Caring for specific skin types and dealing with common skin problems

We are born with minds that are programmed to want to be beautiful. Looking great heads every girl’s wish list. Even when she’s still a toddler waddling around in pink polka-dotted bloomers, a girl cannot but stop and look at herself in a mirror. It is this fascination with beauty and good looks that the beauty industry has caught on to, and, after years of collective mind reading combined with steady R&D work, has begun to offer beauty aids that are almost magical in their ability to enhance and preserve. We have indeed come a long way from ass’s milk and rose water. Today, the beauty industry is perfectly capable of serving up the closest thing to the elixir of eternal youth. Jars, tubes, bottles, capsules of oil and many are present from which magic emerges in many guises. But all of these are the result of dogged research and arduous soul searching by people committed to making every woman’s wish come true.

For knowing and inventing beauty, research and knowledge is the two keywords which must be looked into. The very first step in beautifying yourself is to know about your skin. This will bring immense knowledge about your own skin. Isn’t it really wonderful to study about your own skin? Such studies would help you choose the right product for your skin and also make you more alert on the different ways of caring and pampering your skin. After gathering information on different skin types you can easily categorize your skin to one among those. With this you will become more aware of the various methods in skin care.

Earlier the skin was not classified into various categories and all was considered to be similar. But now it is not the same as there are different skin types and different people have varying skin types and treatments are to be done according to that. Today after a lot of research it has been found out that beauty is skin deep and it largely depends on the quality of the skin. This quality is that which determines age and also make us look younger ever after. From the nineties it has been found out that the essential part of the woman’s daily routine and self confidence is all in the beauty and skin care. Finding the special trades is known to be very important. In this analyzing your own skin type is known to be the most important step.
If you have ever felt that beauty is unattainable- a lucky perk other women are blessed with at birth, take a deep breath and relax. You are not alone-and you also happen to be in for a very pleasant surprise. Just take a look around, and you will quickly see that there is no surefire formula for looking great. For every perfectly symmetrical face on the movie screen, there’s a dazzling, original smile, an explosion of curly hair and many more. For all this the primary step is to know your skin type and you skin. This will surely reveal a lot of secrets and would help you knowing your skin and also some better ways to improve its look.

Skin is the blank canvas of beauty before you do anything else makes sure it is as healthy and clear as possible. The right skin care ingredients can your complexion from dull to luminous, rough to smooth, blemished to practically flawless. But the important step to take before selecting the best products for your individual needs is to determine your skin type. When roughly talked about, there are almost five basic types of skin.

With the increasing cleansers, creams, scrubs and serums crowding the store shelves every day, putting together an effective skin care routine can be, depending on your view point, an indulgent adventure or an overwhelming task. With a little preparation, you can simplify the process. Begin by determining your skin type and targeting your needs. Are you concerned with moisturizing dry patches or preventing breakouts? Softening lines or making skin glow? Next, familiarize yourself with the most potent ingredients available today. Then, bone up on the myriad cosmetic procedures available in dermatologist offices, and the safest, smartest ways to get good results.

DETERMINING THE SKIN TYPE

There are different skin types which are classified into five division’s namely dry skin, normal skin, oily skin, combination skin and sensitive skin. There is a common and easy step to determine your skin type so that it becomes possible to identify it and to take further necessary steps. For this all you need is a piece of tissue to wipe which is clean. When you wake up in the early morning it is suggested that you wipe your face with the clean tissue that you have and observe it. For those having normal skin, the oil does not come on the paper and your face does not feel tight or flaky. If your skin is oily then there would be oil on the tissue which is seen as transparent spots. The oil comes out usually from the nose, forehead and cheek parts. On the other hand if there is oil only in the center part then it is a combination skin. In such people oil comes off from the forehead and nose which is considered to be the oiliest part of the skin, but does not come from the cheeks. For those who have dry or normal skin they will have no oil in the tissue. After wiping if the skin is left too tight or stretched with a feeling or dryness as well as parched then it is sure to be dry skin. It is sure to be normal skin if it is supple, lively, vibrant and elastic. Thus it is simple test to determine your skin type. People having sensitive skin can point out it when the skin tends to be tight and blotchy and reacts to new skin-care products by becoming red, inflamed or even itchy. There are even online skin tests which are now available in many tests. For knowing the strategies of the skin it is very important to identify your skin type.

NORMAL SKIN

The softer and more relevant skin is the normal skin which is clear, pimple free, soft, smooth and without any greasy or flaky areas. The skin is neither dry nor greasy and is considered to be the fine and supple surface. The inner health of the skin is shown out which is due to the circulation as well as with outstanding health.

There are women who might develop pimples just before the menstruation. This is due to some kind of hormonal activity taking place in the body that results in making the sebaceous glands over active. But acne could never be considered as a problem for those having normal skin. For maintaining the beauty of the skin special care is always needed, otherwise it might lead to wrinkling and aging.

There are several things to be performed to keep your skin healthy and young always. These are known to be simple procedures that would help you make it silky smooth and glowing.

