The 7 Best Brands for an At-Home Facial

If you want to get a DIY facial at home that is just as good or better than one you’d schedule through a salon, you need to have the right products first. When it comes to daily or weekly facial products, certain brands are better than others.

The 7 Best Brands for an At-Home Facial:

  1. Neutrogena
  2. CeraVe
  3. OLAY
  4. Cetaphil
  5. Estee Lauder
  6. Garnier
  7. Clinique

Below you’ll find a breakdown of seven of the best brands mentioned above, that you can use to set up a kit for doing at-home facials. Whether you have sensitive skin or want top-shelf ingredients, there is a brand on this list that is perfect for the type of facial you’re going for.

How Many Times Should I Do a Facial?

It’s a good idea to get a facial regularly. However, it isn’t smart or useful to do a facial too often. Here are some of the problems you may run into if you do too many facials:

  • Skin drying: Some of the ingredients in facial products can be drying or irritating to the skin if used excessively.
  • Clogged skin: Some facial products can cause breakouts by clogging pores if you put too much of them on your skin’s surface. Be sure to give your skin plenty of time to breathe between masks and other facial treatments.
  • Skin irritation: Once you’ve done a facial, you should have a face full of fresh, new skin. Applying chemicals or exfoliants to new skin may cause irritation or rashes since this new skin is more fragile and sensitive than older skin.
  • Unnecessary expense: The products used to do an at-home facial can be expensive if you purchase high-quality ingredients. Performing more facials than you actually need can cause you to waste these expensive products.

Because of the issues you can run into if you do too many facials, you should only do a facial every 3-4 weeks. This time gives the skin of your face a chance for cellular regeneration between facials. (Source: Faces Spa)

Visit this article for 10 steps for doing easy makeup if you are a beginner!

Which Brand Is Best for Facials?

The brand of products you choose that will be best for your at-home facials depends on each individual using them. Everyone has different skin types and budgets to work with when it comes to performing DIY skin care.

Here are some of the factors you should consider when deciding which brand to choose for doing facials at home:

  • Budget: skin care brands can vary wildly in cost, with some drugstore brands that are very affordable and others that are much more expensive. It’s good to go with the best skin care products you can afford since they are often more powerful and contain a higher grade of ingredients. More expensive products may go further, too.
  • Sensitivity: People who are prone to skin allergies or have other sensitivities to skin care oils, lotions, and creams should seek out facial products that are designed for sensitive skin. Certain brands, such as Neutrogena and CeraVe, are geared towards delivering hypoallergenic and fragrance-free products to prevent skin irritation.
  • Skin type: Most people have a general skin type. Their skin may be oily, dry, or some mixture in-between. Choosing skin care products that are designed for your specific skin type can give you better results than choosing products that are contrary to your skin type. For example, you don’t want to use products designed for dry skin on oily skin.
  • Animal welfare: Some brands are advertised as not being tested on animals to help safeguard animal welfare. Other skin care brands may not uphold this cruelty-free standard, so if you’re a vegan or animal rights activist, this may be a factor you need to consider. Vegans should also avoid brands that use dairy products and honey.

The best brand for an at-home facial will be a little different for everyone. Keep in mind that you can also mix and match different brands of at-home facial products to get a facial experience that is customized to your complexion and budget.

The 7 Best Brands for an At-Home Facial

There are so many different skin care brands on the market it can be difficult to pick out brands to experiment with. This list will give you an overview of seven of the best brands you can use to set up your DIY home facial kit.

Check out this makeup looks for beginners so you can put your makeup on after a calming facial!

1. Neutrogena

Neutrogena is one of the most recognized names in facial skin care, and with good reason. This brand is the number one brand of skin care products recommended by dermatologists.

Neutrogena started with soap when it launched in 1930, but the company has since expanded to include a wide range of other skin care products, from water-based gels and lotions to moisturizing creams.

