Skin care is not just about beautification and cosmetic enhancement. Taking care of your skin can improve your overall health and make you feel a lot better about yourself, no matter who you are. The skin is the body’s largest organ, and neglecting it can be downright dangerous. Here are a few quick tips to help you treat your skin better:
To give your skin a little boost, use a good quality moisturizer. When your face feels dry and tight, it is telling you that your skin is losing moisture. A moisturizer that is properly formulated for your skin type can seal in the natural moisture without making your skin feel oily.
To keep your youthful glow exfoliate your skin daily with a wash cloth or other textured cloth. In addition you should exfoliate with a sea sponge or exfoliating cleanser once a week. Removing the old, dead skin cells from the top layer of your skin allows the new, softer skin cells underneath to be seen.
One great way to refresh your skin, especially in the summer, is to use a cotton ball soaked in witch hazel. Witch hazel is a mild herbal-based toner, low in alcohol. It will deal with the oiliness that builds up on your face on a hot summer day, but not in a drying way, and will leave your face feeling cool and refreshed
Strangely enough, you need to use moisturizer even if you have oily skin. If your skin is oily, and you skip the moisturizer, your skin will go into overtime producing oil to replace the oil you’ve just removed. So your face will end up oilier than before. Use a mild oil-free moisturizer so that your skin doesn’t decide to rev up oil production again.
It is important to purge the dead skin cells and excess debris that may form on your face while you are outside. Relaxing in a sauna, steam room or hot tub for twenty minutes can open your pores and let in oxygen, improving the way that you feel and look.
Sometimes colorless bumps, called keratosis pilaris, can form on the back of your arms. To help prevent these from forming, use a lotion that contains lactic acid twice a day. Every time you take a shower, make sure that you scrub the affected area with a loofa for at least thirty seconds. These steps help unclog the pores and smooth the bumps.
There are items commonly found in the home, like baking soda, that can really help your skin. Form a paste by mixing the baking soda with a small amount of water. Use this paste to help remove acne. When combined with warm water, you can use it to get rid of styling product residue on the scalp.
Skin care regimes differ for each skin type. Find a cleanser that works for your type, and stick with it. If you have oily or combination skin types, try gel or foaming cleansers. Normal and dry skin types should stick with cream based cleansers. Toners are optional, but do wonders for your skin. Try them out, and go from there.
After spending the day out in the snow, it’s tempting to go inside for a nice hot bath, but you should avoid having the water too hot. Intense heat from a bath or shower, can break down the lipid barriers in your skin. If your skin has already become dry and itchy, try a lukewarm bath with baking soda or oatmeal, to help to relieve your skin.
Even a little bit of skin care can go a long way. When you pay a little bit of attention to your skin’s health, it will reward you many times over. Besides improving your overall health, taking care of your skin will keep you looking younger and healthier for years to come.
