Self Care Time

After 10 days spent outdoors in Alaska in the sun, wind and rain, my skin has been at its worst. We arrived back home a couple of days ago and yesterday was largely spent glued to the couch. Coming home to the stress of current news events and the intense heat wave here in California was a bit jarring and my mind and body have really been craving a decompress. No craving is the wrong word, more like demanding. So this morning I decided to carve out some much need self-care time and try out an at-home facial, very kindly gifted by San Diego local Shop Good. Today I thought I’d walk you through the process and share some other products I’ve been using lately.

Shop Small, Shop Good

Shop Good is one of those places that makes my city feel that much more special and unique than the rest. It’s a beautifully curated, clean beauty, skin and wellness shop featuring a slew of awesome small brands. The At-Home Facial Package is a new offering from their Holistic Estheticians in place of in-store services during COVID. Each box is custom made based on your skin type and issues. And they ship throughout the US so you can shop small and enjoy a clean facial from anywhere. It also comes with some sweet little extras like a bottle of Vitruvi essential oil, a headband and even a stick of palo santo to set the mood. I’m a big fan of attention to detail in the form of packaging and this was no exception. There’s a postcard that comes with each box that contains instructions for facial novices like myself and handwritten ingredients of each of the two masks. And I have a little surprise for you too! Shop Good has very kindly offered a discount code for you to use if you’re looking to grab your own.

Use my code ‘JessicaSG10’ for $10 off your Shop Good facial package.

Setting The Mood

As much as I would have liked to experience this facial in the beautiful atmosphere of Shop Good (they really have an eye for aesthetics), I will gladly take any morning off in an excuse for some at-home R&R. I started my facial experience by trying to recreate the relaxing atmosphere of a spa. This meant lighting some palo santo, turning on a very chill yet upbeat KOKOROKO playlist and making myself a cup of tea. I also applied some drops of the Vitruvi Geranium essential oil to my wrists and took a few deep breathes. I’ve started doing short meditation sessions so that’s really helped me destress in the mornings and got me used to breathing exercises on the regular.

Masking Up

I started by cleansing and toning my skin. At the moment I’m trying out a sample of the Kiehl’s Ultra Facial Cleanser, which has a thick jelly texture to it that I like. I toned my skin before, in between and after the masks with the trusty Thayers Lavender Witch Hazel. The kit I requested for Oily + Combination skin and Sensitive Skin came with two all natural hand mixed masks; the first an exfoliating mask and the second a finishing mask. Both were very gentle on my skin and had a pleasant smell and consistency that went on easy with a mask brush. I kept both masks on for 10 minutes each, just enough time to have a little dance break in between taking photos. Sure, it’s not your typical facial experience but that’s the nice part about doing things at home. To remove the masks, I soaked a towel in warm water and compressed it on my face.

Serums & Moisturizers

I finished off the facial with my own serums and moisturizers and spent a good amount of time massaging the products into my skin. The kit suggests using long upward strokes to promote lymphatic drainage, something I’ve watched more than a few Youtube videos on in the past, to get the hang of. I’m currently trying the Avya Anti-Aging Power Serum, a find from this month’s clean Brichbox and my go-to moisturizer, the Keihl’s Ultra Facial Creme with SPF 30. I’ve been keeping things light and simple on the skincare front lately, mostly because I’ve had a few skin issues crop up this year, like discoloration and my skin teetering between too oily or super dry. So these facial ‘resets’ feel like something that may become a much more frequent part of my routine going forward.

A Major Refresh

I was most pleased by the end results: dewy and nourished looking skin! Today was pretty much a no-makeup day, apart from filing in my brows a bit and I really feel like my skin is glowing. Not to mention, the day started on the most relaxing note and allowed me to clear my mind of the stress and anxiety I woke up with. Facials are such a treat, and while everyone’s self-care routine will look different, it sometimes helps to change things up and try something new if your usual routine is starting to feel a bit mundane of if you’re like me, and your skin is begging to be tended too properly. So that’s my first at-home facial experience, courtesy of Shop Good. If you’re interested in trying your own you can use the discount code below. Happy pampering!