- Basic Skincare For Different
Skin Types
- By Karla Gae Pascua
Using the wrong skincare product
is not only a waste of money, it can also lead to irreversible
skin conditions. But in order to choose the most appropriate
products for your skin, you must first determine whether you
have oily, dry, a combination of the two or normal skin.
|
Remember that every regimen has
to be tailored to your skin and as the condition of your skin
varies from time to time, so does your skin care regimen. There
are basically four main steps in skincare—cleansing, toning,
moisturizing and protecting.
When cleansing, avoid rinsing
with hot or cold water as extreme temperatures encourage the
development of broken capillaries and dry skin. Use tepid water
and rinse off cleansers thoroughly. Cleansing scrubs may be used
if you have oily skin but don’t overdo it; that only stimulates
the oil glands to produce more
oil.
After cleansing the face and
neck areas with a mild product, you may apply toners to close
pores that the cleansing process may have opened. Toners remove
traces of cleanser and produce a tight, refreshed feeling when
they evaporate. Remember that toners may not adequately remove
all traces of a make-up cleanser so you should use a cleanser
first, especially if your skin is oily. |
|
Now for moisturizers. When we
speak of moisturizing the skin, we are really talking about moisturizing
the dead layer of the skin (stratum corneum) that is visible.
When you get out of the bath, the stratum corneum is moisturized
but it doesn’t stay this way for long. In order to moisturize
the skin, one has to put water into the stratum corneum and keep
it there. This is exactly what moisturizers do.
Oily skin may not need moisturizers
in the first place. If you need moisturizing, choose those that
are oil-free. If you have normal or dry skin, use water-based
moisturizers. If the skin gets too dry, switch to one that contains
more oil than water. If you have skin types, you can treat the
oily and dry areas with the respective formulae or leave the
oily untreated and treat only the dry areas with the appropriate
formula.
After cleansing and moisturizing,
use a product that will protect the skin against sun-damage to
delay the tell tale signs of ageing. Use a sunscreen for oily
skin during the day. It also helps to moisturize the skin and
serves as a base for make-up. If the skin is very oily, a gel
formulation may be more appropriate. For normal, dry and combination
skin types, protective sunscreens may be applied during the day.
Skincare need not be complicated
so clear the confusion and debunk the myths. Know and stick to
basic skincare and achieve the healthy, beautiful skin that you’ve
always dreamed of. |
Beauty Secrets of the World
