Skin Care Articles

Most experts advise consistently following a daily skin care routine. Such a routine does not have to be complicated or long and drawn out. It can be executed by itself or as groundwork for more progressive skin care methods.

Get The Best Routines for you

The steps of the general regimen 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. For example, the skin can be be oilier in the warm months and drier in the winter. Menopause often brings about a change from oily or normal to dry skin. Also, a shift from a low-fat diet to one rich in certain fats (particularly essential fatty acids) can change dry skin to normal. Skin color affects the degree to which you need UV protection. While UV rays damages any skin, the damage is minimal in dark-skinned people. Conversely, light skinned people need to be more particular about sun protection, i.e. minimizing sun exposure, choosing an the right sunscreen and applying it frequently and consistently.

Fighting acne with Progressive Treatments

For best skin care results, the basic routine is usually insufficient, especially for people over thirty. Adding a well-selected product or two with wisely chosen, scientifically proven active ingredients will further improve your results. For secondary products to work well with your regimen you must integrate them into the process properly. In particular, if you apply products to skin that has not been cleansed, the penetration of active ingredients is reduced. If you use the regimen then apply advanced products, the penetration of active ingredients can still be reduced because the moisturizer has occluded some the pores.

Usual Programs

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

Protection from UV rays (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 the last step of your regimen if sun exposure is possible. Some people use skin care products with added UV blockers. It is definitely better than no sun protection at all and it can save time. However, using a separate, specially formulated sunblock appears to be more effective.

For most people, carrying out the routine 2 times a day 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. Most experts agree that the regimen should incorporate exfoliation, but not excessively. A few times a week is more than enough for exfoliation, however some can go without any exfoliation.

The best 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. Most of the secondary products contain some kind of moisturizing compound so the need for additional moisturizer is minimal. If it is needed wait for the other treatments to do the job before applying anything.