A successful facial care routine starts even before you touch the cleanser to the skin. The condition of the tray, the cleanliness of the towels and cotton pads, the presence of a mirror, a bowl, and the readiness of the brush all have the power to make the practice either relaxing or stressful. For beginners, a cluttered setup frequently encourages haste, leads to the wrong product being selected, or even causes you to pick up a product with your fingers when you just cleaned them. You don’t need a fancy, clinical room to practice, you just need a tidy and easily restored spot.
Select a single workspace and remove everything else besides the supplies you’ll be using. After wiping down the spot with the proper cleaner, only put down the supplies you will actually be using that day. If you’re practicing basic steps, these items could include a mild cleanser, a moisturizer, cotton pads, disposable spatulas, a clean towel, a headband, a bowl of water, a soft brush, and maybe a timer if you like. A small space is less likely to get too cluttered with products, and it’s easier to spot which part of the process you’re working on. You don’t want a tabletop that looks like someone just dumped the contents of the entire cabinet down.
Put the work area in sequence with how the treatment will be performed. If you’re starting with cleansing, those items should be closest to you, and any toner or hydrator should be behind that, followed by the moisturizer or any masks you might be preparing. On a designated section on one side of your work area, clean supplies should be located, while on another side, there should be a designated space to dispose of used cotton pads, disposable tools, or towels that have already been in contact with the skin or the body. You need these to be separate so a beginner isn’t prone to reusing the same towel or brush when they might not be concentrating on how a product feels on the skin or what kind of massage motion to apply. The designated spot for waste is helpful to remind beginners not to use that towel again.
Clean your hands and your hair before you start, and be sure that all product containers are opened and ready to use. Wash hands before touching tools, and if you touch your phone, hair, face, or other non-clean surfaces, then wash them again. Long hair should be pulled back, and products should only be opened when needed. If products are in a jar, use a clean, disposable spatula. This habit is a great one to develop because when you open a product you shouldn’t dip your fingers directly into it. This one little thing prevents you from being less than careful in the procedure.
A nice way to practice your setup is to just set up the same basic supplies three times on a single tray without applying any of the supplies. The first time, place supplies however you think is right. The second time, place the supplies in the order that you would use them. The third time, set up separate places for a clean space and a used space. Then, for each one, look at the supplies and decide if any of your hands would have to go over used items to get to the clean items, and if so, adjust the order.
In addition, set up for observing. This means placing the mirror and any light sources or other tools where they’ll be easily accessible. A small notebook will also help you be ready to write down your notes in the same order you’d write down notes in a more general way. Some things you could look for when making notes are dry patches, oily patches, unevenness in texture, inflammation (redness), skin comfort level, and/or tightness. This is not meant to give you any type of medical diagnosis. It just means writing down what you can visibly see on the skin before and after your practice. In the event that your skin looks irritated or feels uncomfortable prior to your work, the supplies should be ready for you to adjust, reduce, or skip the use of products that could irritate the skin.
The work environment is a little dull because everything has its own place. You know exactly where the cleanser is. The towel is clean. The spatula has yet to be used. The timer is ready and set. No one has to find the cotton pads while having their hands wet. You don’t have to wonder where you put the towel or what you’re supposed to do with the spatula. It’s all so simple and that simplicity can help you when you’re trying to learn some of the cosmetology basics. You have a little less to worry about and a little more to focus on with things like the amount of pressure, how long you leave something on, what the procedure is when cleaning products off, and the type of notes you need to take on the aftercare.