Tips for Maintaining a Healthy Skin

Skincare is the new trend in the world of insecurity of “looking youthful”. Maintaining skin through a skincare course can reverse the damage done by makeup and pollution and sun damage.

The simplest of all skincare courses has already been followed since a long time. Cleaning your skin and then protecting it. Also, known as cleansing and moisturizing. But to craft a better skincare routine for oneself, one must understand one’s skin type better. This skin care course should be followed rigorously for a skin care training and better skin in the long run.

Skin types are distributed more widely as such:

1. Normal Skin: Has a healthy pH balance and natural oil/sebum production
2. Dry Skin: Lacks natural oils of skin, dries out quicky
3. Sensitive Skin: Is reactive to most products
4. Oily Skin: produces an excess amount of natural oils
5. Combination Skin: Is oily in some areas of the face and dry in others

How to take care of your skin:

A basic skincare routine should comprise all under this section.

A full face of makeup worn on the day surely accumulates face’s natural sebum and oils. Furthermore, makeup products in themselves contain a fair share of oil-based substances in their manufacturing. Thus, removing the makeup is important before getting a good night’s sleep.

The skin care course built for skin types will determine which products shall be used in the subsequent steps as the concentration of compounds in those can make the difference in being beneficial or damaging.

Before the first step: cleansing; one must remove makeup by the use of makeup remover. This is available in the form of wipes, liquid makeup removers, creams or lotion-based makeup removers and natural oils.

Many professional makeup remover solutions in wipes and liquid solution contain a good amount of alcohol; so as to not leave any residue behind on skin. This might work very well for oily skins or combination types. Dry and sensitive skins might be affected by the use of alcohol and such skin types might become even more dry, itchy or irritated. A preferrable type for such skin types would be cream or lotion-based removers where one applies such on the skin using the hands and works it on the face to dissolve it by a rubbing motion.

Natural oils are also an option. Natural oils like grape seed oil is lighter and might be suitable for normal skin types but jojoba oils can be really heavy and only be suitable for dry skins.

Step 1: Cleanse

Even though makeup removers are successful in removing majority of the makeup; some dirt and grime still remain. This is why, cleansers are used. There are two types of cleansers: oil-based cleansers and water-based cleansers.

Oil based cleansers attract oily impurities that would have been hard to wash away with water-based cleansers. Water-based cleansers are effective in washing away sweat and dust.

Ingredients of cleansers are of prime importance as well. Salicylic acid is a beta hydroxy, which is an oil-soluble chemical that can penetrate the pores and decrease oil production and gets rid of dead skin cells. Salicylic acid is a common chemical also found in chemical peels/exfoliants as well. Triclosan and parachlorometaxylenol also reduce bacteria breeding on the skin. Cleansers will benzoyl peroxide can also help the same way salicylic acid does.

One should stay away from cleansers that have fragrances and anionic surfactants like carboxylate, sulfonate and sulfate ions. A warning meant especially for those with dry and sensitive skin as these can severely irritate it. For with dry and sensitive skin types look for cleansers that also contain ceramides in small doses. Ceramides are fats and lipids that naturally occur in our skin.

Step 2: Treatment/ Exfoliant

Though exfoliating is not a part of regular skincare routine, it needs to be done 2-3 times a week.

This can be done by the use of physical or chemical exfoliants.

Physical exfoliants means using scrubs that contain micro-abrasive substances or certain tools that brush against the upper epidermis layer of the skin making micro abrasions. These abrasions are useful for rejunvating skin and promoting new turnover of cells every now and then. Though, care must be taken not to do it too much or too harshly. Physical exfoliants as such are more suitable for oily, or combination skin types since they can withstand the abrasive cleaning.

Sensitive skin types should opt for chemical exfoliants instead. Chemical exfoliants that contain AHAs (alpha hydroxy acid) and BHAs (beta hydroxy acid).

Exfoliants under AHA such as citric acid, glycolic acid, lactic acid, tartaric acid etc promote collage and blood flow and treat scars and spots. These are more effective in treating underlying skin issues.

While AHAs are water soluble and derived from sugary fruits, BHAs are oil-soluble. BHAs being oil-soluble can penetrate deep into the skin to dry out oily pores and treat acne scars and even treat the damage done by sun.

A skincare product with a combination of AHA and BHA would yield a good result when used overtime for all skin types.

Step 3: Hydrate

The use of cleansers and exfoliants can be a bit harsh and drying to the skin. Thus, as a part of 3rd step of the skin care routine; the natural levels of hydration and pH have to be brought back to normal.

Toners were manufactured for balancing the pH level of the skin which get disturbed by harsh soaps. Serums contain a few active ingredients in heavier concentrations that aim to fight specific skin issues. Essences are a watered-down version of serums; though nowadays, these have become trendy buzzwords on the internet thanks to the rise of fascination with Korean skin care course.

In addition to all of these, sometimes, face sheet masks can be incorporated in the skincare regime. Sheet masks come with their own incorporated serum-like components that aim to fix skin issues. Contrarily though, sheet masks like exfoliants need not be done every day.

Step 4: Moisturize

Moisturisers are needed for the final step. To seal down the nourishments of the skin. Moisturisers are of 3 types: Humectants, occlusives and emollients,

Simply put, Humectants attract water; ideally from deeper layers of skin. Emollients soften the skin by filling in the gaps and occlusives stop the skin from losing moisture by creating a barrier.

A general rule of skincare is to apply products from the thinnest to thicket consistency. In case of moisturisers, humectants should be applied first, emollients next and occlusives last.

Step 5: Sunscreen/Night cream

The last step is applying a sunscreen. If this skincare course is being used at night, optionally one could apply night cream; though moisturisers generally lock everything in.

Sunscreen is important to save skin from more possible sun damage one endures by stepping out in the sun.