By Theresa Pittman
We all want to put our 'best face forward' to the world. Your face is the most expressive part of your body; and expressions are a major part of communication. As we age, we become more conscientious about caring for our skin. Must defeat the dreaded wrinkle. For the best life-long skin, you should start caring for your skin early, before the damage of time has set in. If you can convince your teenagers of this, it would be wonderful. But it is never too late to treat your skin to some much needed TLC.
This is the first in a series of articles about skin care. In subsequent articles, I will tell you about some 'do-it-yourself' skin care treatments. I will also tell what to look for in purchased skin care products - both natural and not-so natural.
The first step in planning your skin care program is to determine which type of skin you have. Even if you think you know you skin type, take a few minutes to read through these descriptions and take the 'tissue test' at the end of the article to be sure. Many things can cause your skin type to change over time, so it's worth while to re-check every six months.
Normal Skin - This is the easiest type of skin to care for. It is usually firm, supple, warm to the touch, neither dry nor greasy, and without spots or blemishes. Normal skin is neither too acid nor too alkaline with a neutral pH of 6.5.
Dry Skin - This type of skin becomes easily irritated and inflamed, requiring regular applications of moisturizers. It is often slightly hot to the touch, prone to powdery scaling, superficial wrinkly, and a dull appearance. Dry skin is more acid, making it sensitive to cold and wind; to heat and air conditioning.
Oily Skin - This type of skin has an excess of sebum (a naturally occurring lubricant that is indispensable for healthy skin and hair), causing it to appear shiny and neglected; and making it hard to keep clean. It frequently has pimples and small inflamed areas, because it is prone to acne and dermatitis. Sebum slows moisture loss, so this more alkaline skin type usually ages more slowly
Combination Skin - This type of skin is difficult to care for because some areas need extra moisturizing, while others need astringent, drying treatments. It is usually shiny or oily on the forehead, sides of the nose and around the mouth; leaving the rest of the face feeling tight and dry.
Sensitive Skin - This term is used to describe any skin type that responds very quickly and adversely to sudden changes of temperature or humidity, and bruises very easily. This type of skin is usually allergic to many cosmetic products. It demands constant special attention.
Aging Skin - This term can be applied to any skin type as it ages. It tends toward dryness and is often hot to the touch. Aging skin is sometimes blemished, damaged or appears flushed. It lacks tone and flexibility. This type of skin needs frequent attention with toners, hydrating lotions and nourishing masks.
Tissue Test
You will need a completely clean face for this. Remove makeup and cleanse your face as usual. Using warm water and cotton pads, give your face a final cleansing. Dry gently and wait for 30 minutes. Cover your face with one ply (or layer) of tissue. Press lightly all over your face and leave for about one minute Remove the tissue and examine it carefully near a window or strong light.
Normal skin - faint oily traces on most of the paper
Dry skin - no oily traces - aging skin is usually dry
Oily skin - clear oily stains over most of the tissue
Combination skin - oily patches at the sides of the nose and around the mouth and forehead; the rest of the tissue is dry
No matter what your skin type, or age, there are many nourishing treatments to help your skin look healthier; which translates to younger and better.
Nature's Treasures djdoodle Merchant Shoppe
Nature's Treasures Blog
Nature's Treasures Craft Booth 256
No comments:
Post a Comment