The Best Skincare Regimen
Sometimes it may seem like your skin is impossible to manage. The good news is that there are easy ways
to prevent and treat common skin problems - read on for some tips.
Throughout this site we talk about tips on how to properly care for your skin, from the right way to wash your face, to the best moisturizers and sun protection.
How you care for your skin is dependent on the type of skin you have: oily, normal/combination, dry, sensitive or sun-damaged, acne-prone, or needing help to fight those wrinkles. Or a combination of these.
Step 1: Cleansing
You need to find a good gentle cleanser that cleans but does not strip your skin of necessary moisture. See Cleansers for some of my recommendations.
Avoid soaps as they tend to dry out the skin. Be careful not to cleanse too often. Washing twice per day is sufficient. Never wash your face with hot or cold water - use lukewarm before applying cleanser and cooler water to rinse.
You'll also want to take off your makeup with a proper makeup remover.
Step 2: Exfoliate
Exfoliation is something that most people only do occasionally but you should exfoliate at least once per week. Trust me, if you start properly exfoliating your skin, you will notice an almost immediate difference. I have heard it said that one of the reasons men's skin looks more youthful than women's is because men exfoliate daily when they shave. I know some women who have started shaving as part of their exfoliation regime but I really don't recommend it. Our skin tends to be more sensitive than men's and there are better solutions made specifically for women: Microdermabrasion, chemical peels and retinoids.
Exfoliating skin once a week with a microdermabrasion kit keeps skin glowing year-round. Make sure you use a gentle scrub with tiny grains. Big grains can tear skin and cause more harm than good. I have a page devoted to my favorite exfoliators.
What about using a toner? I personally do not think a toner is necessary if you use a good cleanser and many beauty experts agree with me. But many people swear by toners. Toners are meant to remove all remaining traces of oil, makeup and dirt, but a good cleanser should do this. Toners also claim to cool the skin and close the pores, but if you use cool water to rinse your cleanser from your face, you achieve the same result. If you like the way your skin feels with a toner then by all means use one.
Step 3: Moisturize
A basic law of beauty is that everyone, no matter her skin type, should moisturize. Even if your skin is oily, it will benefit from moisturizers. Even those with acne. Why? Moisturizers provide needed hydration for the skin. Be careful not to over moisturize -- this can cause clogged pores.
Are eye creams necessary or can we use the same moisturizer all over the face? Yes and no. The skin around the eye is thinner, more delicate and susceptible to wrinkles. Face creams may cause little bumps on sensitive skin. Special eye creams are also formulated to plump the skin and make it less susceptible to wrinkles - or help hide the ones that are already there.
Step 4: Apply Sunscreen
We all know we need to protect our skin from the sun's harmful rays. Of course, it's impossible to avoid the sun - who wants to hide indoors when it feels so great to get outside and be active? And the sun's not all bad, anyway. Sunlight helps our bodies create vitamin D.
Every single beauty expert says sunscreen is the most important part of your skincare regimen. It is the secret to pass on to your daughters.
The main cause of wrinkles is sun damage, so you should use a sunscreen all your life - starting with a mother putting it on her daughter. Even in winter and on cloudy days.
Throughout this site we talk about tips on how to properly care for your skin, from the right way to wash your face, to the best moisturizers and sun protection.
How you care for your skin is dependent on the type of skin you have: oily, normal/combination, dry, sensitive or sun-damaged, acne-prone, or needing help to fight those wrinkles. Or a combination of these.
Step 1: Cleansing
You need to find a good gentle cleanser that cleans but does not strip your skin of necessary moisture. See Cleansers for some of my recommendations.
Avoid soaps as they tend to dry out the skin. Be careful not to cleanse too often. Washing twice per day is sufficient. Never wash your face with hot or cold water - use lukewarm before applying cleanser and cooler water to rinse.
You'll also want to take off your makeup with a proper makeup remover.
Step 2: Exfoliate
Exfoliation is something that most people only do occasionally but you should exfoliate at least once per week. Trust me, if you start properly exfoliating your skin, you will notice an almost immediate difference. I have heard it said that one of the reasons men's skin looks more youthful than women's is because men exfoliate daily when they shave. I know some women who have started shaving as part of their exfoliation regime but I really don't recommend it. Our skin tends to be more sensitive than men's and there are better solutions made specifically for women: Microdermabrasion, chemical peels and retinoids.
Exfoliating skin once a week with a microdermabrasion kit keeps skin glowing year-round. Make sure you use a gentle scrub with tiny grains. Big grains can tear skin and cause more harm than good. I have a page devoted to my favorite exfoliators.
What about using a toner? I personally do not think a toner is necessary if you use a good cleanser and many beauty experts agree with me. But many people swear by toners. Toners are meant to remove all remaining traces of oil, makeup and dirt, but a good cleanser should do this. Toners also claim to cool the skin and close the pores, but if you use cool water to rinse your cleanser from your face, you achieve the same result. If you like the way your skin feels with a toner then by all means use one.
Step 3: Moisturize
A basic law of beauty is that everyone, no matter her skin type, should moisturize. Even if your skin is oily, it will benefit from moisturizers. Even those with acne. Why? Moisturizers provide needed hydration for the skin. Be careful not to over moisturize -- this can cause clogged pores.
Are eye creams necessary or can we use the same moisturizer all over the face? Yes and no. The skin around the eye is thinner, more delicate and susceptible to wrinkles. Face creams may cause little bumps on sensitive skin. Special eye creams are also formulated to plump the skin and make it less susceptible to wrinkles - or help hide the ones that are already there.
Step 4: Apply Sunscreen
We all know we need to protect our skin from the sun's harmful rays. Of course, it's impossible to avoid the sun - who wants to hide indoors when it feels so great to get outside and be active? And the sun's not all bad, anyway. Sunlight helps our bodies create vitamin D.
Every single beauty expert says sunscreen is the most important part of your skincare regimen. It is the secret to pass on to your daughters.
The main cause of wrinkles is sun damage, so you should use a sunscreen all your life - starting with a mother putting it on her daughter. Even in winter and on cloudy days.
