steaming. Just like how saunas work, steaming your face helps to open up your pores and increase blood circulation, which allows for better absorption of the skincare products you apply afterwards and pushes out toxins from your skin. This will help reach the grime in your pores that the sponge cleanse in the previous step may not have reached (but the process of step one is still crucial, as it prepares your skin for the steaming process by allowing the steam to reach your skin more efficiently).

All you need to do is simply fill a bowl with hot water and place your face over it, draping a towel to cover both your head and the bowl to trap the steam. Steam your skin like this for about 5-10 minutes. Not only will you experience the benefits we mentioned above, but your skin will also become more softened, which will make the next step in this at-home facial routine even more effective.

Step 3: Exfoliation

Now your skin is primed for the final cleansing step, exfoliation. If you do not have particularly sensitive skin, skipped the optional part in step 1, and/or want to get a deeper, more intensive cleanse on the days you decide not to use the konjac sponge, then you will want to make sure you include this extra exfoliation step in your facial routine. For a more detailed look into what the difference between a scrub and a sponge is, check out this blog here.

While the konjac sponge is ideal for those who have sensitive skin and/or for those who want to get a daily light exfoliation to maintain the freshness of their skin, we recommend performing a deeper exfoliation with a scrub at least 1-2 times a week for those who want to see even faster results when it comes to achieving smoother, clearer skin.

The Yu-Be Foaming Skin Polish is an excellent choice for this weekly deep exfoliation, as it’s more gentle than your average overly harsh scrub, yet is still highly effective at exfoliating and cleansing the skin on a deeper level. It also contains skin-nourishing ingredients, such as green tea, bamboo, ginger, and ginseng root, all of which work together to even out your skin tone and strengthen your skin barrier.

To perform this step, simply wet your hands, squeeze out a quarter-sized amount of the scrub onto your hand, and gently massage the scrub into your face using circular motions. Do this for about 30-60 seconds before rinsing off with lukewarm water and patting your skin dry.

Step 4: Moisturize and Massage

To tie the bow on your at-home facial routine, you’ll want to end with M&M. No, not the candy (although this M&M is pretty sweet, too) — we’re talking about the moisturizing and massaging combination. All you need are your hands and a richly hydrating moisturizer!

While any solid moisturizing skin cream will work for this step, we recommend the Yuzu Pure Hydration Cream, not only because of its deeply hydrating glycerin properties, but also because it has a luxurious and soothing yuzu citrus flower scent.

Squeeze a dab of the moisturizing skin cream onto your fingers and rub your fingers together momentarily to warm up the cream. Then, begin massaging your face with the tips of your fingers using circular motions on your forehead and going from the bottom of your jaw to the tops of your cheeks repeatedly, applying light pressure, until you feel your skin warmed and flushed with blood. Make sure you also gently massage the area under your eyes, going from the inside to the outside edges of your under eye, to smooth out and re-invigorate the skin in that area.

We recommend massaging your skin for about 5 minutes, but you are welcome to increase that time if you feel that you and your skin are needing a little extra TLC that particular day.

An at-home facial routine is a wonderful way to prioritize self-care and achieve clear, smooth, and glass-like skin without leaving your home or over spending on spa experiences. The gentle konjac sponge exfoliation, deep cleansing, facial steaming, and moisturizing massage of this at-home facial routine is the best and most affordable way to keep your skin looking youthful and healthy well into your golden years! Embrace the benefits of at-home facials and indulge in a spa-like experience today with Yu-Be’s premium Japanese skincare products.