GBG Vitality- Viva Vitality: Proper Care for Your Skin

Friday, March 12, 2010

Proper Care for Your Skin

Learn more about your Body, Mind and Spirit with Viva Vitality brought to you GBG Vitality.

Some people assume that scouring your face as often as possible is good.

The pollution can do a lot of damage on your skin, and while you need to remove the day’s dust and grind, you also need to be gentle on your skin. To have younger-looking skin even as you age requires some effort from you. What you should do is cleanse your face twice a day. As you get older, you lose some of your oil glands. So, your skin is probably drier than it once was, and over-washing removes surface oils that help keep your skin looking supple and soft. If you’re out in the market for a facial wash, look for one that has salicylic acid. This substance breaks sebum that clogs your pores. If your skin is particularly sensitive or dry, try alternating it with a mild product. If your skin breaks out every so often, make that you use only one type of cleanser. For treatment, rely on pimple creams.

If you applied drying masks to soak up oil, try not to overdo it.

Instead, shift your attention to exfoliating instead of degreasing. Remember that as you get older, your skin’s cell turnover slows down. So, your pores end up clogged with dead skin cells. Slough them away with a home-made peel to soften lines and fade dark spots. If you have extra sensitive skin, look for a product with 10% glycolic acid solution. But if you don’t break out as often, use lactic acid instead and combine this with a gentle moisturizing treatment. Toss the scrubs into your trash bin because abrasive grains can rupture acne cysts and actually increase their life span.

Some people slather on 10% benozyl peroxide (BP) cream on pimples. If you’re one of them, hold your horses there. Or, you could choose a brand with a much lower percentage. BP is a fast-acting acne healer and higher strengths only make your skin drier. The older you are, the milder you should go. Don’t worry, because these work just as efficiently. Apply the solution to the affected areas only during the day: ideally first thing in the morning. If you suffer from pimples because of stress, use the medicine a week or two before a big event just to make sure you avoid any hassle from your end. Since adult acnes tend to manifest as inflamed zits, apply creams that have cortisone to calm the redness on your skin.

Remember, never ever swear off moisturizers.

Even if your skin is oily, you need something to help prevent early lines and wrinkles from showing on your skin. Just use oil-free lotions to smooth skin and reduce the starkness of the lines. Always apply sunscreen even when you don’t go to the beach. At night, use retinol to exfoliate. Sometimes, you have to keep the number of products simple. Therefore, make retinol your only nighttime treatment. If you still want more, wait at least 10 minutes before layering on top. Give your skin a chance to absorb the cream first.