Daily and Weekly Skin Care Routine
Daily and Weekly Skin Care Routine
Caring for your skin is not an optional item on your daily list of things to do. The way you look plays a very crucial role in
shaping the way you feel about yourself. When your skin is fresh and glowing with good health, you feel confident and
self-assured. Proper skin care gives you great looking skin which works wonders for your self-esteem!
Daily Skin Care Routine
No matter what your skin type, having a regular cleansing regimen every day is critical for good skin health. Most skin experts advise that excessive cleaning should also be avoided at all costs. Washing your skin twice a day with a good facial cleanser that is designed for your skin type helps keep acne and other skin infections under control.
Cleansing gets rid of left over makeup and cosmetics that will end up clogging your pores. It also removes any sweat and environmental impurities from the surface of the skin. Many cleansers also hydrate the skin and make it supple and elastic. It is very important to use the correct cleanser for your skin type. Do not use regular soap to wash your face. Regular soap is high alkaline which will dry out your skin. Some also contain perfume which removes the normal protective sebum layer from your skin. This tends to make your skin loses its normal moisture and in some cases may even stimulate an oily skin to produce more oil.
Toning your skin is the second step in your daily skin care regimen. Toner gets rid of any excess cleanser that is still on your skin, it refreshes the skin and even out its pH levels. It also enhances cell renewal and refines the texture of your skin. Use a toner that gives your skin the vitamins and minerals it needs and you will see your skin revitalized in no time at all. The toner should be applied right after the cleansing (twice a day) and be left on.
Protecting your skin from sun rays is another daily skin care routine that you should adopt. Sun blocks are available for all skin types. Select one that suits yours and use it diligently whenever you need to go out.
Moisturizing your skin and keeping it well hydrated is an important step to follow. It helps the skin to maintain its normal moisture balance, puts lost moisture back into your skin and it also helps create the perfect base for your foundation. Many people with oily skin believe that moisturizing is unnecessary for them. But this may not really be true. Allowing your skin to get excessively dry may actually worsen your
oily skin problems and cause acne or red patches. Drink plenty of water each day to clear out the toxins from your skin and to keep it supple and elastic all day long.
Another daily skin care tip is to pay attention to the products that you use on your skin each day and note how your skin feels or reacts afterwards. This helps you identify the cosmetics, creams and moisturizers that suit your skin best and have the least harmful impact. The same attention needs to be paid to the hair care products you use since these may also have an effect on your skin, especially if you have sensitive skin.
Weekly Skin Care Routine- Exfoliation
To support your daily skincare routine, it is also important for you to take some extra care over the weekend to get your skin ready for the week ahead. Although some experts recommend exfoliation as a daily routine, I recommend that you do it once or twice a week. This is quite sufficient for good skin health.
What is Exfoliation?
Exfoliation is the process of removing old, dead skin cells that remain on the outermost surface of your skin. This is an important part of facial skin care and body treatment. Exfoliation, when done correctly, leaves your skin looking and feeling fresh and smooth. Since the outer layer of dead cells is removed by this process, creams, serums and moisturizers penetrate the skin better and have better effect when applied after exfoliation.
When to Exfoliate?
It is not necessary to carry out exfoliation every day. This is necessary only when there is enough build-up of dead cells over the skin surface to be detrimental to overall skin health/appearance. To know when to exfoliate, here is a simple test you can use. Apply a piece of clear tape to your forehead and rub gently. When you remove it and you see tiny pieces of flaky skin adhering to it, you need to exfoliate.
Exfoliation becomes even more important as you become older. As part of normal body processes, the skin renews cells at the lower layer or dermis. These rise to the surface (epidermis), keratinizing as they advance. These keratin-filled cells form a protective outermost layer of skin. In time, they slough off and allow new cells to take their place and the cycle goes on.
However, as we age (near age of 40 and above), the process of cell regeneration and replacement slows down dramatically. As a result of uneven sloughing off and replacement with new cells, the skin loses its glow and becomes rough. Exfoliation is very essential in such conditions to remove the dead cells that remain on the epidermis so that new cells can take their place.
Exfoliation is a very effective solution to many skin problems, especially those arising from or aggravated by closed pores. Checking periodically if this process is necessary and doing it as soon as the right signs appear helps keep your skin in great condition.
How to Exfoliate
There are four ways in which you can exfoliate the dead skin cells: Granular, Cream, Enzyme and Chemical.
Granular exfoliation is best to use on young teenage skins with no acne. Usually fine peach pits are in the exfoliation and this helps to remove any dead skin cells. Use a wet sponge to remove the scrub from your face.
Cream exfoliation is best to use on mature skins (women between 40-50 years). It looks like cream and is applied in a thin layer and left to dry. No steam is used during this. Once it’s dry, you can rub it off with dry fingers.
Enzyme exfoliation is usually used with a steamer and it works well on older skin types and acne skins. It is also a cream that you apply. The steamer then activates the enzymes to work on your skin. Remove it with sponges.
Chemical exfoliation is used to remove any spots, blemishes and acne scars from the face. Both enzyme and chemical exfoliation are done at spas, skin care studios or at medical skin care centers where experienced professionals oversee the process.
Microdermabrasion is also a commonly used facial exfoliation method. There are options here as well and you can choose between crystal microdermabrasion and diamond tip microdermabrasion. However, this is a far more aggressive treatment involving the use of special machinery.
