Health Sollutions - Skin Care

   Skin Care

It is quite common that we easily get attracted to beautiful things. Thus, it is our nature to keep ourself beautiful. As a first step in achieving this, skin care holds an important place.

The idea of skin care is as old as human civilization. In fact, there are series of myths and stories are related to skin care. Like it is said that pollens of plants were used to take care of the skin. And how can we forget the most famous Queen of history- Cleopatra. It is said her secret of glowing skin lies in bathing with milk andhoney.

A good skin care not only helps in glowing the skin, but makes you feel good from inside also. Include skin care into your daily routine and see the difference. One of the basic aspect of skin care that is applicable to all skin types is healthy diet and drinking adequate amount of water everyday. Stay away from fast foods and take green leafy vegetables and colorful fruits- that is secret of healthy and glowing skin. The second aspect is choose skin care according to your skin type and try to include natural ingredients in your skin care.

     Skin care for normal skin

Normal skin tends to be extremely healthy and thus never suffers from any skin problem. A perfect skin care for normal skin would be cleansing and moisturizing. With mild cleansing and oil free moisturizer, your skin will feel hydrated and moisture remains locked inside the pores. You can use botanical ingredients like jasmine oil, lavender oil for nourishment. You can also use honey and camphor to strike the right oil balance and never allow the skin to experience any clogged pore condition During, seasonal changes also normal skin requires less attention and mild moisturizer will be enough for your skin.

       Skin care for oily skin

If you have over active glands, chances are there you will have oily skin. When skin produces too much sebum, the skin pores gets clogged and thus contribute to several problems. The best way to tackle oily skin is to eat food enriched with sources of B2. This would include whole grains, wheat grams, nuts and beans. There is a common myth that oily skin does not require hydration. This is fully wrong as it is extremely important that skin should remain hydrated. Though it might sound unconventional, a good moisturizer can help you in keeping your skin hydrated. This is because if your skin suffers from dehydration, this would only contribute to added skin problems.

   Skin care for dry skin

This type of skin condition is just opposite the oily skin, i.e. the skin produces low sebum. Use natural vegetable oil like almond or olive oil to fight with the dryness of skin. In fact, for treating dry skin, you can try famous bath of Cleopatra. Milk baths are very effective in dealing with dry condition of skin. Add almond oil and powdered milk to warm water and bath daily and see the difference.

   Some Skin Care Methods



Cleansing

Cleansing is the first essential step in your daily skin care routine.Cleansing the face 2-3 times a day; is adequate for normal skin. If your skin is oily a more frequent cleansing i.e. 4-5 times a day is necessary. If your skin is dry it is best to avoid frequent washing and you may have to use a suitable oil-based cosmetic cleanser instead of soap, which has a dry effect.

There are several alternatives to soap and water cleansing. Cleansers can be in the form of creams, milks, lotions, gels and liquids. All are, a mixture of oil, wax and water which have been formulated to suit different skin types. A cotton -pad dipped in fresh milk available at home, is an equally effective cleanser.

The right way to apply cleansers and creams on your face is in an upward and outward movement. The skin should not be stretched, dragged or pulled. Leave the cleanser on for a minute or two so as to loosen the dirt and Make Up. Remove it either using a cotton wool or with a tissue paper, again using an upward and out ward movement. Finally rinse with water.

Masks

Basically all face Masks have some sort of a cleansing action. Various ingredients are used in the masks, depending on the skin type. Clay, form an important constituent of many face masks. They help to remove dirt, sebum, and dead skin so that the skin looks clean, soft and youthful.

Fullers earth is a special type of clay often used in face packs. It contains aluminium silicate. As it dries on the skin, it absorbs the superficial dead cells and blots up any excessive oil on the skin. It is therefore excellent for an oily skin but should not be used on dry skin. Kaolin is also a fine clay which has been used for tummy upsets because it absorbs toxins from the System. It removes grime, oils and dead cells. Kaolin is also best for oily skin and best avoided for dry skin.

Another ingredient of some of the masks is the peeling or the exfoliating agent-these remove the top layer of dead cells from the skin, leaving behind fresh youthful skin. Oatmeal and bran are the commonly used peelers. Oatmeal is obtained from oats which is rich in Vitamin B and Vitamin E

Also added to many masks are natural ingredients-cucumbers, curds, lemon juice and Brewer's Yeast. It restores the acid / alkali balance of the skin.

Toning

The skin care products include cosmetics like skin fresheners, toners and astringents which basically contains alcohol and water. These products are used after cleansing the skin to freshen and tone up the skin, they also restore the acid/ alkali balance of the skin. Having cleansed, wipe away any last traces of dirt or oil with a skin freshener or toner (cleansing milk) which suits your skin type. Non alcoholic freshener are for dry and sensitive skin. Those with alcohol (astringent) are for oily skin. People with combination skin should use toner and astringent.

Mosturising

Regular use of a suitable moisturiser benefits your skin. The moisturiser not only replaces the water lost from the skin but also prevents its loss to the surroundings. It protects the skin against the drying influences of the environment such as the effects of the sun, cold and heat. Tinted moisturiser are very helpful under foundation. It always keep the make up moist.

A moisturiser is particularly helpful for dry skins. Oil free moisturisers can be used for oily skins.

There are two types of moisturisers: Oil - in water emulsions and water -in -oil emulsions. The moisturiser you select should suit your skin type. For normal skins, a water based moisturiser containing a little oil is suitable. Sensitive skins and dry skins need moisturisers having a high oil content.

Protecting

The sun, is the environmental factor that is most harmful to the health and appearance of the skin. Ultraviolet radiation from sunlight can cause permanent damage to the skin. It can cause the skin to sag, lose elasticity and form Wrinkles. Severe sunburn can even cause skin cancer.

Sunscreen and foundation protects the skin against the damaging ultraviolet rays. It also shields your face from direct contact with dirt or pollutants in the air and helps the skin against loosing its necessary moisture.

Sunscreen's come in lotions and creams. A sunscreen with the sun protection factor (SPF) of number 15 can block most of the sun's ultraviolet radiations before it can damage the skin. The SPF number indicates the length of time, the product will protect the skin. Sunscreen's should be applied at least 10 minutes before you go out in the sun.