Are you overwhelmed by all the commercials and advertisements that claim their lotion or potion will make your skin look so much better? Do you scratch your head in confusion at all the choices in the skin care aisle of your local drugstore or supermarket? If you answered yes to either of these questions, you're normal.
The Good News About Skin Care
The good news is skin care can be simple. Washing your face doesn't have to be a 10-step process, and you don't have to spend a lot of money to fill up your medicine cabinet with shelves of products. The fact is, good skin care involves 4 basic steps:
- Cleansing - Getting rid of grime and chemicals
- Toning - Returning your skin to its natural pH balance
- Moisturizing - Hydrating and replenishing the skin
- Sunscreen - Protecting the skin from harmful UV rays
Step 1 - Cleansing
Most of us know that cleansing is an important part of good skin care. The purpose of a cleanser, is to surround, loosen, and make it easy to remove dirt, debris, germs, excess oils, and left-over products applied to the skin. Unfortunately, there are harmful effects of cleansers on the skin. - like some emulsifiers and surfactants (thickening agents). Sodium lauryl sulfate (SLS) is one such harmful surfactant which strips the natural lipid layer from the skin's surface and destroys its protective barrier. This makes your skin feel squeaky clean, which means your cleanser is too strong for you.
Also, many best-selling facial scrubs contain jagged particles, such as apricot and walnut seeds, that do not cleanse the skin, but instead, cause tiny cuts in your face. Even if you cannot see these little cuts, they are more than big enough to allow bacteria to enter. The result is redness, inflammation and blemishes. Many people who suffer from adult acne or sensitive skin are really just victims of popular facial scrubs.
Many people have dry skin because of their cleansing routines, not because their skin is normally dry. Often people think that their skin isn't clean unless it feels dry and tight after they wash it. People get used to the way their skin normally feels. They come to expect that they will have dry, rough patches on the backs of their hands, itch in winter time, and sometimes have a dull complexion. They don't know that their choice of cleanser could be hurting their skin.
Step 2 - Toning
Toner not only clears the skin of any dirt and debrit left behind on the skin, it returns the skin to it's natural pH balance of 5.5 and closes your pores.
If you're looking to add a toner or astringent to your skin care routine, it's crucial to find one that will work best with your skin type. So keep these tips in mind:
Have oily or combination skin? Use an astringent. These work best when it comes to removing excess oil, says Dr. Nathan Newman, M.D. Astringents have ingredients such as alcohol, witch hazel, or acids (like salicylic acid) that help reduce oil production and fight acne. Using an astringent is critical for oily skin as it helps "clean and tighten your pores, making it harder for debris and dirt to penetrate your skin and cause irritation or breakouts," says Murad. Mary Kay has an excellent Blemish Control Toner 3. It retails for $13 and contains salicylic acid. It leaves the skin free of excess oil.
Have dry or sensitive skin? Use an alcohol-free toner. Those with dry skin should avoid using astringents or toners that have retinols, glycolics, or benzoyl peroxide in them. These will be "too drying and may even cause the skin to breakout," says Newman. Instead, look for one that is water-based and has ingredients like rosewater or chamomile extracts, and vitamin B derivatives like panthenol, which help lock in moisture and prevent makeup from looking cakey.
Your skin needs a certain amount of oil to stay waterproof and resistant to infection. Too little oil and you have dry skin (which can lead to problems with wrinkles); too much oil and you're shiny and probably prone to acne.
Mary Kay's 3 in 1 cleanser containes a toner which is built in. It's specially formulated for dry/normal skin, and combination/oily skin. Also, our Botanical Effects Line has 3 specially formulated fresheners for dry/sensitive, normal, and combination/oily skin. These fresheners cost $14 and contain panthenol along with other botanical ingredients to create an all natural and affordable skincare option.
Toner not only clears the skin of any dirt and debrit left behind on the skin, it returns the skin to it's natural pH balance of 5.5 and closes your pores.
