While nailing down a skin care routine that works for you is difficult enough, the overabundance of supplementary tools, gadgets, and gizmos meant to work with your skincare can make the whole idea of self-care entirely too overwhelming. Tik-Tok influencers carving their faces with slabs of jade, YouTubers showing off their LED masks that look straight out of Star Wars, and Instagram reels of ASMR ice globes all look like elevated routines for a spa day at home, but what’s legit?
Beyond the efficacy of the products themselves, there are certain tools or exercises you can incorporate to make your day and night routines even more relaxing. And if you don’t care to spend more beyond your purchases of serums and moisturizers, there are a few things that are likely laying around your house that you can use for a soothing spa experience. While not all of these directly translate to skin improvement, certain activities are near necessary to overall look and feel better.
Lymphatic drainage: One of the easiest ways to elevate your routine is to incorporate a facial massage. This can be done with a tool or with your fingers, and it is beneficial for a variety of reasons. I like to use a Gua Sha, which is a cut and sanded slab of jade roughly an inch thick that you utilize to gently massage the skin. I use it in the morning to wake me up and massage my muscles after a night’s sleep, but it can be easily incorporated into your night routine as well. Tutorials for the proper technique can be found on YouTube, and if you don’t have a gua shua, similar tutorials can teach you how to do it simply with your fingers. It is important that you always utilize a facial oil or otherwise wet product beforehand so as not to tug at dry skin. Our BooSeBoo step is a perfect moment in the RIMAN ritual to pause for a facial massage since the skin needs time to absorb the products, and your base will be perfectly hydrated for easy massaging.
Ice Depuffing: like a facial lymphatic massage, utilizing ice in your routine can reduce any overnight swelling or redness and wake up the skin for the day ahead. As part of your morning routine, take an ice cube (wrap half in paper towel) and rub it along your face; ice pulls blood to the surface of the skin and can reduce puffiness, along with even reducing the appearance of eye bags.1 For a fancier (and less drippy) routine, buy some ice globes, which are glass apparatuses filled with solution that does not freeze for easier movement around the face. As a final suggestion, place two metal spoons in the freezer for a few hours and apply them to your eyes first thing in the AM to reduce some of that post-sleep puffiness.
Facial Steaming: one of the greatest ways to open the pores and release stubborn dirt and impurities is facial steaming. Not only does it promote circulation, it releases trapped sebum and bacteria, hydrates the skin, and allows for a better absorption of skincare ingredients.2 You can steam with towels soaked in hot water, wrung out, and rested on your face, or set up a bowl for a more immersive experience; boil water, let it simmer for 2-3 minutes, and then sit above it, draping a towel behind your neck and head to create a cocoon. Add herbs and essential oils to boost that spa experience. Don’t want to set all this up yourself? Facial steamers are available to purchase AND come in handy when you’re congested. After cleansing and before steps 3-8 of your RIMAN ritual, steam your face to prepare your pores for receiving all that Byoungpool goodness.
So, while a $400 LED face mask seems a little steep, the possibility of an at-home experience is not entirely lost. A lot can be done with tools you already have for an equally rejuvenating experience. Play around what works for you to get the most benefit out of not only your skincare, but the self-care purpose of your ritual as well.
