After removing makeup,  cleansing, or double cleansing, it’s important to remove the impurities in your pores for a clearer complexion. But you don’t have to go full Dr. Pimple Popper on your face to remove each and every blemish!

Sidenote: While, yes, you CAN buy similar tools to remove pimples directly on your own, please opt to let the blemishes leave naturally. I learned this the hard way. 

Instead, open up your pores after cleansing by taking a washcloth soaked with hot water, draining it, and placing it onto your face until it cools. Repeat for five minutes to open your pores, and then exfoliate with a gentle treatment, like the Truffle Therapy Face Gommage in your box from SKIN&CO!

Remember, exfoliants aren’t part of your daily routine. They’re meant for weekly usage, as too much can irritate your skin’s pH level. 

Mask On

After washing off the exfoliant, it’s time for another spa-hack! While the pores are still open, apply a mud or clay mask to extract any impurities left on the skin. 

Now, I know what some of you are thinking: why am I recommending a clay/mud mask instead of a sheet mask? I even reference using one for my spa nights! 

Here’s the key though: you can use both masks during different parts of the spa experience. Clay and mud mask extract impurities and take them out of your skin, while sheet masks are application amplifiers to put healthy ingredients in your skin. 

Plus, exfoliating and nourishing mud masks like this number from Minus 417 has a unique blend of curative properties. The Firming Radiant Mud Mask in this month’s box has a lovely combination of rich Dead Sea Mud that deeply cleanses skin, absorbs excess oil and all traces of impurities while gently exfoliating and nourishing the skin simultaneously.

Bath Bombs and Bubble Tea with John Masters

Nothing says spa like an infused bubble bath. At the Korean spa I frequent, one of the hot baths has a bag that runs under the water filled with Jasmine Tea and it’s just….

Unfortunately, I cannot fully replicate a cascading waterfall in my small-as-heck bathtub. What I do instead is toss a bath bomb into water that is the perfect temp for me (too hot for mortals, and I should probably not do that, but YOLO) and bask in the ingredients. 

If a full on bath bomb is too much, consider taking a soak and washing away dead skin cells and life’s troubles with a luxurious body wash, like the Geranium and Grapefruit body combo in the box, or my personal fave (it’s the Aesop ‘A Rose By Any Other Name Body Cleanser’) to buff away surface dirt and to hydrate the skin. 

Okay to be honest I shower before I bathe because like Chandler I’m not too much of a bath person. In the spas, the water is constantly running so-

Okay, I’m getting sidetracked here. Back to the spa tips! 

Hydrate!

Speaking of hydrating, after all that exfoliation make sure you hydrate your face with the Mini Hydra Veil or another intense hydrating moisturizer. I personally like the veil because it’s perfect for posts masks and pre-makeup application. Also, it’s great to have on hand if, let’s say, you have an afternoon business meeting at the spa or want to take that afterglow selfie. 

Now, if you’re heading right to bed after your spa day, that’s great! If you’re not…that’s great too, but let’s find the face equivalent of your inner zen with a secret weapon: the Correct Palette by Bellapierre.

With a handy color wheel, you can pick the exact color match for your blemish color concern, apply it, grab your foundation and voila! Even better, more luminous skin than before with a flawless application. 

And if you love to give your feet some extra attention, make sure to seal in moisture with a body or a foot balm and then put on some socks to help seal in moisture and reduce the development of calluses. So, how do you guys orchestrate your spa day? Show us with the hashtag #pampermeglossy on our social media channels!