For most of us, our face is the first part of the bodies that other people see.
Taking proper care of the skin and maintaining a glowing, healthy appearance is high on the list for people of all ages and genders.
It can be confusing to navigate the highly-saturated skincare market, with so many brands, ingredients and products all battling for air time and endorsements. How do you know what your skin really needs amongst all noise?
I recommend all my patients to understand their skin type and only use products and certain active ingredients that are beneficial for that skin type.
Tip # 1 – Start your morning routine with a gentle cleanser that is packed with antioxidants such as green tea, cucumber, aloe vera, and vitamin B3. A proper cleanser containing these ingredients will act as an anti-inflammatory throughout your day, protecting your skin against free radicals, improving skin tone, moisturizing and boosting collagen production, which helps with those fine lines and wrinkles. Avoid harsh chemicals and exfoliates, as these can be a part of your nighttime routine, if required.
Tip # 2 – After cleansing, apply a serum that is right for your skin type. If your skin is acne prone, find a serum that is water based, as oil-based serums will increase bacteria within the pores, thus giving you more breakouts. Acne prone individuals should be using serums that contain Vitamin C, Vitamin El and salicylic acid, as these will expedite cell turnover rate and unclog pores. If you suffer from dry skin daily serums containing the main ingredients of Vitamin E, Niacinamide, and Hylaronic acid are best for you. Vitamin E helps protect the skin cells from being oxidized throughout the day from pollution in the air. Niacinamide helps improve the concentration of lipids in the skin, keeping them more elastic and giving you that nice plump look. Hylaronic acid holds onto water molecules throughout the day, keeping your skin nice and moist. For people with oily skin, find a serum that is water-based containing these 3 key ingredients: glycolic acid, salicylic acid, and citrus acids. These guys will decrease the amount of sebum production throughout your day, in addition to unclogging those deep pores decreasing the bacteria that brings breakouts prone with oily skin types. Be careful not to confuse ‘serums’ for ‘face-oils’, as they do different things and should be placed onto the skin at different times during your morning routine. Be sure to read your labels.
Tip # 3 – Protecting your face from the Sun’s harmful UV rays throughout the day with a sunscreen moisturizer. Look for a product that says “moisturizing” sun protection and has a SPF of 35 or greater – this way, you’ll be killing two birds with one stone. A face sunscreen is ideal; normal sunscreen used for the body is completely different and can cause irritation to the sensitive skin on our faces.
Works Cited
Neill, U. S. (2012). Skin care in the Ageing Female: myths and truths. The Journal of Clinical Investigation, 122(2), 473–477. http://doi.org/10.1172/JCI61978 Skin care for acne-prone skin. (july 28, 2016).Skin care for acne-prone skin. Retrieved March 12, 2071, from https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmedhealth/PMH0072392/.
Ganceviciene, R., Liakou, A. I., Theodoridis, A., Makrantonaki, E., & Zouboulis, C. C. (2012). Skin anti-aging strategies. Dermato-Endocrinology,4(3), 308–319. http://doi.org/10.4161/derm.22804
