Caring for your skin

Rather than wasting time and money on products that will not work for your skin, focus on the types of skin and the kinds of products that will work for you. We will be looking at skin care in terms of oily, dry, acne-prone and ageing skin. For those with combination skin (oily T-zone) since more than 50 percent of your face is oily, follow the oily skin advice. If you suffer from acne and have oily skin you may be able to follow both sets of advice.

CLEANSER The type of cleanser depends on the type of skin: For dry skin, creamy type cleansers work well. Things like cold cream, or creamy cleansers can help keep dry skin hydrated and moist.

For oily skin, clear lathering cleansers, cleansing gels and handmade soaps.

For acne prone skin, cleansers containing salicylic acid, witch hazel, tea tree oil are good. There is even a line of skin care with cleansers, including mud, that are really great for acne prone and oily skin.

For both oily and acne-prone skin over cleansing is counterproductive. It can actually make the problem worse.

You need to clean it effectively and moisturise well. Morning and just before bed is enough. If you get greasy during that time, use oil blotting sheets to soak up the excess or spritz mineral water on your face to keep things under control.

For more mature skin, a cleanser with a low dose chemical exfoliator like Alpha Hydroxy Acid (AHA)or Beta Hydroxy Acids (BHA) or Retinol A can help keep skin looking bright and fresh and even toned. This is really good for men as well to help keep ingrown facial hair under control.

All skin types can bene_ t from using oil cleansers, whether you have oily, normal, acne prone, ageing or combination skin there is a formula for you. Yes, you can use oil to clean your skin and no it won ’t leave you greasy. The type of skin you have will determine the type of cleansing oil you use.

TONER Toners are an important part of skincare. It is a liquid used to help reduce oiliness and improve the texture and clarity of skin. Toner helps to get any residual dirt or makeup not washed away by your cleanser. You can consider it an extremely gentle exfoliant. So, if you are prone to acne, have oily or dry skin this step is not optional. It can be as simple as glycerine and rose water mixed or micellar cleansing water or something more luxurious. It makes sure your skin is super clean and ready to accept the moisturiser or serum that comes next.

MOISTURISERS Some brands urge the use of different moisturisers for daytime and night. The argument is that the formulation for a daytime moisturiser is by necessity is lighter and the formulas for night can be more potent. While I get the logic, I still don’t feel it completely necessary. Using a serum at night before your moisturiser can give your skin the extra attention it needs, without having to buy a second moisturiser.

Dry skin moisturisers should contain a humectant, that is an element that attracts water to the skin from the atmosphere, such as glycerine or hyaluronic acid and an oil as a sealant to help lock in the moisture Oily skin still needs hydration, it can be a lotion or hydrating gel or even an astringent type facial oil. If you want to be less oily, the solution is surprisingly, more oil. Using facial oils helps to regulate oil production over time. When you are finished moisturising, be sure to use a primer. A good primer will give you some sunscreen protection and creates a canvas to apply your makeup. It can even be worn on its own and will give you a matte finish and keep your face that way for a few hours. Just be sure to find the right formula, as some primers can make ethnic skins look a little grey and ashy.

If you have acne prone skin, you cannot focus on just the cleansing aspect, moisturising is equally important, since the moisturiser will have ingredients to get down into the pores and keep them clear. When choosing a moisturiser for your acne prone skin be sure the label says non-comedogenic (that means it won’t clog your pores). Ingredients like grape seed, jojoba and tea tree oils are great for oily and acne prone skin. Just like oily skin, look for a light lotion or moisturising gel.

EXFOLIATOR Exfoliation is important to skin health. Having a regular shedding of the outer layer of skin cells is critical for a lot of reasons: • It helps prevent breakouts. Removing the dead skin cells means they aren’t hanging around to clog pores.

It also speeds up the fading of acne marks.

• Regular cell turnover keeps skin looking bright and fresh and the dullness, age spots and crepe textured skin associated with ageing at bay.

• Manual exfoliation can help with circulation in the skin, can help reduce the appearance of cellulite, and on the face, can help with tone, smoothness and firmness.

There are two main types of exfoliation, chemical and manual.

Chemical exfoliation is usually an alpha or beta hydroxy acid or Retinol, all of which speed up the turnover of skin cells.

This is great to help treat and prevent acne and to remove stretch marks.

Manual exfoliation, this is usually a scrub of some type. My favourite face scrub involves rice and foams slightly. Some scrubs use sugar, some salt and some use tiny plastic micro-beads, one even uses ground walnut shells.

Be careful when exfoliating, since too much can do more damage than good. Abusing chemical exfoliants over time can thin skin, and skin is extremely vulnerable to sun damage immediately after use. A high percentage AHA, BHA or Retinol is not better than a lower one. Too high and you can be burned. What counts is regular use and correct aftercare.

Exercise caution with manual exfoliation as well. The size and shape of the grit are very important. Too small and they can get stuck in your pores (Yes, it happens). If they have sharp edges they can scratch and damage the skin.

SERUM Serums are really concentrated treatments for your skin.

They tend to be a bit expensive but a little goes a long way.

A good quality serum will suggest you apply a drop or two or a small amount, so even though you spend a lot for a little bit, it will last a long time. For more mature, rough textured or acne prone skin, I would strongly suggest a serum. After cleanser and toner, before bed, apply your serum, then your moisturiser. While you sleep and your skin regenerates, it will be more effective than wearing it during the day when you’re out and about and sweating it off.

These serums are really strong, so don’t abuse them. A single use will improve your skin but long term, correct use will be even better. Serums are available for a wide range of issues, pore reducing, anti-ageing, skin repair, brightening, dark spot correction, firming and pore clearing.

MASKS Masks are important to good skincare – don’t skip them. Try using a mask of some kind once or twice a week to address any skin issues you might be having. They offer more concentrated treatment than your regular skincare regimen.

Consider your regular skin care routine, maintenance and the masks the key to resolving whatever issue you might be having. You can whip up your own with stuff in your kitchen or buy very effective ones in the store. I also love sheet masks. They are great since they are easy to use and allow you to treat your skin issues without any roughness to the skin. There is no need to rub and scrub and stretch the skin to remove the mask like the traditional masks applied directly to the skin. If you shop online, you can get tons of single use sheet masks for US$1- $2. Granted you do look like a horror movie character for about 40 minutes, but they are quite juicy and fun and they are cheap, I found one locally, for all of $25 and the store had a fair range and it worked like a dream.

With just a little effort and a little time you too can see great improvement in your skin