Daily Skin Regime For An Ageless Complexion

By Van Le | Beauty may only be skin deep, but having a great complexion makes life a lot more pleasant. The key to having great skin is finding a skin care regimen that tailors to your skin’s individual needs, and following this regimen daily. It does not have to be complex and complicated—in fact, simpler is better since you will need to follow the same steps twice a day .

The first step is to do your homework. Determine what your skin type is, and find a product line that works well for you. There are many resources you can use either online or through your local library to help you determine your skin type. Look for published works by dermatologists or skincare experts who have created their own skin typing quizzes or online calculators such as this one: http://www.biobalance4women.com/skin_type.html. There are even sunscreen and UV calculators to help you find the best sun protection for your skin type. A product that works perfectly for your friend or sister may not produce the same results for you. Luckily, most products now specify which skin type it works best for. Also, there are several herbal skin care lines on the market whose products contain all-natural ingredients that work well with most skin types. When experimenting with new products, keep track of those that are effective and more importantly, those that irritate your skin so you can stay away from other products that contain similar ingredients. Ultimately, creating and maintaining a great complexion comes down to three simple steps: cleanse, tone, moisturize.

Cleanse

Finding a cleanser that works well for your skin is the foundation of having great skin. Some prefer to use a heavier cream cleanser during the winter months and a lighter cleanser through the summer, while others use the same product year-round. Wash your face twice a day, massaging the cleanser in a circular motion to remove dirt and excess oil, which can clog your pores. Proper cleansing at night also removes all traces of makeup and allows your skin to breath freely. Remember to change your pillow cover regularly, since the dirt and pollutants can transfer to your face while you are sleeping.

Tone

Even after washing your face with a cleanser, some traces of dirt and stubborn makeup may remain on your skin. A toner will completely remove any leftover dirt or residue left by the cleanser, reducing the chances of infections. Some cleansers may change the skin’s pH, and a toner will help bring the skin back to the proper level. Toners are also excellent in prepping the skin for the next step, moisturizing. Dip a cotton ball into your favorite toner and apply across the surface of the face, being careful not to get too close to the eyes.

Moisturize

Moisturizing daily will help the skin stay hydrated and produce a healthy glow. Lack of moisture can lead to wrinkles, fine lines, and can produce premature signs of aging. A moisturizer will restore the skin of all the natural oil stripped throughout the day and during the cleansing and toning process. The right moisturizer depends on your individual skin type, and will help your skin produce a natural glow.

Weekly, bi-weekly and monthly skin care products and processes such as masks, peels and facials are great to help revamp and rejuvenate your skin; however, a great complexion starts and ends with a proper daily skincare regimen.

Van Le is a staff writer for the CSU Daily Titan and writing intern for Vivoderm Laboratories in Los Angeles, California. She is currently pursuing a Journalism degree at California State University, Fullerton.

For the latest findings on natural skincare you can also link to http://naturalfacialskincare.net

Dry Skin and Itching

Many older people suffer from dry skin, particularly on their lower legs, elbows, and forearms. The skin feels rough and scaly and often is accompanied by a distressing, intense itchiness. Low humidity — caused by overheating during the winter and air conditioning during the summer — contributes to dryness and itching. The loss of sweat and oil glands as you age also may worsen dry skin. Anything that further dries your skin — such as overuse of soaps, antiperspirants, perfumes, or hot baths — will make the problem worse. Dehydration, sun exposure, smoking, and stress also may cause dry skin.

Dry skin itches because it is irritated easily. If your skin is very dry and itchy, see a doctor. Dry skin and itching can affect your sleep, cause irritability, or be a symptom of a disease. For example, diabetes and kidney disease can cause itching. Some medicines make the itchiness worse.

The most common treatment for dry skin is the use of moisturizers to reduce water loss and soothe the skin. Moisturizers come in several forms — ointments, creams, and lotions. Ointments are mixtures of water in oil, usually either lanolin or petrolatum. Creams are preparations of oil in water, which is the main ingredient. Creams must be applied more often than ointments to be most effective. Lotions contain powder crystals dissolved in water, again the main ingredient. Because of their high water content, they feel cool on the skin and don’t leave the skin feeling greasy. Although they are easy to apply and may be more pleasing than ointments and creams, lotions don’t have the same protective qualities. You may need to apply them frequently to relieve the signs and symptoms of dryness. Moisturizers should be used indefinitely to prevent recurrence of dry skin.

