Skin Types

Before you can start to care for your skin you need to know what your basic skin type is. Whatever age you are male or female – you will fall into one or other of the 5 basic categories.

Normal skin

Normal skin is the “perfect” skin type, the skin type we would all like to have. Normal skin is neither too dry nor too greasy, the oil glands produce sebum at a moderate rate, resulting in a skin that is vibrant and healthy

Dry skin

Dry skin is one of the more common skin types, caused by under active or inactive oil glands. If the oil glands do not produce enough sebum the skin will not be lubricated. Dry skin is prone to premature aging. The skin will appear thin with a texture that lacks plumpness. There may also be flaky patches of dry skin. Keeping hydrated with both water and healthy oils is essential if you have this type of skin

Oily Skin

Oily skin is caused by over active oil glands. Too much sebum is produced and the skin can appear to be very shiny. Oily skin is, prone to clogged pores and acne. This is caused by sebum being trapped under the skin. However oily skin does have the benefits of appearing more youthful than other skin types

Combination Skin

It is not unusual to discover that your skin is oily in some areas and dry in others.
Facial skin can be oily around the T-zone, forehead, nose and chin, but dry around the cheeks eyes and mouth. This often requires different treatment for the different areas of skin type – so can actually be quite hard work

Sensitive skin

Sensitive skin can often be any of the above skin types. It is a more fragile skin type or more accurately a skin condition that can react adversely in many situations. The skin can be itchy and irritating or may even become swollen with a rash. Sensitive skin often reacts badly to certain cosmetics and skin preparations especially if they contain perfumes and other artificial or chemical ingredients. Special treatment is essential for this skin type

You are What You Eat

There is no getting away from the fact that you are what you eat. This not only applies to your general health but also to the condition of your skin. A poor diet can lead to poor skin, whereas eating and drinking a healthy well balanced diet can have huge rewards when it comes to looking good on the outside.

As a child I was always told that sweets and chocolate would give me spots and I certainly seemed to get another spot every time I had a piece of chocolate.

So what should you eat? Foods such as fish and vegetables such as broccoli or spinach and also carrots will supply your body with Vitamin A which helps keep the skin healthy. Vitamin E is an important contributor as well, and is present in nuts – specifically hazelnuts or almonds and also seeds such as sunflower seeds. These foods can be added to your main meal or may provide a snack if you are hungry between meals. Zinc is also good for your skin and can be found in meat and dairy products as well as in legumes. It is found most prolifically in pumpkin seeds.

Drinking plenty of pure filtered water is very important for your skin as it can help to remove the toxins from your body

The Moment You Wake Up, Before You Put On Your Make-Up

Many woman are reluctant to go out without wearing some make up. Make-up is an essential part of many girls’ and ladies’ daily routine, it is not unusual to hear her say “I must put my face on before I go out” almost as if they are faceless without their makeup. In many cases this is purely a confidence booster whereas in other cases it may be more about feeling they look more attractive with some make up on. It may be a case of a little bit of lipstick or maybe some eye makeup and some concealer and off you go, or it may be a more elaborate regime that requires getting up hours before work to make sure that everything is done perfectly. But if you are one of those who feels naked without a decent covering of make-up, it is important to remember one thing – it has to come off at night. All of it. As a preference you really should wear as little as you can, because while it may be a good way to show off your best features (and conceal those you’re not so fond of), make up is not really beneficial to your skin

First and foremost, your skin needs to breathe. That’s why you have pores. Without this your skin would clog up and you would break out in all kinds of blemishes. It also needs the space to keep itself cool, because if your skin doesn’t get the chance to cool off the result will that it will begin to flush and look blotchy – something no amount of concealer can really hide.

Before you go to bed at night it is important to remove all traces of makeup from your skin. There are so many reasons why this is important.

A good rule of thumb is to go easy on the make up – natural beauty wins out every time. You can ask anyone – the less make-up you wear the better you look and the less likely you are to have spots and blemishes

Regular Cleansing Is The Answer

Whatever skin problem you may have, one of the most important regimes of the day is cleansing and toning the skin.

Many skin care products on the market contain ingredients such as mineral oil and petroleum. These ingredients tend to sit on the surface of the skin and block pores, leading to the possibility of spots and pimples.

Soap is often too harsh for facial skin. It can upset the ph balance leaving the skin feeling tight.

If you are cleansing your face as regularly as twice a day, it is best to use a gentle, natural product which does not interfere with the skin’s own natural defenses. Any nut or seed oil can be used to massage and cleanse the face, removing makeup and pollution from your face with comparative ease.

Acne – A Painful And Irritating Problem

One of the most common skin care problems – and one that has an unfortunate habit of persisting well beyond adolescence is that of acne. Acne vulgaris is a problem that affects an amazing 85% of teenagers. It is caused by an overproduction of sebum in the sweat glands. The pores become clogged with both the sebum and the dead skin cells and subsequently create a breeding ground for bacteria. The sebum and the bacteria eventually cause the pores to create either a non inflammatory skin blemish such as a white head or a blackheads, or if the follicle wall ruptures inflammatory acne will result such as a pustule or a cyst. The non inflammatory blemish is able to release its contents onto the surface of the skin and proceeds to heal, whereas the inflammatory acne is a more serious condition altogether

A family history of acne is a likely to be an indicator that you will be more genetically predisposed, especially as you go through puberty. But even after adolescence it is not unusual for it to reoccur.

Exercising for a Flawless Skin

Skin needs to breathe, Seven percent of the oxygen you take into your lungs is used directly by the skin. Breathing in supplies cells with essential oxygen while breathing out removes waste, including carbon dioxide.

During a workout, oxygen rushes to every cell in your body, encouraging the whole circulatory and nervous system to perform more efficiently.

The key is to get the lungs and heart working with aerobic exercise. By making your heart work harder, exercise also raises the temperature of the skin and allows cells to regenerate faster and nutrients to be absorbed.

Five 30 minute sessions a week is sufficient to ensure that your skin and the rest of your organs are getting enough oxygen. If exercise is something new to you then start off with maybe 10 minutes every other day and build up slowly.

We are all familiar with the way exercise can bring a rosy glow to our cheeks, so capitalize on this knowledge and ensure that your skin is glowing on a regular basis, keeping it alive and vibrant.

Skin Care The Simple Way - Natures Way

There would appear to be no limit to the money people will spend ensuring that their skin is in the best possible condition. Whether in order to attract a potential suitor, or just to look as presentable as possible for a job in the public eye, there are a lot of reasons to make sure that you keep your skin in perfect condition and free of any blemishes. When considering products for facial skin it is important to choose natural ingredients that haven’t had chemicals added. It is also important to remember that their are several different skin types that need to be taken into consideration, from acne to oily skin, from spots to blackheads and all the other things that nature can throw at you. It is worth looking at the alternative solutions that nature provides to all these problems.

Cleansing the face is an essential everyday task, but you need to avoid any harsh soaps that may irritate the skin. By washing the skin with chemically-enhanced soap you can strip it of its natural oils and leave yourself looking, quite literally, washed out. Purchasing natural skin cleanser for your face, will ensure that your face gets the best possible treatment. Many products use aloe vera, a gentle natural ingredient that allows your skin to be cleaned gently, without giving up its natural oils.

Using natural skin cleaning products has many advantages in that they do not contain anything that has been scientifically produced. If you find that you need to wash your face more frequently than once a day, normal soaps can affect the acid mantle of your skin. So looking for natural products is the best way to be kind to your skin