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Face Care The Basics First off, we'll discuss a daily skin care routine, and then move on to do it yourself facials. Everyone needs to use eye makeup remover, cleanser, exfoliator, toner, eye cream, and moisturizer.
Eye Makeup Remover: This is very important, especially for those who wear waterproof makeup. You need to remove the eye makeup before you cleanse your face. Why? because your face cleanser is not going to take it all off, leaving the skin vulnerable to getting clogged up with residue of your makeup. The skin around the eye area is more delicate and much different than the rest of your face, thus it needs it own cleanser. My favorite removers: Pevonia Eye Make-Up Remover How To: Put some remover on a cotton ball or pad and wipe gently away from the eye until all the makeup is gone. The Key is very gentle movements so you don't cause small bleeding under the skin, which makes dark circles appear worse.
Cleanser: Most people should use a cream cleanser. Milk cleansers are good too, but many people feel they don't suffice our North American idea of how a clean face should feel. That doesn't mean they don't work, it just means a lot of people don't think they work. Cream cleansers wash away dirt, debris, makeup and excess oil without leaving the skin feeling parched. Gel cleansers contain a lot of alcohol which I don't usually recommend, unless you are a teenager and experiencing very overactive oil glands. My favorite cream cleanser: Sensitive Skin:
Darphin Intral Cleansing Milk
Oily Acne
Skin:
Darphin Purifying Foam Gel
Acne Skin:
Biotherm Acnopur Purifying Foam Original
Dry Skin:
Biotherm Biosource Foaming Softening Cleansing Water (Dry Skin)
Normal/combo Skin:
Clarins One-Step Facial Cleanser
How To: You should wet your face, put a small amount of cleanser in your palm (a lot of people use way too much, the better quality product, the less you need to use). I use about a nickel size amount of product. Add a little water in your hand and rub it to get a foamy consistency. Don't forget to clean your neck and chest. These parts are just as exposed to the elements and pollution as your face. If you wear a lot of makeup or waterproof makeup, it is okay to cleanse twice in a row, just don't over scrub.
Exfoliator: There are two types of exfoliator: Chemical and Mechanical. Chemical exfoliators use AHA's (Alpha Hydroxy Acids), glyocolic acid etc. These acids work to dissolve the glue that still holds the dead skin cells together, making it easy to wash them away. These are beneficial to anti-aging, acne, and oily skin. Anyone can use a chemical exfoliant however those who have sensitive skin may find them too irritating and should be under a dermatologist or esthetician's care until they know the skin will react. Mechanical Exfoliants are those with little round beads, crushed up shells etc. The products with the synthetic rounds beads are the best to use. In school we used the type that had crushed shells etc. and we applied to a sheet of glass. It really scratched the hell out of that piece of glass, whereas the one with the round beads did not. The mechanical scrubs are intended to slough off dead skin, not scratch and damage it. You should need to exfoliate once or twice a week. More than that and you will be causing damage to the skin. (Don't forget neck and chest). My favorites: Gemology Face Scrub How to: wet the face, put a small amount of product in your hand, add water to foam it up. Scrub gently in upward circles or strokes (that is the best way to get under the cells of the skin). Scrubbing too hard can lead to skin damage, sensitivity, and even scarring. Be sure to rinse thoroughly.
Toner: I am really sick of hearing people say "You don't need toner, it's just a money grab!" That statement could not be any more wrong. Quality is very important when it comes to toner. Look for alcohol free toner. It softens the skin and restores balance. Toner lasts a long time so invest in a good one. Toner is used immediately after cleansing as it restores the acid mantle of the skin that is compromised by cleansing, and also restores the Ph Balance of the skin. Toner prepares the skin for moisturizer, aiding it to penetrate further and achieve all the benefits of lotion. Toner also keeps the skin smooth and even in color. My favorite alcohol free
toners: Anthony Logistics Alcohol-Free Toner How To: immediately after cleansing, add toner to cotton ball or pad and use upward strokes. Don't forget your neck and chest.
Eye Cream: Eye cream is a must-use in my opinion. Eye creams help remove dark circles, they treat the delicate skin around the eyes (as regular moisturizers cannot usually penetrate the area. If you start using eye in your 20's you will not show signs of aging around the eyes as early as someone who didn't use eye cream. In it anti-aging forms, it can erase superficial lines, and slow the process of aging. Keep in mind, no cream can permanently reverse the signs of aging, but is can slow the process. Choose and eye cream based on your needs. My Favorites:
Obagi ELASTIderm Night Eye Cream How to: after toning, use a small amount of eye cream under, around and on top of your eyes. A bottle of eye cream should last you a good part of the year, so don't use too much.
