Beauty pros are offering at-home facials on Instagram for the sake of our skin

Professional beauty treatments, like facials, have always been a luxury. And now that spas and salons across the country have temporarily shut their doors to keep people safe from COVID-19, beauty pros are sharing their skills digitally so that you can reap the benefits of a spa session without having to leave your own bathroom.

Celebrity facialist Sofie Pavitt hosted an Instagram live session to walk her followers through a guided DIY facial. She addressed some common skin issues that people might be dealing with right now, like anxious skin picking and dehydration, and explained how best to treat them using products you’ve already got at home. “Even though I had to close my studio for the time being during our social distancing, I was finding that my clients were still reaching out asking for skin-care advice,” says Pavitt. “It’s been a positive experience helping clients in New York City and elsewhere who need help with their routines, and I think it instills a sense of normalcy for people to have a routine in place for a weekly at home facial.”

For something more personalized, estheticians are also offering digital consultations to help you figure out how to properly use the products you’ve already got at your disposal. Celebrity facialist Candace Marino, who had already been offering her services online before her brick and mortar closed due to COVID-19 concerns, says the pandemic has shifted her business now that more people are looking to give themselves at-home beauty treatments. The virtual consult begins with an e-mail exchange in which the client shares their skin concerns and a series of makeup-free photos. Then, Marino will get on FaceTime to help the client piece together what their skin needs.

“Giving yourself an at home facial is always a nice ritual, but now more than ever I find them to be more important to maintain good skin—and sanity. We all need little activities right now to keep us entertained,” says Marino. “Consulting with a professional is always a good idea because skin is so complex. Many of us rely on Instagram to discover new things, and it’s helpful to have someone guide you through what is and isn’t appropriate for your skin.”  If you’re dealing with a more serious skin issue, board-certified dermatologists like Corey Maas, MD, Mitchell Goldman, MD, and Dana Stern, MD are also offering tele-appointments to help you put together a plan for dealing with them.

Skin-care gurus aren’t the only members of the beauty community bringing their offerings online in their time of isolation. Credo Beauty is hosting master classes taught by industry pros, like makeup artist Katey Denno, and the first one kicked off on Sunday night with skin-care legend Tata Harper schooling followers on how best to cleanse their skin. BeautyBlender is also offering makeup-artist taught demonstrations via Instagram, the most recent of which featured Beyoncé’s artist, Sir John. Hairstylists, like Garrett Bryant, owner of New York City’s Hawthorne Salon, and Jerome Lordet, head stylist at NYC’s Pierre Michel, are doing their part, too, with many offering digital consultations and FaceTime tutorials for cutting your own hair.

It’s a challenging time for those in the beauty industry as they’ve had to shutter their shops, but these services (particularly the individual, paid ones) are a great way to support the pros you love while also doing something to make yourself feel good. It’s social distancing meets self-care in the best possible way.

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