Ways To Care For Your Skin

Skin care products

Skin Care

Care for skin includes practices that improve the integrity of the skin, improve skin appearance and resolve skin problems.

These practices may include correct use of moisturizers, nutrition, and avoidance of excessive sun exposure.

There are different skin types including sensitive, dry or oily skin.

Caring for your skin will start with knowing your skin type. This will help you know the type of skin products that are good for your skin, so that you may not end up having worse dry skin, acne and other skin problems.

Take note of your skin type and above all make sure you have a daily skin care routine.

This will help you maintain your skin health and avoid dark spots, acne and scarring.

There are basic steps you have to take to care for your skin on a daily basis, preferably in the morning and before bedtime.

Always read products’ labels and choose products that best fit your skin. Products like prescription retinoids or retinol should be used only at night.

Here are the basic steps:

• Cleanse your skin every day
Clean your face once or twice a day. Use a cleanser that is good for your skin.

Your skin should not be tight after washing. Do not wear makeup if you have dry skin.

Be gentle on your skin and avoid washing off skin’s natural oils. You can choose effective cleansers that work well for all skin types.

• Use serums with peptides, growth factors or vitamin C
The use of serums will be better in the morning and under sunscreen. Make us of retinol or prescription retinoids at night when they work best.

Vitamin C and E serum and retinol are readily available and effectively used by make-up artists.

• Moisturize your skin
Moisturizers are good for all skin types. Use even if you have an oily skin.

Get the moisturizer that does not block your pores, one that is non-comedogenic, gel-based or lightweight.

If your skin is dry, you will benefit more from moisturizers with cream. Check out brands labeling their products as cream or gel.

Skin care products

• Use sunscreen
Apply sunscreen with 30 SPF 15 minutes before going outdoors to allow for adequate time for its activation.

You need for sun protection if you have a darker skin tones, because it is harder to correct hyperpigmentation.

Skin Cancer Foundation recommends sunscreen that provides broad-spectrum UVA/UVB protection.

Always stay hydrated irrespective of your skin type. Change your pillow cases once a week. Wash your hair or wrap it up before going to bed and wear sunscreen every day.

Apply sunscreen 15 minutes before going out. You have to start with the basic routine highlighted above to see how your skin reacts.

When you are fine with it you may go a step further with extra products like spot treatment, masks and exfoliants to improve the health of your skin.

Identify your skin type and use products designed for your skin type.

Pay special attention to more sensitive and fragile areas of your face such as eye contour and your lips.

Use a pH neutral make-up remover to cleanse gently your sensitive epidermis.

Use suitable, effective and gentle exfoliation treatment twice a week. Go for a pH-neutral exfoliation product to purify and smoothen your skin.

Choose daily moisturizing skin care product that balances water level in the skin, putting into account the water content of the dermis and epidermis. Note that dermis contains 70% water while epidermis is made up of 15% water.

Use hypoallergenic make-up products formulated for all types of skin and eyes and irrespective of the sensitivity of your skin.

These products will help you reduce the risk of allergies common with products not suited to your skin.

Use daily skincare products that include solar filters because they lower the harmful impact of the sun on your skin. Do not forget that sun quickens skin ageing.

Stress, pollution and smoke all have harmful effects on your skin.

Protect your skin against daily stress with skincare products before leaving your house.

When you come back home in the evening, cleanse your skin.

You can use a restorative cream for your lips when the need arises, and do this as often as possible if necessary.

Trying New Skin Care Products

There is need for you to patch test new products you are trying out in order to identify potential reactions.

Take the following three steps to try out new products:

• Apply little quantity of the product on a discreet area of your skin such as your inner arm or the inside of your waist.
• Wait for 48 hours to check for any skin reaction.
• Check the area again at 96 hours to see if a delayed reaction has occurred.

How do you know you have a skin reaction during the patch test?

Look out for the following symptoms: redness, itchiness, small bumps or irritation.

If any of these allergic reactions is noticed, wash the area of the skin you tested with water and a cleanser.

Discard the product and get another one that best fits your skin type.

Regular skin care

DIY HACKS

Now, how about DIY hacks such as baking soda, garlic, lemon juice, vitamin E. sugar and toothpaste?

Some of them may be natural and not have immediate side effects. However, they may cause long-term damage.

Talk to your doctor before you try DIY applications on your skin.

Here are some of the harmful effects of these DIY hacks:

Baking Soda: Baking soda has the potential to stress your skin at a pH of 8. It significantly reduces your skin water content, causing dry skin.

Garlic: Raw garlic can cause eczema, watery blisters, skin allergies and skin inflammation

Lemon juice: Lemon juice contains citric acid, and is likely to cause dark spots on your skin after you have been exposed to sunlight. Also, it can cause skin dryness and irritation

Toothpaste: The toothpaste ingredients may absorb oil and kill germs but also cause skin dryness and irritation.

Vitamin E: There is no proof that topical application of vitamin E improves scar appearance. It causes skin irritation.

Sugar: Sugar is too harsh for the facial skin and so should not be used.

How you can treat your skin problems

It is easy to deal with skin problems with no damage to your skin. Do you have skin problems such as dark spots, blemishes and scars?

It takes about six months or less for these skin problems to heal and fade.

You can use sunscreen, and makeup to treat scars and blemishes and avoid sun damage.

You can take care of skin problems in a way that will not damage your skin.