Moisturizer: It is very important to always apply moisturizer after you cleanse. You have to restore the fluid lost during the cleansing process. If you have dry skin, you need a moisturizer with some oil in it. Please remember that not all oil is bad and clogs pores. Good quality products contain safe oils that will not lead to breakout. Best Product: Darphin Hydraskin Rich (for combination/oily skin) If you have dehydrated skin, you need water. A water based product made for dehydration is what you need, and also try to add more water in your diet. Best Product: Korres Watercress Potent Moisturizer If you have Normal skin, you
require a good cleanser especially if you wear makeup, and a light
moisturizer with vitamins to help maintain your skin's health. Best
Product: Cellex-C Sea Silk Oil-Free Moisturizer If you have combination skin,
you should use a cleanser for normal skin, and and a balancing light
weight moisturizer for normal/combination. Best Product: Sundari Neem & Avocado Balancing Moisturizer for Normal to Combination Skin Mature skin is where we tend
to lose oil. However, many of the anti-aging products are made for
mature skin lacking oil. Some are made for those who lack water, so
be sure to determine with the help of an esthetician or dermatologist what your
condition is, and then select products appropriately Best Product: AHAVA Sun Protection Anti Aging Moisturizer SPF 15 If you have sensitive skin,
you need a product that is soothing and calming and usually an emollient
cream will help protect your thin skin. Best Product:
Neova R2 Lotion Intermediate by ProCyte If you have acne skin or oily skin you'll need something that controls shine and grease and keeps the pores clear, usually with an acne treatment in it. Best Product: Korres Pomegranate Balancing Moisturizer
Discovering
Your True Skin Type Skin Types A skin type
refers to the state of the skin naturally.
A skin condition refers to problems in the skin that are being
caused by an internal or external factor.
When the condition is treated, the skin will still remain the type
it was prior to treatment. Dry
Skin: usually is, but its not limited to aging.
A dry skin is one that lacks oil, usually caused by slow sebaceous
glands. When pinched it’s
slow to bounce back and superficial lines are usually present. Dehydrated
Skin: The skin lacks water. It
is important to understand the difference between dry and dehydrated.
Dehydrated skin doesn’t benefit from oil addition.
It needs water from both internal and external sources.
Sometimes a dehydrated skin may become oily, as the body’s
natural defense is to create more lubrication for the skin.
Proper hydration will stop the excess oil and help treat the dry
and tightness. Combination
skin: in essence this refers to any combination of skin
types. Scientists have
discovered that the most common of combinations is oily with dry patches.
That’s what most combination skin products treat.
If you have a different combination such as dehydrated and dry, you
need to choose products to treat those symptoms, stay away from the
combination creams. Oily:
skin that has too much oil, caused by overworking sebaceous glands.
Often this skin has a lot of comedones (blackheads). Aging/Mature
Skin: until recently this was not considered a skin type.
But now we know that just as aging is a natural process, aging and
mature skin can be considered a natural state for the skin not just a
symptom. When we treat a
mature skin, we still treat the initial skin type if it’s still present;
otherwise most aging skin is lacking oil, and are thus treated with oil
based and emollient products. Skin Disorders An
esthetician or dermatologist will almost always treat a disorder first,
and the skin type second. The
reason for this is that once the symptoms of the disorder are no longer
present the true skin type will reveal itself. Many disorders of the skin can be treated in conjunction with
the type so as to not cause further skin discomfort. Acne
Skin: skin that has comedones (blackheads) and milia (whiteheads)
can be accompanied by cysts (also known as acne cysts) and pustules
(pimples filled with pus). Acne skin is always accompanied by comedones.
There is however a difference between acne cosmetica and acne
vulgaris. Acne cosmetica is
blemishes caused by topical or beauty products and sometimes pollution.
Acne vulgaris is an internal disorder that shows itself in the skin
(ie. Hormonal changes) and is usually found on other parts of the body as
well, such as the chest and back. In both
cases the acne can be treated. Acne
cosmetica is usually cured when you discontinue using the products that
are comedogenic (pore-clogging) and “spot treating” the blemishes
helps the skin heal faster. Acne vulgaris is treated by both internal and external
solutions, such as hormone regulation, diet and skin products. It is
important to understand what kind of acne you have.
Here’s how: if you’ve had acne or acne symptoms for majority of
your years during and since puberty, especially into adulthood no matter
what products you’ve used, you most likely have acne vulgaris. If you tend to break out when you use certain products or ingredients, eat certain food (which may indicate a mild allergy), or when you change your skin routine it is most like you have acne cosmetica. Rosacea:
used to be known as acne-rosacea because the skin is red, sensitive across
the nose and cheeks and may be accompanied by milia (whiteheads).
Rosacea has lately been researched extensively and there are many
products and options on the market now that can treat the symptoms,
however, we have yet to find a cure.
Simple things like staying away from alcohol, extreme temperatures
and spicy foods can also help subtle the symptoms. Couperose
skin: this means that you have broken capillaries (blood vessels)
in the skin that are usually found around the nose.
Once a blood vessel is broken, there is no true repair for it.
You can however, diminish the appearance and help further breaks. Hyper
Pigmentation: lighter or darker spots on the skin generally
caused by sun exposure. Vitligo however, is a disease that causes the pigment (colour
cells) in the skin to diminish. There
is no known cure for vitiligo, but it can be camouflaged with makeup. Hyper-pigmentation
can be treated through skin peels (ie. Glycolic acid), and bleaching.
However, it is most important to protect yourself against the sun.
The peels are sun sensitive as with all AHA’s and can cause
further spots when exposed to the sun, and you can prevent further spots
by using sunscreen. There are
many disorders that are too large in number for me to discuss in detail.
It is essential for you to see a professional if you suspect a skin
disorder. They can diagnose
and offer treatment solutions. Estheticians,
dermatologists and your family doctor are all people you can go to with a
disorder.
To Learn how to do a professional Facial at Home Click Next
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