Skin Care Articles

Most doctors advise consistently following a daily skin care routine. Such a routine does not have to be complicated or tedious. It can be performed by itself or as preparation for more advanced skin care methods.

Normal Steps

A typical skin care system would contain the following steps: washing/cleansing, toning (optional depending on skin type), moisturizing and protection from the sun light.

The bulk of patients have the best luck with twice daily skin care, however for people with sensitive or dry skin it is better to use the method only once while moisturizing more often. Some doctors feel that exfoliation should also be part of a basic routine. However, daily exfoliation may be unreasonable and may lead to chronic irritation in some people. one or two times a week is more than enough for exfoliation, however some can go without any exfoliation.

Protection from ultraviolet light (both UVA and UVB) is critical for any skin care routine. A good UNA+UVB sun block can be applied on top of your moisturizer and other treatments as a final step of the routine whenever sun exposure is possible. It is always best to use a single product for protection from the sun, however some people like to use cosmetics that contain sunscreen to save time.

The Routine for Your Face

The steps of the basic routine should be changed to fit your skin type. You should keep in mind that your skin type may change with the season, diet and age. In particular, the skin can be be oilier in the summer and drier in the winter. Menopause often brings about a change from oily or normal to dry skin. Conversely, a shift from a low-fat diet to one rich in certain fats (particularly essential fatty acids) can change dry skin to normal. Although UV rays will be harmful to any skin, the pigmentation of skin makes a difference in the kind of sunscreen needed. Light skin needs more care while dark skinned.

Applying Radical/Active Treatments

For maximum skin care benefits, the basic system is usually insufficient, especially for people over 30. The addition of a well-selected product or two with wisely chosen, proven active ingredients will further improve the outcome. However, the benefits of secondary skin care products partly depend on whether you properly integrate them with your basic routine. For example if you try and use the secondary treatment without proper cleansing, it will not be 100% effective because it can't work through the oil and dirt on the skin. The over use of the cleansers can also diminish the results of the medication, so be sure and do the research before mixing products.

The best time to use secondary products is soon after you washed/cleansed, rinsed and slightly patted your skin with a towel, i.e. when your skin is clean, warm and still slightly moist. Since many of the active products have moisturizing ingredients, you can usually skip a separate moisturizer whenever you apply such a product. If you feel that you need additional moisturizing, wait a few minutes for the active product to finish, and then apply any moisturizer over it.