The first step to a vibrant skin is knowing your skin type. A skin specialist or cosmetologist can accurately do an analysis for you.
There are three different categories that all skin types fall in;
- Oily skin is shiny, greasy, and may have big pores.
- Combination skin is dry in some spots (cheeks) and oily in others (forehead, nose, and chin) and normal in other parts.
- Dry Skin is generally dry and flaky all over, it also cracks in extreme weather.
Within all the skin types there are those that may suffer sensitive skin which stings, burns, or itches after the use of makeup or other skin care products.
Beautiful skin rarely occurs without effort. One must form the habit of thorough cleanliness in their body and also the surroundings that come in contact with the skin.
CLEANSING
Use a simple face wash or cream cleanser depending on your skin twice a day. Wash once in the morning and once in the evening.
Everyone’s skin is different and needs different things.
You may have to test a few different face washes or cleansers to find the one that works best for you.
What you really want from a face wash or cleanser is something that cleans away dirt and germs and excess oils, but doesn’t strip your skin of its healthy oils.
- Picking your cleanser is based on your skin type, how often you wear make-up, and how often you work out. For instance, if your skin is oily, you’ll want a cleanser that has a low pH level, which will be more effective in cleaning the oil. If you have sensitive skin, you won’t want the cleansers that are full of chemicals. A foaming facial wash is the best for oily skin types while a cream cleanser is best for normal to dry and combination skin types.
- Never use ordinary soaps, as they are too harsh for your face and can strip it of its natural oils.
- It’s best to rinse your face with warm water or cool water. Hot water strips the healthy natural oils from your skin.
- You need to wash your face after exercising to get rid of any sweat and dirt and oils that might clog your pores.
- After washing your face pat your skin dry with a clean towel. Do not scrub your face dry, be gentle. The skin on your face is very delicate. Make sure that the towel is clean, otherwise, you will be transferring bacteria to your clean face.
TONING
Toning helps to shut the pores after cleansing. This prevents germs and the elements from damaging the skin.
Oily-type skins are sensitive to alcohol-based toners, therefore, it is best to use alcohol and fragrance-free toners.
If the oily types have to use the alcohol-based toners, they must wet the cotton wool with cool water first and then administer the toner.
Toner can be patted on the face with clean hands or dubbed on with a cotton ball.
Always avoid the area around the eye as toning this thin skin around the eye eventually darkens it.
MOISTURIZER
These are products that help seal in moisture in the skin after cleansing and toning.
Oily skins require oil-free moisturizers while normal to dry and combination skins require richer ones.
Everyone needs to use a sunscreen along with the moisturizer, most moisturizing creams come with at least SPF15.
Depending on the type of weather, one can determine how high the SPF should be.
For cooler places, SPF30 is ideal while in the coastal region an SPF of 40 and above is needed.
Never go out without sunscreen even when it looks like there is no sun, there may be no heat but the rays are still active!
HYDRATE HYDRATE HYDRATE!!
Drink at least 8 glasses of water. Staying hydrated and making sure that your body has plenty of water means that your body will be better able to function properly, including maintaining the health and cleanliness of your skin.
By Emma Odhiambo, Cosmetologist
