FACIAL SKIN CARE

Beauty begins with the proper caring of the skin. Clear, healthy skin is the perfect canvas for makeup. A skin care line should be simple, effective and easy to use.

In your 20’s your skin should look its best. It can however be adversely affected by allergies, hormonal imbalances, stress, and exposure to the elements.

In your 30’s your skin may begin to lose the bloom of youth. You may begin to see the appearance of dryness and fine lines. The skin tends to be more sensitive and extra special care is required during this period.
In your 40’s your hormone production slows and the skin begins to lose tone and elasticity, giving rise to wrinkles, creases and fine lines.

While these changes occur naturally as you age, they can be minimized and controlled by properly caring for your skin. Cleansing, toning and moisturizing your skin twice daily can help you rejuvenate and revive
your skin.
Now that you have a better understanding of your skin and how it works, I am sure you will appreciate that the time to begin your personal skincare routine is NOW!



CLEANSERS
Today’s women have the choice of several different brands and types of cleansers. To simplify matters, we group cleansers into two basic categories: “tissue-off” cleansers and “rinse-off” cleansers.
• Tissue-off cleansers which are normally referred to as “cream” or “milk” cleansers have a high oil content. It is these oils, which combine with and help to remove makeup, facial oils, and grime allowing them to be easily wiped away.
“Tissue-off” cleansers are less drying and are more suitable for normal to dry skin types.
• Rinse-off cleansers are water-based and incorporate some type of detergent to help remove makeup and excess oils. This type of cleanser is recommended for women with oily or combination skin. It should be mild enough to gently and effectively cleanse your skin without drying. Gels, foaming cleansers and facial washes are normally referred to as “rinse-off” cleansers.

TONERS
There are many misconceptions about the role of toners and astringents in a skin care routine. Firstly, they are an essential step in the skin care routine. They remove traces of makeup or residue that your cleanser misses, and “prepares” the skin for moisturizing. The term toner, freshener or astringent is often used interchangeably. If you have normal, combination or oily skin use an astringent containing a low percentage of alcohol and skin soothers like allantoin. For normal to dry skin use an alcohol-free freshener with ingredients such as witch hazel and other natural extracts.


MOISTURIZERS
Moisturizers act as a protective barrier between your skin and the environment. Although your skin manufactures its own oils, it is usually removed during the process of cleansing. It is therefore necessary to replenish these natural oils. A basic moisturizer should contain water and other ingredients that
attract and trap moisture onto the skin. It should also contain emollients which nourish the skin.

DAILY MOISTURIZERS (with Sunscreen)
A mere quarter of a century ago, it was not as important to wear a sunscreen as it is today. The ozone layer, which surrounds the earth, serves to deflect the harmful ultra-violet (UV) rays of the sun. Over the years this layer has steadily deteriorated, allowing through far more harmful UV rays. Every day you are exposed to UV rays that damages your skin causing sunburn, skin diseases and premature aging. UVB rays cause sunburn especially in the summer while UVA rays are responsible for premature aging. These UV rays are present every day whether the sun is out or not.

Please bear in mind that a higher SPF does not necessarily mean better protection, but longer protection. An SPF 15 product for instance, will provide you with 95% protection while an SPF 50 product will give you 98% protection. The difference is negligible. Moisturizers with a higher SPF factor tend to be too oily. 


NIGHT MOISTURIZERS
At the end of the day your skin needs to rejuvenate. At bedtime use a moisturizer that is rich in emollients and which contains ingredients that are designed to hydrate and revitalize your skin while you sleep.

CTM (Cleanse, Tone and Moisturise) procedure should be done morning and night. 


culled from Makeup Secrets by Kamla Regrello