Skin Care Products - Should I Be Using Them?

Skin Care Products - Should I Be Using Them?

There is no right or wrong answer to this question. It's
true, some people are born with naturally beautiful skin
and may feel they have no need to use any sort of skin
product or beauty product other than warm water to wash off
the day's dirt and grime.

That's all very well but no matter how healthy and youthful
your skin is the passage of time will eventually cause your
skin to lose its elasticity and for the first signs of
aging to appear.

The trick to staying young and beautiful is to delay this
process as long as possible so that you can retain natural
healthy youthful looking skin for longer. This means that
even if you feel you have no need for beauty products or
skin care products at the moment, you could still benefit
in the long term from taking good care of your skin.

Taking good care of your skin involves a basic skin care
regime of cleansing and moisturising. You will often hear
of a three step regime of cleansing, toning and
moisturising, however, if you have a good enough cleanser
you don't really need a separate toner. What we're talking
about here is the most basic skin care regime that
absolutely everyone regardless of their skin type and
condition would benefit from.

There are literally hundreds of different skin care
products on the market that you could use but which ones
are best or whether you should be using a particular one at
all will depend on your skin type and any specific skin
problems you may have. However, most of us are going to
need at least a cleanser and a moisturiser.

Most of the skin care products out there will broadly fall
under one of the following categories of products:

Cleansers
Toners
Moisturisers
Anti ageing products (Skin rejuvenation, Skin firming, Anti
wrinkle)
Exfoliating products

It's important when choosing skin care products for your
skin that you choose ones that are appropriate for your
particular skin type. If you look around for information on
which skin care products are best for you then you will
probably find that skin care professionals differ in their
approach so that the advice often seems contradictory. The
trick is to find a skin care product or products that you
are happy with, that works for you, and to stick to them.

Before choosing any skin care products you first have to
identify what skin type you have.

Normal Skin/Combination Skin

Normal skin is neither too oily nor too dry, the pores are
of a normal size, there are no wrinkles or fine lines other
than what would be expected for your age and you have few
if any blemishes.

Combination skin is neither too oily nor too dry but may be
drier towards the outer part of the face and oilier down
the T zone which is basically across the forehead down the
nose and on the chin. This is the most common skin type.

Some professionals recommend that if you have combination
skin that you use a different product on different parts of
the face, for example, a product designed for oily skin
down the T zone and a product designed for normal or dry
skin everywhere else. This is unnecessary as there are
products available that cater specifically for combination
skin.

Dry Skin/Sensitive Skin

Dry skin is skin that lacks enough moisture. It looks and
feels dry to the touch and may have dry flaky patches. This
type of skin can feel tight and uncomfortable after washing
and although it is less prone to blemishes and pimples it
can quite easily become chapped and cracked. What this skin
type needs more than anything else is moisture so a good
moisturising cream is a must. Dry skin often goes together
with sensitive skin.

Sensitive skin is skin that is thinner and more fragile
than other skin types. It lacks a protective barrier which
is why it often goes together with dry skin. If your skin
is sensitive then you have to identify any raw materials,
foods or drinks you react to and avoid them. Common
irritants include artificial fragrances, detergents and
preservatives but there are many more. Use gentle and
natural unscented products that are alcohol free.

Oily Skin

Although oily skin is skin that is producing a lot of
sebum, the body's own natural moisturiser, oily skin can
still benefit from moisturising. Oily skin is more likely
to be prone to blackheads, white heads, enlarged pores and
pimples. The temptation may be to wash oily skin often,
however, this will encourage the skin to produce even more
sebum and make the skin even oilier. Use gentle lotion
cleansers and oil free moisturisers.


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