Skincare 101
February 20, 2008
Skin Care 101: An Introduction to Beautiful Skin
We all want healthy vibrant skin. Well most people do. But for some it's a lot easier to just wish for. I know that growing up, my mom didn't really teach me anything about how to maintain my appearance or skin or anything and sadly my early teens were a time where I could have used it. People all ages could use tips for getting good skin. That's what I am here to discuss with you!
The first and best way to have good skin is to lead a healthy life style. This means eating balanced meals, drinking plenty of water, excercising and avoiding vices like smoking and drinking alcohol. I'm not going to tell you how to live your life or quote crazy statistics but I am going to say that one of the easiest and best things you could do for your body is make a concsious effort to drink plenty of water. It cleans out your system and will impact your face in a positive way.
Now let's talk about a skin care regimen! A basic skin care regimen will consist of a cleanser, toner and a moisturiser.
A cleanser at it's most elementary level is designed to remove the impurities from the surface of your skin. Depending on your skin type, or specific skin problems such as acne, blackheads, oiliness, there are a million cleansers specifically designed for your face. Most people would reccomend cleansing twice a day. Once in the morning and once before bed is considered proficient. I have found it beneficial to use a cleanser that has exfoliating properties because it removes the excess layers of dead nasty skin on the surface and really breaks down the impurities.
A toner is something to use after cleansing that will help balance the skin and keep it soft and hydrated. Most people will argue the importance of this step. Some swear by it, some say water works best. I'd say that you need to figure out what works for you and your individual skin type. I have personally had great results with a rosewater toner that I can just lightly mist on my face.
Moisturising is key and if you skip this step then I will come after you! Moisturising is important because many times cleansing can take out a lot of the natural oils that you need in your skin to keep it healthy and so by moisturising you are rehydrating and balancing your skin now that it's fresh and clean. Many people think that because they have oily skin that this step is not neccesary for them, but don't be fooled! Usually when the skin on our face is dried out, our body will go into overdrive producing oils to hydrate it. Oily skin could be a sign that you aren't keeping yourself properly moisturised. I found that if I used a little bit of moisturiser in the morning, the oil levels on my face stayed extremely regulated.
I went to Bath and Body Works and a young woman there reccomended the Patricia Wexler exfoliated face wash to me and so I took it home and tried it out. It worked incredibly well! I would reccomend the entire line. It's also fairly affordable for the quality of product you are getting. I know many lines, like Clinique and Skin MD can get costly, but I don't think that grabbing Clean & Clear is the answer either. Patricia Wexler's line is probably in between the price points of Clean & Clear and Clinique, but it performs better then anything I've seen in a long time.
Stay tuned for Skin Care 235 where I plan on getting into the ingredients and even more detailed skin care regimens! lol. Thanks for stopping by and I hope that you were able to benefit from this article.
XOXO
Sexii Bradley
