Pointshop.com

Face Care Tips

There are so many products on the market these days that purchasing a skin care regimen can be confusing. Narrowing down your options by skin type can help you select the skin-care products that will work best for you. For all skin types it is important to cleanse your skin twice daily to remove dirt and oil and to moisturize after each washing, using a moisturizer that contains an SPF during the day. Sunscreen is very important for all skin types to protect against skin cancer and to reduce signs of aging such as wrinkles and age spots.

Oily Skin can be inherited, but it can also be caused by hormone production that occurs during your teen years or during a woman’s menstrual cycle, pregnancy, or during menopause. If you have oily skin it is important to remember that you should clean your skin thoroughly twice a day, but remember to be gentle to your skin. Cleansing with harsh scrubbing or washing too often can actually make your skin oilier. Products with a low pH (slightly acidic) are best for cleansing the skin. And don’t forget to moisturize! You may feel like you don’t need a moisturizer with oily skin, but it is important to replenish the moisture you lose as you age. Use a moisturizer (or toner/moisturizer combo) that is oil free, has beta-hydroxy acid (glycolic or salicylic acid) or alpha-hydroxy acid, and sunscreen

Dry Skin Skin can also be inherited, but you can also get it from overuse of certain facial products. Before treating your dry skin, take a look at your skin care regimen. If you are using a skin care product that contains acid (alpha or beta type’s used in anti-aging products) then you should stop using it immediately. It could be causing a dry-skin reaction. Soaps can also be drying, so instead use a gentle moisturizing cleanser when cleaning your face twice a day. Make sure you use only warm water when washing, as hot water robs the skin of moisture. If you’ve looked at your skin care regimen and still have dry skin, your skin could benefit from gentle exfoliation once a week or every two-weeks for ultra-sensitive skin. Make sure to moisturize daily with a moisturizer that contains an SPF during the day and use a deep moisturizing cream at night.

Having Combination Skin can be difficult when buying skin care products. It is important to choose products for cleansing your skin that are pH neutral that won’t irritate your dry skin areas or increase oil production in your oily skin areas. It may take you longer to find a skin-care regimen that works for your combination skin as you try different combinations of products. You may opt for products specially formulated for combination skin, or separate products for your oily and dry zones.

Sensitive skin needs to be treated carefully and new products should be tested behind your ear for a few days to make sure you won’t have a bad reaction. Products that use only a few ingredients and have little or no fragrance are best. Soap-free cleansers, bars made for sensitive skin, or liquid facial cleansers have a lower pH and will be gentler on your skin. Be careful when selecting a product containing anti-aging agents, such as alpha or beta hydroxy acids, anti-bacterial ingredients, or certain sunscreens, as they may irritate your skin. Try not to use cosmetics that are waterproof, since they need skin irritating solvents to wash off. Pencil eyeliner is less irritating than liquid eyeliner, and black mascara and eyeliner are less irritating than colored products.

Acne Prone skin can be a problem at any age, from the teen years into adulthood. As with oily skin, it can be enticing to wash your face frequently using harsh scrubs or cleaners, but washing too much can irritate your skin causing the acne to get worse. Try to limit washing to twice a day with a cleanser specially formulated for acne containing salicylic acid or benzoyl peroxide. Use warm water, not hot, and only use your fingertips, not a washcloth or scrubby, to apply the cleanser. Even a soft washcloth can irritate your skin. Moisturize with a light, oil-free or noncomedogenic moisturizer and apply any medicated acne creams before you apply makeup. The best makeup for acne prone skin is oil-free and noncomedogenic. Tanning, scrubbing, and picking at your skin will not help your acne! You may make it worse or even cause scarring. So be gentle to your skin. If acne persists after using over the counter salicylic acid or benzoyl peroxide treatments, see a dermatologist.

Anti-Aging skin care starts before you see any signs of aging. Keeping hydrated, eating a well-balanced diet, not-smoking and making sure you wear sunscreen are things you can do now that will keep wrinkles and age spots from showing up too soon. It is important to use a moisturizer twice a day to replenish the natural moisture loss in your skin. Depending on you skin type, use a moisturizer with sunscreen for the day and a heavier cream at night. Moisturizing creams that contain alpha- or beta- hydroxy acids, retinol or vitamin C are best to combat wrinkles and will help to make your skin seem more youthful. Occasional light chemical peels containing stronger acids can help to exfoliate your skin and make you look more youthful and radiant. Age spots can be treated with chemical bleaching agents. Your dermatologist can also assist you in deciding if stronger chemical peels, fillers, botox, or other skin treatments are right for you in combating age spots and wrinkles.