1. Make it a habit to clean the skin twice daily using mild baby soap and water and along with a mild toner like rose water.
2. Moisturizer could be applied to the face every night before sleep to balance the moisture content in the skin. Preferably home made moisturizers or even night creams are chosen.
3. Cleansing is said to be very important for every skin type and for this mild cleanser could be opted for. This keeps the pores tight and an astringent could be used to remove any traces of cleanser present on the skin. While using astringent make sure that these are alcohol free or having low astringent content.
4. While using hair dryers always make sure to keep the face away from the heat.
5. For retaining surface moisture, mild, oil-based moisturizer under makeup is preferred.
6. Sunscreen is very important these days as it prevents any effects of drying and aging.
7. A nondrying mask could be always used to stimulate the blood circulation and also to maintain the smoothness of the surface of the skin. This procedure could be adopted at least once in every two weeks.

Applying make up on this type of skin lasts long and also looks smooth. The most important thing to be cared for is the premature ageing experienced under the eyes. This is because there is lack of moisture in this area due to the absence of the sebaceous activity.

TIPS TO KEEP NORMAL SKIN HEALTHY

1. Facial massaging is said to be the topmost choice. It provides various advantages like toning and tightening the muscles of the face. The circulation is also improved with the use of natural skincare blends. It keeps your skin healthy, nourished and even young.
2. Lots of water should be drunk along with eating fruits and vegetables. Another important things needed are exercise and fresh air to breath.
3. Applying sunscreen would protect a lot from the harmful effects of the sun. This would also prevent premature ageing.
4. There are a lot of essential oils which could come in use. It includes a blend of lavender, jasmine and geranium which are mixed into the base oil. Jasmine has its property of balancing the skin, lavender regenerates, heals and stimulated the prevention of scarring and geranium is known for its balancing properties and even aids circulation.
5. The base oil used could be jojoba oil, almond oil and carrot oil. Other essential oils recommended for normal skin are fennel, lavender, rose, chamomile, sandalwood, lemon, patchouli and geranium.

An added tip is to use honey beneath the mask treatments which is considered to be very important for normal skin. Honey is the best ingredient which could regulate the moisture of the skin. It is also good for dry as well as sensitive skin. Aromatherapy could sometimes cause irritation and to prevent this it is always recommended to use 50 drops of essential oil in 100ml of the carrier oil. For sensitive skin it is always preferred to use lemongrass and tea tree which could only be diluted 1-2%.

DRY SKIN

Dry skin is familiar with many of them. It has to be taken care as it is more prominent and prone to ageing and other serious problems. Dry skin is fine-pored skin which looks dull. It has a sallow tone and also is easily irritated. Those having dry skin will be surely experiencing from flawlessness, taut and flaky feeling and also hardly breaks into spots. This skin type feels more comfortable with night creams, moisturizers and voila.

People having dry skin have a thin and papery texture. This is because of the pores it has as they are very fine. The appearance of flaky patches is very common in many of them by the midday. After each wash the skin feels very tight as it is very small for the face.

It is always the best to use creamy cleanser for melting the dirt away. Let it stay for sometime in the skin before wiping it away. Then gently wipe it with cotton wool. For cleaning the face splash cold water and the skin feels refreshed. Next use a thick creamy moisturizer to seal the moisture content.

DRY SKIN CARE

The skin becomes worse in the winter season as it starts to crack and also leaves moisture. This is because the skin has more moisture in the upper levels and very little in the lower levels. Therefore it is both dry as it lacks oils and even dehydrated as it lacks water. It is even vulnerable to climatic and weather changes and also produce wrinkles easily if it is not cared for. Any exposure to harmful ultraviolet rays of the sun or air conditioning would lead to increased loss of moisture. Mostly it becomes worse when you move from the sun directly into an air conditioned room or even while moving out from the air conditioned room to the sun.

The skin’s dry condition is aggravated by the use of soap, detergents and toners. So a gentle approach which boosts the skin’s moisture levels and makes it soft and supple which is considered to be a must.

Day care for the dry skin calls for the use of a creamy moisturizer. If the moisturizer has a high Sun Protection Factor (SPF) then it considered to be the best. An SPF indicates the number of times the skin is saved from the sun. So if your skin normally burns in five minutes, a 30 SPF sunscreen will let it burn only 30 X five minutes which is equal 150 minutes. In India it is considered that an SPF of about 30 is a must for any skin type.

Even though a thick moisturizer is excellent for the dry skin, it should also be taken care that the thickness should be to the extreme so that it would irritate the skin. Before the application of make up, the moisturizer should be given a few minutes to sink into the skin deeply.

Special care should be given especially at night for the dry skin. Removal of make up is very important. First the eye make up has to be removed with a cream based eye make-up remover. This helps to soothe dryness in the delicate eye area. This has to be followed by a rich facial cleanser. Leave the cleanser on for few minutes before wiping it off, to help it remove the make-up and dirt thoroughly. Next the face has to be washed well with a gently face wash. Always remember to use glycerin soap or face wash which will not strip your skin of its natural oils.

Ultimately, a thick night cream should be applied to seal in the moisture and provide oils for the upper layers of the skin. The night cream has to be left on the whole night. However, for those who are uncomfortable with the idea of leaving it on, it can be washed off with lukewarm water after at least two hours. By this time it would have done its work.

Another important addition for the dry skin is fish oil and vitamin E capsules that go a long way for supplementing the action.

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