A Healthy Skin

The skin is one of the the largest organ of the human body. The outer part of the skin - uppermost part of the epidermis -is made up of dead cells while in the the lower part of the epidermis live cells are continuously produced. Skin care is very essential for the prolongation of youthful looks, not only for women but also for men. With a little care, skin problems can be avoided, controlled or cured.

A healthy skin is characterized by slight moisture, softness, flexibility, slightly acidic and absence of any blemish or disease. Also it will have a smooth, fine-grained texture, be affirmable visually and by touch. A woman can have the most attractive features and the most alluring curves, but unless she possess a spotless skin she can never qualify as a beauty queen.

A number of things influence your skin. The genes of your parents, the climatic conditions in which you live, the changing weather, your working and living environment, your activities and emotions all have a big effect on the way you look. You cannot choose your genes or change the elements of the geographic locale you live in, but with a bit of sensible care, you can certainly make your skin look ravishingly beautiful.

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Types of Skin

A healthy, normal skin is supple, elastic, unblemished, velvety, with no enlarged pores or flaky dead cells. The skin may occasionally have pimples, but acne is never a big problem. Normal skin may get wrinkled as time passes, but regular moisturizing can help slow down the process. To know how to take care of normal skin , click here.

A dry skin is flaky and dull looking, especially on the cheeks and around the eyes. The skin has a tendency towards broken veins and dry patches. Even in the teens, fine lines can appear on the cheek and at the corners of the mouth. Dry skin gets reddened and sore in cold weather. However, spots and blemishes appear very rarely on it. This skin needs a lot of care. To know how to take care of dry skin, click here

Oily / greasy skin:

Oily skin is shiny, with a coarse texture and open pores on the chin and round the sides of the nose. If you hold a tissue on an un-made-up oily skin, and then release it, you will notice that the tissue is slightly greasy. This skin is prone to spots and even acne on the chin, cheekbones and forehead. To know how to take care of oily skin, click here

This is a very common skin type. A lot of people have this skin. In this skin type, the middle of the face (patches on the forehead, nose and the chin) is shiny with a dilated and coarse texture. The rest of the face is either normal or dry skin. The cheekbones and the eye area is dry, and fine lines can appear early in life. Pimples can appear on the greasy areas – the chin, the sides of the nose or the forehead. To know how to take care of this type of skin, click here

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Care for your Skin

Taking care of the skin is a very important job. Cleaning, toning and nourishing are the three basic ingredients of skin care. If this care is neglected, the surface layer of the skin is never at it’s best. Lack of cleaning, for example, can result in a build-up of dead cells. Each skin type needs a different type of care.

The skin should be cleaned with a light cleansing cream applied in generous blobs on cheeks, chin, forehead and throat. Always pull back your hair before putting on cream to avoid making them greasy. Massage the cream into your face with light upward strokes, and then remove with cotton wool. Take care to avoid the eye area when you work. After cleaning your face, apply eye make-up removal cream. Apply it in small quantity and after rubbing it, gently wipe it with cotton.

You should follow this cleaning routine every night. In the morning, use a gentle perfumed soap and water, or you may follow the same process of cleaning with the cream. A normal skin will not be adversely affected by water, but make sure that all traces of soap are rinsed away thoroughly and that the skin is moisturized afterwards.

After cleaning the skin, toning with a mild skin tonic to refresh the skin and closing the pores is necessary. Never choose a harsh astringent lotion for this purpose. Rose water based products are the best. Take the lotion in a cotton ball and dab it gently over the face.

After toning, moisturize your skin with a mild liquid moisturizer . Apply it with the tip of your fingers. Always use it after cleaning your skin and before applying make-up in the morning. The moisturizer forms an invisible, protective barrier that helps in protecting the skin from drying out during exposure to the natural elements. Extra care should be taken of the eye area by applying eye cream or eye oil at night, patting it sparingly with the tip of index finger.

Clean your dry skin with rich cleansing cream specially formulated for dry skin. Apply generously to throat, cheeks, forehead and nose. Massage it with light fingertip strokes and then remove it with a cotton ball. Follow this routine twice a day. Avoid using tap water on your face. If you want to wash your face with water, use mineral water and a creamy face wash instead of soap.

After cleaning, tone your face using a very delicate and light preparation. Best alternative would be rose water diluted with mineral water. Apply gently with cotton wool, avoiding eyes and the upper cheek area.

Moisturizing of dry skin is an important task. You should do it with two kinds of cream; mild, yet nourishing cream during day, and a strong cream for night. It is possible to buy a rich night cream for dry skin which disappears rapidly into the pores and saves you from the discomfort of going to bed with a greasy face. Also apply moisturizing cream on your neck once a day. The skin of neck is very soft and wrinkles more quickly, so special care is needed for it. Every night mild under-eye cream should also be applied with the pads of your index fingers in very gentle movements.

Oily Skin:

Oily skin needs cleaning two to three times a day. This is to control the oily secretion of the sebaceous glands. For this, use a non-greasy liquid cleaner and apply generously om the neck, chin, forehead and nose. After this process, use soap for oily skin with water.

After cleaning, you need to tone your skin with an astringent lotion, applying thoroughly, particularly to the sides of nose, chin and forehead. This will help in closing the pores and hence preventing the greasy excretions to gather on your face.

After toning, moisturize your skin with a mild, liquid moisturizer applied sparingly. This is needed to protect your skin and to soften it. However, use the moisturizer only once a day. At night, toning your skin is sufficient; or perhaps if you haven’t applied the moisturizer in the morning, you can do so at night.

Combination Skin:

Combination skin, as above, is a mixture of all the other skin types. So, special attention should be paid. Cleaning your skin can be best done by applying a mild cream to the greasy areas i.e. nose, chin and forehead. Apply in blobs, massage it lightly with fingertips, then wipe off carefully with cotton wool. Do repeat this process if you think it is needed. Now use a medicated liquid soap cleaner with water only on the greasy areas of your face. Pat dry with a soft towel. Follow this routine twice a day. You can also supplement this with a face pack on the nose, chin and forehead, twice a week. Leave the pack for fifteen minutes and wipe with a cotton wool soaked in tepid water.

After cleaning, tone your skin with a very mild toning lotion all over your face, except aaround the eye. Also apply astringent to the greasy areas with cotton wool. Take care that the astringent do not touch your dry cheeks and your eyes.

Moisturize your skin with a liquid moisturizer all over the face. Apply an eye cream every night. Occasionally apply cream and also a face pack on the desired areas of the face. Always consider your face in two parts i.e. dry and greasy parts, and care for them accordingly.

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