Expert: Ren�e Rouleau, celebrity esthetician and skin care expert
Facials are important for maintaining healthy skin as they can "stimulate cell renewal, remove dry skin, break down stubborn discoloration (brown spots), and fade post-breakout red/brown marks," says Rouleau. Unfortunately at $65 to $600 a pop, they don't come cheap. Rouleau recommends getting one every four to six weeks, but with her tips, you can cut back to four times a year, once a season.
Tip 1: Avoid harsh cleansers. "What you wash with is the most important part of your skin care routine. Why? If you wash with a foaming cleanser or soap that is too drying, it pulls all the water out of the skin and creates dead, dry skin cell buildup," says Rouleau. When it comes to choosing a face wash, "always remember, more lather, more drying. Less lather, less drying," she says. She also advises to avoid any cleansers formulated with an ingredient called Sodium Lauryl Sulfate or Ammonium Laureth Sulfate, which will cut the natural oil from your skin. Tip 2: Use a toner and make sure it�s alcohol-free. Toners give your skin a drink of moisture and remove drying chlorines and minerals found in tap water. They also balance the PH levels in your skin, enhancing the results of your skin care program, says Rouleau. "Supplying the skin with essential hydration and nutrients will repair the skin�s protective barrier making it less sensitive and resistant to environmental damage," she says, therefore you'll be able to see your facialist a little less often.
Next: At-home facial tips
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Do your own at-home facial
Do mini facials in-between professional visits to make the effects last longer. Here is what Rouleau recommends:
Step 1: Cleanse skin with a mild cleanser.
Step 2: Use a mild facial scrub or at-home peel to remove dry skin cells. Rinse well.
Step 3: Immediately apply a few drops of a skin serum like
Renee Rouleau Skin Correcting Serum, $38.50. (Serums have a small molecular structure and should always be used under a moisturizer or mask.)
Step 4: Apply a thin coat of a mask to your entire face and neck (optional). The mask will help the serum penetrate deeper into the skin. Try Bliss Triple Oxygen Instant Energizing Mask, $34.99.
Step 5: Leave on 15 minutes, rinse well and apply your favorite moisturizer.
Let's kick off this budget beauty bonanza by admitting the obvious, shall we? Going to the salon for a haircut, color, blow out, manicure, pedicure, eyebrow shaping, waxing, etc. is expensive. Now let's crunch some beauty numbers. To find out just how much money you can save from prolonging the results of your many manicures and hours spent in the hairdresser's chair, we did some math -- albeit basic -- it's not our favorite subject. We added up the cost one reader spends on various treatments she gets in the Detroit, MI area (standard ones that are offered all over the country) over the course of one year, then we subtracted treatments she wouldn't need, if she knew how to make them last longer. Here are the facts about how much she could be saving on average. These numbers don't include tax or tip, but they'll give you a basic understanding of her savings if she knew these tricks:
Manicure ($12): About once every two weeks for a year = $288
With the following expert tips she could get one less manicure a month saving her $144 a year.
Haircut ($35): About once every three months for a year = $140
With the following expert tips she could get two less haircuts a year saving her $70
Coloring ($50): About 5 times a year = $250
With the following expert tips she could have one less coloring session a year saving her $50
Grand total of savings for just some of the treatments she gets in a year = $264
