DIY Facials with PCA Skin

For those of you missing your monthly facials, I want to give you some ideas for DIY facials with PCA Skin you can do at home. This will be the first in a series of tips for at-home skincare regimens.

First, I’d like to focus on MASKS. Masking is an important step when you come in for a facial so I want to make sure that you are adding this to your home routine.

The product line that I use, which most of you are familiar with, is PCA Skin. Now through April 30th, PCA Skin is donating 100% of proceeds from the sales of their facial masks to FABRIC, allowing them to ramp up its abilities from 500 gowns a week to 25,000 gowns a week. These gowns are reusable from 70-300 washes (depending upon the fabric used) which would be equivalent to up to 7,500,000 disposable gowns. This is a long term, sustainable solution that makes a big impact.

There are five masks, or treatments, from PCA Skin that are great to use at home. Which ones are best for your skin type? Keep reading!

HYDRATING MASK

This is one of my favorite and most versatile masks. It is a therapeutic mask that soothes the skin, reduces irritation, and infuses hydration into the skin. It has oat milk extract and arnica that calms and soothes the skin, and glycerin that helps with deep hydration.

Apply a thin layer over the entire face, avoiding the eye area. You can also apply this to your neck and chest. Leave it on for 5-10 minutes then remove it with a warm towel.

Hydrating Mask is for ALL SKIN TYPES, especially DRY, SENSITIVE and AGING skin.  However, ACNE clients will like it for when their acne treatment causes drying on the surface, and OILY skin will like it to balance out over productive oil glands. (It’s good for everyone!)

Use as a mask in the evening once a week, or as needed.

As I mentioned, this is one of my favorite masks because it can be used for other things as well. It is calming and soothing for dry, flaky, cracked, sensitive or irritated skin anywhere, not just on your face. You can sleep with a thin layer on your face as a deep hydrating night treatment, apply it overnight to extra dry hands and sleep with mittens or gloves on. Put it on dry, cracked heels overnight and sleep with socks on. Use it to help with eczema. Try it as a LIP mask for chapped lips or lines around the mouth. You can also mix this mask with some of the others masks to tone them down if they are too strong.

DETOXIFYING MASK

This is a charcoal-based mask that helps to minimize pore size and absorb excess oil.  It has Japanese white charcoal and clay that absorbs oil and debris, and can also detoxify the skin (as the name suggests.)

Apply a thin layer over the entire face, avoiding the eye area. When you first put it on it is dark grey, then as it dries it gets lighter and you can see where the oily areas are, where it’s really working on absorbing excess oil. Leave it on for 5-10 minutes, or until it dries, then remove it with a warm towel. Sometimes this one can be kind of tricky to get off, so be patient. You can even splash some water on your face first, then use the towel to wipe it off.

The Detoxifying Mask can be used on ALL SKIN TYPES, but it’s especially helpful for OILY and ACNE skin. Use in the evening once a week, or as needed.

PURIFYING MASK

This is a clay-based treatment that exfoliates, helps to clean out the pores and leaves the skin clean and bright. The clay absorbs oil and debris, and it also has pumice that works as a scrub.

Apply a thin, even layer over the entire face using a circular motion to activate the pumice for increased exfoliation. You can also apply this to your neck and chest. For more oily skin, leave it on for 3 – 5 minutes, or until it dries, then remove it with a warm towel. For less oily skin don’t leave it on for as long and remove it before it dries. This one can sometimes be tricky to get off as well. I prefer to use this before I get in the shower because it’s easier to get all the pumice off in the shower. Or you can splash some water on your face first, then use the towel to wipe it off.

Purifying Mask is best for COMBINATION, OILY, and ACNE skin. Use in the evening once a week, or as needed.

REVITALIZING MASK

This one is papaya based and smells amazing! The papaya, honey and fruit extracts calm and exfoliate the skin leaving a glowing complexion. The enzymes gently exfoliate by dissolving the dead skin cells on the surface, as opposed to a scrub like the Purifying Mask that rubs off the dead skin cells. I think it’s important to change up your exfoliating routine periodically so that your skin doesn’t get used to the same thing all the time. But be sure not to over exfoliate because that can irritate the skin.

Apply a thin layer over the entire face, avoiding the eye area. Leave it on for 2 – 5 minutes, depending on sensitivity. This is one that can be mixed with Hydrating Mask to tone it down if needed, until you get used to it. Remove with a warm towel.

The Revitalizing Mask is good for NORMAL/COMBINATION skin and helps with everything from ANTI-AGING to ACNE. Use in the evening once a week, or as needed.

PORE REFINING TREATMENT

This treatment is an exfoliator that can be used alone or mixed with one of the other masks. It uses three methods of exfoliation: physical, enzymatic, and cellular. It minimizes the appearance of pores and absorbs excess oil. The physical exfoliation in this treatment comes from rice powder, which is a much finer scrub than the pumice in the Purifying Mask.

Apply a thin layer over the entire face in a circular motion to activate the scrub. Work it in for a couple of minutes then let it sit for just a couple of more minutes. This can be used alone, but it also works great if you use it right BEFORE one of the other masks because then it helps clean the skin so that the other mask can penetrate and work deeper, or you can mix it WITH one of the other ones and apply it at the same time, such as mixed with Hydrating, Detoxifying, or Revitalizing. Remove with a warm towel.

Pore Refining Treatment is good for ALL SKIN TYPES. Period. And it can help with ACNE, AGING, DISCOLORATION, SENSITIVITY, and it is a great PREVENTATIVE as well. Use morning or evening one to three times a week.

Each of these masks from PCA Skin retail for $60 and should last you four to six months, depending on how often you are masking. Let us know if you have any questions or if you need guidance on determining the best mask or skincare products for you.