Perfect look starts with perfect skin

Applying make-up is not only about looking good, it is also about having fun and expressing your personal style. The first step in applying make-up is obviously to start with a clean face. Think of make-up as applying colours to the canvas of your face. If you have a smooth, even surface as your canvas, your final painting will be perfect! The care you give to your skin depends to a large extent on your skin type. Determine your skin type and pick appropriate products

•Normal: Skin is velvety, with small pores, and no visible acne.
•Oily : Skin has enlarged pores with shiny patches. Frequent breakouts may occur on the face, back, arms, and possibly the chest.
•Dry: Skin has very small, invisible pores with possible dry and itchy patches. The cheeks, arms, legs, chest, and belly may be particularly dry.

Combination: Skin is dry across the cheeks and oily on the forehead, chin, and nose. Arms may be dry and back may be oily. Sensitive: Skin is either oily or dry with irritated and itchy patches. Skin may also be blotchy and reddened with frequent breakouts. If you’re not sure what type of skin you have, ask your dermatologist or a skin care professional. Note that skin on the body may be a different type than facial skin. A daily routine of skin care requires no more than ten minutes and three simple steps each morning and evening: 1 Cleanse,  2 Tone,   3 Moisturise and Protect

Step 1: Cleansing
The first step of the basic skin care routine is cleansing or removing the dirt, make-up, oil and general daily grime from your face. This can be done with a liquid or cream cleanser. Wash your hands first to remove any bacteria from the hands, and then simply wash your face, using the product appropriate for your skin type. Be careful not to be too rough on your skin, gentle is best. Do not stretch, drag or pull your skin. Let your fingers glide over your skin in an upwards and outwards motion. This will help delay eventual muscle loss and sagging of the skin. Thoroughly rinse your face by splashing your face five to ten  times with warm water.

Step 2: Toning
Use a toner or astringent applied to a cotton pad to remove any last traces of make-up, oil and grime. Some people consider this an optional step; however, it is critical in maintaining the health of your skin. Toning restores the normal PH balance to your skin. Try it and see for yourself the residue that your cleanser leaves behind on your cotton pad! Pay particular attention to the amount of alcohol in the toner. Those with higher levels of alcohol can be used for persons with oily or combination skin types and those with lower levels of alcohol for drier skin types. If your skin is very dry, use an alcohol free toner. For oilier skin types, a clarifying astringent helps to control oil production and soothe the skin.

Step 3: Moisturising and Protection
The third step of your routine is moisturising or replenishing the natural moisture that your skin loses through cleansing and daily life. Again, different skin types will require different types of moisturisers. Dry skin would require creamier moisturisers such as essential nutrients day lotion with SPF 15. Oilier skin types also benefit from moisturising. Combination to oily skin would benefit from moisturisers that have an oil control or mattifying agent. Two good moisturisers for oily and combination skin types are all day oil control and Clarant B3.

Most wrinkles are caused by overexposure to the sun, even on darker skin tones. It is important for those of all skin types and all ages to use a sunscreen. For the face, an SPF (Sun Protection Factor) of 15 is generally considered the minimum required to guard against the risk of sun damage, skin cancer, premature aging and wrinkling. Often, facial moisturisers include sunscreen, but check your current brand to make sure that it has a sun protection agent. Your foundation if it includes a sunscreen can also provide added protection against the damaging effects of the sun.

Perfect Skin - the Do’s and Don’ts

Do Exercise:
People who are physically fit look good and feel good. Exercise brings more oxygen and nutrients to the skin so that it is firmer and better nourished. It also benefits the skin by helping maintain a clear circulation, calming the nerves and promoting deeper, more revitalising sleep. So move more, for beautiful skin!

Do Drink Water: 
Water is essential for the hydration of the skin to keep it moist, soft, supple and clear. Loss of moisture from the skin is one of the main causes of wrinkles. You should drink at least eight glasses of water a day.

Do Rest:
The average amount of sleep we need is eight hours a night but less than half of us only have five to six hours. Lack of sleep makes your eyes puffy and will make your skin look dry and dull.

Do Eat Properly:
It is very important to maintain a proper diet. You should eat at least five portions of fruit or vegetables a day to keep your vitamin levels up. Try to avoid fatty foods as they can contribute to acne and make your skin greasy. Don’t Smoke: Smoking reduces blood flow to the skin and decreases the amount of vitamins such as Vitamin A.  Points to note:

• Smokers in their forties have as many wrinkles as non-smokers in their sixties do. Smoking affects the development of wrinkles even among people in their twenties and thirties.
• Smokers tend to have particularly bad wrinkles around the mouth and eyes. You can see the wrinkles around the mouth really easily in women who wear lipstick. The lipstick bleeds into the wrinkles, making funny-looking jagged edges.

Don’t overdo the Alcohol
Alcohol can dehydrate the skin and cause poor circulation, thus robbing the skin of precious moisture and depletes the body of vitamins and minerals needed for a healthy complexion. Not only is stress bad for you physically as well as mentally, but it is also bad for your skin. Your face can break out and look dull. So chill out!

Next Week: The Right Foundation for You Crysande H?chst is a professional make-up artist. If you have any beauty questions you can send them to crysande@gmx.de or call 646-0666 or 689-1527.