You do not have to pick at scabs, blackheads, acne or other skin problems. Doing so can cause darker skin spots known as hyperpigmentation or open wounds.

Open wounds may lead to scars, more acne or infections.

Treating skin problems

Ways to treat skin problems

Acne

The treatment of acne is dependent on the seriousness of your acne. Acne treatment is achieved with overall skin care. You can use products such as benzoyl peroxide, salicylic acid, alpha hydroxyl acids, tea tree oil and adapalene to treat mild acne.

You should wear sunscreen after the application of any of the above products in the morning because they cause extra skin sensitivity. You can try acne patches or stickers for treating your inflamed pimples.

These patches are spot treatments which help to facilitate infection prevention and healing of blemishes. Use acne patches at night before going to bed.

Sebaceous filaments

Sebaceous filaments are tiny and whitish yellow tubes in your pores. They may be confused with blackheads and you may be tempted to remove them by using pore strips or by pinching your skin. These methods may cause irritation, dryness, peeling, redness, open pores and infection of your skin.

You can use topical preparations comprising retinoids or retinol to keep pores clean. You can also massage your face with castor oil or mineral for one minute. An extraction tool can be used to remove sebaceous filaments.

Take the following steps in removing your sebaceous filaments. Clean your face and get an extraction instrument. Gently press around the bump and check if the filament will come out.

Do not apply excessive pressure to avoid bruising. After pressing out the filament, treat the area with moisturizer and toner. Sanitize your instrument before and after use with alcohol to prevent infections.

If you are not sure of how to remove sebaceous filaments, talk to your dermatologist or an esthetician who will help you remove them.

Skin Scars

Let us consider products you can use to completely fade your scars.

• Honey
Honey can be used to treat wounds and scars. Honey is readily available and so within reach for use to heal your wounds and scars.

• Silicone
If you have scar thickness and want to improve your color and texture, then silicone dioxide is sure to help you out because evidence has shown that it improves color, texture and scar tissue.

So apply silicone gel once daily until you achieve good skin color and texture.

• Retinoic acid

Retinoic acid and glycolic acid combination will improve your acne scars.

There is evidence that 91.4% of people that used this product improved their acne scars.

Look for products containing these products and apply at night after washing your face.

Do not forget to wear sunscreen, and avoid sun damage.

• Niacinamide

This product can reduce dark spots and blemishes. Do you know that 2-5% niacinamide works well particularly for people with light skin tones?

Yes it does. So go for an affordable option like the Niacinamide 10% + Zinc 1% serum.

• Vitamin C

Vitamin C is included in creams and moisturizers and together with other ingredients such as licorice and soy will help you fade your scars.

Look out for vitamin C when shopping for moisturizers and creams.

Try and see a dermatologist if you have skin problems that are not amenable to the available skin products.

The dermatology specialist is in a position to prescribe drugs such as oral antibiotics, topical retinoids, birth control, or perform acne spots or cysts extraction.

I am sure you will like to live a healthy life and having good skin care is one of the ways you can stay healthy. These are simple but effective ways you can keep your skin healthy.

Healthy skin can be achieved with all the tips discussed above and I will like to say that good care of the skin can prevent skin problems and delay natural aging.

Good skin care

Final Take on Skin Care

Protect your skin from the sun using sunscreen and wearing protective clothing.

Sun exposure over time causes age spots, wrinkles, and increases the risk of skin cancer and other skin problems.

Do not stay in the sun between 10 am and 4 pm when the rays of the sun are strongest.

Do not smoke. Smoking causes your skin to look older and have wrinkles. Smoking narrows tiny blood vessels in the skin’s outermost layers.

The narrowing of blood vessels reduces blood flow, and the oxygen and nutrients required for the skin health, thereby making the skin paler.

Collagen and elastin, the fibers giving your skin strength and elasticity are also damaged by smoking.

Repetitive facial expressions associated with smoking which include pursing of lips with the inhalation of smoke and eye squinting to keep out smoke contribute to wrinkles.

The risk of having squamous cell skin cancer is increased with smoking. So, quit smoking and protect your skin.

Your doctor will be of help in terms of the tips and treatments to help you quit smoking.

Remember to treat your skin gently. Daily cleansing can take a toll on the skin.

Limit your shower or bath time and use warm instead of hot water to bath. Long showers or bath and hot water remove skin oils.

Strong soaps and detergents remove oil from your skin. So, choose mild cleansers instead of strong soaps and detergents.

When shaving, apply shaving lotion, gel or cream in order to lubricate and protect your skin. Shave in the direction the hair grows.

After bathing, gently dry your skin with a towel leaving some moisture on your skin.

You can use a moisturizer that suits your skin type if your skin is dry. Choose a moisturizer that contains sun protection factor (SPF).

Eat healthy food. It makes you feel your best. Eat plenty of vegetables, fresh fruits, lean proteins and whole grains.

Studies have shown that foods rich in fish oil supplements or fish oil and low in unhealthy fats including processed or refined carbohydrates may improve skin health.

Drink lots of water to keep your skin hydrated.

Try and control your stress in order to achieve a healthy skin and healthy state of mind.

If you are unable to manage your stress, you may have breakouts of acne and other skin problems.

Get adequate sleep, scale back your to-do list, set reasonable limits, and create time to do the things you enjoy.

Finally, your skin is the largest organ of your body and you need to spend more time caring for it.

It is not tough to care for your skin. All you need is simple steps to good skin care which this post has provided.

Kindly share your thoughts in the comments!