Do You Love The Skin Your In?

The skin is the largest organ of the body!  It protects the inside of the body from anything outside the body.  It is always growing, and that is why it is important to take care of it so it repairs itself and stays healthy. 

Everything we eat, stress, and the environment affect the health of the skin.  If skin is healthy it resists aging, heals faster and staves off disease!

The skin is a barrier that with proper skin care will prevent infection.  Keeping the skin moist strengthens the barrier.  When skin is dry or irritated it cracks leaving you more prone to infection. 

Skin care products should be free of perfumes, and soaps should be gentle.  Moisturizing daily with the proper type of moisturizer is a must to keep skin healthy.

Proper skin care is enhanced if you know your skin type (dry, oily, combination), whether or not it is sensitive, and if you have any conditions such as acne, rosacea, or eczema for example.

Protecting yourself from harmful chemicals in all products, getting enough sleep and relaxation, and exercising regularly all contribute to that healthy glow we all crave!

In addition to all of the above suggestions, understanding what skin care products to choose and how to apply them is imperative.  Below is a list of some types of products and how they are best used.

Cleansers

• Choose a face cleanser that is right for your needs and use twice per day
  • Ultra-moisturizing
  • Anti-aging
  • Acne-prevention
• Determine if you prefer a bar soap or liquid soap for the body
  • Choose non-drying varieties 

Toners

• Choose a toner depending on skin type.
  • Oily vs. normal or dry
• Use a toner to help balance the pH in the skin, remove excess makeup left behind after cleansing, and to reduce pores

Moisturizers

• Choose the moisturizer based on your skin type
  • Oily vs. dry or normal
• Apply moisturizer in upward strokes and massage into skin to protect against aging, sagging skin
  • Massaging moisturizer into skin helps it to absorb easily, increases circulation and helps restore skin, and reduces puffiness.
• Select different moisturizers for morning and evening as each has different properties and both are beneficial to skin health

Scrubs

• Excellent choice for exfoliation of dead surface skin cells
• Increases circulation bringing blood to the surface for a healthy glow

• Helps blemishes, pigmentation, dark marks, clogged pores

• Avoid sun for 24 hours after using scrubs
• 2 times per week for face and body is recommended

Masks

• Choose a mask based on your skin type
  • Oily vs. normal or dry
• Clay masks help remove toxins, bacterial imbalance and inflammation from skin, as they are made from earth’s minerals
  • Unclogs and shrinks pores
  • Anti-bacterial and healing
  • Purifies skin
  • Oxygenates cells
  • Regulates oil production
  • Rejuvenates skin and improves skin tone
• Cream masks are easy to apply and can be left on overnight for extra moisturizing conditioning.

Sunscreen

• Use SPF 15-30 regularly to protect skin from the damage of excess sun exposure

A good skincare regimen, drinking water, avoiding sun, proper diet, exercise, sleep and not smoking are all needed for healthy skin.  This is a great way to ensure that you are protecting yourself on the inside and the outside from the deleterious effects of aging.

In addition, choose skin care productsthat are organic with minimal ingredients to keep your skin resilient against aging, the environment and stress.