Skin Care Articles

Most experts advise regularly following a daily skin care routine. Such a routine does not have to be complex or long and drawn out. It can be performed by itself or as preparation for more progressive skin care methods.

Optimize for your skin type

The steps of the general regimen should be adjusted to fit your skin type. You should keep in mind that your skin type can change with the season, diet and age. One change can come from menopause, women have been know to go from oily skin to dry skin while going through menopause. A change in the diet can also change the skin, a diet that contains more fat will cause the skin to produce more oil.. Although UV rays can be harmful to any skin, the pigmentation of skin makes a difference in the type of sunscreen needed. Light skin needs more care while dark skinned.

Usual Treatments

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

Protection from ultraviolet light (both UVA and UVB) is critical for any skin care routine. A good UNA+UVB sunscreen should be put on top of your moisturizer or other products as a final part of your routine if sun exposure is possible. It is always recommended to use a single product for protection from UV rays, however some people like to use cosmetics that contain sunblock to save time.

For most people, performing the routine 2 times daily is optimal. Some people with dry and/or sensitive skin may have better luck with once daily washing/cleansing while moisturizing two or more times a day. Most dermatologists think that the routine should incorporate exfoliation, but not excessively. Exfoliation once or twice a week is usually sufficient. People with fast natural epidermal turnover may need less or none at all.

Using Advanced/Active Medicines

For most people the general regimen will not work as well so it is best to add some type of secondary product 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. For example if you try and use the secondary medicine without proper cleansing, it will not be 100% effective because it will not work past the oil and dirt on the skin. The over use of the cleansers can also reduce the outcome of the medication, so be sure and do the research before mixing products.

You need to add secondary products between cleaning and moisturizing when the skin is almost dry to create maximum results.. Since many of the active treatments have moisturizers, you can usually forego a separate product 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.