Here are some of the main characteristics of Neutrogena that makes it a good brand for at-home facials (Source: Byrdie):

  • Dermatologist recommended: You have to be careful about what products you put on your face since you don’t want to use anything that might contain contaminants or hasn’t been properly tested for use. Neutrogena is dermatologist tested and approved, so you know it’s safe to use and effective for most people.
  • Emollients, humectants, and silicones: Neutrogena products tend to focus on using a lot of emollients, humectants, and silicone as their active ingredients. These chemicals help skin retain its natural moisture, making Neutrogena a good brand option for those with dry skin.
  • Affordability: Neutrogena is easily one of the more affordable skin care brands you can buy if you’re looking for a brand to kit out your at-home facials. The fact that these products are inexpensive means you can do facials more often and can also use Neutrogena as your daily skin care brand too.
  • Availability: You can walk into pretty much any drugstore and find one or more Neutrogena products, so getting access to this brand isn’t an issue for most people. You won’t find yourself at a department store makeup counter trying to track it down.

Neutrogena is owned by Johnson & Johnson, a pharmaceutical company. This pedigree means that Neutrogena products undergo rigorous scientific and dermatological testing before they’re released on the market. You don’t have to worry about sketchy mystery ingredients or shady distributors when you’re using Neutrogena as your main facial brand.

2. CeraVe

CeraVe is another skin care brand that is widely recommended by dermatologists, and for many of the same reasons that Neutrogena is popular with them. While the minimalist design of CeraVe’s products means they aren’t as flashy on the shelf as some other skin care products, the effectiveness of this brand’s product lines isn’t up for debate.

Here are some of the advantages of going with CeraVe as your main at-home facial brand (Source: Harper’s Bazaar):

  • Short ingredient lists: CeraVe skin care products are simple, which makes them a good choice for people who have sensitive skin. This lack of fragrance and additional chemicals helps prevent users with sensitive skin from dealing with flare-ups related to chemical sensitivity.
  • Skin protection: While these facial products don’t really focus on firming, plumping, or evening skin tone, they do focus on hydration and protection of the skin barrier. A solid skin barrier can help prevent secondary skin problems like eczema and irritation.
  • Effective formulas: As a brand, CeraVe passes over slick marketing and art design to focus on strong scientific formulas for effective skin care. The simplified marketing makes the function of each CeraVe product easy to understand when you’re putting your facial kit together.

If you’re looking for a skin care line that puts function over form, CeraVe is the brand for you.

3. OLAY

For skin care enthusiasts who wrestle with dry skin, Olay’s line of moisturizing facial products has you covered. Olay’s Regenerist moisturizing cream can leave your skin with a glowing, dewy appearance without feeling heavy or greasy.

Another advantage of this brand for at-home facials is that these products can be used as part of a regenerative or anti-aging facial. The active ingredients in Olay products are designed to help reduce the look of fine lines, wrinkles, and other age-related blemishes.

Here are some of the other benefits of choosing Olay for your at-home facials:

  • Visible results: Olay bills itself as being able to produce visible positive impacts on your complexion after just 28 days of consistent use. If you want facial products where you can tell that you’re putting the work in, this is a brand to consider.
  • Works for all ages: Whether you want to use Olay to help protect your skin in your teens and twenties or you’re wanting to look younger in middle age, Olay can help to give your skin a more youthful appearance.

Olay is an iconic brand that soared to popularity in the 1950s and hasn’t really sloped off since. It’s a solid choice to build your at-home facial kit if you want to focus on hydration and anti-aging effects.

