Skin Care for Face – 5 Step Simple Skin Care Regime

Your Cleaning Regime – Skin Care for Face

Skin problems can be prevented or minimized by following a good skin care for face programme that has been specifically designed for your skin type, condition and concern.

Repairing skin that has visible signs of aging will not happen overnight. It is like starting an exercise programme – start slow, gradually increasing your tolerance in stages. As with exercise, if you stop, the problem comes back again. Every woman is constantly looking for the perfect skin care regime; a cleanser that removes make-up and leaves your skin feeling comfortable, a toner that refreshes without drying you out and a moisturiser that keeps you hydrated without clogging pores. There is no such thing. A great skin care regime involves more than one product and varies from one face to another. Eye creams are specially formulated for delicate eyelid skin. Some face and neck formulas will be too heavy around the eyes. If your eyes are puffy, use a lighter formula. Thicker ones will trap too much moisture in the skin and cause swelling.

Minimum Maintenance by Day:

• Cleanser
• Eye Cream
• Moisturiser with SPF15

Minimum Maintenance by Night:

• Cleanser
• Toner (optional)
• Eye Cream
• Night Cream

5 Easy Steps to Skin Care for Face

1. Cleanse (and tone) – Any dermatologist will tell you to use a basic, gentle non-detergent cleanser and make sure to rinse off all residue. You only need to use a toner if your skin doesn’t feel clean without it, you are in a humid atmosphere or you have oily or acne prone skin.

2. Exfoliate – All skins need some form of exfoliation, but the degree will differ.

3. Treat – This phase encompasses everything from treating acne, eczema, bleaching dark spots, to oil control and anti-aging.

4. Moisturise – Skin needs hydration, but not all skin needs the same amount. Oily skin needs less and may not need any in particularly spot prone areas. The eyelid area needs the most because it has the fewest oil glands.

5. Protect – Every skin needs sun protection daily, all year long. When trying a new skin care product, you should use it regularly for at least a month before evaluating its effectiveness. Your skin fluctuates with your monthly menstrual cycle. In order to determine whether a product works for you, you’ll need to use it during each phase of that cycle. Don’t try more than one new product at a time, as it will be hard to tell how your skin responds to any of them.

Changing your Skin Care Regime as your Skin Changes

Keeping on top of your skin care regime means altering it as your skin changes, with the seasons, and depending on the climate you live in.

In autumn and winter, exposure to cold weather outside and hot, dry air inside can cause skin to lose moisture rapidly. In the spring and summer months, extra heat and moisture in the air can lead to oilier skin and increased perspiration, even in people who normally have dry skin. Most women make the mistake of moisturising, when and where it isn’t needed. Overloading the skin can clog pores and keep dead cells from sloughing off.

It’s time to change your skin care regime:

• when you’re under stress
• when you’re going on holiday
• when the climate changes
• seasonally
• with every decade
• as your skin shows visible changes.

Timed to Perfection

For normal skin, facial treatments can be scheduled for every 8 weeks. If your skin is environmentally challenged, bump that up to every 4-6 weeks. For oily skin in need of deep cleansing, every 3-4 weeks might be better. If you have acne, don’t overdo it. Let your skin be the judge.

All Dried Up

Facial skin typically looks its best during a woman’s 20s. As you age, your skin becomes thinner and often drier. It will also make less natural oil, which can make wrinkling more apparent.

Skin dries out because the structure weakens and it doesn’t retain moisture as well as younger skin. With the menopause comes declining oestrogen levels. Skin usually gets drier, however some women become oilier even if they never had oily skin as a teenager. The skin may also be affected by diuretics and certain medications such as those for blood pressure.

Dry skin may suggest that your skin is lacking the nutrients it needs to stay healthy. Topical agents such as wrinkle creams and moisturisers help give the top layer of skin the Vitamins and minerals that can help this layer look younger and healthier. Not every face needs a moisturiser and of those that do, not all require daily applications. If your skin is dry, moisturise it. The drier it is, the heavier the moisturiser you need. If your skin is naturally oily, there is no need to add extra moisture to it. The amount of natural lubrication or sebum produced by the skin declines with age.

Origin of a Wrinkle

Fine wrinkles – caused by the breakdown of collagen and elastin fibres over time.

Deep wrinkles – caused by the building up of muscle in the deeper layers below the surface of the skin.

Dynamic wrinkles – only visible when muscles are engaged, as in smiling or frowning.

Static wrinkles – seen all the time, when the face is at rest or moving.

Maintenance

Preserving a healthy, youthful appearance involves maintenance, a lifestyle approach to prolonging youthful, gorgeous skin for as long as possible through sensible living, advanced skin care, occasional beauty shots and skin treatments.

The factors that may determine how long your skin will stay glowing include genetics, your diet and nutrition, sun exposure, whether you smoke or drink heavily and your stress levels. The best defence you’ve got is to protect your skin from free radical damage and make use of therapies that go on a search and destroy mission to neutralize the little molecules.

Hot water and soap dissolve the skin’s natural moisture, so if your skin is dry, keep your daily shower short and water temperature moderate. While bathing, rub your body with a flannel to exfoliate the skin. Gently pat yourself dry. If you rub too hard at either point, you may remove too much skin and contribute to further dehydration. While the skin is still damp, apply a moisturiser moisturisers don’t usually last all day, so reapplication may be necessary. In general, the heavier the moisturiser, the better it works on dry skin. When the skin becomes dry it needs water to help rejuvenate it, and moisturisers act to trap water in the skin. Relief for dry skin typically comes in these forms: ointments, creams, oils and lotions.

Ointments

Thick, greasy and best for preventing moisture from escaping from the skin. These are inconvenient for regular use. Ointments are best saved for areas that take a lot of abuse such as hands, elbows and feet.

Creams

Heavier than lotions and more effective at sealing in moisture for normal to dry skin.

Oils

Easily absorbed when applied to slightly damp skin after you pat dry, but often less moisturising than ointments, creams or lotions.

Lotions

Thinner and lighter so least effective at replacing lost moisture in very dry skin. They evaporate quickly, making them the most convenient to use. They are often preferred over ointments and creams because they apply and absorb more easily. They are good for normal, oily and younger skin types that don’t need as much added hydration. Lotions are also generally good for the body, but are less effective at sealing moisture in than ointments or creams.