If you're looking to add a toner or astringent to your skin care routine, it's crucial to find one that will work best with your skin type. So keep these tips in mind:
Have oily or combination skin? Use an astringent. These work best when it comes to removing excess oil, says Dr. Nathan Newman, M.D. Astringents have ingredients such as alcohol, witch hazel, or acids (like salicylic acid) that help reduce oil production and fight acne. Using an astringent is critical for oily skin as it helps "clean and tighten your pores, making it harder for debris and dirt to penetrate your skin and cause irritation or breakouts," says Murad. Mary Kay has an excellent Blemish Control Toner 3. It retails for $13 and contains salicylic acid. It leaves the skin free of excess oil.
Have dry or sensitive skin? Use an alcohol-free toner. Those with dry skin should avoid using astringents or toners that have retinols, glycolics, or benzoyl peroxide in them. These will be "too drying and may even cause the skin to breakout," says Newman. Instead, look for one that is water-based and has ingredients like rosewater or chamomile extracts, and vitamin B derivatives like panthenol, which help lock in moisture and prevent makeup from looking cakey.
Your skin needs a certain amount of oil to stay waterproof and resistant to infection. Too little oil and you have dry skin (which can lead to problems with wrinkles); too much oil and you're shiny and probably prone to acne.
Mary Kay's 3 in 1 cleanser containes a toner which is built in. It's specially formulated for dry/normal skin, and combination/oily skin. Also, our Botanical Effects Line has 3 specially formulated fresheners for dry/sensitive, normal, and combination/oily skin. These fresheners cost $14 and contain panthenol along with other botanical ingredients to create an all natural and affordable skincare option.
Step 3 - Moisturizing
Moisturizing is an essential step in good skin care. A good moisturizer can stop the dry skin cycle from spiraling into cracked, thick, flaky skin. An effective moisturizer will have a combination of ingredients that:- Replenish the skin's natural ingredients that help maintain its structure
- Cut down on damage from free-radicals
- Help the cells function more normally
Good Moisturizer Ingredients
In the past, moisturizers were essentially water and wax mixtures that worked by trying to hold water in the skin. The only real difference between these moisturizers was how they "felt" to the consumer. Now there is complex science behind the new state-of-the-art moisturizers that are available. Some ingredients that you'll find in a state-of-the-art moisturizer are:- Glycerol - Helps water and other moisturizer ingredients penetrate the skin to get where they are needed.
- Ceramides - Help replenish the skin's natural oils.
- Hydroxy Acids - Help with exfoliation of dead skin cells
- Niacinamide - Helps the skin produce more natural oils, and may also help reverse the signs of sun-damaged skin, like brown spots and blotchiness
Moisturizer Bottom Line
Mary Kay offers a variety of moisturizers for young, aging, and aged skin. Talk to me for mor information.Step 4 - Sunscreen
The final step in a good skin care program is using sunscreen, but it's the most forgotten. It's easy to tell if your skin is dirty or dry, requiring a good washing or some added moisture. We can see or feel that our skin needs some extra care. Unfortunately, most of the damage to the skin from UV radiation is beneath the surface and happens so slowly that we don't realize how much damage is being done.
Most people know that exposure to UV radiation can cause sun damage to the skin, including sunburn, photoaging, and increased risk of skin cancer. But did you know this damage also occurs when you walk from your house to your car or sit next to a window during the day? Even those little bits of exposure add up over the years and can cause wrinkles, dark spots and skin cancer.
Sunscreen Decisions
There are several factors to consider when picking out a sunscreen:- How sunscreens work
- Everyday sunscreen vs out-in-the-sun sunscreen
- Using a sunscreen alone vs sunscreen plus moisturizer
- Understanding the UV-index
- How to be safe in the sun
Sunscreen Bottom Line
You've worked hard to take care of your skin by cleansing and moisturizing it. Don't undo all those benefits by exposing it to UV radiation. Find a good broad-spectrum sunscreen and make its application a part of your daily routine like brushing your teeth and bathing.All of Mary Kay's products are Dermatologist tested, suitable for sensitive skin, hypoallergenic (oil and fragrance-free), tested for skin irritancy and allergy, won't clog pores, and we do NOT test on animals!
www.marykay.com/akester
www.dermatology.about.com
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