What is Proper Skin Care?

1. Cleanse. The process of cleansing is to remove makeup, oil, sweat, and debris from the skin. You cleanser is not going to be on your skin but for a few seconds so you should make sure to get the bang for your buck here.

• Dry/Sensitive/Mature: Milk cleansers are your best beat if you fall into this category. Milk cleansers are not abrasive, non-drying, and are gentler on the skin than some of their sudsy counterparts. Using milk cleansers you are not going to get a lot of suds and bubbles but don’t think you aren’t getting just as clean!
• Normal/Combo: Gentle effective cleansing is your need here. If you fall into this very “normal” category with skin you can choose what you like best. Milk cleansers or Foaming cleansers are both good choices for your skin. They both are going to clean your skin of makeup, oil and dirt. The best choice here is the one that makes you happy when you are done. If you lean more one way or the other in the ‘normal’ spectrum let that help you influence your choice.
• Oily/Acne: Foaming cleansers with AHA’s (Alpha Hydroxy Acids) are what you want to look for. The foaming action helps clear the skin of extra surface oil while your AHA’s help with clogged pores and breakouts. You want to get double action from your cleanser since your skin is more prone to problem areas.

2. Exfoliate. By exfoliating the skin, we are removing dead flaky skin cells that are clogging the pores, and deepening the fine lines to reveal brighter, more even skin.

• Dry/Sensitive/Mature: Your exfoliation needs are again more gentle and effective than some of your sisters’ skintypes. Avoid harsh physical exfoliates (the rough texture you feel in scrubs and polishes) and opt instead for gentle chemical exfoliation. You want to look for Lactic Acids (which nourish and moisturize the skin) or AHA Fruit Acids (which help brighten and even the skin). You never want to over exfoliate the skin. After cleansing you should be using an exfoliator 2-4 times a week building up and starting slower to allow your skin time to heal.
• Normal/Combination: Your skin generally does best with a manual or physical scrub. It is not better to get a scrub that has more texture. Cheap scrubs with large particles damages the skin and can cause microscopic cuts. Look for words like “perfectly rounded” and “micro beads”. These are both good indicators of proper exfoliation. Never scrub your exfoliator onto the skin. Allow the grains and beads to do their work by gently working them onto the skin in a light circular motion. Again, depending on your skin and concerns you should be exfoliating 2-4 times a week.
• Oily/Acne: People who are breakout prone tend to want to over exfoliate. I caution against the use of scrubs with these skintypes. Overproduction of oil and bacteria on the skin can be easily spread by these types of exfoliation making your skin worse instead of better.  Sulphur, Ichthammol, Camphor, Tea Tree and AHA Fruit Acids are all good healing ingredients to be on the lookout for when you are searching for an exfoliator.

3. Moisturize. Proper hydration is key for any skintype. There is a lot of controversy out there on moisturizing for every skin. The bottom line is all skin needs a proper balance of oil and water in its skin to function and look its best.

• Dry/Sensitive/Mature: Slightly heavier moisturizers with skin nourishing oils are going to react best with your skin. You want to avoid fillers-things like cheap mineral oils and petroleum which can’t be absorbed into the skin. Look instead for ingredients like jojoba (pronounced hoe-hoe-ba) and Shea butters which nourish the skin, Bioflavonoids which heal and Calendula that balances and protects.
• Normal/Combo: Light to medium weight moisturizers are going to be your best bet. You might need to moisturize just your cheeks and neck in the morning under your makeup and do your whole face at night depending on your specific needs. You want to look for products that balance as well as hydrate. Ingredients such as apple, lemon, jojoba, carrot, and coconut oils are going to be most beneficial for you.
• Oily/Acne: Light weight and oil free moisturizers are going to work the best for your needs. You want to concentrate on balancing the lack of lipids or water in your skin so your skin will stop overproducing its natural oils. Look for products that contain tea tree, sulphur, stonecrop, calendula, and natural hydro-lipids to attract water retention in the skin while controlling excess oils and bacteria.

These simple 3 step skincare regime will help you maintain balance and healthy skin. Supplement your daily routine with a monthly facial to spot treat trouble areas.