Skin Care Articles

Dermatologists recommend using the same skin care regimen daily. These routines don't need to be fancy or expensive, and can be used unaided or along with a more severe skin care routine.

Normal Systems

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

For most people, performing the routine 2 times daily is best. Some patients with dry and/or sensitive skin may do better with once a day washing/cleansing but moisturizing 2 or more times a day. Some doctors agree that exfoliation should also be part of a basic routine. However, daily exfoliation may be unreasonable and may lead to constant irritation in some people. A few 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 sunscreen can be applied on top of your moisturizer or other treatments as the last part of your regimen if sun exposure is possible. It is always best to use a product made for protection from the sun, however some people like to use cosmetics that contain sunscreen to save time.

Optimize for your skin type

Everyone has a different skin type, so the standard regimen needs to be adjusted to work better with your skin. Skin can change from a many factors such as weather, diet, or age. One huge change can be a result of menopause, women have been know to change from oily skin to dry skin while going through menopause. A change in the diet can also impact the skin, a diet that has more fat will cause the skin to produce more oil.. people don't need to be as alert when in the sun.

Radical Treatments

For most adults the general remedy will not prove to be effective so it is best to add a selected secondary medication after doing some research on common products. However, the results from advanced skin care products partly depend on whether you properly integrate them with your basic routine. In particular, if you apply products to skin that has not been cleansed, the penetration of active ingredients is decreased. If you cleanse, moisturize and then apply advanced products, the results of active ingredients can still be reduced because the moisturizer has occluded some the entryways.

A good time to use active 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 moisturizers, 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 absorb, and then apply your favorite moisturizer over it.