I have seen articles and videos on giving yourself a back facial. If this is the avenue you want to take, go for it! However, I think you will have a better, more thorough experience if you simply ask a friend for help, perhaps a family member or even your roommate. If there is someone in your life you trust to do a good job, ask them to give you a back facial. You could get a back facial as often as you can find someone to give one to you. Just like any treatment for blemishes on your face, the more kind attention you give problem skin, the better it is for helping the healing process.
Here are some instructions for your back facial treatment:
- After taking a shower to get yourself cleaned off, lay a towel or two down on the floor and lie face down.
- Have your helper use a mild scrub mixed with water on your back. If you have large red and pus-filled blemishes, a scrub is not a good idea. It is important to exfoliate back there, but you certainly don’t want to break open the spots and possibly spread the bacteria to other places on your skin.
- Other than scrubs, a gel-peel (like a gommage) or another type of non-abrasive peel, like a papaya enzyme peel, would be preferable. If you don’t have access to an exfoliant or if it would be inappropriate to use one, just skip to the next step.
- After the scrub (or other exfoliator) is removed, apply a clay mask.
- Usually back breakouts are in the upper region, near the shoulders. If your entire back is broken out, you will probably go through a lot of mask, but it is very helpful to get it on the spots. If you don’t have enough mask to go over the entire area, be sure to dot clay liberally on all the blemishes individually—even if they cover your whole back. If possible, spread the clay over the entire area as mentioned above.
- Ideally you want to keep the mask moist. This way you won’t dry out the outer skin. You can either spray the mask with toner or filtered water. Or, if you are so inclined, your assistant can take tissues and soak them in either toner or water and place them on your skin as a compress where the clay has been applied.
- Leave the mask for 15 minutes or so.
- Then you can either shower to remove the clay or your helper can remove it with a warm (not hot) washcloth. Just be sure not to rub hard or scrub with the washcloth.
- After the mask is cleaned off, I suggest spraying one last application of toner on the area and massaging it in.
- If you have any medications or special products you are using for the blemishes, apply those last. Geranium or lavender essential oil would be a good choice to help treat the individual spots. (Both of these and essential oils in general are written about extensively on this blog. See categories.)
I have one last recommendation: Don’t let your helper pick at your blemishes unless he or she knows how to extract properly. I have heard countless stories of partners who actually relish popping their mate’s spots. I suppose it is just a natural maternal instinct that we have. But if done incorrectly, this process can cause more harm than good. However, some places may need to be extracted.
Please understand, facials, whether for your back or your face, will not eliminate your skin problems completely. Your breakout originates from a systemic imbalance, and treating the symptom (breakout) topically will only go so far. Treating the problem from the outside can and will help it on many levels, but I want to be sure you are also taking steps to figure out the real cause of the problems. Without figuring out the cause of the imbalance along with action taken toward healthier lifestyle habits, no amount of facials, back or otherwise, will fix the problem at hand.
For more information, see:
- Back Breakout—What NOT to Use
- A Note to All Pickers—you know who you are!!! (Please read up on how to do this—if you must—for the best results!)
- Sugar & Skin Problems
- Geranium (or lavender) essential oil—spot remover for breakouts: How to use it and how NOT to use it
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| Easier said than done |
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