The way to have a healthy and beautiful skin

YOUR SKIN PORTRAYS YOUR HEALTH AND HOLDS THE KEY TO YOUR OVERALL BEAUTY

Your skin, especially the skin on your face, is probably one of the last things you want looking terrible with pimple scars, acne and an oily appearance.

The skin is the organ that determines most of our appearance and how good we look, so taking care of it to make sure it is always at its most pristine state is vital for a great image. No one likes acne-infested faces or skin with age spots. They simply look unpleasant and sometimes leave the impression of contagiousness, which leaves people afraid of even going near you.

It's never too late to start caring for your skin; of course the earlier you start the better. 'Prevention is better than cure'. A good cleansing routine is important for looking after the skin externally, but a balanced nutritious diet, plenty of water and another factors is a combined effort to have a beautiful skin.

CARING FOR YOUR SKIN

The skin naturally produces sebum (oil), sweat and grease naturally build up on the skin and can block pores and follicles and lead to infection. But that's not all, on top of that we love to layer on the make-up, 'cosmetics here we come', which can also cause congestion and irritation, especially if not removed properly. Not to mention all the pollutants in the air, especially if you work in a city. Dust and dirt in the air land on your skin and build up a healthy layer throughout the day and rubbing or touching our faces with grubby mitts just adds to all the congestion. As you can imagine by the end of the day there is quite a collection of yuk built up on our skin and consequently blackheads and spots can fester…

Cleanse your skin twice daily using a mild, natural, inexpensive cleanser designed for your skin type. Add a couple of drops essential oil of rose, spearmint, or orange to your cleanser to boost its cleaning effect and aromatic quality. Cleansing your skin is especially important before going to bed, because your body excretes toxins through your skin as you sleep. If facial pores are clogged with makeup and dirt, breakouts can occur. If you perspire a lot in your line of work or exercise heavily, then rinse off and massage your body with a coarse cloth or loofah before retiring to remove salt and dead-skin buildup. Your skin needs to breathe while you sleep !

This is 4 steps to keep your skin look young and healthy :

CLEANSING
There are lots of different products on the market for cleansing the skin. I would generally recommend a cleaning milk, lotion or cream. They should state on the packaging which skin type they are most suitable for, but generally, if it says it's a lotion, its for combination or greasy skin; if it says its a cream, its for dry or mature skin; and milk tends to be for dry skin prone to sensitivity or sensitive skin.

TONING

Toners not only balance the skins natural pH, they are recommended to remove all traces of cleanser and grease. They cool the skin, creating a tightening effect and closing the pores, so reducing the flow of sebum and sweat onto the skins surface (so great for oily skins).

EXFOLIATING

Exfoliating encourages cell regeneration - so brilliant for mature skin - and with no dead skin cells and grease to block its absorption, means moisturisers can be soaked up more easily into the skin. As with all products, there are lots of different types of exfoliants; on the face make sure you use a facial exfoliator (they are more gentle)! The granules in them are either chemical or vegetable origin. I don't think that is terribly relevant, it's a matter of personal preference, which you go for. I'd recommend exfoliating once to twice a week, concentrating on areas like the nose and forehead where you get the most congestion.

MOISTURISING

It is important to moisturise even if you have an oily skin. When the skin is exposed to cold, less sebum is produced; this means the skin has reduced protection, allowing moisture to evaporate. The loss of moisture from your skin is affected by the water content in the air around you (humidity). In hot dry weather humidity is low - the amount of water in the air around you is low - so the air, as such, absorbs the water out of your skin. In mild conditions humidity is high - there's plenty of water in the air - so water loss from your skin will be low. With central heating we create a humidity similar to that in a desert environment - it is very drying on your skin. In very hot weather your skin sweats and you loose lots of moisture through this perspiration. Extremes of weather or alternating hot and cold, for example going into a heated building in the winter or going into an air conditioned office in a hot summer can lead to broken capillaries. All of these damaging effects caused by the climate can be reduced by using moisturisers and facial oils - these spread a protective layer of oil on the skin, pushing nourishment and moisture into the skin while reducing evaporation of water from the skin. In a building with central heating humidifiers can be used to moisten the air.
Moisturisers also plump out fine lines, and provide a protective barrier between your skin and cosmetics and pollutants. They often contain additional ingredients and nutrients, the most common being vitamin E. A lot of moisturisers these days also sensibly contain some UV filter to protect against the age-accelerating effects of sunlight. They protect, soften and nourish the skin and are, I would say, the most important part of your skin care routine. I often suggest my clients use a moisturiser and a facial oil, especially if they have a dehydrated skin or are concerned about aging.