Chill Out With 3 DIY Cooling Facials From These Skin Care Pros

In Miami, it is hot. It is wet. And sticky. And there isn't a whole lot we can do about it, besides fantasizing about our neighbor's pool. When your skin feels like a never-ending sweat factory and going outside is akin to walking through a sauna, you need a break. One of the quickest and easiest ways to cool down without diving through a sprinkler is to treat your visage. And while the idea of spending an hour (or a day) in a lovely spa getting mint scrubs sounds fabulous, we've got a couple easy, do-it-yourself solutions for a hot, hot day.

Halley Hargonich, Licensed Aesthetician and Manager at Shore Club, suggests the following cooling tips:

"Soak cotton rounds in filtered ice water. Cleanse your skin and use the cotton rounds to rinse. Cotton rounds are preferable to a washcloth; they don’t have the detergent residue and hold the cold more efficiently. Then rinse with the ice water using your hands, taking long, deep breaths as you do. The cold increases circulation to the cells and the breaths help to deliver nourishing oxygen. Ice is great for healing problematic skin."

Hargonich advises that inflammation can cause the skin’s natural barrier to break down. You can slow the inflammation cascade through diet and lifestyle choices. For keeping skin sane in hot weather, she recommends drinking green tea for its antioxidant properties, using pure aloe vera straight from the plant for a soothing cool, and meditating to improve mood and reduce stress.  

Yenny Vargas, the facial specialist at Chez Badeaux Salon, offers some soothing and post-sunburn treatments:

"To help reduce sunburn, or freshen the skin after a day in the sun, mix plain yogurt with natural honey and apply the mixture to the entire face. Leave it on for 15 minutes and then rinse off and follow with your normal moisturizer. Another option is to purchase an aloe plant and slice the insides of the actual plant (the gel portion) and place thin layers over your face for 10 minutes, until it is absorbed into pores."

Vargas also offers a daily cooling and skin refresher. Mix chamomile, green, and white tea together, and then pour the mixture into a small handheld spray bottle and keep it in your fridge. After you wash your face each morning, spray your face and décolletage with this mix to help close pores and smooth and tighten your skin.

Charlotte Prescott, Director of Spa & Fitness at Canyon Ranch Hotel, has created a warm-weather facial:

"As we enter the summer months, skin tends to become dryer with the additional exposure to the heat and sun." To help, Prescott has created a summertime restorative mask. First, to remove the dead skin cells use your favorite exfoliator. Then mix a tablespoon of organic honey with a teaspoon of brown sugar and gently apply in circular motions covering the entire face. Remove with a nice warm towel to open pores. Mist a cool water (distilled) spiked with witch hazel to tone and balance the skin. Finish your mini-facial by applying a few drops of organic olive oil for nourishment and deep hydration.