|
Next to eating well and exercising, maintaining a healthy complexion is one of the key ways to look our best. Taking care of your skin doesn’t have to be an expensive (or time-consuming) endeavor. These days, high-quality skincare products are available at any drugstore, formulated for oily, normal or dry skin types. While the individual ingredients of each product may differ depending on what your skin needs, a basic skin care regime involves four simple steps: cleanse, tone, moisturize and exfoliate. Whether or not you need all four steps will depend on your skin type and preferences. Cleansing Proper cleansing to remove dirt, makeup and pollution should be the core of every skin care routine. Try to wash your face twice daily, usually in the morning and then again before going to bed at night. (If your skin is dry, you can skip the morning wash and simply use water and a soft face cloth or a moisturizing, cream-based cleanser.) Use lukewarm water to keep irritation to a minimum and avoid harsh cleansers, even if your skin is oily. Strong detergents like sodium lauryl sulfate, soap, and alcohol strip the moisture barrier from the skin’s surface, leaving it vulnerable to irritation and damage. Always use a gentle touch and don’t rub too much. Toning It is only necessary to use a toner (or astringent) if you skin is oily and still feels sticky after cleansing. Alcohol-based toners will strip away all the oil on the surface, leaving your skin dry and irritated. This dryness will actually prompt your skin to make even more oil, so it’s a vicious cycle. If you wish to use a toner, select one for sensitive skin and use it sparingly. While some companies would like you to believe that using a toner can change the size of your pores, this is not true. Pores can appear enlarged because of a buildup of dirt and oil, but using a toner will not immediately make them appear smaller. Proper cleansing and exfoliating will help keep your pores clear, thereby improving their appearance over time. Moisturizing Moisturizing is an optional step for many people. If you have oily skin, you don’t need to add any additional moisture. You may decide to moisturize around your eyes however, but this is a matter of personal choice. Normal skin can benefit from an oil-free moisturizer that won’t clog the pores but again, this is up to personal preference. Dry skin sufferers need to moisturize often however, to soothe tightness and minimize lines. While no moisturizer can prevent wrinkles and lines, it can “plump up” the skin and make existing lines less noticeable. Some moisturizers contain light-diffusing ingredients that soften the appearance of lines and make them seem to disappear. Continued › |
|
SparkPeople advertisers help keep the site free! Learn more
Health & Wellness Articles › Look as Good as You FeelThe Basics of Skin Care4 Steps to Flawless Skin-- By Leanne Beattie, Health & Beauty WriterSparkPeople advertisers help keep the site free! Learn more
Related Content
Stay in Touch With SparkPeople
About The Author
Leanne Beattie
A freelance writer, marketing consultant and life coach, Leanne often writes about health and nutrition. See all of Leanne's articles. |
SPARKPEOPLE OFFER:
The story of Art Tatum is so amazing, you have to read it to believe it.
Read More
Get a personalized diet and fitness plan, great newsletters, post to our message boards, and even your own personal SparkPage!
Join Now For Free!
Join Now For Free!
Member Comments
1. Toners are a must and come in all types for different skin types. Toners are what they say, they tone the skin and close pores after the cleansing and masking process and should be used at the very end.
2. Moisturizing is a must!!! I have oily skin and can not stand it if I go without some type of moisturizing. Moisturizing not only provides an extra amount of moisture to the skin but it helps with maintaining collagen and elasticity in the skin.
3. Chemical Exfoliation is by no means natural beauty. Chemical processes should always be avoided, there are so many risks you take when you apply chemicals to your skin. - 7/30/2011 11:36:52 PM
Toner is and should be for EVERYONE...from dry skin to normal skin...it's a great way to leave moisture on the skin after cleansing and it also helps to spread the moisturizer easier and then you aren't using as much product! For oily skin...a toner with alcohol is actually called an astringent...as it helps to remove the excess oil that can be left on very oily/acne skin. Toners help the bring the pH of the skin back to "normal"...cleans
ers are designed to lower the skin's pH in order to remove dirt and impurities..if the skin is not normalized, then it leaves the skin exposed to irritation.
The second problem I had was moisturizers...ag
ain everyone should have a moisturizer for the skin!! It helps to protect the skin....there are different moisturizers for all skin types, and for those with oily skins only need to put moisturizer where ever there may be a dry area...it's most important to make sure that your moisturizer has an SPF included. We need to make sure that we take care of our skin the best we can...it's the only skin we have and don't get a second chance to maintain it.
The MOST important steps for basic skincare is : cleansing, toning, exfoliating and moisturizing (or even using a serum in it's place as a nighttime treatment)
Telling people that they don't need toner and moisturizer is like telling people not to bother with flossing or using mouthwash.. In my opinion. - 7/31/2010 9:43:24 PM
- 10/20/2009 9:32:28 AM
- 10/20/2009 9:31:38 AM
Actually this information is a little misleading; if you suffer from oily skin you can actually REDUCE the oiliness by moisturizing on a regular basis. This tells your skin it's getting enough moisture as is so it can stop producing so much sebum. Avoiding moisturizers is a mistake many oily skin sufferers (myself included!) make at first. :) - 1/19/2009 1:04:42 PM