Four At Home Facials You Need To Know About

Madeleine Spencer tells us how to up the ante on your skincare at home

Despite most of us spending more time at home than ever before, our skin is still facing additional stress and exhaustion (aka a standard pandemic response). More time spent outside exercising (great for health both physical and mental means wind whipping the skin which can really dehydrate) and additional time at home means impact from central heating (which will also encourage transepidermal water loss). 

Using targeted daily skincare is a perfect way to fortify and protect skin - but sometimes you want to give it a little extra something, which is where these facial masterclasses with Adeola Gboyeda using L’Occitane come in. 

Using Adeola’s expert techniques combined with L’Occitane’s efficacious, luxurious, and - crucially - sustainable products really reaps results. All you have to do is pick the right one for you and follow the steps towards more glowing skin. 

The Facial For Dry Skin

This is where the shea range comes into its own. Traditionally used in Burkina Faso by women to protect their skin, L’Occitane started to work with women in the country in 1980, and what started with a mere 12 has now grown to 10,000 women sustainable harvesting the hero ingredient. 

Start with the L’Occitane 3-in-1 Micellar Water, £19.50, (for which there’s an eco-refill), to clean your face and to get rid of any excess sebum build up. Next, massage a few drops of the L’Occitane Shea Comforting Face Oil, £32, onto skin, paying attention to the contours of the face to encourage lymphatic drainage. The silky oil will comfort and nourish as well as help to offset damage thanks to the antioxidant properties. Expect it to help to strengthen your skin’s barrier and enhance glow. 

After that, add another layer of moisture in the form of the L’Occitane Shea Light Comforting Face Cream SPF 15, £29.50, making sure you take this all the way down your neck and onto your décolletage to hydrate and provide a layer of protection from UV rays, pollution, and air conditioning or central heating. 

Finish with an application of the L’Occitane Natural Shea Ultra Rich Lip Balm, £9.

The Facial for Dehydrated Skin 

For skin that’s dehydrated (lacking in water) rather than dry (lacking in oil), L’Occitane’s Aqua Réotier products are ideal. Containing calcium-rich water sourced from a spring in Provence which L’Occitane protect by only using 2% of its yearly yield of water, as well as making the spring and rare wild plants and flowers surrounding it a protected area, along with hyaluronic acid and glycerin, expect this to attract moisture and keep skin supple.

Start by washing skin with the L’Occitane Aqua Réotier Watergel Cleaner, £19.50, which lathers gently to clean thoroughly without stripping, then take the L’Occitane Aqua Réotier Refreshing Eye Gel, £22 on your ring finger and tap it onto the area around eyes to hydrate while draining any excess fluid from around the eyes. 

The L’Occitane Aqua Réotier Moisture Prep Essence, £22, comes next - you can press it in with your hands or apply with a cotton pad to coat skin in the hydrating essence. Next comes the L’Occitane Aqua Réotier Ultra Thirst Quenching Cream, £29.50. A velvety, softening cream that is ultra-lightweight, apply this all over your face and neck in upwards motions. 

If your skin feels dry throughout the day, top up hydration with a spritz of the L’Occitane Aqua Réotier Fresh Moisture Mist, £15.

The Facial that heals

If you are at the point where your skin feels like it needs a bit of extra oomph, this facial using the L’Occitane Precious products is ideal. Harnessing the power of Immortelle flowers which were for centuries revered by farmers for their essential oil’s ability to help heal cuts, burns, and grazes, Immortelle is a powerful skin fortifier that is also an antioxidant.

The first step is to clean using the L’Occitane Immortelle Precious Cleansing Foam, £22, to make sure skin is clean and free of impurities. Next tap on the L’Occitane Immortelle Precious Essential Water, £19.50, to remove any last dregs and to also add the first step of skincare. Before you do anything else, gently press on some L’Occitane Immortelle Precious Energising Eye Balm, £39, around the eye to hydrate the delicate area properly, before chasing with a layer of L’Occitane Immortelle Precious Serum, £59, to tighten pores and refine the skin.

Next, bind that all into the skin with the L’Occitane Immortelle Precious Cream SPF 20, £50, massaging it in too hydrate. If you’re following this routine at night, switch the SPF for the L’Occitane Immortelle Overnight Reset Serum, £50, to offer your skin a boost as you sleep.

Intelligent Ageing

When skin feels dry and you want to give it a really nourishing, bolstering selection of skincare, turn to this facial routine. Containing Immortelle flowers (600 alone in the cream), which have a similar effect to retinol on ageing cells, this is a faithful supercharged treatment plan.

First, wash your face with the L’Occitane Immortelle Divine Foaming Cleansing Cream, £29, to clean skin without compromising on comfort, then pat the L’Occitane Divine Eye & Lips Contour, £55, onto the area around eyes and lips to deeply moisturise. Follow with the L’Occitane Immortelle Divine Serum, £82, and then a few drop so the L’Occitane Immortelle Divine Youth Oil, £79 (you could alternatively mix this with moisturiser or even pop a little into your base to make it extra moisturising). 

After that, add a blanket of the L’Occitane Immortelle Divine Cream, £79, and pat this gently onto the whole of your face and neck. At night, add a layer of L’Occitane Immortelle Overnight Reset Serum, £50, to deeply replenish skin as you sleep.