A humidifier can add moisture to the air. Bathing less often and using milder soaps also can help relieve dry skin. Warm water is less irritating to dry skin than hot water.

Tone up, Clean up, Get Moisturized!

With the chilly winds already bidding adieu it’s time to take out those sporty shorts and T-shirts for a stroll on the beach or a run in the park You’ve done the push-ups and the crunches in anticipation for the skin-revealing days ahead. You want to look your best, and taking good care of your skin is a part of that. So you spent most of the winter indoors, watching too much TV or gaming? Say goodbye to those baggy eye circles and dull skin by treating yourself to a detoxifying skin mask or a facial scrub and gear up for summer!

Men’s skin care products have always been available, but you may not know much about them yourself. Everyone from late night television hosts to media publications bring up skin care topics and recent dermatological advances have made the skincare market even larger and more complicated. Sorry guys, just when you were comfortable with cologne, now you have to exfoliate! With busy lives and building stress, it may be difficult for today’s modern men to retain the facial charm of their younger days.

Keeping that youthful appearance

Our skin is the largest organ of the body and requires special care. As the saying goes, “A healthy mind in a healthy body’” which means paying attention to your skin is essential to overall health. While it’s expected for women to buy skin care products, men are more laid back and seldom pay attention to facial skincare beyond daily shaving or grooming. Factors like pollution, stress, UV- rays and sun burns can cause severe damage to the inner pores which in the long term results in wrinkling, clogging and drying of the skin. As men reach their 30s and 40s, the skin gets dulled due to the daily process of shaving, excessive time outdoors and exposing the skin to different elements that can lead to blotching, which ultimately takes its toll on overall appearance of the face.

If you desire to protect your skin from further damage, right use of skin care products is essential to retain youthfulness. Once you become familiar with the basics; cleansing, toning, moisturizing - it’s not difficult at all, it’s all about setting up a routine.

Facial skin care

Proper skin care depends on the type of skin you have. Our skin can be categorized into many segments such as oily, dry, sun damaged, and sensitive. With the markets offering an ample pool of products to choose from, it’s always a struggle for men to see what suits them best. It’s always good to go organic. Try natural products when possible as the chances of side effects are less and the natural balance of the skin is retained. Before we plunge on to using these products here’s some basic things we can do to keep the aging process delayed.
Regular light exercising, thirty-minute cardio, brisk walks, yoga and other meditation techniques will calm down the adrenaline levels, keeping your skin blemish-free. Eight to ten glasses of water a day aids metabolism and helps your body flush toxins. In a nutshell, an exercise routine is the first step to fight off the signs of aging.

How to Cleanse your Face

I’ve got one thing to say - stop using soap on your face. Many advanced cleansers out there improve your complexion and don’t strip the natural moisture away. Begin with warm water; wash the face with pore refining cleansers that break down the accumulated grits and dirt without drying the skin. Morning is the best time for cleansing, to remove the dead skin and uneven patches that accumulated overnight. Shaving after you shower will reduce rashes, and makes the outer skin layer soft and gives you a smooth finish.

Using Facial Masks

If you have oily or acne prone skin, mud or clay-based masks are great for balancing out your skin. Dry skin will benefit from hydrating masks made from glycerin, honey and oils. Green tea masks are great for soothing skin.

Hydrating and moisturizing

The next most common facial masks are those that either hydrate or moisturize the skin, leaving it feeling silky, smooth and nourished. They will restore the suppleness of your skin by replenishing the water content. Hydrating and moisturizing masks can be used two or three times a week, depending on the dryness of your skin. For those will oilier skin, try a gel based, non-oil mask.

There are no miracle quick-fix homemade solutions. It’s all patience, gracefulness and the right attitude that gets you the results! Reminds me of that comedy ‘The Wedding Crasher’…It all starts with a shave! So, if you want to turn heads with your spiffy new looks this summer – treat your face to the right products.

Ravi Thiagarajan is a freelance writer and intern for Vivoderm Laboratories in Los Angeles, California. He has published numerous articles for the leading newspaper The Times of India, local affiliate Anand Plus.

For more information and latest findings on natural skincare link to  ANTIACNEMASK.COM or ORGANICSKINCAREINFO.NET