4. Cetaphil

Cetaphil may have a reputation for being a somewhat barebones brand similar to CeraVe, but it’s a smart choice for users with sensitive or overworked skin. This quality makes it a popular recommendation from dermatologists who work with patients that have rosacea, acne, or other types of skin irritation. (Source: The Zoe Report)

Here are some of the reasons why you might want to look at Cetaphil for your at-home facial products:

  • Skin repair: If your skin has been damaged by professional chemical peels, sunburn, or other trauma, Cetaphil is a great way for you to help your skin get back to baseline.
  • pH balance: Cetaphil products help your skin return to a balanced pH, which can help prevent related skin issues such as oily skin, acne, or dry skin.
  • Cost-effective over-the-counter acne solutions: Even though Cetaphil may not be for every skin type due to its alcohol content (which may make dry skin worse) it’s a good choice for those who deal with skin conditions related to excess oil such as acne or enlarged pores.

If your budget is more on the strict side but you still want to keep your skin looking clear, Cetaphil may be a brand to try for your at-home facials.

5. Estee Lauder

Estee Lauder is a pioneering name in skin care products, so the presence of the brand on this list should come as no surprise. While Estee Lauder products might be a bit more on the expensive side of the at-home facial spectrum, they also contain high-value ingredients that are effective at repairing skin and creating a more youthful look.

These are some of the reasons why you might choose Estee Lauder as your at-home facial brand:

  • Reputation: Estee Lauder has been around for a long time and has an extended line of facial beauty products that you can try. The fact that it’s a long-standing brand means they’ve had plenty of time to refine their product offerings.
  • Prescription-grade ingredients over-the-counter: If you’re looking for a stronger range of facial products without having to go to a dermatologist, Estee Lauder has high-powered active ingredients on par with the facial products you could get from a skin doctor.

Estee Lauder may be one of the more pricey brands on this list, but many of the company’s products, such as their Night Repair cream, have one numerous awards for their effectiveness. For users who want to do their facials at night or want to incorporate their at-home facial products into a regular routine, Estee Lauder is a good option.

6. Garnier

Garnier is a brand that got its start in hair care products, but has since moved into facial and other skin care products. This brand puts a lot of emphasis on their use of natural botanicals. Garnier’s facial skin care products include hydrating masks, anti-aging creams, serums for preventing puffy or dark eye circles, and moisturizers.

Here are some of the benefits you can expect from choosing Garnier (Source: Garnier USA):

  • Botanical antioxidants: Garnier focuses on the use of antioxidants, which are just as effective in cellular skin repair as they are in repairing hair in Garnier’s hair care products. Antioxidants protect skin by eliminating free radicals that cause cellular damage.
  • UV protection: Many of Garnier’s skin care products include suncreen that is SPF 15 or higher, making these products a smart option for people who deal with a lot of sun exposure. Protecting yourself against UV damage can prevent wrinkles and also more serious skin conditions, such as melanoma.

Garnier may be more associated with its fragrant shampoos and conditioners than it is with skin care products, but this brand offers strong choices for your at-home facial kit.

7. Clinique

Like Neutrogena, Clinique is a skin care brand that prides itself on a clinical or scientific approach to skin care. Clinique has also been around for decades, so it has plenty of skin care products in its product line-up to choose from. These products cater to a wide variety of skin types and conditions.

These are some of the reasons you might choose Clinique as your at-home facial brand:

  • Lack of irritants: Clinique formulas are specifically designed to be free of any additives which might irritate sensitive skin. These include chemicals such as fragrance, parabens, and phthalates.
  • Customized formulas: One of the major draws of Clinique as a skin care line is that this brand encourages consumers to personalize their skin care experience to their specific skin type with product lines like the Clinique iD Custom-Blend Hydrator Collection.

Clinique is a boutique-level brand of skin care products, so you can expect to pay more for these creams and serums than you’d pay for drugstore level brands like Neutrogena or CeraVe. However, Clinique also offers unique and rare active ingredients for skin care that you won’t find in cheaper brands.

At-Home Facials Are Effective With the Right Brands

If you want to get the same effective results from an at-home facial as you would from a professional facial in a salon, you need to pick the same quality of products as a salon would use. The list of brands above should give you a good selection of both affordable and high-end products to choose from for building the perfect home-based beauty arsenal.

Check out this article to find the best online massage therapist certifications!