While it is no secret – your skin is the single largest organ in your body – sometimes it can be extremely difficult to keep it looking and feeling its absolute best! Whether you are seeking skin care advice for skin disorders, protection, or cosmetic purposes, the following tips and tricks are an excellent starting point.
To make sure that your skin is the best that it can be, you should use warm water to wash it every night. Using warm water not only gets rid of the oils on your skin better, the steam also opens up your pores and allows the water and any cleaning products you may use, to get in deeper and really clean them out.
When caring for your skin, you must be sure to wash it in warm water, instead of hot or cold water. Water that is too hot or too cold, has been shown to cause damage to the skin cells. The most common type of damage from hot water is excessive dryness, while cold water can cause wrinkles.
Anyone interested in prolonging the youthful appearance of their skin should consider regular application of a topical retinoid. Such preparations incorporate a healthy amount of vitamin A, and work to minimize the effects of aging and sun exposure. Routine use of these products boosts the production of collagen and helps the skin more effectively rid itself of dull dead skin cells.
If your skin is easily irritated, do not take it for granted that a skincare product that claims to be “for all skin types,” actually is. Instead, read the list of ingredients and avoid buying and using products that contain common irritating ingredients like camphor, menthol, witch hazel or citrus oils.
Sometimes colorless bumps, called keratosis pilaris, can form on the back of your arms. To help prevent these from forming, use a lotion that contains lactic acid twice a day. Every time you take a shower, make sure that you scrub the affected area with a loofa for at least thirty seconds. These steps help unclog the pores and smooth the bumps.
For extra soft and moisturized skin, spritz your body and face with a water bottle before moisturizing your skin with alcohol-free lotion. Make sure you don’t use hard water. Along with its normal moisturizing abilities, the lotion also works to lock the water in to keep your skin exceptionally soft and youthful looking.
In the winter you should double the amount of times that you exfoliate your skin. Exfoliating eliminates dead skin cells from the surface of your skin, allowing moisture to penetrate your skin more efficiently. If you do not exfoliate your skin frequently in the winter, your skin will look grey and dead.
If you have serious skin issues then you should consider a chemical skin treatment. In these treatments, special substances destroy the bonds between cells and remove keratinized layers. This will leave your skin looking smooth and healthy. However, this can cause reddening and allergic reactions in certain circumstances.
Use a tissue test to determine your skin type. Immediately after you wake up, lightly press a tissue against your face. You will be able to determine whether you have oily, dry, normal, or combination skin type by how much oil is absorbed by the tissue. This knowledge will be useful as you go to select skin care products.
To help your skin look its best, consider cutting back on the amount of milk you drink. Studies have shown that individuals who drink large quantities of milk experience more break-outs. Milk contains hormones, which can exacerbate skin problems. Try using soy milk as an alternative to cow’s milk.
If conventional methods or natural methods of scar removal don’t work for you, try dermabrasion. Dermabrasion involves taking away the top layers of skin to expose the younger skin underneath. Dermabrasion is done by using abrasive materials such as sandpaper or if you wish for a different solution, laser dermabrasion.
Keep your skin healthy by removing makeup with a product that has a good balance of alcohol and other ingredients. Some makeup removal products are basically rubbing alcohol with a couple other chemicals, which is too harsh for most skin types. Instead, find a makeup removal product that either has less alcohol or at least contains an ingredient which moisturizes or nourishes the skin.
Did you know that baths are less drying to your skin than showers can be? You can even add additional oils, either essential oils or carrier oils such as almond oil to a bath. Use warm water and don’t soak for longer then 10 minutes, unless you really need a long relaxing bath!
Sunscreen should be applied liberally and often. Reapply the sunscreen throughout the day. Some powders contain sunscreen. This powder comes in a small container, convenient to carry.
For the softest and smoothest legs, do not use a body scrub before shaving. The act of shaving itself will exfoliate the skin by removing both the hair and the top layer of dead skin. Your skin will be best protected if you wait until the end of the bath to shave; this ensures that you do not soak your skin in sloughed-off skin and shaving products.
Coconut oil is an excellent moisturizer for the skin. It is readily absorbed to combat dry skin, but is also effective against various skin conditions, such as eczema and psoriasis. Virgin coconut oil works to combat free-radicals, helping to delay wrinkles and skin aging. Use it daily to bring healing and moisture to dry, damaged skin.
Now that you are more familiar with some of the tips and tricks used to protect, maintain, and improve the texture, tone, and appearance of your skin, apply this information to your daily skin care regimen. Take good care of your skin! Someone has to look out for your largest organ! Your time and effort, doing so, will be well spent!
