Whatever its condition, a simple, at-home facial is one of the nicest things you can do for yourself.

“Facials are beneficial for all skin types,” says Stephanie Tourles, esthetician, herbalist, and author of Naturally Healthy Skin. “A facial can stimulate circulation, remove impurities and toxins, exfoliate the top layer of dead skin cells, and leave skin radiant.”

Do It Yourself

A weekly at-home facial is easy if you follow these five simple steps.

1. Cleanse

Wash with a gentle cleanser to remove surface dirt, pollutants, and toxins, while preparing your skin for steaming. Instead of commercial soaps, which often contain detergents that can irritate skin, use a mild, vegetable oil–based cleanser that will not irritate or strip your skin of its natural oils.

2. Steam

An important step, steaming stimulates circulation, hydrates skin, and helps soften the surface layer of dead skin cells, so that they can be easily removed. Steaming also prepares your skin for the next step by opening pores, allowing nutrients to be better absorbed. Opening your pores deep cleans your skin by helping to release toxins and dirt from beneath the surface.

If you don’t have a facial steamer, simply lean your face over a bowl of hot water and place a towel over your head to create a tent that will trap the moisture close to your face. You can add tea tree oil to steam acne-prone skin (just don’t apply directly to your face).

Relax in this steam for 5 minutes, or until the water cools. If you don’t have time for a long steam, apply a warm water compress to your face for a couple of minutes to help soften skin.

3. Mask

An alpha hydroxy acid (AHA) mask, useful for most skin types, loosens the intercellular bonds that hold dead skin cells together. Regular use of an AHA skin product prevents dead skin cells from accumulating on the skin’s surface, helps to stimulate cell turnover, and allows healthy new cells to emerge. This also works to control acne by keeping pores clear and ridding the skin of toxins and excess oil. However, AHAs are not recommended for anyone who has rosacea or exposed capillaries, or for skin that is sunburned or environmentally damaged, since the acids can irritate sensitive skin.

Always respect your own skin’s needs. For normal or combination skin, use exfoliating masks that contain kaolin, bentonite clay, red or green clay, zinc oxide, Dead Sea mud and salts, egg white, lactic acid, and papaya or pineapple enzymes. These ingredients can remove the top layer of dead cells, exposing the softer and smoother skin beneath.

Traditional green clay–based masks work well for oily, acne-prone skin. Clay is able to pull impurities from the skin, absorb excess oil, clean pores, and exfoliate dirt and dead skin cells.

If your skin is dehydrated, opt for a creamy, moisturizing mask with glycerin, hyaluronic acid, zinc oxide, seaweed, vitamins A, C, and E, NaPCA, papaya enzyme, or pineapple enzyme. These substances can help replenish moisture.

4. Tone

Toning removes excess oils and soap residue. It also helps balance your skin’s pH level. Cleansing products are often alkaline and so can disturb the normal pH level of the skin. Toners are formulated to restore the skin’s normal pH level, which helps safeguard the acid mantle (skin’s protective barrier). Toners can also stimulate circulation and tighten pores. Use a cotton ball or pad to apply toner in upward strokes across your face and neck.

5. Moisturize

Moisturizing after toning helps seal toner nutrients into the skin. It also helps skin stay hydrated. Choose a moisturizer for your skin type, selecting botanicals and vitamins that include green tea, grape seed, and vitamins A, C, and E for antioxidant protection. Particularly beneficial for dry and mature skin types, humectants including hyaluronic acid, NaPCA, and glycerin can help your skin retain moisture.