Aromatherapy Facial

facials - products of your choice

1) Preparation:

- remove jewellery
- lay on couch
- fasten headband (the headband is a towel and pins to keep it in place)
- place towel around neck and across clients face

2) Sanitize hands with alcohol or astringent

3) Apply cleansing cream

4) Remove cleansing cream (with sponge or facecloth)

5) Apply freshener/toner

Analyse the skin:
Determine:
- if skin is dry, normal, oily, or combination
- if fine lines exist
- if black heads or acne
- if broken capillaries in the skin
- determine and discuss suitable product range for facial procedure

Here is the general procedure for facials which I carry out at my home salon. There are variations to this, depending on the treatment. I note here some of the core facial moves which form the basis of most facial massage procedures.

Here are the step by step facial manipulation procedures:

1) Chin Movement. Lift the chin, using a slight pressure.

2) Lower cheeks. Using a circular movement, rotate from chin to ears.

3) Move from eyes down to under the eyes. Then across the cheeks and down to the chin.

4) Linear movement over forehead. Slide fingers to temples; rotate with pressure on upward stroke; slide to left eyebrow; then stroke up to hairline gradually moving hands across fore head to right eyebrow.

5) Circular movement over forehead. Starting at eyebrow line, work across middle of forehead and then toward the hairline.

6) Criss-cross movement. Start at one side of forehead and work back.

7) Stroking (headache) movement. Slide fingers to centre of forehead; than draw fingers over brows. Slide to outer corners of eyes, and back to inner corners.

8) Brow and eye movement. Place middle fingers at inner corners of eyes and index fingers over brows. Slide to outer corners of eyes, under eyes, and back to inner corners.

9) Nose and upper cheek movement. Slide fingers down nose. Apply rotary movement across cheeks to temples, and rotate gently. Slide fingers under eyes and back to bridge of nose.

10) Mouth and nose movement. Apply circular movement from corners of mouth up sides of nose. Slide fingers over brows and down to corners of mouth.

11) Lip and chin movement. Draw fingers from centre of upper lip, around mouth, going under lower lip and chin.

12) (Optional Movement) Hold head with left hand; draw fingers of right hand from under the lower lip, around mouth, to centre of upper lip.

13) Lifting movement of cheeks. Proceed from the mouth to ears, and then from nose to top part of ears.

14) Rotary movement of cheeks. Massage from chin to earlobe, from mouth to middle of ears, and from nose to top of ears)

15) Light tapping movement. Work from chin to earlobe, mouth to ear, nose to top of ear, and then across forehead. Repeat on other side.

16) Apply toner/ freshner

Apply three warm towels to soften dead cells, so that they may be removed easier. (approx. two minutes each towel)

Apply massage cream

Use facial manipulation.

That's the end of the facial procedures. After these, the massage cream is removed (with sponge or face cloth), and one moves on to (optional):

Apply mask (10 minutes, depending on treatment mask)
Remove mask (Optional: warm towel/ cool towel to close the pores)
Apply toner/freshener
Apply moisturizer
Clean up!