The expert-curated self-care Sunday skin ritual you need to try

For the perennially time poor, Sundays offer an unrivalled opportunity for self-care.

Whether said down time manifests itself as a quiet hike through nature in the early hours of the morning, or reading a novel in a sun-drenched corner of the garden in the afternoon all depends on personal preference. However, as far as we're concerned, the final day of the week is dedicated to beauty practices too complicated to carry out on the busier days of our lives. 

Self-care Sundays are a rare moment to actually achieve the glass skin that lives on our Pinterest boards, finally testing out the beauty tips we've seen all over our feeds. So, if like us, you're vainly in pursuit of flawless skin and healthy-looking hair — these expert tips will help you make the most of your self care Sunday.

Here, BEAUTYcrew speaks to James Vivian (dermal clinician and founder of Viviology), Holly Holub (co-founder of Glow Culture), and Corbin Halliday (founder and CEO of Three Warriors) — a trio of skin experts who have helped us curate the perfect self-care Sunday skin ritual to help you reset, relax and restore.

1/ Reset your complexion

Naturally, your self-care Sunday skin ritual will start with cleansing, but it's also a great time to take a few extra minutes to purify your pores with a facial steaming and exfoliation session.

"A light steam helps open pores and softens skin, making it more receptive to the exfoliating process and facilitating a deeper cleanse. Simply expose your face to a light steam for around five minutes," suggests Glow Culture founder, Holly Holub.

If you don't own a steamer Holub recommends filling a large shallow bowl with hot water, letting it cool to a lukewarm temperature, and positioning your face approximately 20cm away from it.

"[You want to be] close enough to feel the steam, but not so close as to be burned by it," she tells us. "If you have time, do a quick second cleanse after steaming, to remove anything the steaming has loosened up or brought to the surface."

However, it is important to keep in mind that steaming the skin too often can disrupt the it's natural barrier, which is why Holub recommends limiting sessions to once a month. 

"An at-home facial should always include some form of exfoliation to allow your serums and masks to penetrate deeper and work more effectively," James Vivian tells BEAUTYcrew. "So, post-cleansing, select an exfoliant to suit your skin type and focus on areas of roughness, texture and congestion."

BEAUTYcrew recommends something gentle for sensitive skin like Viviology's Exfoliating Enzyme Mask ($60 from Adore Beauty), or mixing together Glow Culture's Skin Reset Biotic Gel Cleanser ($28.99 from Chemist Warehouse) and Glow Culture's Super Boost 3-IN-1 Microderm Facial ($38.99 from Chemist Warehouse). But, if your skin's more resilient, a toner like Vivology's Liquid Exfoliant ($55 from Adore Beauty) should do the trick.

"Exfoliating experts, you can layer your exfoliants (which generally are either enzymatic, textured or chemical)," Vivian explains. "Use your textured exfoliant first, followed by your enzymatic exfoliant and finish off with your liquid exfoliant."

PSA: Remember to be gentle during this process. 

"Be kind to your skin and don’t over exfoliate or rub too hard," advises Holub. 

2/ Relax with a mask (or two)

First things first — when it comes to self-care Sunday — you can't just limit yourself to one mask. 

If you've been dealing with a lack of hydration, dull skin or breakouts, now is the time to select a mask to suit your skin type and concerns. 

"Skin masking experts: You can zone your masks to suit different areas of your face, such as your t-zone, neck and chest areas," says Vivian.

If your face mask has some slip to it like Viviology's Hydrating Sleep Mask ($60 from Adore Beauty) spend some time massaging the mask into the skin for a few minutes to increase penetration, and to stimulate the skin's lymphatic and circulatory systems, says Vivian.

We like to cover all our bases by slathering our strands in a hair mask like the efficient Goldwell Dualsenses Rich Repair 60 Second Treatment ($31.95 from Oz Hair & Beauty), which works to repair and rebuild damaged hair in just one minute — while we use our face as a paint by numbers canvas.

Keen to try this multi-masking method? Just make sure to pop on a headband, or get your hair off your face with a scrunchie, to minimise the risk of your hair and face masks mixing while they marinate.

3/ Restore your glow

So you've cleansed, steamed, exfoliated and masked to your hearts content, but you're not done with your self-care Sunday session yet — it's time to refresh and restore your natural glow.

The best way to do this? Encourage blood flow with a bit of lymphatic massage, incorporate some sunless glow products into your skin care routine, and finish things off with a supplement like Nature's Way Hair, Scalp, Skin & Nails ($19.99 from Chemist Warehouse), which supports collagen production, and healthy skin, hair and nails. 

Not sure how to perform a lymphatic massage on yourself? Use your fingers (or a facial tool like a gua sha) and follow these simple steps, repeating each action 10 times before moving on to the next one.

"Start at your chin, and glide your fingers up along your jawline to your ears using even, but firm pressure," Halliday tells us.

"Use upward motions, moving from the corners of your mouth to your ears," he explains.

"Then gently sweep from the inner corners of your eyes toward your temples," Halliday continues. "Glide upward from your eyebrows to your hairline and outward toward your temples."

"Finally, massage upward from the base of your neck to your chin, then down the sides to promote lymphatic drainage," he tells BEAUTYcrew. "For the ultimate glow, apply The Radiant Complexion Serum ($80 from Adore Beauty) to your face, neck, and décolletage. This serum gradually builds a sun-kissed, radiant complexion, while delivering those heavy hitting actives to the skin."

To compete your self-care Sunday ritual Halliday advises locking in all the amazing ingredients you've just used with a rich hydrating moisturiser — we rate Glow Culture Moisture Lock Ultra Rich Cream ($50.99 from Chemist Warehouse) for the job — and don’t forget a nourishing lip balm for smooth, soft lips.

Main image credit: @rosiehw

Looking for a 'your lips but better' lip product that'll simultaneously hydrate and perfect your pout? Here are 10 dupes under $20 for (the almost always sold out) Clinique Black Honey lipstick.